HK1033225B - Method and system for accessing information on a network - Google Patents

Description

Method and system for accessing information on a network

Illustrative prior art is shown in reference D1, WO 9728553 a, which discloses internet CPR (active page register) to translate logical addresses in the URL standard into actual world wide web ("WWW") addresses in the URL standard, which publication proposes that logical "empty" URLs can be much simpler and shorter than actual URLs that must accurately identify the location of a homepage on the internet.

Reference D2, WO 9737319A discloses the use of A digital barcode as A simplified address which is transformed into A complete URL, reference D3, published 6/9/1998, US-A-5764910 discloses the possibility of simplifying access to datA resources on datA communications networks by encoding datA resource descriptors into A compressed form which we can store in A service provider's telephone equipment and transmit to the user.

Further, the use of indices to link a phrase to a corresponding full URL address is disclosed in the paper "Index-based hyperlinks', Computer Networks and ISDN Systems", vol.29, No.8-13, 9 months 1997 (1997-09-01), 1129-.

The present invention relates to the field of information processing and communication systems, and more particularly to a system and methods for facilitating access to network information and controlling network servers.

An internet homepage generally represents the top-level file at a particular internet site. A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) provides the global address or location of the home page.

There are several well-known techniques for accessing an internet homepage from a remote computer linked to the internet. For example, we can use a device such as YAHOO!  (Yahoo) (a registered trademark of Yahoo corporation). Also, it is common for computer users to store a URL in a computer file commonly referred to as a bookmark. Bookmarks are then used to access a particular home page. The different URL addresses can be linked in hypertext markup language (HTML) and accessed through a description displayed on the computer. None of the access technologies described above require any knowledge about a particular URL.

However, there is an example where a computer user who wants to access a certain homepage needs to input a URL into a computer. This may be needed, for example, when a computer user obtains a URL from a printed publication. We have found that this process presents unexpected difficulties because it requires the computer to enter alphabetic characters of the URL, which are typically a long and complex string. In addition, it is difficult to remember these long and complex character strings, particularly when it is desired to distinguish between upper case letters and lower case letters.

In addition, URLs have become increasingly complex due to the unexpected increase in the number of home pages. As a result of the increasing complexity of URLs, it may be difficult for a user to hold a newspaper in one hand while entering a URL from, for example, a newspaper advertisement. Let alone remember the URL, it is,

although there are applications that add functionality to a browser, existing applications do not monitor for entry into the location (address) field of the browser's application in order to add additional functionality. A similar value added application is QuickSeek (a trademark used by INFOSEEK) from INFOSEEK (a registered trademark of INFOSEEK corporation), but it adds its own separate input field to the browser, rather than getting input from the browser's location field.

Therefore, there is a need for methods and systems that facilitate accessing web pages via URLs.

The present invention provides a novel method and system for accessing a URL of a network through commonly specified simplified network addresses, which are often a single or multiple digit number, and then displaying a home page corresponding to the simplified network address.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods for accessing network information with simplified network addressing, the methods comprising the steps of: a) providing a platform having network access and accepting inputs for accessing network information; b) receiving a reduced network address corresponding to a network address of the network information; c) converting the reduced network address into a URL defining a network address of the information; d) forming a network access command containing the URL; and e) issuing a formed network access command from the platform for accessing the network information, the methods characterized by:

the step of providing a platform a) additionally comprises the step of providing an application program comprising an operating system to generate an alias message; the step b) of accepting a reduced network address additionally comprises the step of performing a message aliasing process performed by the application program and comprises the steps of: (i) generating an alias message containing the accepted reduced network address, and (ii) sending the generated alias message back to the application;

performing step c) of converting the reduced network address to a URL by a network accessible database of correspondences, step c) further comprising the steps of: (i) providing a web server based database defining a correspondence between reduced web addresses and corresponding URLs, the database comprising a database server, (ii) providing a search engine to the database for searching the database and accepting a search key, (iii) organizing the database defining a correspondence entry containing reduced web addresses and corresponding URLs, (iv) receiving a generated alias message containing reduced web addresses from the platform, (v) forming a web access command for a transformation request, addressing the formed web access command for the transformation request to the database server, (vi) sending the formed web access command for the transformation request to the database server, (vii) using the received reduced web addresses as search keys, the database server searching the database using the search engine, and (viii) as a result of the transformation, the database server returns the corresponding URL portion of the matching correspondence over the network, where the database transformation is performed by a server-based system that receives the reduced network address as an http: a part of the network address command, determining the location of a matching simplified network address in the database, and returning the corresponding URL; and

then, in a step e) of issuing a formed network access command from the platform for accessing the network information, the reduced network address that has been entered into the platform is converted into an http: // URL/command.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system that allows access to network information using simplified network addresses.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a database system for converting a simplified network address to a corresponding URL for use in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a correspondence relationship as a combined pair having a simplified network address portion and a corresponding URL portion for storage in the database of FIG. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram providing an example of the combined pair of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another system for updating the database of fig. 2 in which a simplified network address is automatically generated.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a system, such as that of fig. 1, in which the database is located on a network and accessed as a network resource.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the system of fig. 1 in which one portion of the database is maintained in the local system and another portion is placed in a network as shown in fig. 6.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display of information in a system of FIG. 1 with a windowing operating system.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating various input devices and pointing devices for use with a system such as that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cooperation between a pointer and a displayed keypad for entering a reduced network address.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the use of message aliasing in a messaging operating system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating simplified network addressing using message aliasing.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a web server command process implemented using message aliasing in accordance with another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating several processes associated with the generation, updating and maintenance of a server-based, network searchable database storing correspondences.

FIG. 15 is a diagram graphically illustrating a telephone keypad, or in other words a 10-key keypad, for entering a reduced network address in a particular embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram graphically illustrating an exemplary format for a 10-bit URL numeric code.

FIG. 17 is a table defining a correspondence between letters of the alphabet and reference numerals in a range from <1> to <9 >.

FIG. 18 is another table defining a correspondence between letters of the alphabet and designated rules.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating a process for generating a URL number code in accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an aspect of another process for generating a URL number code in accordance with another particular embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating the use of a firewall to ensure the integrity of a network searchable database.

Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating the exchange of information between software elements in a particular embodiment of a client and between customers on both ends of a network and a database in a server-based database.

Fig. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a process of inputting a URL number code or a shortened number and obtaining a URL and a homepage generated thereby.

FIG. 24 is a diagram graphically illustrating another aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 25 is a diagram graphically illustrating an internet system including a digital input interface.

Fig. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating another specific embodiment of the present invention.

While we describe the invention and its embodiments, certain terminology will be used for the sake of clarity.

Definition of

As defined herein, a "URL numeric code" includes a number assigned to a URL, which term may also be referred to as a "designated number", a "numeric URL" or an "original number".

"user" as defined herein includes a person or group that accesses or intends to access a network in order to access network information, such as a URL or Web (Web) home page.

"client" as defined herein includes the hardware and software utilized by a user to access a network to receive a URL or a Web home page.

As defined herein, a "reduced network address," which may also be referred to as SNA, contains alphanumeric characters including URL numeric codes, control characters and special characters, such as ASCII (american standard code for information interchange) characters of a standard control function, which a user enters into a client for accessing network information, such as a URL or a Web page, by a transformation from the reduced network address to a URL.

"simplified network addressing" as defined herein includes methods of accessing network information with a simplified network address.

A "platform," as defined herein, includes the hardware and software of a computer system.

As defined herein, a "URL translation domain" includes a network domain name that identifies an address for accessing a translation from a reduced network address to a URL.

Introduction to the design reside in

Existing methods for accessing home pages via a web browser require typing a long URL string. Such operations can be particularly inconvenient and difficult for users. We have found in accordance with the present invention that the use of web URLs is made very easy by assigning a number or other character string to a particular URL and then using this number or other character string to connect the user to the web page location. By assigning a shorter, easier to type and remember number to a corresponding URL, a user of the present invention simply types a number to return a corresponding home page to the client display.

Internet browsers now assume that any number entered into the location (address) field is intentionally an IP address of the form < nnn. Any number entered into the location field that is not an IP address will cause the browser to return an error. For example, if a user enters a string <888> into a browser's location field, an existing browser application will attempt to connect to the URL < http: //888/>, since the string <888> is not a valid IP address, this will result in an error. In the following embodiments of the invention, a service that monitors user input intercepts a message when it is sent to the browser's location field. The server recognizes that the string <888> is not a valid IP address, substitutes the following URL and passes the substituted URL to the browser: < http: shadow usa.com/search.pnumber 888& start 0 >.

The substituted URL causes the browser to connect to a www (world wide web) server in the shadow usa.com domain and run the program < search.p > passing <888> as a parameter. Com is an example of a URL transformation domain for accessing a transformation from a user number input to a URL. A server-side program < search.p > gets a corresponding URL and the required HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) formatted characters returned to the browser location field by looking up <888> in a database table, transforming the number into a URL. And the browser accesses the internet homepage identified by the entered string <888> with the returned HTTP formatted URL and displays the homepage on the client browser. String <888> is an example of a simplified network address of the present invention. Various features of the present invention will be discussed in more detail below.

Basic network access system

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram illustrating a system according to an aspect of the invention. The system, generally designated by the numeral 10, includes a platform 12, an input device 14, a display monitor 16 and a transducer 18. To access network information, the platform 12 is connected to a network 20. Generally, system 10 receives a reduced network address (SNA)22 via input device 14 and communicates reduced network address 22 to translator 18. The transformer 18 transforms the reduced network address into a uniform resource locator address (URL)24 and returns the URL24 to the platform 12. The platform 12 then combines the returned URL24 with the additional symbols according to a network protocol to form a network access command 26 (e.g., http:/URL /) to access information from a network resource (not shown). The network resource returns accessed information 28 (e.g., an HTML page) to the system 10 where the platform 12 receives the accessed information 28 and processes it for display on the display monitor 16.

