WO2011116381A1 - Rapid navigation system for mobile devices - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for rapidly obtaining information via the Internet. The invention includes the use of a variety of formatting conventions that identifies particular domains, companies, or services or goods using abbreviations or other pre-defined indicators, an action character, and an identifier of the specific information desired. The systems and methods reduce the number of keystrokes required to arrive at a desired web page, and thus enhance Internet searching sessions, particularly those sessions conducted using mobile communication devices.

Description

RAPID NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR MOBILE DEVICES

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] This application relies on the disclosure of and claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional patent application number 61/315,853, filed 19 March 2010, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

[002] The present invention relates to the field of electronic communications. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems for delivering information to users of mobile devices through recognition of a variety of different syntaxes of queries coupled with information about the type of device, location of the user, and/or other information that is relevant to the user, his surroundings, and his communications.

Description of Related Art

[003] The Internet provides a powerful means for obtaining information and

communicating. Billions of communications travel via the Internet daily, and the ability to obtain information of interest becomes easier daily. Broadband connections, improved search engine performance, and improved web site designs have contributed to recent improvements in communication and delivery of information via the Internet.

[004] The importance of communicating using the Internet is now so great that mobile devices are widely available that allow not only for telephone service, but for Internet service as well. These "smart phones" are becoming increasingly popular because they allow users to obtain information from the Internet without the need to be connected to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a hard wire or WiFi. However, there are significant drawbacks to use of mobile devices to obtain information from the Internet. First and foremost is the comparatively slow rate of data transmission, as compared to a typical broadband connection via either hard wire or WiFi. For example, whereas a web page query from a desktop computer using a 100 Mbit/s broadband connection could take two seconds to provide and display the requested web page, the same request from a mobile device could take up to 15 seconds or more to provide and display the requested web page on a 3G wireless mobile connection. In addition, due to the limitation on the size of keys available on mobile devices, and their placement very closely together, it is typically difficult and time consuming to type in a desired web address on a mobile device. The configuration of keys on mobile devices results in increased errors and thus a high rate of failed lookups. Each failed lookup results in additional work by the user to obtain the information desired. In addition, because of the excessive time required to type in web page requests, searching for multiple different web sites in a single session using a mobile device becomes a tedious and time-consuming effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[005] The present invention addresses needs in the art by providing a system and a method for improved navigation using mobile and other Internet-capable devices. In general, the invention can be implemented in three ways: through a web site that provides a communication gateway; through a service provided by a mobile carrier; and through an application that is resident on a mobile device. Regardless of the manner in which the invention is provided, the invention uses recognition of a wide variety of syntaxes for Internet lookups to deliver information to a mobile device user in response to an Internet lookup request that does not correctly identify a URL. In essence, the invention overcomes difficulties in navigating the Internet that result from the relatively small size of mobile device keypads, the relatively slow speed of Internet communication via mobile devices, and the lack of intelligent navigation capabilities in the current Domain Name Server (DNS) system.

[006] It its broadest sense, the invention defines and recognizes a wide variety of syntaxes for mobile device Internet lookups. The invention then uses those syntaxes, preferably in combination with other information present in the Internet lookup or relating to the mobile device being used or the end-user, to provide information to the mobile device user in response to the Internet lookup. In general, the syntaxes can be considered abbreviations for web sites, classes of information, or specific subject matter. Many different syntaxes can be envisioned, and those of skill in the art should recognize that the exemplary syntaxes discussed herein are not limiting of the invention in any way, but rather are provided to give an understanding of the breadth of the syntaxes that are possible. A key feature of the present invention is the ability to recognize an enormous number of different syntaxes and provide Internet lookup results for all such syntaxes.

[007] The systems and methods of the invention allow Internet navigation via mobile devices without the need for the user to correctly type in a URL or even a Top Level Domain (TLD). Unlike systems and methods known in the art that provide content-relevant information in response to an Internet lookup that does not include a properly formatted URL, the present systems and methods do not require reformatting or other modification of an Internet lookup (used interchangeably herein with "query") in order to process it and do not require that the lookup be in any one specific format, syntax, or language. The present systems and methods are highly versatile, and allow for delivery of information to mobile device users based on a wide variety of query syntaxes, the number and types of which being subject to updating in real time.

[008] While the systems and methods can provide Internet lookup results based solely on information provided in the Internet lookup, in preferred embodiments, the systems and methods use information about the mobile device, the user, and/or other information that might be relevant to the subject matter of the lookup or to the device or user to provide the lookup results. For example, the systems and methods can use information provided by the device's GPS and clock to determine where the user is and what time it is at that location in order to provide geographically and temporally relevant information in response to a lookup.

[009] In preferred embodiments, the systems and methods of the present invention allow a mobile device user to key in a relatively short set of characters and arrive at a desired web page. This ability to directly navigate to a specific web page eliminates the need to key in a domain name, wait for the web page to load, find a link that directs the user to a more specific web page within the domain, click on the link and wait for the web page to load, and, possibly, repeat these steps until the desired information is obtained. The systems and methods of the invention thus provide rapid accession of desired information from mobile devices. While described in detail as it relates to mobile devices, the present invention is equally useful when implemented on a desktop personal computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or any other computing device not generally considered to be a mobile device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several exemplary embodiments of the invention, and together with the written description, serve to explain certain principles of the invention.

[011] Figure 1 depicts a screen shot of a web page for implementing the system and method of the invention according to an exemplary embodiment, in which a request for information is typed directly into the address bar.

[012] Figure 2 depicts a screen shot of a web page for implementing the system and method of the invention according to an exemplary embodiment, in which a "Navit" search bar is provided for users to type in a request for information.

