GB2378348A

GB2378348A - Classified directory for mobile phones

Info

Publication number: GB2378348A
Application number: GB0118425A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Steven Young
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-28
Filing date: 2001-07-28
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Also published as: GB0118425D0

Abstract

A classified telephone directory is provided through a switched telecommunications network that has mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server. The directory includes instructions for displaying a user interface of hierarchical retrieval menus for trade classifications and geographical locations navigable at the user terminal by pointing device means to enter a query. The directory may also include instructions for displaying reported selections as a retrieval menu of descriptions navigable at the user terminal by pointing device means to place a call. The directory features simplified navigation without the need to enter alphanumeric data and an easy to use call placement facility.

Description

CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY FOR MOBILE PHONES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a computer program product for providing a classified telephone directory for mobile phones, to a directory server running the computer program product, and to a method of providing a classified telephone directory resource through a switched network having mobile telephone user terminals in wireless communication via gateways with a directory server running the computer program product.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Methods are known for providing automated access to classified telephone directory information or so-called"yellow pages"through the Internet. US-A- 5930474 explains that although the Internet, together with other on-line computer services, has been used widely as a means of sharing information amongst a plurality of users, then current (1996) Internet browsers such as NETSCAPE or MOSAIC, may not be suitable for a accessing information predicated upon geographic areas as opposed to by subject matter or keyword searches. The solution put forward was to provide a system that associated on-line information with geographic areas. The system comprises a network to which a plurality of computers have access, and an organizer executing in said computer network, wherein said organizer is configured to receive search requests from any one of said plurality of computers. The organizer comprises a database of information organized into a hierarchy of geographical areas wherein entries corresponding to each one of said hierarchy of geographical areas is further organized into topics, and a search application in communication with said database. The search application is configured to search geographically and topically, and said search application is further configured to elect one of said hierarchy of geographical areas prior to selection of a topic so as to provide a geographical search area wherein within said hierarchy of geographical areas at least one of said entries

associated with a border geographical area is dynamically replicated into at least one narrower geographical area, said search engine being further configured to search said topics within said selected geographical search area. In an embodiment, when the user wishes to display information stored within a yellow page database associated with an individual entity (i. e. , a final destination of the yellow pages database), the user utilizes the conventional point-and-click method to initiate a yellow page display request. This request is passed to the Internet via the Netscape browser interface, translated into a format that is readable by a search application implemented as an executable program that operates on the Netscape server. The search command uses only three parameters: database name, which is the name of the yellow page containing the data to print, a note identifier, which defines the database storage or record number for that specific record or document in the notes portion of the yellow pages database and the name of the field in the record which contains the name of the HTML skeleton file. A HTML results document is displayed to the user on the user's PC terminal in the format provided by the Netscape browser interface and shows the stored information for the selected entry or entries.

A yellow pages service is also available for internet-enabled mobile phones, for example WAP phones. In the UK, for example, the YELL database provided by Yell Limited can be book-marked by keying in the web address at a mobile phone user terminal, in this case wap. yell. com, and pressing OK. Thereafter the yell. com mobile service can be accessed by selecting the bookmark and clicking on the roller of the WAP phone. The service provides for searches by business type or by company name. On selection of a search by business type, a screen is displayed at the mobile phone that has entry boxes for business type and location, and the user enters these by means of the keyboard of the mobile phone. Clicking on the SEARCH line produces a results screen with the name, address and telephone number of a business corresponding to the selections. The applicants believe that the capabilities and user interface for the YELL database are representative of what is available for other countries.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One problem with which the invention is concerned is how to provide a user interface for a classified telephone directory available through an Internet-enabled mobile phone that enables the user to find a business or trader that meets his needs with a high probability of success and in relatively few keystrokes.

That problem is solved, according to the invention by the provision of a classified telephone directory database and search application for use with Internetenabled mobile phones and in which the front end of the directory is arranged in a hierarchical structure and is displayed as successive retrieval menus so that, for example, first, the directory provides navigation to find a trade classification, and second the directory breaks down geographically to find where a listing is located.

Such a front end structure that works with a succession of retrieval menus that can be navigated without the need to input alphanumeric data through the keypad of the client device lends itself for use with the current generation of mobile phones and other hand-held mass-market wireless devices which because of their limitations of power and form factor have less powerful CPU's, less memory, smaller displays, specialized and more restricted keypads or other input devices and less bandwidth compared to a desktop or larger computer.

The invention provides a classified telephone directory available through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, wherein the resource includes instructions for displaying at a user terminal a user interface of hierarchical retrieval menus for trade classifications and geographical locations navigable at the user terminal to enter a query using pointing device means only. The term"pointing device means"includes directional keys and keys at which a selection can be entered by clicking, and a direction wheel which can be rotated for navigation and clicked on for entering a selection.