In a related embodiment (not shown) of the system 10, the translator 18 translates the reduced network address 22 directly into a formatted network access command 26, such as http: and/URL.

The simplified network address 22 is typically a concatenation of characters such as alphabets or pure numbers. These symbols are typically entered by a user via an input device 14 such as a keyboard or a 10-key keypad. The system 10 is generally referred to as a client. Typically, the client includes a programmable digital computer having a keyboard input device, a mouse pointer, a CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor display, internal memory (RAM (random access memory)) for storing temporary results such as data, and external memory in the form of one or more hard disks for storing programs and long-term results such as database tables. For purposes of the following discussion, it is convenient to view system 10 as such a computer-based system. However, we should remember that the present invention is not limited to common desktop computer systems and may find application in different platforms such as handheld computing devices, e.g. so-called smart phones.

A process for accessing information located on a network resource using system 10 uses a string that defines a reduced network address. For example, assume that a user types the string < patent-search > on one input device 14. Assume that the string < patent-search > is a simplified network address used to access a patent database server in the U.S. patent and trademark office. Thus, the user does not have to remember that the true uniform resource locator address for the patent database is < http: // patents. uspto. gov/>. The platform 12 receives the string 22 and sends it to the transformer 18. The transformer 18 accepts the reduced network address < patent-search > and transforms the string into a URL < contents. The platform now forms a complete network access command 26< http with the returned URL: // patents. uspto. gov/>. In another embodiment, the translator 18 translates the reduced network address into a fully formatted network access command, such as < http: // patents. uspto. gov/>. The system 10 now issues a network access command 26 to the network 20. In time, a connection is established between the system 10 and a patent database server (not shown) which returns a patent database home page 28 represented in HTML format. The platform receives the home page 28, processes the HTML information, and allows the home page to be displayed on the system's display monitor 16. In this example, we use http: // URL/format access information from a network such as the Internet and its world Wide Web (Web). In another particular embodiment, the network access command uses a different network protocol command (e.g., a different TCP/IP protocol command (TCP/internet protocol command)) in order to retrieve the network information.

Corresponding relation

In one embodiment, a simplified translation of a network address 22 to a URL24 is performed by a database having memory and a search engine. Such an embodiment is illustrated in the block diagram of fig. 2. The database is generally designated by the numeral 30, and it should be understood that the database 30 performs the functions assigned to the transducer 18 of FIG. 1. The database 30 includes memory 32 and a search engine 34. The database 30 receives a simplified network address 36 provided by the platform 12 of fig. 1 and returns a URL38, the URL38 corresponding to the URL on the conductor 24 of fig. 1. In another embodiment (not shown), the database 30 receives a reduced network address 36 and returns a fully formatted network access command, as described above.

The database 30 shown in fig. 2 defines a correspondence between a received simplified network address 36 and a corresponding URL 38. The correspondence relationships are stored in a database memory 32. The correspondence can be viewed as a database entry with two parts: a simplified network address portion and a corresponding URL portion. The schematic diagram of fig. 3 illustrates such a correspondence. The correspondence is generally indicated by the numeral 40. The correspondence 40 has a simplified network address portion 42 and a corresponding URL portion 44. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a particular embodiment of a correspondence. The correspondence is generally indicated by the numeral 46. The reduced network address portion 48 is < patent-search >, and the corresponding URL portion 50 is < patents.

In general, such a correspondence means that when database 30 (FIG. 2) receives a particular reduced network address, such as < patent-search >, it will examine the correspondence in database memory 32 and, when it finds a correspondence having a string portion equal to the received reduced network address < patent-search >, it will return the corresponding URL portion < patents. The database memory is searched by a search engine 34 that accepts the received reduced network address 36 and uses the reduced network address as a search key. In another embodiment (not shown) of correspondence 46, the corresponding URL portion 50 includes all required network protocol formatting characters, such as < http: // patents. uspto. gov/>.

Simple table lookup

The correspondence used in the above example and shown in the simple combination pairs of fig. 3 and 4 is one specific embodiment of a correspondence. In other embodiments of the invention, the correspondence, although readily understandable using the pair of combinations illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, is not actually stored in the memory of the database as a simple pair of combinations. But still rely on the process of locating a URL corresponding to a received reduced network address 36 with the search engine 34 in order to understand the basic operation of the database 30.

One embodiment of the present invention defines a process for converting a reduced network address to a URL using a memory 32 having correspondences and a database 30 of a search engine 34 for searching the memory 32 and accepting a search key. The database 30 receives a reduced network address 36 and provides it to the search engine 34 as a search key. The search engine 34 searches the stored correspondences and returns a URL38 corresponding to the search key. In this manner, we transform the received simplified network address 36 into a corresponding URL 38. Using the example provided above, the search string < patent-search > is transformed into a URL < patents. Also, in another particular embodiment (not shown) of database 30, the search string < patent-search > is transformed into a fully formatted network access command, such as < http: // patents. uspto. gov/>.

Automatic generation of simplified network addresses

A related embodiment of the invention defines a process that allows an owner of a URL to enter a physical address of network information in the form of a URL and the system automatically generates a reduced network address. A system embodying such a process is shown in fig. 5, which fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of a system, generally designated by the numeral 76. The system portion 76 includes an input device 78, a platform 80, a display monitor 82 and a database system 84 having a memory 85 for storing the corresponding relationships.

The process defined by the associated embodiment accepts an actual network address in the form of a URL 86 from the owner of the URL via the input device 78. Platform 80 receives URL 86 and passes the URL to database 84 via line 88. In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 5, database system 84 includes a component 90 for generating a reduced network address in the form of a string. Database system 84 combines the formed string with the received URL to form a new correspondence, generally indicated by numeral 92. The formed correspondence 92 includes the generated string 94 defining the reduced network address and the received URL 96. Database system 84 then inserts the newly formed correspondences 92 into database memory 85 where correspondences 92 become available to transform the reduced network addresses into actual network addresses.

In another embodiment (not shown), the means 90 for generating a new reduced network address is located in the system 76, but not within the database system 84. In this possible embodiment, the process forms a completed database entry with both a simplified network address portion and a corresponding URL portion. The completed entry is then sent to database system 84.

In another related possible embodiment, the database system 84 returns a copy 98 of the new reduced network address 94 to the platform so that the owner of the URL knows the new reduced network address corresponding to the URL he provided.

In another specific embodiment (not shown), the user enters a fully formatted network access command, such as < http: us pt. gov/>, and the system automatically generates a new reduced network address corresponding to the network access command.

The numbers specified: a URL number code

In a preferred embodiment, the simplified network address generated by block 90 is a number having one or more bits and defining a designated number. We will describe in more detail the designated number, also referred to as a URL number code, with reference to fig. 14 to 20.

Moving a database to a network

In another embodiment, the systems illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are extended by removing the transformation database from the user's system to the network. An example of such an embodiment is illustrated in block diagram fig. 6, which includes a client, generally indicated by the numeral 100, and a network-based transformation database, generally indicated by the numeral 102. Client 100 includes a platform 104 with network access. Database 102 includes a server 106, a search engine 108, and database storage 110 that provides storage for database relationships.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for operating a simplified network addressing system using a transformation database accessible over a network. The method includes the steps of receiving a reduced network address and forming a network access command addressed to the transformation database 102. Fig. 6 illustrates an example of such a command 112. For this example, we assume that the URL used to access transformation database 102 is < URL1 >. The resulting access command 112 combines the URL1 with the received reduced network address to obtain an access command format < http: // URL1/simplified network address/>, as we will describe it in more detail with reference to function C of FIG. 11.

The server 106 receives the access command 112 over the network and submits a reduced network address portion 114 to the search engine 108. The search engine uses the reduced network address portion 114 as a search key 116 for searching the stored correspondences 110. The search engine 108 obtains a URL 2118 corresponding to the search key 116, and the URL 2118 represents a simplified network address for a network resource having a URL equal to URL 2. The search engine 108 returns the URL 2120 to the server 106, and the server 106 then returns the URL2122 to the client 100 over the network connection. The method now defines the steps of forming a second network access command 124 using the returned URL2, the network access command 124 having in this example a form < http: // URL 2/>. The second network access command 124 is directed to a network resource, in this example an HTML page 126, on which a network page is stored, which is returned to the client over a network connection. Thus, the URL1 in FIG. 6 represents a URL for accessing the network database 102, while the URL2 represents a URL for a Web page to be accessed by the user.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, client 100 begins with a simplified network address corresponding to returned HTML page 126, and translation database 102 translates the simplified network address into a URL2122 required to access the HTML page. The client 100 forms a web access command 124 with the URL2 and the web returns the desired HTML page 126.

In another embodiment of the simplified network addressing system, which has been described in the previously drawn figures, the transformation database (102 of FIG. 6) is distributed among a plurality of server-based databases, each of which is accessible over a network.

In yet another embodiment (not shown) of the simplified network addressing system, the transformation database returns a fully formatted network access command including a URL2122, e.g. < http: // URL 2/>.

Speed improvement: maintaining a local cache

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a transformation database allocated between a first portion maintained within a client and a second portion accessible over a network connection. FIG. 7 includes a client, generally indicated by the numeral 128, a platform 130, a client search engine 132 and a client cache 134 for storing selected correspondences. Fig. 7 also includes a network-accessible transformation database 136 and network connections between the client 128, the transformation database 136 and other network resources (not shown). These network connections are generally represented by the numeral 138.

One embodiment of the present invention defines a method for operating a simplified network addressing system using the components illustrated in fig. 7. When a reduced network address is entered into the client 128 for a network-accessible resource, the reduced network address 140 is first passed to the client search engine 132, and the client search engine 132 searches the selected correspondences located on the client cache 134 using the reduced network address as a search key 142. If a correspondence is located on the cache 134 that matches the search key 142, the client search engine returns a corresponding URL 144, which in the present example we assume is URL 2. After finding a corresponding URL in the client cache 134, the client 128 uses the URL2 to form a network access command 146< http: // URL2/>, the network access command is addressed to a network resource having a copy of the network file corresponding to the simplified network address entered by the user. The addressed network resource (not shown) returns the desired network file, in this example an HTML page 148.