[013] Figure 3 depicts a screen shot of a web page for implementing the system and method of the invention according to an exemplary embodiment, in which abbreviations for various popular domain names are represented by buttons, and a user keys in only the specific information of interest in a "Navit" search box.

[014] Figure 4 depicts a screen shot of a web page returned for a search term: "y.tom clancy", showing a Yahoo! results page.

[015] Figure 5 depicts a screen shot of a web page returned for a search term: "y.hotels", showing a Yahoo! results page.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[016] Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary embodiments of the invention, specific examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the following discussion of exemplary embodiments is not intended as a limitation on the invention, as broadly disclosed herein. Rather, the following discussion is provided to give the reader a more detailed understanding of certain aspects and features of the invention.

[017] Before embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the term belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described herein. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The present disclosure is controlling to the extent it conflicts with any incorporated publication.

[018] As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a query" includes a plurality of such queries and reference to "the user" includes reference to one or more users, and so forth. Furthermore, the use of terms that can be described using equivalent terms include the use of those equivalent terms. Thus, for example, the use of the term "device" is to be understood to include the terms "computer", "smart phone", "mobile phone", and other terms used in the art to indicate a computing device that can be used to communicate via the Internet.

[019] The invention provides a novel way to rapidly obtain information of interest from the Internet. Broadly speaking, the invention intelligently navigates Internet device users (e.g., mobile device users) via direct navigation to the most appropriate Internet destination, or to a landing page that provides the user the opportunity to narrow his navigation options, or to a landing page that provides the user the ability to self-select an Internet destination, each given a variety of factors. The systems and methods of the invention recognize a vast number of Internet lookup syntaxes and provide users with lookup results that allow the user to obtain desired information with very little need for Internet navigation beyond entry of the initial lookup into the user's device browser or other application. In situations where a user desires to navigate to a particular web page, the systems and methods of the invention preferably direct the user to the precise web page desired, even though a properly formatted URL was not entered into the browser. In situations where a user is looking for a list of relevant information, preferably the systems and methods of the invention provide the user with a landing page containing links to web pages containing such information, or to a landing page that allows the user to narrow his options for a potential direct navigation. [020] A syntax according to the invention is a keyboard character or a string of keyboard characters available on a mobile device keyboard/keypad/touch screen. The term "characters" includes all of the possible entries from the keyboard, including, but not necessarily limited to, alphabetic characters in any language, numbers, punctuation, mathematical operators, currency symbols, and spaces. The term syntax thus is expansive and not limited by any particular content or formal format. A syntax can thus be, for example, a letter or number, a word (e.g., keyword), an alpha-numeric combination, or a pre-defined format of characters. The systems and methods of the invention are capable of discerning any number of syntaxes and delivering appropriate content based on queries containing those syntaxes.

[021] The systems and methods of the invention enable content delivery to mobile devices and other Internet devices based, at least in part, on an intelligence system that analyzes Internet lookups for recognized characters or character combinations, referred to herein as "indicators". More specifically, the systems and methods of the invention define certain characters or character combinations as indicative of a piece of information (e.g., a web page, an airline flight, a professional sport), and process the lookup based on that definition. While not so limited, in general, the defined characters or character combinations can be thought of as abbreviations for a particular web site, web page, company, good or service, etc. So, for example, the combination GMC can be indicative of General Motors Corporation; the combination AOL can be indicative of America Online; the combination AA can be indicative of American Airlines; the combination HP can be indicative of Hewlett Packard; the combination 1NB can be indicative of First National Bank; the letter y can be indicative of Yahoo! ; and the letter g can be indicative of Google. As will be immediately apparent to those of skill in the art, the number and nature of the defined indicators are essentially limitless. All that is required in this regard is for the systems and methods of the invention to maintain a database of the indicators and access the database to determine if a query includes one of the indicators. If the indicator is present, the systems and methods then process the query based on the particular indicator that is identified.

[022] It is important to note at this point that the indicators derive from the practitioner initially. That is, the practitioner is free to define the indicators in any way he or she desires. So, for example, one implementation of the systems and methods of the invention could define the character combination HP as indicative of Hewlett Packard, while another implementation by another practitioner could define HP as indicative of Harry Potter. The initial assignment of indicators and correlated information can thus be arbitrary. In preferred embodiments, the indicators evolve based on user behavior, which is tracked by the systems and methods based on system-wide usage and on an individual user basis. As such, in embodiments, the indicators are updated over time to expand the number of indicators for a particular piece of information, to eliminate certain indicators, to change certain indicators, etc. Accordingly, in embodiments the indicators are ultimately defined substantially based on the behavior of users of the systems and methods, and become highly specific and accurate for delivering content to users.

[023] The indicators are part of the syntaxes. In general, the syntaxes can be thought of as having three portions, two of which being optional. The first portion is an indicator, as described above, which is a required element. The second portion is an action character, which is optionally included in the syntax to indicate that a particular action is to be taken and to identify the ending of the indicator and the beginning of the identifier. Finally, the syntax optionally includes an identifier. The identifier identifies a particular piece of information desired. As will be evident to those of skill in the art (and as discussed in more detail below by way of non- limiting examples), in certain circumstances, the indicator and the identifier are the same character string, and thus the action character and identifier are omitted from the syntax. Yet again, in some circumstances, the indicator and the identifier are easily identifiable as different elements, and thus an action character is not required. In most embodiments, the action character can be omitted, as the action will be assumed to be "retrieve information from the Internet about the identifier" and implied by the indicator.