In one aspect the invention provides a computer program for providing a classified telephone directory resource through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with a directory server, said program comprising : computer implementable instructions for providing at the directory server a database organized into trader records each comprising an identity, a trade classification, a geographical location, and a telephone number; and computer implementable instructions for providing a search application that displays a user interface on the screen of a user terminal and that on entry of a selected trade classification and geographical location searches the database in accordance with the query and forwards the resulting records for display on the screen of the user terminal, wherein the user interface displays in successive screens hierarchical retrieval menus for trade classifications and geographical locations that are scrollable in response to one or more direction keys of the user terminal to highlight selections that are entered in response to a control key of the user terminal.

A further problem with which the invention is concerned is how to provide a user interface for a classified telephone directory available through an Internetenabled mobile phone in which the results of a query are presented in a form that is of immediate utility to the user.

A yet further problem with which the invention is concerned is how to provide a user interface for a classified telephone directory available through an Internetenabled mobile phone in which the results of a query are presented in a form of which the user can take advantage in a minimum of keystrokes.

These problems are solved, according to a further aspect of the invention by the provision of a classified telephone directory available through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with

screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, wherein the directory includes instructions for displaying reported selections as a retrieval menu of descriptions navigable at the user terminal by pointing device means to place a call.

The invention further provides a classified telephone directory database and search application for use with Internet-enabled mobile phones and in which the results produced are in the form of a selection menu of business or trader identities which is navigable and selectable with keys of the client device, selection of a business or trader identity causing the client device to call the corresponding telephone subscriber number, without, as in existing classified directory databases for mobile phones, the user having to write down or remember the telephone number corresponding to the or each reported business or trader and re-enter the sequence of digits using a keypad in order to make the call.

Display of the telephone number with the business or trader identity is not excluded and may be desirable in some circumstances but the applicants believe that most of the time what the mobile phone user needs to see is simply the identity of the trader and possibly his location, and thereafter the ability to place a call in a single keystroke, or in some phones with two keystrokes, is a significant advantage. He does not need to see the telephone number of the business or trader in order to place the call, and on most occasions of use there will be little point in his doing so. Such a report structure also lends itself for use with the current generation of mobile phones and other hand-held mass-market wireless devices whose limitations have been explained above.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of providing a classified telephone directory resource through a switched network having mobile telephone user terminals in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, said method comprising:

providing at the directory server a database organized into trader records each comprising an identity, a trade classification, a geographical location, and a telephone number; and providing a search application for searching the database by trade classification and by geographical location and arranged (a) to display available trade classifications and locations sequentially menu-wise at a client station, (b) on entry at the user terminal of a selected location and classification to display resulting trader identifications menu-wise, and (c) on entry at the user terminal of a selected identity to call the corresponding telephone number.

The invention further provides a computer program product for providing a classified directory resource as aforesaid and recorded on a magnetic or optical recording medium or forming part of a digital signal that may be transmitted and downloaded through a computer network, for example the Internet.

The invention also relates to the use of a computer program product as aforesaid in a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with a directory server to provide a classified telephone directory resource at user terminals of said network.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FEATURES From an ease of programming standpoint, the search application can include instructions for display of the trade classification retrieval menus either before or after the geographical location retrieval menus. From the standpoint of efficiency in conveying useful information to the user, however, it is preferable that the trade classification retrieval menus should appear first so that the user is directed to the nearest available business or service of the type that he requires and does not miss being alerted to businesses or services that could be of value to him. For example, if the user is in Totton (a town near Southampton) and wants a taxi, if he enters his

geographical location first, he may not find a trade classification for a taxi in his subsequently received trade classification retrieval menu. However, if he first enters his requirement for a taxi using the trade classification menus, the geographical location menus will not show a Totton if there is no listing for a taxi in that town, but may show Southampton or Winchester and the user may be content to select a taxi from one of those nearby towns by clicking on the relevant item in the selection menu. The problem may be further alleviated by means of an associated location feature of the database described below.

It is desirable, especially in the context of mobile phones, to minimize the scope for keystrokes that lead to null results. For that purpose, the stored data and the search application are configured so that an item is displayed in a retrieval menu only when there is a corresponding trader record in the database.

For ease of use of the results, the search application includes instructions for displaying the resulting records as a retrieval menu of identities in which case the menu can be navigated as before using directional keys and a highlighted selection can be entered by operation of a control key. Again for economy in keystrokes, and as discussed above, the search application preferably includes instructions to cause the user terminal to call the telephone number of a selected trader in response to selection of an identity using a control key of the user terminal.