When no correspondence is found in the client cache 134 that matches the reduced network address 140, the client uses the reduced network address to form a network access command 150 addressed to the network-accessible transformation database 136. As described above with respect to fig. 6, a search of the database 136 is performed for a matching correspondence. If the search is successful, the transformation database 136 returns the URL2 to the customer and the customer 128 forms a web access command 146 with the returned URL2 via the web connections 138 as described above.

The embodiment illustrated in fig. 7 has several advantages over the simpler embodiment illustrated in fig. 6. The first advantage is the working speed: when the URL corresponding to the reduced network address is found in the client's local cache 134, the access command 146 is issued without waiting for the remote transformation database 136 to respond. A second advantage is evident when the network is unstable or unreliable, as is often the case when long response delays occur or network connections are often lost, as is now often the case with the internet and its world wide web. Under these unreliable conditions, the access command 146 can be quickly formed if the required URL is found in the local cache 134.

In another embodiment of the simplified network addressing system, the network-accessible transformation database 136 of FIG. 7 is distributed among a plurality of network-accessible databases.

In another particular embodiment (not shown) of the simplified network addressing system, the local cache 134 and the remote database 136 return fully formatted network access commands as described above.

Use of windows

Fig. 1 and 5 illustrate systems that provide a display (16 of fig. 1) for displaying accessed network information in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the client platform (12 of FIG. 1) includes an operating system that provides windowed displays, commonly referred to as windows. These windows may occupy some portion of the display (16 of fig. 1) and may display several windows simultaneously, each containing different information. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a windowing system. FIG. 8 includes a client platform 152 having an operating system 153 that provides a windowing environment and having a simplified network APPLICATION ("shadow APPLICATION") 154. The particular environment also includes a web browser application, generally indicated by the numeral 155, having an address window 156 and a web window 157 sized and positioned to fill exactly one display screen, forming a combined window 158.

A particular embodiment of the present invention defines a method for first displaying a simplified network address of user input 159 (fig. 8) in address window 156. The user-entered reduced network address is monitored 160 by the operating system 153, which passes 161 the reduced network address to the shadow APPLICATION (hat APPLICATION) 154. The shadow application 154 determines that the user input represents a reduced network address, then forms a transformation request command that includes a copy of the reduced network address, as described above, sends the formed command to a transformation database (120 of fig. 6) and finally obtains a fully formatted network access command from the database, e.g., < http: // URL2/> (146 of FIG. 7) to retrieve the desired network information. The browser application 155 continues to display the simplified network address entered by the user in the address window 156 when converted. When a network access command is available, the shadow application 154 replaces 162 the previously displayed simplified network address with the network access command formed in the address window 156 (e.g., < http:// URL 2/>). The browser application 155 then accesses the desired network information using the network access command. When the accessed network information (148 of fig. 7) is available, it is displayed in the network window 157.

Various input devices and pointing devices

A simplified network address may be entered using a variety of different input devices and pointers. Some input device, such as a keyboard, can be operated independently. Other devices, such as a pointing device or a television remote control, must cooperate to enter a reduced network address. Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a client platform 166 and various input devices, generally indicated by the numeral 168. These devices include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: a standard keyboard 170, a 10-key keypad 172, a telephone keypad 174, a computer mouse 176, a computer trackball 178, a touch screen 180, a pen pointer 182, a bar code reader 184, an OCR (optical code reader) 186 that optically reads a medium containing a reduced network address in an encoded form, an OCR 188 that mechanically reads a medium containing a reduced network address in an encoded form, a television remote control 190 connected to a television, a remote control 192 connected to a game console, a remote control 194 connected to a karaoke machine, and a voice input device 196 for receiving a reduced network address expressed in a spoken form.

Several of the input and pointing devices mentioned herein typically work with a display device (16 of FIG. 1) for entering a simplified network address. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of cooperation between a pointer, an operating system and a windowed display of symbols constituting a simplified network address.

FIG. 10 includes a computer mouse 198, a client platform 200, an operating system 202, a displayed composition window 204, a displayed cursor 206 and a displayed telephone keypad generally represented by numeral 208. Movement of the mouse 198 relative to a surface produces a corresponding movement of a display cursor 206 within the displayed combined window 204. The mouse is shown to include left and right buttons, 210 and 212, for selecting, activating and moving a displayed object, respectively. In this example, an operator uses the mouse 198 to position a cursor 206 over one of the displayed digits of the telephone keypad 208. The operator then presses and releases the left mouse button 210 once to select the number on which he has positioned the cursor 206. The operating system 202 determines which digit corresponds to the cursor position and displays that digit 214 in a reduced network address display window 216 located above the displayed telephone keypad 208. The process continues one digit at a time until a complete reduced network address has entered the displayed window 216. The reduced network address is then converted to a corresponding URL as already described above.

One of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will recognize that a single button mouse, a three button mouse or other equivalent computer pointing device may be used in place of the two button mouse in the above example without substantial change to the scope of the present invention. We intend the examples to illustrate the features of the invention in a practical manner, but do not intend the examples to limit the scope of the invention.

Message aliasing

We define the next set of embodiments of the invention in an operating system environment provided with procedures, memory and objects that invoke the procedures with message passing, i.e. an environment using an object-oriented programming style. There are many well known operating systems of this type. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating interactions between a user interface 218, an application 220 including functions A, B, and C referred to as a shadow application, and a messaging operating system 222.

The embodiments add functionality to existing applications, such as internet browsers, by monitoring messages passed to the applications. As a practical example, the shadow application 220 allows it to complete services that the browser application has not completed by monitoring messages passed to the browser's location (address) field.

Fig. 11 illustrates a process in which < simplified network address > entered as a user message at user interface 218 is intercepted by operating system 222 and replaced with an alias message, e.g., < URL1/simplified network address/>. We recall that URL1 was the network address of transformation database 102 in the description above in relation to fig. 6. Fig. 11 is a schematic representation of a process for generating an alias message, internal to a client. In messaging operating systems, this message aliasing process forms a part of a network access command to a network-accessible translation database (102 of FIG. 6) with a simplified network address. The message aliasing process itself is one embodiment of an aspect of the present invention. In another embodiment of the message aliasing system, as described previously herein, the alias message forms a fully formatted transformation request command, such as < http: // URL1/simplified network address/>.

The message aliasing process illustrated in FIG. 11 begins by the user entering a message 224 to launch the shadow application 220. The start message 224 passes to the shadow application 220 and creates an object, function A226. Function a, in turn, generates an entry 227 in an operating system message control table 228. An example of a message control table is the hook table defined in Microsoft Windows  (a registered trademark of Microsoft corporation) 95 (Microsoft Windows 95 operating system) and Windows  NT (Windows network terminals) operating systems. At this point, the message aliasing process pauses, waiting for the user to send another message.

A user input message 230 in the form of a reduced network address is passed to the shadow application 220 and the shadow application 220 passes the message to the operating system 222. There, the message is passed back to the shadow application through the message control table entry 227 where it invokes a function B232. The purpose of function B is to create a new entry 234 in an operating system callback Process 236. One skilled in the art will recognize callback process 236 as a typical operating system solution for passing operating system level messages within the system. Finally, we want the message 230 to be used in a web browser, referred to herein as target navigator a 238.

The user wants to get a < simplefieldnetword address > message into the target navigator a238, but the target navigator a does not recognize the < simplefieldnetword address > in its present form. Function B232 makes a new entry 234 in the callback process 236 the first time the user sends a message to a new receiver. Thus, when the user sends a message < mapped network address >230 to the target navigator a238 in the event that the user has not previously sent a message to the target navigator a, the function B232 removes the original callback function of the target navigator a from the callback process 236, saves the original callback function, and replaces the original callback function with an image callback function 234. We pass the < simplified network address >230 to a function C240 in the shadow application 220 using the image (shadow) callback function 234. Function C transforms < simplified network address >230 into an alias message 242, e.g. < http: // URL 1/simplefined network address/>, which is acceptable to target navigator a238, and passes alias message 242 to the intended target navigator a 238.

Function B232 and message control table entries 227 cooperate to define a two-state machine that keeps track of the first time any < mapped network address > is sent to a desired target. In a first of the two states, a < simplified network address >230 intended for the target navigator A238 results in the generation of the image callback function 234 and a representation of the < simplified network address > into a form acceptable to alias navigators < http: // URL1/simplified network address/>. After the image callback function is generated, the state machine enters the second state, which remains in the second state until the shadow application 220 is closed. When in the second state, subsequent < simplified network address > messages 244 directed to the same target navigator a238 are sent directly by the image callback function 234 to the shadow application function C240. Function C transforms < simplefied network address > into an alias-acceptable form < http: // URL 1/simplefied network address/> and passes this individual name message 242 to the intended receiver 238.

When the user enters a message to close the shadow application, the image callback functions 234 are replaced with the original callback functions of the previously saved browser application and a previous operating system state is resumed.

Message aliasing for simplified network addressing

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating one particular embodiment of implementing a simplified network addressing of network-accessible information using the message aliasing process described above. Fig. 12 includes a user's < mapped network address > message 246, an internal message aliasing process 248, a display monitor 250, an address window 252, a network window 254, a network connection 256, a network-accessible transformation database 258, and a network-accessible information resource 260. The user enters a reduced network address <888>262, which is transformed by a specific message aliasing process 248 to < http: the shadow usa.com/search.pnumber 888/> 264. This network access command is a request to a shadow USA server, which is a specific example of a server implementing a transformation database 258. Database 258 is required to return a URL 266 corresponding to the reduced network address <888 >. The shadow USA server 258 returns a fully formatted network access command, shadow, co.jp/> as the URL 266 corresponding to <888 >. Jp server 260 (the job processing server of the shadow company) sends a network access command 268 to the shadow co through the network 256. Jp server 260 returns its HTML home page 270 to display the home page 270 in the web window 254 of the user's display monitor 250.