[024] The method of the invention can be a method of providing Internet navigation services to mobile device users. The method can include receiving a query from a mobile device for information present on the Internet, where the query is not or does not contain a properly formatted URL; analyzing the syntax of the query at least for a pre-defined indicator; and providing an IP address of a web page containing content that is relevant to the desired information. The IP address provided is based at least on consultation with a database containing a correlation of the indicator and the IP address provided. The syntax of the query can be any keyboard character or combination of characters available on a mobile device keyboard and is not limited to any one particular format of characters. In embodiments, the method further comprises analyzing the syntax of the query for additional information about the desired information. In embodiments, the method further provides analyzing the query for information relating to the device, the user of the device, or other facts that could be used to provide a highly specific and tailored response. In embodiments, the method provides an IP address for a specific web page of interest to the mobile device user, while in other embodiments the method provides an IP address for a web page that includes a list of links to web pages having information that is relevant to the original communication. As should be evident, the method is practiced by way of computer software and hardware implementing the method steps.

[025] One feature of the systems and methods of the present invention is the use of propensity modeling to constantly improve results returned to the mobile device users. By propensity modeling, it is meant tracking user behaviors, both on an aggregate basis and/or on an individual basis, to determine the quality of responses provided by the system and method, and altering the responses over time in consideration of those behaviors. For example, for a given Internet query, the system and method analyze the query and provide direct navigation to a web page that the system and method conclude is desired by the user, or to a landing page that allows the user to narrow his options for a potential direct navigation, or to a landing page containing links to web pages that the system and method conclude are desired by the user. The system and method then monitor the action of the user to determine if the web page delivered was the one initially desired. If the user uses information present on the page (e.g., selects a link provided on a landing page), then the system and method conclude that the page presented was appropriate, and log that positive correlation into a tracking table. Alternatively, if the user immediately performs a second search, the system and method conclude that the web page delivered was likely not the web page desired by the user. The negative correlation is logged into the tracking table. Each time a user reacts to a provided web page, the system and method record and remember the reaction. Aggregation of the results is used for propensity modeling of locators and syntaxes. Over time, by way of this propensity modeling, the system and method of the invention "learn" which indicators and syntaxes users find most highly associated with a particular web page. The database of the system is adjusted accordingly to provide an improved user experience. Of course, this concept can be applied on a user-by-user basis to provide highly tailored Internet searching sessions for each user, aggregation being based only on the actions of that particular user.

[026] As mentioned above, embodiments of the method include using information about the mobile device and/or the user to provide relevant content in reply to an Internet lookup. Such information can be obtained in many ways, not the least of which is through identification of the device and user. The systems and methods of the invention are typically implemented by the Internet or telephone service provider (i.e., the practitioner) for the person conducting the Internet search. As such, various information is available to the practitioner about the device and the user. The information can be obtained by way of account records, which could include the user's name and address, the device type, and the SIM card number. This information can be used to track user behavior, which is useful in tailoring search results, and to determine how the information should be presented to the device. Further, information about the capabilities of the device can be used to enhance the results. Non-limiting examples of information about the user and device include: age, sex, native language, marital status, address, subject matter commonly searched, type of service subscribed to, type of device (e.g., Blackberry, iPhone), operating system, browser, presence or absence of GPS, end-user preferences (e.g., spelling correction, anti-phishing, parental controls, abbreviations), features purchased or provided by the end-user's carrier, and disaster or end-user priority considerations.

[027] The invention also contemplates the use of other information present in a typical Internet lookup to provide Internet search results. Such other information includes, but is not limited to, day and date (e.g., weekday, weekend, holiday) and time. Yet other information can be identified based on functionalities available on the mobile device. For example, information from a mobile device's GPS can be used to determine the geographic location of the device when an Internet lookup was sent (e.g., home, work, at a distance from both, near a landmark, such as stadium, marina, etc.). This information can be used to tailor the results provided. For example, if an Internet lookup for "hotel" is submitted from a mobile device that is geo-located via the device's GPS to Daytona Beach, FL, an IP address for a landing page containing links to hotels in Daytona Beach can be provided. Likewise, information about current events can be used to provide highly specific and useful information. For example, if an Internet lookup for "AA123" is submitted, the system and method could understand that the user wanted to access a web page showing information about flight 123 on American Airlines. The system could meanwhile search the Internet for current events planned on or near the airport from which flight 123 was to depart. If any such events were to take place, which might delay access to the airport (e.g., a parade blocking a major road to the airport), rather than a direct navigation to the web page of interest being provided to the user, a landing containing a link to that page could be provided along with a message or other warning about the possible delay.

[028] The systems of the invention include computer hardware and software to implement the methods of the invention. Systems thus include at least one processor (that includes physical elements) that can at least perform an analysis of an Internet lookup for its syntax. Computer hardware for performing the methods of the invention is generally available to the public via commercial entities. Computer software implementing the methods can be routinely written by those of skill in the art in numerous ways using the information provided in this document. In embodiments, the system of the invention includes an Internet server, which is capable of communicating with an end-user and with the Internet infrastructure. In embodiments, the server comprises the processor that performs the syntax analysis. In certain embodiments, the system includes two processors, one that performs the analysis and one that provides the user with an IP address for a web page containing information relating to the Internet lookup. Of course, the system can include a single processor that performs all of the functions needed, or can include two or more processors. Where two or more processors are present, they can be on the same or different devices (e.g., servers). Devising the various configurations of the systems encompassed by the invention is within the abilities of the skilled artisan and need not be detailed herein. It is sufficient to disclose that the systems can include a single computing device with a single processor, or multiple devices and processors to implement the methods. In some embodiments relating to searches for which the result is a listing of possibly relevant information (e.g., in response to "honda"), a first processor is resident on a first server, which performs analysis of queries for indicators and syntax, and a second processor resident on a second server, which provides a landing page with information relevant to the query (e.g., a listing of Honda dealerships in Dallas, TX). Typically, the landing page IP address is supplied to the user by the first processor. [029] The system of the invention includes one or more databases of locators and/or syntaxes and the corresponding IP addresses for web pages correlated to those locators and/or syntaxes. (As discussed above, in some situations, the locator is the syntax (i.e., when there is no need for an action character and the identifier is the same character string as the indicator; e.g., "soccer"). For ease of reference, the term "syntax" is used, although it should be recognized that the term can, in embodiments, encompass both "indicator" and "syntax".) It is to be noted that the web pages correlated to the syntax are not limited to home pages for a web site, but rather may be specific "deep linked" pages that provide the user with the specific information desired. They likewise may be specific web pages provided by the practitioner or an entity having a business relationship with the practitioner. While it is possible to house the database(s) within the same device as the processor(s) that analyze the syntax, in some embodiments the database(s) is/are maintained on a computer other than the computer that performs the analysis, the computer that supplies the user with an IP address for a web page containing content related to the user's query, and/or the computer that contains a landing page containing content related to the user's query. A database of the invention is a collection of information maintained on a memory device, such as a hard drive, a flash drive, a tape drive, an optical disk, and the like. It thus comprises at least one physical element.