Message aliasing for web server commands

Existing internet browsers implement a limited number of internet protocols such as mail < mailto: />, FTP (file transfer program) < FTP: v/> and news < news: />. A service program monitoring user input can recognize and execute a set of newly defined protocols or commands that are not executed by a browser. One such example is direct access from a browser location field to internet search engines. For example, if the user enters the string < yahoo: // shadow/>, an existing browser will attempt to connect to the URL < http: // yahoo: // shadow/>, since < http: // yahoo: // shadow/> is not a valid URL, so this will result in an error. A service monitoring user input can recognize the string < yahoo: // shadow/> as an indication of the extent of YAHOO  (Yahoo)! A request to search for the string < shadow > in the search engine and as a result send the following URL to the browser: < http: v/search. yahoo. co. jp/bin/search > shadow. This URL causes the browser to contact the search engine at < search. yahoo. co. jp > and start a search for the keyword < shadow >. The search engine returns the results of the search to the browser. With this introduction to providing a frame of reference, we will provide a detailed description of one particular embodiment as follows.

A related embodiment of the invention is shown in fig. 13, where fig. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a message aliasing process to simplify the control of a remote server. In the particular example shown in fig. 13, the user enters a simplified network address < yahoo: // olympic >, and YAHOO!  the Internet search database returns the results of a search for the keyword < olympic >. Because YAHOO!  does not recognize the string < yahoo: v/olympic >, we use the message aliasing process to construct a network access command that can be recognized. User-entered string < yahoo: // olympic > includes a command portion < yahoo: /> and a parameter part < olympic >.

FIG. 13 includes a user input message 272, an internal message aliasing process 274, a user display monitor 276, a displayed address window 278, a displayed Internet window 280, a network connection 282 and YAHOO!  database server 284. The user input message 272 is the string < yahoo: // olympic >. This string is transformed by process 274 into an alias message string < http: v/search. yahoo. com/bin/search ═ olympic/>. Reference is made to the description above in relation to fig. 11, which is a function C240 of the shadow application that generates an alias string from a user input string. The user is entered with the string < yahoo: // olympic > is shown in address window 278. It is replaced with a longer alias message string. The alias message string is appropriately formatted to command YAHOO!  the database returns the results of a search for the keyword < olymDic >. Sending appropriately formatted network access commands to YAHOO!  database 284. Database server 284 returns its pair YAHOO!  the results of the database search are taken as an HTML code document 286. The encoded file 286 is displayed in the web window 280, completing the simplified server control process.

Can be associated with predefined commands such as for YAHOO!  system-defined < http: the number of web servers to which/URL/./searchp ═ parameters/> commands correspond is increasing. Now only < http: // URL./>, < mailto: // emailaddress/>, < ftp: /> and < news: // newsgroup address/> is defined. When new server commands are defined, we can easily generate and replace a properly formatted alias message with the message aliasing process defined above for the simplified commands entered by the user. For example, we can customize the shadow application to support a variety of different search engines such as: < altavista: />, < infoseek: />, < yahoo: /> et al (ALTAVISTA  is a registered service trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation).

As a searchable database

We have first described the above embodiments from the perspective of a user entering a simplified network address or server command and ultimately receiving a desired Web page. We now move focus to embodiments describing network accessible databases that store correspondences used to transform a simplified network address to a particular URL. The database itself becomes an embodiment of the present invention. Previous examples that have been the focus of the present are the network-based transformation database 102 of FIG. 6, the network-accessible transformation database 136 of FIG. 7, and the network-accessible transformation database 258 of FIG. 12. The database 102 illustrated in fig. 6 will provide the necessary context for the following discussion.

The first embodiment is a server-based, network-searchable database system, generally indicated by the numeral 102 in FIG. 6. The database 102 includes a server 106 that provides a communication connection to a network. Server 106 receives a search request 112 over the communications connection, the received search request including a reduced network address: < http: // URL1/simplified network address/>. The memory 110 includes a correspondence table defining a correspondence between a network uniform resource locator address and a reduced network address. The database also includes a search engine 108, the search engine 108 searching the stored correspondences 110 using a received reduced network address 114 as a search key 118 to obtain a correspondence that matches the received reduced network address. If the search engine 108 finds a matching correspondence, it returns a corresponding URL 118, 120 to the server 106. Which in turn returns a corresponding URL 122 to the requestor, a client 100 in fig. 6. Database 102 defines one embodiment of the present invention.

In a practical sense, the server-based network-accessible database system of FIG. 6 does not exist in the isolation of the network, nor do client systems 100 that use the database to convert the simplified network addresses into URLs. Thus, in one particular embodiment, the database system comprises a client system that issues search requests 112 over a network and receives accessed network information 126 over the network.

Digital registration

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating several processes associated with the generation, updating and maintenance of a server-based network searchable database storing correspondences. The processes illustrated in fig. 14 include a URL database 288 (shown as upper and lower portions connected by a dashed line), a URL registration process 290, stored registered resources 292, a search engine 294, and a correspondence registration process 296. Components 288 and 296 define a server-based network searchable database storing the corresponding relationships. The database is updatable by inputs from the URL owner.

In a particular embodiment, such as the URL registration process 290 of FIG. 14, a URL owner enters a reduced network address, such as a URL numeric code. The URL number code is passed to the search engine 294 and used as a search key for the registration process 290. The previously registered URL number codes in the database 288 are reviewed with the search engine 294 to determine if the received URL number code has been used. If it has not previously been registered, the received URL number code is temporarily registered as a registration resource 292. The new correspondence between the URL and the URL digital code is then submitted to the registration process 296, and the registration process 296 enters the new correspondence into the URL database 288. The URL database 288 corresponds to the stored correspondences 110 of fig. 6. If it is determined that the URL digital code has been previously registered, the URL owner begins the registration process 290 with a new URL digital code.

A URL owner can register a preferred reduced network address such as a URL number code that can be selected based on, for example, a telephone number, a birthday, a license plate number, a house number, a room number, etc. In a particular embodiment, a URL owner selects a musical key sequence from a predetermined set of keys to define a reduced network address with the musical keys. The system includes a means for transforming the sequence and a corresponding URL into a reduced network address. The database forms a new correspondence with the reduced network address in which we originally specified the reduced network address with the musical key sequence. These numbers are typically specified on a "first come, first served" basis.

Letter and number sequences as simplified network addresses

FIG. 15 is a diagram graphically illustrating a telephone keypad, or in other words a keypad having 10 keys, for entering a reduced network address in a particular embodiment of the present invention. A keypad is generally indicated by the numeral 306. Keypad 306 includes keys for numerals and associated letters of an alphabet. A key with the number 2 also carries the letters a, B and C and is represented by the number 308. A key with the number 0 also carries the letters Q and Z and is represented by the number 310.

Fig. 16 through 20 relate to a set of processes for converting alphabetic and numeric sequences into simplified network addresses such as URL numeric codes used in defining correspondences.

Fig. 16 is a diagram graphically illustrating an exemplary format for a 10-digit URL number code (designated number). The URL numeric code is generally represented by the numeral 312 and includes an upper digit 314, a 4-digit number 316, a 2-digit number 318, and a 3-digit number 320. The URL number code is a juxtaposition of numbers 314 and 316, and numbers 318 and 320 are optional components of the code.

FIG. 17 is a table defining a correspondence between letters of the alphabet and reference numerals in a range from <1> to <9 >. The table is generally indicated by the numeral 322. We arrange the letters in the leftmost column of table 322 down a group of letters, one letter group per row.

FIG. 18 is another table defining a correspondence between groups of letters of the alphabet and designated rules. The table is generally indicated by the numeral 334. The letter groups are arranged along the left-most column of the table 334. The particular letter groupings arranged along the leftmost columns of the two tables 322 and 334 are not identical.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating a process for generating a URL number code in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention. The process is generally indicated by the numeral 340.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an aspect of another process for generating a URL number code in accordance with another particular embodiment of the present invention.

One particular embodiment of a URL numeric code includes a number having a plurality of bits, for example 10 bits. The digits are grouped according to their role in the URL number code, as shown in fig. 16. The 1 st (upper) digit 314 can be designated either by a process that utilizes the first letter of the URL name or, alternatively, by selecting the digit <0> or the digit <1 >. We combine the first letter of the URL name with a reference number to get a first derivative, as shown in fig. 17. For example, the name < ntt > has a first letter < n >. In fig. 17, we find the letter < n > in row < mno > 324. Next, the appropriate reference number is selected (fig. 17). Since < n > is the first letter of the name, a suitable reference number is <1 >. The first derived number <6> is obtained as a result of < n > being in row < mno > and column 1 (see 326 in fig. 17). Therefore, the 1 st digit of the URL number code is <6 >. Alternatively, the provider of the URL can select a 1 st digit from the numbers <0> and <1> instead of the first derivative from the example above using FIG. 17.

A method of designating the 2 nd to 5 th digits (316 of fig. 16) is explained as follows using fig. 17 and 18. A 4-bit number is obtained using the first derivatives obtained by using fig. 17 and the first derivatives are converted into second derivatives by the specified rule in fig. 18. For example, a URL name < ntt > is processed using FIG. 17. As described above the first letter < n > has a first derivative <6 >. We find the second letter < t > in row < tuv >328 and combine it with the reference number <2> (330 of fig. 17) resulting in a first derived number <7> (332 of fig. 17). Similarly, the third letter < t > in row < tuv > is combined with a reference number <3> resulting in a first derived number <6 >.

Next, the first derivatives thus obtained are converted into second derivatives by the designation rule in fig. 18 as follows. The first derivative of each letter is placed in the row corresponding to that letter to indicate whether the first derivative corresponds to a digit of 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th or 5 th digit. The first derivatives (fig. 18) in each row are added up. If the addition results in a 2-bit number, the 1 st bit number is deleted.

Returning now to the < ntt > example, the first derived number <6> (for < n >) is placed in the < ncjfrix > row (336 of fig. 18) indicating that this is the 3 rd digit number. The first derivatives <7> and <6> (for < t >) are placed in the < tkpgwz > row (338 in fig. 18) indicating that these represent the 4 th digit. The first derivatives <6> and <7> in this row add to result in a sum <13 >. The 1 st digit of the deleted sum <13> <1> provides a <3> for the 4 th digit. There are no alphabet letters corresponding to digits 2 and 5 of fig. 18, and therefore the digit 2 and 5 is each assigned the number <0 >. The 2 nd through 5 th digits of URL numeric code 312 (fig. 16) are then <0630> when using the name < ntt >. The numbers derived from the specified rules of fig. 18 are referred to as second derived numbers. The second derivatives of the 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th digits are then <0>, <6>, <3> and <0>, respectively.

In one particular embodiment, the numbers assigned to the 6 th and 7 th digits make the URL number code unique. This is done by adding the individual digits of the first derivative and assigning the sum to the 6 th and 7 th digits. Thus, in the case of a URL name < ntt >, the first derived numbers are <6>, <7> and <6> when using FIG. 17 as described above. The sum of these three digits is <19>, in which case the 6 th and 7 th digits are assigned a <1> and a <9> respectively. In another particular embodiment, if we determine that a 7-digit URL number code already exists, then random digits are selected for the 8 th and 9 th and 10 th digits.

We use the above-described processes in assigning a URL numeric code to a corresponding URL having a typical string comprising the transport protocol < http: />. This process is illustrated in the flow chart of fig. 19. The URL string is divided into a sub-domain, a domain and a directory, as shown in step 342 of fig. 19. The transformation of the domain is then started in step 344. A screening process is performed (step 346) where information such as classification codes, country names, information service names, symbols, etc. is removed.

In step 348, second derivatives are assigned to the 2 nd through 5 th digits according to the methods described above for calculating a second derivative. In addition, the number <0> or <1> can be assigned to the 1 st digit. In step 350 (FIG. 19), a comparison is made between the numbers specified in step 348 and the numbers that have been previously specified. If the number is found to already exist, an auxiliary number is added (in step 352) to the 5-digit number by assigning numbers to the 6 th and 7 th digit. If the number comparison step 350 indicates that the number is not present, then at this point we complete the numbering of the domain name as a first stage assignment (step 354).

Following the first stage of assignment, we screen the directory string for the URL in step 356, similar to the screening step 346 for domain name strings. In step 358 of fig. 19, numbers are assigned to the directory in a manner similar to that described in connection with assigning numbers to domain names in step 348. The number obtained in step 358 is compared to existing URL number codes (step 360). If the number already exists, then the adjacent numbers are added up in step 362. Finally, if the number assigned to the 6 th through 10 th digits does not already exist, the URL numeric code thus obtained is registered as the number corresponding to the character string of the URL in step 364.

As described above, the URL is subjected to a preliminary process before being converted to a number in this numbering system. The URL is screened out and then its domain name is transformed in a first stage of assignment. The directory portion of the URL is then transformed to produce a unique ten-digit or less number.

In another particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20, the digits for a URL numeric code are designated by a combination of automatic numbering and selection of priority digits. For example, the numbers for the Nth through Kth bits are designated with the N-th through Kth numbers in a similar manner as described above with respect to FIGS. 16-19. In a particular embodiment, a 10-bit character location method is used by a public agent and a computer implemented auto-numbering is performed.

The numbers are selected by specifying the numbers that are preferred numbers for a URL owner (a simplified network address corresponding to a particular URL) without automatic numbering. Specific examples are a number which is analogized to represent a company, a number determined by letters written twice on an application program interface, a number derived from voice data mapped on an application program interface, a designated number such as a telephone number, a number code of a confidential document, a postal code, a number associated with a date of birth or a company establishment date.

A detailed example is as follows. A number representing a company can be, for example, the number <0101>, which corresponds to a japanese name < Marui-Marui > because <01> can be read as < Marui > in japanese. An example of a number selected by letters written twice on an application program interface is the number <525>, which corresponds to the letter string JAL, an abbreviation of japan airline. One example of a suitable application program interface is a keypad with letters and numbers as shown in fig. 15. As an example of voice data mapped on an application program interface, numbers may be assigned to each sound on a scale where 1 ═ do, 2 ═ re, 3 ═ mi, etc. With this technique, the number <135> is registered corresponding to the melody < do-mi-sol >. By mapping to speech, a user can also detect an input error by hearing the sound.

Thus, in addition to the examples provided above, by automatically or preferentially assigning a relatively short number of 10 or fewer digits to a URL, we can assign a more unique number of 10 or fewer digits to correspond to a URL.

Protecting a database with a firewall

Fig. 21 is a diagram illustrating the use of a firewall to ensure the integrity of a network searchable database. Fig. 21 illustrates a network configuration in which a client 366 communicates with a Web server 368, the Web server 368 being connected to the internet 370, for example, through a router 372, and also to a database server 374 through a firewall 376. The Web server 368 includes a built-in API (application program interface) 378. This system has the capability to use multiple clients 366 and 380. An example of the use of this system is as follows. A user enters a URL numeric code into the client 366. The entered URL numeric code is sent to the Web browser 368 via the Internet 370 through the router 372, the router 372 operating in a defined protocol<GET>In the method, a marked mark is used<no＝^××>The HTTP protocol of (1), wherein<^××>Is a URL numeric code. The Web server 368 transmits the URL digital code to the database server 374 through the firewall 376. The firewall prevents unauthorized access to the contents of the database server.

Defining access data

In addition to the numeric strings assigned to a URL, in a particular embodiment, the database maintains value-added information. Such information includes the order ratings made by the groups or topics. This means that information about the use of the URL is preserved when a user accesses the internet using a reduced network address. Thus, both the URL owner and the user can get valuable information. Specific examples of value-added information are:

(1) the number of times a particular search requestor has accessed the database;

(2) the number of times a particular search requester has submitted a particular registered reduced network address;

(3) a total number of search requests received for each registered reduced network address;

(4) a total number of search requests received by the database.

Referring to FIG. 14, each time a user accesses the URL database 288, a replica of the access request is intercepted by a process 382. Portions of the access request are extracted and collected (step 384) and added to the stored access data resources 386. Based on the stored accessed data resources, a statistical analysis is performed in an order assessment step 388, the results of which, such as one of the characteristics of the URL digital code, are stored as part of the URL database 288. In addition, subject information can be developed at step 390, whereupon the subject information becomes part of the URL database.

Once analyzed and made part of the URL database 288, the access data represents both a valuable asset and information about the user's private transactions. In a particular embodiment, a user may obtain access data associated with a particular user via a network. Firewall 376 of fig. 21 provides a method of protecting privacy of access data. Once the identity of a requester has been successfully verified, access data about the requester is provided to the requester.

In another embodiment, the portions of the access data define a rating for a particular URL and its corresponding reduced network address, typically a URL numeric code.

In another embodiment, predetermined non-sensitive portions of the access data are distributed to all requesters.

Simplified network addressing system

A particular embodiment of the invention defines a system for accessing network information using a reduced network address. The system includes a software/hardware platform that accepts inputs for accessing network information. The platform includes an input device for accepting a user input of a reduced network address in the form of a reduced network address, such as a URL numeric code. The system also includes a server-based, network-searchable database storing correspondences between the simplified network addresses and the corresponding URLs. The server-based database includes a search engine for searching for the correspondences. When a user enters a reduced network address, the address is sent to a server-based database where the reduced network address is used as a search key. The database search engine looks for a correspondence having a portion of the reduced network address matching the reduced network address and returns the corresponding URL. The system platform uses the returned URL to form a network access command for accessing network information. Such a system is illustrated in fig. 1, 2 and 6. We have discussed above all the components and relationships defined by this embodiment with respect to those drawn figures.

Storage medium for allocating a network access procedure

A final embodiment of the invention provides a storage medium, such as a floppy disk, a removable hard drive system, a CD ROM (compact disc read only memory) and magnetic tape, for storing and distributing an encoded representation embodying a process for accessing network information using simplified network addresses. The code representations are executable on a platform as described above with respect to figures 1, 2, 6 and 7, in which a database storing the correspondences is distributed between a local cache and a remote server-based system. We will discuss the process further below with respect to the appended figures 22-27.

In a particular embodiment, the process is stored in the medium in an encoded form, such as a compressed object code, which is expanded after loading the compressed object code onto the platform. The stored procedures are typically procedures that are distributed to users by a software developer. The process presupposes the presence of the following: (1) a suitable software/hardware platform for performing the process, (2) a network of network-accessible resources including server-based databases of the correspondences described above, and (3) a platform-to-network connection for accessing the resources.

In particular, the platform provides network access and accepts simplified network addresses for accessing network information. The network includes a web server-based database that defines a correspondence between the reduced network addresses and the corresponding URLs. The server-based database includes a search engine that searches the database using a search key. The database is organized such that a search of the database using a reduced network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL. The platform also includes a local cache for storing the selected correspondences. In a particular embodiment, the contents of the local cache are organized in a manner similar to the organization of database correspondences. In another embodiment of the local cache, the content is organized in the form of bookmarks. The platform provides a search engine for searching the local cache and a windowing operating system that displays a composite window having an address window portion and a network window portion.