[030] As such, the methods of the invention can be, in embodiments, understood as implemented, at least partially, by computer software executed on computing devices, including, but not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, and mobile communication devices (e.g., mobile phones). The computer software can be resident on, among other things, nonvolatile media, such as a hard drive, an optical drive, a flash drive, or a tape drive. In

embodiments, the invention relates to a computer program storage device readable by machine, the device comprising a computer program that when executed by a computer disposed between a user computing device (e.g. , a mobile phone) and the Internet, causes the device to: receive a query from a mobile device for information present on the Internet, wherein the query is not or does not contain a properly formatted URL; analyze the syntax of the query at least for a predefined indicator; and provide an IP address of a web page containing content that is relevant to the desired information, wherein the IP address provided is based at least on consultation with a database containing a correlation of the indicator and the IP address provided. In embodiments, the computer program is resident on a server.

[031] The method and system of the invention can be part of a mobile or other network. In general, the network/system comprises a device or software service that sits physically in the traffic flow between a user and the Internet. The device or software service identifies and redirects traffic of interest to a landing page system. The landing page system can be configured to receive input directly from applications on mobile devices or computers, or from a website or other application on the Internet. This traffic can be search requests, navigation requests, DNS errors, or other specific traffic as desired by the provider of the service (i.e., the practitioner). The device can be a MAG (Mobile Access Gateway), a MAG in conjunction with a PLE (Paxfire Lookup Engine; Paxfire, Sterling, Virginia, USA), or a PLE by itself. The functions described herein can also be implemented as a software capability deployed on a DNS server, a MAG, or other hardware in the traffic flow within a network in order to identify traffic of interest for further handling. All of these can be configured to identify selected traffic based on configurable characteristics and direct the end-user via direct navigation to the most appropriate Internet destination, or to a landing page that provides the user the opportunity to narrow his navigation options, or to a landing page that provides the user the ability to self-select an Internet destination.

[032] As discussed above, one feature of the invention is the analysis of the syntax of a query that does not include a properly formatted URL. When the methods and systems of the invention encounter an Internet query that does not include a properly formatted URL, the query is analyzed for its syntax. When a syntax that contains an indicator portion that is recognized by the system is encountered, the syntax is fully analyzed for its content, and the user is provided an IP address containing content that is relevant to the original query. Typically, the user is directed either to the specific web page of interest to the user or to a web page containing links to web pages that contain information of interest, or to a landing page that allows the user to narrow his options for a potential direct navigation, or to a landing page containing links to web pages that the system and method conclude are desired by the user. This quick navigation provides an exceptionally fast way to navigate directly to deep links using specific abbreviations/indicators. [033] In its basic form, the method of the invention comprises providing or providing access to computer software that correlates at least a part of a character string entered by a user of a computing device, and in preferred embodiments a mobile communication device, to a particular piece of information available on the Internet. Preferably, the method further comprises providing to the user information that allows the user to access the information of interest. For example, the method can comprise receiving a communication from a mobile device that matches the format <abbreviation/indicator> <action character> <identifier>, determining the IP address corresponding to that request, and providing to the mobile device the IP address. By providing the specific information requested, the method of the invention eliminates the need for the user of the device to key in multiple domain names and/or initiate web page requests by clicking on links provided by a web page. Rather, the systems and methods identify information contained in the query, determine the desired destination, and send the user to that destination without further input (or with little further input) from the user.

[034] The method of the invention can be implemented by way of software running on a particular device, or it can be implemented as part of a communication system. When implemented by way of a particular device, it can be by way of a stand-alone application resident on the device. For example, the method can be implemented by way of an iPhone or other smart phone app, which can be accessed simply by tapping on the icon for the app. Alternatively, it can be implemented as part of a system, which includes more than one computing device or a system resident within a carrier's network. For example, the method can be implemented as a web page, which can be accessed using a web browser resident on a particular computing device and connected to the Internet. Furthermore, the method can be implemented as a service provided by an Internet Service Provider, such as a mobile phone carrier. In such embodiments, Internet communications having the appropriate format (i.e., syntax) would be identified by the mobile carrier and treated according to the present invention, without the need for the user to proactively initiate use of the method by visiting any particular web site or installing any particular application.

[035] As discussed above, the invention relies on the use of a character string that includes an abbreviation or other relatively short indicator optionally coupled to an identifier of a desired good, service, or piece of information by an optional action character. A request formatted according to <abbreviation/indicator> <action character> <identifier> initiates a web page search that directs the user directly to a web page providing the goods or services identified by the identifier. The system and method of the present invention thus allow a user to connect to a desired web page or a web page providing desired information through the use of a limited number of keystrokes. The system and method reduce the amount of typing required to initiate a web search and reduce the number of selections needed to be made once the desired web page is reached. It is to be noted that the character string can be an actual alpha-numeric string entered manually by the user via a mobile device keypad, or it can be a character string that is represented by a button or other graphical image on a web site. While not so limited, in general the character string is typically relatively short, as compared to a full URL, which is an advantage in the context of mobile devices.