In a particular embodiment, the stored procedure allows the local user to place the selected correspondences in the local cache. The user enters a reduced network address for a particular network resource and displays the reduced network address in the platform address window. The reduced network address is passed to a search engine of the local cache and a search key is formed for determining whether the cache includes a matching correspondence. If the cache does not include a matching correspondence, then the URL corresponding to the simplified network address is used to form an < http: a network access command of the type// URL/>. This command is sent to the network, eventually returning the desired network resource and displaying it in the platform's network display window.

When a matching correspondence is not located in the local cache, a copy of the simplified network address is used to form an < http: a/simplified network access command. This command is sent to the network to access the server-based database of correspondences. A search engine of the server-based database uses the simplified network address as a search key and reviews the contents of the database for a correspondence that matches the search key. The server-based database then returns a URL corresponding to the reduced network address. The platform receives the corresponding URL and uses it to form another < http: a/v./> type of network access command. This command is sent to the network to access the desired network resource. When the resource is finally returned through the network, the resource is displayed in a network display window of the platform.

Additional embodiments

We now describe various additional embodiments of the invention with respect to fig. 22 to 27.

Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating the exchange of information between software elements within a particular embodiment of a client, within a server-based database, and between clients and databases at both ends of a network. Customers are generally indicated by numeral 392, while databases are generally indicated by numeral 394.

Typically, client 392 first accesses its own reduced network address, such as a URL numeric code. When it is not possible to perform a transformation to a URL on the client side, the client 392 accesses a database on the server 394 side. This process is illustrated in fig. 22. A client 392 includes an original parent browser 396 for facilitating navigation, a child browser 398 of the ordinary WWW (world Wide Web) type accessible from the parent browser, and a search engine 400. The client 392 also includes a user registry 402 with which the user can register shortened URL number codes, an index table 404 containing URL number codes and an actual data table 406 having URL number codes corresponding to the indices, the user registry 402 having a pre-specified correspondence with each URL number code. The parent browser 396 at the client side 392 includes a direction section in which letters of the alphabets are arranged as shown in detail in fig. 15 and a display section for displaying the contents in the direction section.

Fig. 22 shows a server 394 that includes a search engine 408, an index table 410 for the specified URL number codes and an actual data table 412 for all the URL number codes corresponding to the indices. The server and client are connected via the internet, which is indicated by the numeral 414.

When the user enters a shortened number in the system, search engine 400 searches user registry 402 for the number and when found, transforms it into a URL. The internet 414 is then accessed with the corresponding URL through the parent browser 396. As a result, a home page corresponding to the URL is displayed on the sub browser 398 on the basis of HTML data transmitted through the internet 414. When a user enters a URL number code, the search engine 400 obtains an offset value from the index table 404, and then transforms the URL number code into a URL using the offset value and the actual data table 406 of URL number codes. The resulting URL is then passed to the parent browser 396 and the information obtained via the internet 414 is displayed as described above. Thus, when a URL numeric code to URL conversion is performed on the client side 392, the access speed is similar to the usual access speed.

However, when a URL numeric code to URL conversion cannot be performed at the client side 392, the search engine 400 at the client side transmits the URL numeric code to the search engine 408 at the server side 394 via the Internet 414. In that case, an offset value is obtained from the index table 410 on the basis of the URL digital code input, and the transmitted number is then converted into a URL on the basis of that offset value using the actual data table 412 for all URL digital codes. The resulting URL is then sent from the server to the client 392. The client 392 gets information via the internet 414 and displays a home page in the same manner as described above in the method of passing the URL to the parent browser 396.

Thus, when a user inputs a shortened number registered by the user himself, or when the user inputs a URL number code, or even when the user inputs a URL number code which cannot be converted into a URL on the client side 392, the URL number code can be converted into a URL, the Internet 414 is accessed through the parent browser 396 and thus a home page corresponding to a URL is displayed on the child browser 398.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the process of entering a URL number code or a shortened number and obtaining the resulting URL and home page. The process begins by entering a number in an input device 416. It is determined whether the number is a shortened number of a URL number code in step 418. If the number is a shortened number, the user registry is searched (step 420). Next, a determination is made as to whether a URL corresponding to a shortened number is found (step 422). If a corresponding URL is not found in step 422, the system will respond by showing < not found > in step 424. However, if a corresponding URL is found, we obtain the URL (step 426). The internet is then accessed with this URL in step 428 and a home page corresponding to the URL is displayed on the basis of HTML data obtained via the internet in step 430.

When the number searched for in step 418 is a URL number code, the index table is searched for index information (step 432). In step 434, a determination is made whether an index is found. If an index is found, the client table is searched (step 436) to obtain a URL corresponding to the URL numeric code in step 438. The internet is then accessed using the URL thus obtained (step 440), and the homepage is displayed using HTML data of the homepage (step 442). If, however, the index number is not found in step 434, the number is passed (step 444) to a server connected to the Internet. The search engine of this server receives the number (step 446). The server then searches its index table for index information in step 448. If an index is not found at step 450, the number is not registered in the server and a home page is displayed at step 452 indicating that the desired URL is not found. On the other hand, if an index is found, a server table is searched in step 454 and a URL corresponding to the URL number code is returned to the client in step 456. The client then accesses the internet with the URL thus obtained (step 440) and displays a homepage corresponding to the URL on the basis of HTML data transmitted through the internet (step 442).

As described above, we can transform a number entered as a shortened number or a URL numeric code into a corresponding URL. Furthermore, if the transformation cannot be performed on the client side, the transformation can be performed by searching a database of a server. The invention is then based on assigning a relatively small number of digits, called a URL number code, to a URL having a long and complex character string. This makes it possible to access the internet by entering a URL number code, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of the user. Thus, the invention provides the possibility for people who are not accustomed to using a keyboard to access the internet, since the user does not need to know and use a long and complex URL string.

Further, when a URL number code is input, data on URL access corresponding to the URL number code can be saved. Then we can use the access frequencies as statistical information in order to derive order rating information on how often a URL number code is used for aggregation. This can also be used to derive statistical information collected from themes and the like in order to determine and analyze viewership ratings on the internet. A URL number code can also be provided on a paper medium such as a business card to provide a more sophisticated media link between the internet and the medium, as required by the URL owner. As a result, updated information associated with a URL can be efficiently printed out and provided. For example, if a URL owner changes a URL, such as when a company owning a URL changes its name, the existing URL number code can be maintained by updating the database so that the existing URL number code now corresponds to the new URL, even if the URL string changes.

FIG. 24 is a diagram graphically illustrating another aspect of the present invention. Users of the URL digital codes can obtain information about the URL digital codes through a printed medium, such as an internet information journal 458 (fig. 24). However, these periodicals are published monthly, although URL digital codes are added almost daily. It is impossible to provide information on the newly issued URL number codes in time. To provide the URL number codes more timely, a system such as that shown in fig. 24 can be used. This system has an additional function as follows. Upon activation of an access device 460, an internet-connected server 462 displays on the screen of the access device the URL number codes for home pages that correspond to the user's preferences, which may be categorical information such as sports or music specified by the user according to the user's interests and information such as predictions about the use of numbers such as the user's birthday based on information provided by the user. In this manner, the user is provided with newly registered URL numeric codes in a timely manner, such as by weekly updates.

In the above way, a user can get knowledge about his favorite types in a timely manner. In addition, a URL owner can provide his URL numerical codes to his target users according to the profile of a user, thus increasing the likelihood that the home page will be viewed by many users. In addition, the URL owner can provide the URL number code through radio announcements or display the URL number code on a television, further increasing the likelihood that his home page will be accessed by a person. This is by providing the URL number codes through a radio voice announcement or a television display.

Fig. 25 is a diagram graphically illustrating an internet system including a digital input interface. This system has the following customers: a phone-type interface (plug-in) 464, a separate phone-type application 466, a home page 468 and an internet television 470. The system further includes servers 472 and 474 that provide information. Clients and information providing servers are connected to a Web server 478 via the internet 476. The communication between the Web server 478 and the client is performed using the HTTP protocol. When accessing the internet 476, a client such as 464 makes a request to a Web server 478 using a method such as < GET > or < POST > in the HTTP protocol. This is based on the fact that when opening a specification of the method, access to the Web server can be achieved according to a formula suitable for the Web server without restricting this access to a particular interface from the client 464 to 470, thus providing a URL corresponding to the access. As a result, we do not restrict a client, such as from 464 to 470, to a particular interface.

Examples of suitable client interfaces are described below. One original phone-type interface was plug-in. Various other forms of interfaces can be used for the clients 464 to 470, such as a stand-alone phone-type application, a home page having a frame for entering in the home page, etc. One basic principle of digital input interfaces is to input a URL number code from clients such as 464 to 470 to the original Web server and return a URL corresponding to the URL number code to a browser of the client. An example of a suitable browser for such an application would be a user's own internet navigator if it could provide a URL to the browser.

Thus, we describe access to the internet as follows. One part includes an interface on the part of a Web server 478 that gives a desired result for a given parameter. Another part, in which parameters are provided for receiving results at the client side of the clients 464 to 470. An additional part in which the received URL is provided to the browser. The following are examples of such applications.

For example, the customer can include a plug-in phone interface, such as customer 464 depicted in FIG. 25. This may be accomplished by installing the software on the client 464, storing the software on, for example, a storage medium such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. The software includes computer processing steps for receiving a number, such as a URL number code, accessing the internet 476 by applying the number to an access protocol, sending the number to a Web server 478, receiving the URL corresponding to the number and providing the corresponding URL to a client 464. Instead of software available on a storage medium, the present invention is equally effective when downloading software from a network and installing the software on a client, such as client 464. The invention is also effective when the software is available from an application library, commonly referred to as applets on a network. When applets are used, software is not installed in a client, but is used by executing a desired applet on a network. Applets are particularly well suited for use with devices that do not have a memory function or that cannot use a floppy disk. Examples of such devices include an internet television, a game machine, and a karaoke apparatus.

Customer 470 (FIG. 25) illustrates an additional example where an Internet television can have a search navigator home page for the Internet. The navigator can have a component for entering a number (plug-in). This component can be a remote control for a television set. We can use a method to enter a URL number code in the remote control to obtain the URL corresponding to the URL number code.

Among the digital input interfaces of the present invention, the present method is applicable to various different forms of interfaces. That is, there is a published method of using as a parameter in the < GET > command of the HTTP protocol, for example, giving data of < no 123> as a URL number code, and returning the corresponding URL to the URL number code. This < http: /> is a markup used in the HTTP protocol to deliver hypertext software in HTML. This protocol includes methods such as < GET > for receiving a parameter and < POST > for passing a file. We can then use existing techniques to apply a transformation to a URL numeric code.

In this present example, transformation data for transforming a URL numeric code into a URL is maintained on the client side (FIG. 25), e.g., client 464 through client 470, unlike embodiments where the transformation can be performed in both a client and an origin Web server. For example, when a user enters a URL number code <123>, the corresponding URL < www.123.co.jp > is obtained from an origin Web server. Second, if the user again enters the same <123> number, the transformation is performed on the client side without accessing the Web server and using a cache in the client memory. This cache can hold data such as a URL number code and corresponding URL entered into the cache. When a user enters a URL number code, we search the cache for this number. If the number is present in the cache, the URL can be obtained on the part of a client, such as clients 464 through 470, without accessing the Web server 478.

Fig. 26 and 27 are schematic diagrams illustrating particular embodiments of the present invention. As shown in fig. 27, access information of one client can be stored in one log file 480. The information in the record file 480 is accumulated and then transmitted to the record file 482 (fig. 26) of the original Web server (478 of fig. 25). A server 472 or 474 (fig. 25) that provides information can analyze the log data using the information contained in log file 482. This analysis can include ranking information or ratings determined by the frequency of user access. We can also classify this information according to type, gender of the user, details of the device, etc.

When a URL owner registers a URL digital code, additional information such as technical information or homepage title is obtained and added to the database of registered URL digital codes. For example, if a child accesses a home page with explicit sexual details, original Web server 478 (fig. 25) recognizes the home page and returns the message < notfound > (not found) without displaying the home page. It is possible that the latest technical information cannot be displayed if a limited type of browser such as an internet tv set or the like is used. Thus, in the step of accessing an origin Web server (478 of FIG. 25), before accessing a messaging server 472 (FIG. 25), users can be identified and access to certain home pages can be restricted so that access is only provided to specific users. In addition to the restriction on the display of the home page, it is also possible for some users to restrict the data stored in the recording file 480 (fig. 27).

A client, such as client 464 (fig. 25), accesses a Web server 478 via the internet 476 as shown in fig. 25. When a client accesses the internet, an identification can be added to the HTTP protocol, or a portion of the URL number code can be used, so that the conversion of the URL number code to a URL can be performed either in Web server 478 or in another Web server 486 (fig. 25) connected through Web server 478. For example, one classification code could be used such that one identification code <888> causes the Web server 478 to transform the URL digital code into a URL, but when the classification code <001> is used, another Web server 486 (FIG. 25) connected to the origin Web server 478 processes the transformation. Thus, management of the URLs corresponding to the URL number codes can be implemented in a Web server 486 different from Web server 478.

The present invention includes various device-specific interfaces, such as input devices for a client, like client 464 to client 470 (FIG. 25). The interfaces for these particular devices include, in addition to a keyboard interface and a mouse interface, a remote control for operating a television and a remote control to a karaoke apparatus. In addition, a voice input interface can be used to allow a user to input a URL number code with a voice command or with the sounds of a musical scale corresponding to the URL number code. Also, we can use a voice input interface in which an original number is represented as letters corresponding to specific numbers.

Additional services can be provided using the present invention that are different from the functions of the internet. For example, when a Web server such as 478 (fig. 25) is accessed with a URL number code, a free service can be occasionally provided through a lottery system based on the URL number code. Alternatively, by accessing a hidden number, a prize can be awarded to the user who has accessed the hidden number. Further, in order to derive the frequency of user use and analyze the audience share through the internet, access data can be used as the information to be statistically processed.

Details of the transformation section of the Web server are shown in fig. 26. An Application Programming Interface (API)488 is built into an existing high-speed internet server 490. API 488 includes a server module that provides URL numeric codes to a database server such as SYBASE  (a registered trademark of SYBASE corporation) 492. The database server then returns the corresponding URL to the API. This results in a high speed transformation of the URL digital code into a URL.

As shown in fig. 27, a transformation portion of a client 494 includes a client part 496 having a memory such as a cache 498 and a browser 500 for home pages. A URL number code is transmitted to client component 496 and client component 496 then accesses internet cache 498 to obtain a URL corresponding to the URL number code. The URL is then provided to the browser 500. However, if the URL digital code is not present in the internal cache 498, the URL digital code is transmitted to the Web server 484 (FIG. 26).

As shown in fig. 27, access information of one client can be stored in one log file 480. The information in the log file 480 is accumulated and then transmitted to the log file 482 (fig. 26) of the Web server 484. A server 472 or 474 (fig. 25) that provides information can analyze the log data using the information contained in log file 482. This analysis can include ranking information or ratings determined by the frequency of user access. The information can also be categorized according to the type, gender of the user, details of the device, etc.

In the above embodiments of the present invention, the owner of a URL may be, for example, a person or organization who needs or registers a simplified network address having a correspondence with a URL. However, the present invention is equally effective if any other person, group or institution needs or registers this correspondence.

The invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. One skilled in the art will recognize that it is possible to construct the components of the invention from a variety of different devices and to change the position of the components in a variety of different ways. Although embodiments of the invention have been described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that various further modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (43)

1. A method for accessing network information using simplified network addressing, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a platform having network access and accepting inputs for accessing network information;

b) receiving a reduced network address corresponding to a network address of the network information;

c) converting the reduced network address into a URL defining a network address of the information;

d) forming a network access command using the URL; and

e) accessing network information through the platform using the formed network access command to input a reduced network address, and then converting the reduced network address into an http: // URL/command, or alternatively converted to another TCP/IP command, for retrieving network information.

2. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the reduced network address to a URL further comprises the steps of:

a) providing a database defining a correspondence between a reduced network address and a corresponding URL;

b) providing a search engine for searching the database, the search engine using the reduced network address as a search key;

c) organizing the database such that a search of the database using the reduced network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL; and

d) the simplified network address is used as a search key to search the database and return the corresponding URL as a result of the conversion, thereby converting a simplified network address into a corresponding URL.

3. The network access method of claim 2, further comprising:

a) defining a correspondence of a combined pair having a simplified network address portion and a corresponding URL portion; and

b) a search engine using a reduced network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL portion having a combined pair of reduced network address portions matching the search key.

4. The network access method of claim 2, wherein a reduced network address and corresponding URL are provided, a correspondence is defined and placed in the database, the method further comprising the steps of:

a) inputting an updated reduced network address and a corresponding URL;

b) forming an updated correspondence using the input simplified network address and the corresponding URL; and

c) and inserting the updated corresponding relation into the database.

5. The network access method of claim 2, wherein providing an updated URL, automatically generating a corresponding reduced network address, defining a new correspondence and placing the new correspondence in the database, further comprises the steps of:

a) inputting an updated URL;

b) providing means for automatically generating a corresponding reduced network address;

c) automatically generating a corresponding reduced network address;

d) forming a new correspondence with the generated simplified network address and the input updated URL; and

e) and inserting the updated corresponding relation into the database.

6. The network access method of claim 5, further comprising the step of returning the generated reduced network address, whereby the updated URL and its corresponding reduced network address are available to an importer of the updated URL.

7. The network access method of claim 5, wherein the generated reduced network address is a number having one or more digits and defines a URL numeric code.

8. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the reduced network address to the corresponding URL is performed using a network accessible database of correspondences, the method further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a web server-based database defining a correspondence between the simplified network addresses and the corresponding URLs;

b) providing a search engine to the database server for searching the database and accepting a search key;

c) organizing the database such that a search of the database using the simplified network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL;

d) accepting the reduced network address;

e) forming a network access command of the transformation request, the command including a replica of the received reduced network address, the formed command being addressed to the database server;

f) sending the formed command to a database server;

g) the database server searches the database by using the received simplified network address as a search key by using a search engine; and

h) the database server returns the corresponding URL portion of the matching correspondence as a result of the transformation over the network to perform the database transformation by a server-based system that receives the reduced network address as an http: v/part of the network address command, the database server places a matching reduced network address in the database and returns the corresponding URL.

9. The network access method of claim 8, wherein the database is distributed among a plurality of web server based systems.

10. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the reduced network address to the corresponding URL is performed by first searching a platform cache for selected correspondences and then, if the selected correspondences are not found in the cache, accessing a network-accessible database of correspondences, the method further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a web server-based database defining a correspondence between the simplified network addresses and the corresponding URLs;

b) providing a search engine to the database server to search the database using a search key;

c) organizing the server-based database such that a search of the database with the simplified network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL;

d) further comprising a cache for storing selected reduced network address and URL correspondence in the platform;

e) the system also comprises a search engine, a storage unit and a display unit, wherein the search engine is used for searching the corresponding relation of the caches in the platform by using a search key;

f) receiving a reduced network address;

g) searching the cache memory by using the received simplified network address as a search key, and if the cache memory comprises a matched corresponding relation, returning a corresponding URL as a conversion result;

h) if the cache does not contain a matching correspondence, forming a transformation request network access command comprising a replica of the received reduced network address, addressing the formed command to the database server;

i) sending the formed command to a database server;

j) the database server searches the database by using the database server search engine and using the received copy of the simplified network address as a search key; and

k) the database server returns the URL portions of the matching correspondences as a result of the transformation over the network, thereby maintaining the selected simplified network addresses and URL correspondences in a local cache and reviewing the remote database only if a local match is not found.

11. The network access method of claim 10, wherein the database is distributed among a plurality of server-based systems.

12. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the platform also includes a display device, and the method includes a step of displaying the accessed network information with the display device.

13. The network access method of claim 12, wherein the platform also includes an operating system providing windowed displays, and wherein a display device simultaneously displays an address window and a web window, the method further comprising the steps of:

a) displaying the reduced network address in the address window in a time interval between accepting the reduced network address and a return of the corresponding URL at the end of the converting step;

b) displaying the formed network access command in an address window, wherein the formed network access command comprises a returned URL; and

c) and displaying the accessed network information in a network window.

14. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the provided platform includes at least one input device for inputting the reduced network address, the at least one input device selected from the group consisting of: a keyboard, a 10-key keypad, a telephone keypad, a computer mouse, a computer trackball, a touch screen, a stylus, a bar code reader, an OCR (optical code reader) that optically reads a medium containing a reduced network address in an encoded form, an OCR (optical code reader) that mechanically reads a medium containing a reduced network address in an encoded form, a television remote control connected to a television, a remote control connected to a game machine, a remote control connected to a karaoke machine, and a voice input device for receiving the reduced network address in an spoken form.

15. The network access method of claim 14, wherein the provided platform includes a display device and wherein the at least one input device works in cooperation with the displayed images and symbols to input the reduced network address.

16. The network access method of claim 15, wherein collaborating comprises selecting and activating one or a series of displayed images and symbols with the input device to define and enter the reduced network address.

17. The network access method of claim 1, wherein the step of translating the reduced network address into a corresponding URL includes accessing a URL translation domain.

18. The network access method of claim 8, wherein the step of providing a platform additionally comprises the step of providing a message aliasing function, and wherein the steps of forming a translation request network access command and sending the formed command to the database server further comprise intercepting the reduced network address with the message aliasing function and replacing the reduced network address with the formed command of a replica of the reduced network address.

19. A server-based, network-searchable database system comprising:

a) a platform providing a communication connection to a network;

b) means for receiving a search request over a communications connection, the received search request including a reduced network address;

c) a correspondence table defining correspondences between the uniform resource locator addresses of the networks and the simplified network addresses, a correspondence having a simplified network address portion and a corresponding uniform resource locator address portion;

d) a search engine responsive to a search request for searching the correspondence table for a correspondence having a simplified network address portion matching the simplified network address of the search request and returning a uniform resource locator address portion of the correspondence as a result of the search; and

e) means for returning search results to the originator of the search request over the communications connection such that the database system accepts a reduced network address and returns a corresponding uniform resource locator address to a search requestor.

20. The server-based system of claim 19, further comprising a client system that issues search requests and receives search results over a network.

21. The server-based system of claim 19, further comprising:

a) means for receiving an update request over the network connection, the received update request including an updated reduced network address and a corresponding updated uniform resource locator address; and

b) means responsive to an update request for forming a correspondence between a received updated reduced network address and a corresponding updated uniform resource locator address and for inserting the formed correspondence into a correspondence table.

22. The server-based system of claim 21 further comprising means for determining whether an existing correspondence is based on the updated reduced network address and, if so, modifying the updated reduced network address such that the formed correspondence is unique.

23. The server-based system of claim 21 further comprising means for converting the updated reduced network address into a number having at least one bit, the number defining a URL number code.

24. The server-based system of claim 23, further comprising means for collecting the URL number codes in a list and distributing the list over a network.

25. The server-based system of claim 23, further comprising means for collecting the URL number codes in a list and distributing the list via an electronic broadcast including at least one of television and radio.

26. The server-based system of claim 23, further comprising means for collecting URL number codes and corresponding URLs in a list and distributing the list.

27. The server-based system of claim 23 further comprising means for defining a description of the network-accessible information addressed by the URL number code, grouping the URL number code with a corresponding description into combination pairs, forming the combination pairs into a list and distributing the list.

28. The server-based system of claim 23, further comprising means for randomly notifying the users of the URL number codes.

29. The server-based system of claim 21 wherein the updated reduced network address includes a portion defining a series of tones selected from a predetermined set of tones and another portion defining a corresponding updated URL, the system further comprising means for converting the updated reduced network address into a URL number code and forming an updated correspondence for updating a database storing correspondences.

30. The server-based system of claim 19, further comprising:

a) means for receiving a request for a specified string over the communications connection, the received request including an updated uniform resource locator address; and

b) means responsive to a request for a specified string for generating an updated reduced network address, for forming a correspondence between the generated updated reduced network address and the updated uniform resource locator address, for inserting the formed correspondence into a correspondence table and for returning a replica of the generated updated reduced network address to the requestor over the communications connection.

31. The server-based system of claim 30 further comprising means for returning a copy of the updated uniform resource locator address to the requestor over the communication connection.

32. The server-based system of claim 30 wherein the generated updated reduced network address defines a number having at least one bit, the number defining a URL numeric code.

33. The server-based system of claim 32 further comprising means for determining that the number has not previously been designated as a URL numeric code corresponding to the updated uniform resource locator address.

34. The server-based system of claim 33 wherein the generated number is a random number.

35. The server-based system of claim 33, further comprising:

a) means for receiving and displaying a string of letters;

b) a 10-key keypad, wherein each key is labeled with a number from 0 to 9 that is clearly visible to an operator;

c) in addition, each key is marked with one or more letters selected from an alphabet that is clearly visible to an operator;

d) the legible key labels define a letter-digit correspondence;

e) means for designating a number as a URL number code;

f) means for receiving digits from a keypad;

g) each received digit corresponds to a letter of the received string, as defined by the letter-digit correspondence;

h) means for forming the received digits into a received number;

i) means for determining whether the received number has been previously designated as a URL numeric code;

j) means for designating the received number as a URL number code when it is determined that the received number has not been previously designated; and

k) means for modifying the received letter string to form a new letter string, displaying the new letter string and waiting for the keypad to enter digits corresponding to the displayed new letter string when it is determined that the received number has been previously assigned.

36. The server-based system of claim 33 including means for automatically generating a URL number code, said means further comprising:

a) means for generating a string of letters;

b) means for generating a first number of bits;

c) means for forming a 4-bit first derivative from the alphabetic string;

d) means for forming a second 4-bit derivative from the first derivative;

e) means for concatenating the first digit and a 4-bit second derivative to form a 5-bit digit;

f) means for determining whether a 5 digit number has been previously designated as a URL digital code;

g) means for designating the 5-digit number as a URL number code when it is determined that the 5-digit number has not been previously designated;

h) for providing first and second random numbers, the first random number, the second random number and the 5-digit number being concatenated to form a 7-digit number when it is determined that the 5-digit number has been previously designated as the URL number code;

i) means for determining whether the 7-digit number has been previously designated as a URL digital code;

j) means for designating the 7-digit number as a URL number code when it is determined that the 7-digit number has not been previously designated;

k) means for providing third, fourth and fifth random numbers and concatenating the third random number, the fourth random number and the fifth random number with the 7-digit number to form a 10-digit number when it is determined that the 7-digit number has been previously assigned;

l) means for determining whether a 10 digit number has been previously designated as a URL number code; and

m) means for designating the 10-digit number as a URL number code when it is determined that the 10-digit number has not been previously designated.

37. The server-based system of claim 19, further comprising a firewall interposed between the network communication connection and the search engine, and the system requiring that the received search request be approved before the system executes the received search request.

38. The server-based system of claim 19, further comprising means for defining, storing and maintaining access data, the access data further defining at least one of:

a) the number of times a particular search requester has accessed the database;

b) the number of times a particular search requester has submitted a particular registered reduced network address;

c) a total number of search requests received for each registered reduced network address; and

d) the total number of search requests received by the database.

39. The server-based system of claim 38, further comprising means for providing access data to a requester upon approval of a successful requester.

40. The server-based system of claim 39 wherein the access data defines a rating.

41. The server-based system of claim 39, further comprising means for allocating predetermined portions of the access data.

42. A system for accessing network information using a reduced network address, comprising:

a) a platform having a network access and accepting inputs for accessing network information;

b) means for receiving a reduced network address corresponding to a network address of the message;

c) a database defining a correspondence between the simplified network addresses and the corresponding URLs;

d) a search engine for searching the database, the search engine accepting a search key;

e) organizing the database such that a search of the database using the received reduced network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL;

f) means for searching the database using the simplified network address as a search key and returning a corresponding URL;

g) means for forming a network access command using the returned URL; and

h) means for accessing the network information through the platform using the formulated command to input a reduced network address and for converting the reduced network address into a network access command to retrieve the network information.

43. A storage medium for storing an encoded representation of a process for accessing network information using reduced network addresses on a system that provides a platform having network access and accepting inputs for accessing network information, provides a web server-based database defining a correspondence between the reduced network addresses and corresponding URLs, provides a search engine using a search key to the database server such that a search of the database using a reduced network address as a search key returns a corresponding URL, provides the platform further comprising a cache for storing selected correspondences, a cache search engine using a cache search key, and a windowing operating system defining a composite window having a display of an address window portion and a network window portion, the storage medium comprising:

a) a storage section; and

b) an encoded representation of a process stored on a storage portion, the represented process comprising the steps of: (1) placing the selected correspondences in a local cache, (2) accepting a reduced network address for the network information, (3) searching the cache using the reduced network address as a search key, and if the cache includes a correspondence that matches the search key, returning a corresponding URL for the matching correspondence and continuing with step 8, when it is determined that the cache does not include a correspondence that matches the search key, continuing with step 4, (4) forming a transformation request network command that includes a copy of the reduced network address, addressing the formed command to a database server, (5) sending the formed compilation command to the database server over the network, (6) searching the database using a copy of the reduced network address as a search key, (7) returning the corresponding URL for the matching correspondence over the network, (8) forming a web access command with the returned corresponding URL, (9) accessing web information through the platform with the formed web access command and (10) displaying the reduced web address in the address window portion of the displayed combination window and the accessed web information in the web window portion of the displayed combination window.