[036] The abbreviation or indicator is a pre-defined character string that represents a domain name that is known to be valid. For example, the abbreviation "w" or "weather" can represent "weather.com"; the abbreviation "y" can represent "yahoo.com"; the abbreviation "espn" can represent "espn.com"; etc. The particular abbreviations, and the number of different abbreviations, for each domain name can vary and can be selected by the practitioner according to various considerations.

[037] According to the invention, the abbreviation(s) defined by the practitioner are correlated to the proper URI or URL, and a database is created and maintained to convert the abbreviation to the URI or URL. For example, "w" can be correlated to

"http://www.weather.com"; "y" can be correlated to "http://www.yahoo.com"; "yt" can be correlated to "http://www.youtube.com", etc.

[038] The system and method of the invention optionally include the use of an action character. The action character is preferably a single alpha-numeric character to achieve a rapid and easy method for connecting to a desired web site. It may also be a single special character (e.g., an exclamation point, an asterisk, a pound sign, etc.), or simply a space. However, if desired, the action character may be two or more alpha-numerical characters, two or more special characters that are available on a mobile device keyboard, or a combination of these. In exemplary embodiments, the action character is a period (.). In some embodiments, the action character is omitted, as the action is assumed to be "obtaining an IP address for information of interest".

[039] The system and method of the invention also optionally include the use of an identifier of a specific good or service or piece of information available on the Internet. The specific good or service can be any of the various goods and services provided for view and/or sale on the Internet. For example, the good can be a soccer ball, a pizza, a house, etc., while the service can be car repair, house cleaning, medical services, etc. Likewise, the piece of information can be any type of information available on the Internet, such as, but not limited to, statistics on a particular sports team or league, information about a particular airline flight, current weather in a particular zip code or town, definition of a word, encyclopedic discussion of a word, event, or concept, etc.

[040] The methods and systems of the invention can navigate a user directly to his desired content using specific indicators and, where needed, variables, in the proper format. The methods and systems can save clicks and time by deep linking directly to the information the user wants. For example, methods and systems of the invention allow a user to type in:

"w.22201" (zip code or city) and arrive at the local weather report from weather.com for zip code 22201. In this example, the abbreviation/indicator is "w" and the action character is ".". The identifier or variable is thus "22201", which is a zip code. The URL mapped to this relatively short character string can be http://xhtml.weather.com/xhtml/cc/22201. While the abbreviation in this example was "w", it should be clear to those of skill in the art that numerous other abbreviations can be used, either as a substitute for "w" or in addition to "w", including but not limited to "weather". Furthermore, it should be noted that the same syntax could be achieved as "w22201 ". Although the use of multiple abbreviations for the same domain name provides a more robust experience for the user, in exemplary embodiments, the fewest characters possible for designating a particular domain name are used.

[041] As another non-limiting example, the methods and systems of the invention allow a user to type in: movie.iceage, and arrive at a web page providing listings and reviews of the movie "Ice Age". In this example, the abbreviation indicator is "movie" and the action character is The URL mapped to this short character string can be

http://wap.aol.com/moviefone/Search.do?stitle^:=iceage&submit=Search. While the abbreviation/indicator in this example was "movie", it should be apparent that numerous other abbreviations/indicators can be used, including, but not necessarily limited to "movietone".

[042] As another non-limiting example, a user may type in "b.<identifier>" to obtain information from bing.com relating to the identifier. In the situation where the identifier is "shoes", the query would be correlated to the URL:

http://m.bing.comyCommonPage.aspx?q=shoes&a=results. Of course, the identifier can be any number of items, and the search query can be, for example, b.shoes, b.cars, b.trivia, b.games, b shoes, bing.shoes, or bing shoes (note that the abbreviation can be "b" or "bing" and the action character can be "." or a space). Likewise, bshoes would return the same results.

[043] Additional non-limiting examples include: y.<identifier>. Where the identifier is Starbucks, the query would be mapped to URL:

http://new.m.yahoo.com/w/onesearch/?p=starbucks. Additional non-limiting queries include: y.shoes, y.cars, y.trivia, y.games, y games, yahoo. games, yahoo games.

[044] Yet again, Google searches can be performed using g.<identifier>. Where the identifier is Jim, the query would be correlated to URL:

http://www.google.com/m/search?q=jim. Other examples include: g.jim, g.starbucks, g.shoes, g.cars, g.trivia, g.games. For a Wikipedia search, a query could be wiki.paxfire, which would map to URL: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki?search=paxfire. Additional queries could be: wiki.paxfire, wiki.yahoo. For dictionary lookups, the query could be: d.yodel, which would be mapped by the systems and methods to URL: http://m.reference.com/d/search.html?q=yodel. For Amazon lookups, one could use the query a.michaeljackson, which would be mapped to URL: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/?k=michaeljackson. For a stock quote, one could query stock.twx, which would map to URL: http://www.marketwatch.com/m/search?q==twx. Other non-limiting examples include stock.twx, stock.csco, stock.msft, stock.s, stock.yhoo, stock.aapl.

[045] Yet again, an example of the invention can relate to movies. More specifically, a user can obtain information on movies using the systems and methods of the invention, for example by keying in "movie.<variable>. In the case of a movie entitled "The Hangover", the user could enter movie.hangover. The system and method of the invention would recognize the format of the query, consult its database, and correlate the query to URL =

http://wap.aol.com/moviefone/Search.do?stitle=hangover&submit=Search. This URL would provide information on the movie. As should be evident, any movie title could be used as the variable term. While the abbreviation "movie" is used in the example, other abbreviations, such as "moviefone" could be used. Of course, as indicated above, if the mobile device included a GPS system, the results page could be limited to movie theaters in a given radius of the device.

[046] Internet queries often relate to sporting events, and espn.com is a popular site to obtain information on sports. As such, a query according to the invention could be "espn.nhl", which the methods and systems of the invention would map to URL: http://rn.espn.go.com/nhl/. Thus, the short query, when applied using the systems and/or methods of the invention, would quickly direct the user to the National Hockey League home page of the espn.com site. Those of skill in the art will immediately recognize that other, deeper level pages could easily be directly accessed by the user keying a more specific identifier or variable, such as an NHL team name, etc. For example, the syntax espnnhlcaps would direct the user to the Washington Capitals page of espn.com. Continuing to use espn.com as an example, it is also evident that the present invention allows direct access to specific information on web sites that encompass multiple different areas of interest. More specifically, espn.com is an example of a domain that encompasses information, some highly specific, on numerous sports and sports franchises. The present invention allows a user to focus in on a specific topic of interest with few keystrokes and few, preferably no, additional required keystrokes or redirects using web page links.

[047] The systems and methods of the invention can provide specific information of interest to a user by directing them to a particular web page in response to a short, properly formatted (for the present invention), query. However, the methods and systems can also provide the user with broader information about services, goods, etc. For example, a mobile device user could be in a car and realize that he is low on gas. Using the methods and/or systems of the present invention, that person could identify gas stations within a given distance from his current location. More specifically, in embodiments, a mobile device user could launch an app on his iPhone or simply use the browser bar of Safari, and key in gas.<identifier> or gas<identifier>, where the identifier is a character string that indicates the position of the user. So, for example, the user could key in the zip code of the area in which he is traveling. Alternatively, if the iPhone had GPS capabilities, the user could type in "gas.iphone" or "gas.me" or simply "gas" and the method and system of the invention would access the GPS data of the iPhone to determine the location of the user. Assuming the user knew his current zip code (e.g., 22201), the query would be mapped to URL:

http://mobile.aolsearch.com/ig8del/lnk000/=http://wap.mapquest.con /wap3/GasPrices/Results.as px?gas1ype=3&location=2220l&version=main. Upon receiving the correct IP address from the Internet DNS servers, the IP address would be returned to the user to allow his browser to connect and retrieve the desired information.

[048] Heavy mobile device users often are persons conducting business that requires travel away from home. As such, they must keep abreast of travel conditions. Therefore, airline flight information is often very important to them. To track flight information, the present invention allows users to key in a character string and receive specific information. For example, one may key in "flight.<variable>" and receive specific information about a particular flight. If the variable were United Airlines flight 625, the query flight.ua625 could be mapped by the systems and methods of the invention to URL: http://updates.orbitz.com/mobile/flight_status/UA/625. As mentioned above, depending on the format convention selected by the practitioner, the same result could be mapped to the following non-limiting exemplary queries: flight.ua625, flight.usl, flight.ua.625, flight.us.l, flight.ua 625, flight.us 1. In addition, the abbreviation "flight" could be substituted with "orbitz", "travelocity", "priceline", or any abbreviation denoting a particular airline. In the case of specific airlines, it is to be noted that the query could take the form of "ua.625". Where pre-defined, the abbreviation "ua" would map to the United Airlines flight information web page, and the 625 would further map the query to information specifically relating to current flight 625. Of course, an even shorter query would include the syntax ua625, and would achieve the same result, as the action word "." would be implied by the syntax.

[049] YouTube and other video and audio sharing sites are highly popular. The present invention is fully applicable to quick navigation to content provided by such web sites. For example, where videos (e.g., music videos, interviews) relating to the band Greenday are of interest to a user, he or she could key in and submit a query such as "yt. greenday" (or simply "ytgreenday") from a mobile device. Such a query would be mapped by the system and/or method to URL: http.7/m.youtube.com/results?client=mv-google&gl=US&hl=en&q=greenday and the user would be directed to the appropriate IP address containing the information of interest. Of course, as with all other queries, the query could be generated and submitted using an address bar or a "Navit bar" from a web browser, or could automatically be treated according to the present systems and methods based on a mobile carrier or ISP implemented policy.

[050] As should be evident to those of skill in the art, the various correlations for abbreviations and identifiers are endless, and it is beyond the scope of this document to list all possible combinations. It is sufficient to disclose that the particular format of query defined above is recognized by the methods and systems of the invention, and that the content of the query is deconstructed to provide the user with a direct connection to the particular web site containing the desired information. Additional non-limiting examples of general query types (represented by exemplary abbreviations) include: "traffic" which could map to traffic.com or "trafficland.com" or "mapquest.com"; "ATM" which could map to

"visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/" or "maps.google.com/golocal", both of which use zip code and list nearby ATMs; "restaurants" which could map to "maps.google.com/golocal (e.g., a query of "restaurant 20164" would provide a Google ranked listing of restaurants in or near Sterling, VA); "maps" which could correlate to one of the various mapping features provided by Mapquest, Google, Yahoo!, etc. Other non-limiting abbreviations include IMDB, scores, MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAAF, and NCAAB. It is important to note that the practitioner is free to choose whether the indicator is/are case sensitive. In preferred embodiments, indicators are not case sensitive to improve the ease of use for the user.

[051] As discussed herein, the invention is not limited to delivery of a specific web page that contains specific information about a particular topic (e.g., statistics regarding a particular U.S. Congressman's voting history). Rather, it is sufficiently robust to allow for delivery of search results pages, where appropriate. Therefore, for example, if one were to query "pizza 22201 ", "pizza22201 " or "pizza arlington va", the systems and methods of the invention could return a list of restaurants serving pizza within a pre-defined radius of the specified zip code or city. Alternatively, the user could rely on his mobile phone's GPS utility to provide the location of the user. Yet again, a saved location could be used to determine results.

[052] The use of information about the mobile device and/or the user is particularly advantageous in some embodiments. Continuing on with the example of the query "pizza", embodiments of the invention permit a user to simply type in the word "pizza" into his mobile phone search bar. Upon doing so and submitting the query, the systems and methods of the invention would consult the database of the system, which would have the word "pizza" listed as an indicator (as well as, possibly, an identifier). The systems and methods would then further analyze the query and determine that no action word or identifier was present. The system and method would then assume that the indicator was the full syntax and recognize that the user was interested in buying a pizza or finding a place to eat pizza. The system and method would then access geographic information from the mobile device's GPS. The user would then be provided with a web page identifying all of the restaurants in a given radius that sold pizza. As such, by simply entering "pizza" in his browser, the user would be provided the information desired without the need to conduct multiple searches or follow multiple links.

[053] The basic features of the systems and methods of the invention include providing specific web page retrieval based on short character sequences that conform to a pre-defined format, which, due to the power of the systems and methods, can be highly variable. However, in some embodiments, the invention provides a higher level navigational experience. That is, the present systems and methods can take into account the location, time of the day, event, holiday and/or other similar information to intelligently navigate a user to a website, results page, or deep link. For example, for the query "bar" submitted on March 17, a results page listing bars and restaurants within a 20 mile radius of the query origination point that are touted as Irish bars or that have St. Patrick's day specials could be provided, where such restaurants/bars are ranked higher than other restaurants and bars that do not have such specials. As another non-limiting example, keying in "taxi.dulles" (or simply "taxi" when a user was already located at Dulles International Airport and his mobile device included a GPS) would provide a list of only those taxis that service Dulles International Airport. Likewise, entering "UAL974" or "UA974" could provide a results page from United Airlines, which would include flight status for that flight. But, entering "UAL 12345667" or "UA12345667" could send the user to the Mileage Plus login screen with the account number already filed in. By defining and logging indicators, and additionally analyzing identifiers, the present methods and systems can finely tune responses to short queries, with high probabilities of successfully providing useful information to users. This ability provides an advantage to mobile users that has not been provided to date.

[054] Although the number of examples are limitless, additional non-limiting examples of queries and syntaxes, and the results that could be provided, include: entering "facebook" or "fb" and being directed to the user's Facebook login page (preferably with the login information already filled in); "cabeals.com" directs the user to "cabelas.com"; "tickets" directs the user to a web site that sells tickets to entertainment events within a given radius of the current location of the user; and "restaurants" directs the user to a web page that lists the 25 most popular restaurants within a given radius of the user.

[055] Furthermore, information on the user can be used to prioritize his access to system resources. For example, if a user is a first responder or other emergency or government personnel, that status can be held in the database or on his mobile device. In a time of emergency, the user could be give special status to use system resources, including but not limited to all of the advantages disclosed herein.

[056] Use of the methods and systems of an exemplary embodiment of the invention are depicted graphically in Figures 1-5. Figure 1 depicts implementation of the system and method of the invention using a dedicated web site to receive requests and return results. In this exemplary embodiment, a user opens his web browser and goes to a web site implementing the system and method. The user may then enter into the address bar a properly formatted query according to the present invention, which is not and does not contain a properly formatted URL. The system and method recognize the query based on its format, consult a database or lookup table to determine both the domain name desired and the specific content desired. The system and method obtain the proper IP address for the requested information and return that IP address to the user's browser, allowing the user to connect, using only one query, to the desired information. The IP address obtained by the system and method can be an IP address supplied to the system by the DNS system of the Internet. However, it can also be an IP address known by the system and method, which was collected based on previous searches by the searcher or others using that particular query. Additionally, the IP address returned to the user could be a redirect IP address, which directs the user to a contrived landing page containing information that might be of use to the user. Redirection to a landing page is typically provided when the information for the original query is unavailable, unknown, or has been determined by the user, the ISP (or mobile carrier), or another entity (e.g., a parent) as containing undesirable content. That is, in some situations, the user is not directed to his desired web page as a result of rules imposed by others (e.g., parents, ISP, governments) that prohibit access to the web page. [057] Looking now at Figure 2, an alternative presentation for conducting a search is provided. In this exemplary embodiment, the web site that receives requests and delivers results provides a search bar in which the user can type his properly formatted (according to the invention) query. The actions of the system and method are identical to those described above with respect to initiating a query from the address bar when navigating from the web page.

[058] Figure 3 provides a screen shot of a web page from a dedicated web site for implementation of the present invention. In this screen shot, it can be seen that multiple buttons are provided, each representing a particular domain name, company, or service. To use the methods and systems of this embodiment of the present invention, a user would simply type in the indicator or variable in the search bar (the "navit" bar), then click the appropriate button to obtain the desired information. The figure shows 14 different possible domain names, companies, and services. Those of skill in the art will immediately recognize that more or fewer buttons may be provided, and that the domain names, companies, and services could be altered. The practitioner is free to select domain names, companies, services, etc. based on any number of considerations.

[059] Looking now at Figure 4, a results page is depicted, which is provided to a user in response to a properly formatted query according to the present invention. Specifically, Figure 4 depicts the results provided to a user in response to the query: "y.tom clancy" or "y.tomclancy" or "ytomclancy" or ytom clancy". As can be seen, the user is provided with a Yahoo! results page with ranked results for the query "Tom Clancy". It is to be noted that, although the screen shot depicted in Figure 4 is a screen shot from a desktop/laptop browser, the same result would be achieved using a mobile device and an app or as a result of implementation of the system and method by the user's mobile carrier.

[060] Figure 5 presents an exemplary result provided to a user who keyed in the query "y.hotels". The Yahoo! results page includes ranked results for the keyword "hotels".

[061] There are innumerable queries that can be formulated according to the present invention, using the format described herein. Certain examples have been provided above. Additional, non- limiting, examples include: keying in "movie.toystory" (toystory being the name of a movie) to obtain information on the movie; keying in "yt.elvis" to see a listing of videos concerning Elvis Presley that are available on YouTube; keying in "flight.ua625" to obtain information on the next United Airline's flight 625; keying in "stock.aapl" to obtain the current stock information for Apple, Inc.; and keying in "espn.nfl" to arrive at the NFL home page on espn.com. As evidenced by certain examples, it is to be understood that the systems and methods of the present invention are not limited to arrival at the home page for a particular domain name. Rather, the systems and methods can take a user to any level of specificity desired by the user, based on the amount of information provided in the indicator or variable field. Thus, for example, if a user were interested in personal statistics for players on the Washington Capitals hockey team, the user could enter: "espn.capitals.teamstats" or

"espncapitals.teamstats" or "espncapitalsteamstats" and be taken directly to the team statistics page for the Washington Capitals on espn.com.

[062] When users successfully browse the Internet using the address bar, they must type a complete, valid URL. This takes them to a single, specific web site. Once at the URL, the users can click around to get to their desired content. However, this process is exceptionally cumbersome and time consuming when practiced using a mobile device. It also can be inconvenient for Internet device users, including desktop/laptop users, if they do not have highspeed Internet access or if they often search for information that is multiple levels deep on a web site. The present invention allows users to get to their desired content in one click (instead of multiple clicks) or only two or three clicks, using specific action words and variables.

Preferably, the users get to their desired content in one click.

[063] Other systems are available in the art for navigation to information of interest, where the systems allow for navigation without the need to enter a full URL or full domain name. An example of such a system is "Hot Words". However, it is to be understood that the present invention is significantly different from the technology underlying "Hot Words" in that the present invention takes a user directly to information of interest, whereas "Hot Words" merely provides ranked search results in response to a keyword query. Furthermore, technologies such as "Hot Words" does not take into consideration additional information, such as information specific to the device and user, time and geography related to the search query, direct navigation, and propensity modeling.

[064] As mentioned above, there are numerous abbreviations and corresponding domain names that can be implemented according to the present system and method. In addition to those listed above, the following abbreviations (in the form of action words) and the corresponding companies, domain names, services, are contemplated as non-limiting examples: b. (for bing results); g. (for google results); d. (for dictionary results); wiki. (Wikipedia); c. (craigslist); e. (ebay); a. (amazon); stock, (stock ticker symbol results, from marketwatch or some other popular finance company); flight, (flight status, from flight tracker or some other popular company); gas. (gas prices, from mapquest or other popular company); and traffic, (traffic reports, from traffic.com or mapquest or other popular company). It must be recognized that the number and identity of correlations is limitless, and a complete listing herein would be impossible.

[065] The invention provides advantages in Internet navigation for users by, among other things, improving the speed at which users can obtain information by reducing the amount of typing required to navigate to a desired web page and by reducing the number of links required to navigate through to arrive at a desired web page. It also provides a means for translating improper URL requests into successful navigation sessions. In embodiments, the systems and methods of the invention provide users with landing pages that include links to information of interest to the users. The present invention contemplates presenting sponsored content on such landing pages. While not so limited, typically the sponsored content will be advertisements for one or more services or products. A number of advertising content providers are known in the art, and any of those providers could partner with the practitioner to provide advertisements on landing pages. Alternatively, the practitioner could supply the sponsored content on its own or through arrangements directly with sponsors. In any event, revenue from the sponsored content can be generated simply by charging sponsors for presentation of the content. Alternatively or in addition, revenue can be generated as a result of users accessing the content, for example by clicking on a link to a web page under the control of the sponsor. Yet again, revenue can be generated as a result of a user purchasing a service or good from the sponsor as a result of the content provided on the landing page.

[066] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the practice of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of providing Internet navigation services to mobile device users, said method comprising:

receiving a query from a mobile device for information present on the Internet,

wherein the query is not or does not contain a properly formatted URL;

analyzing the syntax of the query at least for a pre-defined indicator; and

providing an IP address of a web page containing content that is relevant to the desired information,

wherein the IP address provided is based at least on consultation with a database containing a correlation of the indicator and the IP address provided.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the syntax of the query for additional information about the desired information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the query for information relating to the device, the user of the device, or other information that could be used to provide a highly specific and tailored response.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein correlation of the indicator and the IP address is based, at least in part, on results of propensity modeling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on the Internet is the web page at the IP address provided.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a landing page that includes the content that is relevant to the information present on the Internet is at the IP address provided.

7. A system for Internet navigation, said system comprising:

at least one processor that can:

receive a query from a mobile device for information present on the Internet, wherein the query is not or does not contain a properly formatted URL; analyze the syntax of the query at least for a pre-defined indicator; and provide an IP address of a web page containing content that is relevant to the desired information; and

a database stored on hardware, which contains a correlation of the indicator and the IP address provided,

wherein the IP address provided is based at least on consultation with the database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is part of a server.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the database is updated over time using propensity modeling data.

10. A computer program storage device readable by machine, said device comprising a computer program that when executed by a computer disposed between a user computer and the Internet, causes the computer to:

receive a query from a mobile device for information present on the Internet,

wherein the query is not or does not contain a properly formatted URL;

analyze the syntax of the query at least for a pre-defined indicator; and

provide an IP address of a web page containing content that is relevant to the desired information,

wherein the IP address provided is based at least on consultation with a database containing a correlation of the indicator and the IP address provided.

11. The device of claim 10, which is a hard drive, an optical drive, a flash drive, or a tape drive.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises part of a server.