The search application may include instructions for response to a common directional and control key of the user terminal, e. g. a control wheel of the user terminal to scroll through a retrieval menu and is responsive to clicking the control wheel to enter a selection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig 1 is a diagram showing the general relationship between mobile stations, base station and network servers in an internet-enabled digital cellular telephone network ; Figs 2 and 3 are diagrams showing tables of a database at an directory server and their logical relationships for the trades channels and sub-channels, for the region and location channels and for the listings of a particular account ; and Figs 4-8 are screen dumps showing successive steps in the use of a database and search application according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERED EMBODIMENT In Fig 1, there is shown a digital cellular telephone network in which handheld mobile stations 10 such as mobile telephones or hand-held personal digital assistants are in two-way radio communication with a gateway 12 that is in two-way communication with a network such as the Internet in which there is a multiplicity of branches and servers including a directory serverl 4. Mobile stations 10 in the form of cellular telephones include a keyboard 16, a LCD or other flat-panel display 18 and a user agent 20 for providing a browser resident in the device 10 in order to enable it to communicate via the gateway 12 with the directory server 14. The gateway 12 includes a base transceiver station (BTS) that houses radio receivers that define a cell and handles radio-link protocols with the user terminals 10, and a base station controller (BSC) that inter alia contains software for converting requests in a lightweight markup language such as the Wireless Markup Language (WML) optimized for WAP phones or other mobile terminals into requests in a standard networking protocols such as HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP). In this way the user agent 20 or micro-browser of the mobile station 10 can send and receive commands and data to classified directory search application 22 resident on drive or drives 26 of the directory server for performing searches in classified directory database 24 which is also resident on drive or drives 26 of the directory server.

The classified directory database 24 that forms the back end of the classified directory resource uses a relational database having tables common to the whole application which are: trades; locations; accounts.

Trades table 30 (Fig. 2) holds a list of every available consumer-based trade classification. Each classification has a unique number assigned to it that is used as the main trade identifier throughout the operation of the resource. It is up-loaded onto the directory server by the operator of the classified directory resource and may be amended by him from time to time. It is not accessible to account holders or users.

The fields in the trades table are:

TRADE KEY integer TRADEDESC character

Table 1 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the trades table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 1

TRADE KEY TRADE DESC 1 Accident Repairs 2 Accommodation-Residential 3 Accommodation-Student 4 Accommodation Agents-Business 5 Accountants 6 Accounting Services 7 Activity Centres 8 Activity Holidays-Adults 9 Activity Holidays-Childrens 10 Acupuncture

A locations table 32 (Fig. 3) holds the names of villages, towns, districts and cities in which listings can reside. Each place identified by its name has a number assigned to it that is used as the main location identifier that is used throughout the operation of the resource. Again, it is up-loaded onto the directory server by the operator of the classified directory resource and may be amended by him from time to time, but is not accessible to account holders or users. The fields in the locations table are:

LOCATION KEY integer LOCATION DESC character.

Table 2 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the locations table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 2

LOCATION KEY LOCATIONJDESC 1 Abbots Langley 2 Aberaeron 3 Aberdare 4 Aberdeen 5 N/A 6 Aberfeldy 7 Abergavenny 8 Abergele 9 Aberlour 10 Abertillery 11 Aberystwyth 12 Abingdon.

A third table lists every customer account using the directory application.

Account holders or customers will normally be organizations such as trade associations or large companies with multiple outlets wish to have multiple listings entered onto the database by the operator. Generally speaking this will be from

records provided by the customer either on-line or on a data carrier. The fields in the accounts table may be as follows:

ACCOUNTKEY integer ACCOUNT NAME character ACCOUNTDESC character.

The account description field is a line of text about the customer and can be used to add customer branding to the aggregated product. Account keys are unique and begin at 1000, and in the following tables, xxxx represents an account of an arbitrary customer.

It will be appreciated that the format of the database is such that it can be used by a number of account holders or customers supplying to end users in different directory resources. Account specific tables are created by the operator for every directory customer and store the directory content and the configuration of the navigation.

An xxxxchannels table 34 is entered by the operator in accordance with the requirements of the customer, as are the following tables, and holds a complete list of channel names used by the particular directory. This table is only a lookup for the channel names and does not define the listings that are grouped into each channel. Its fields are as follows:

CHANNEL KEY integer CHANNELDESC character

Table 3 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the XXXXchannels table of a database for use in the present directory resource:

Table 3

CHANNEL KEY CHANNELJDESC 4 Ents-Guide 5 Get Around 6 Get Intimate 9 Gifts & Gadgets 10 Go-Kidz

An xxxx sub channels table 36 holds a complete list of sub channel names used by the particular directory. This table is only a lookup for the sub channel names and does not define the listings that are grouped into each sub channel. The fields are set out below:

SUB CHANNELKEY integer SUBCHANNELDESC character

Table 4 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the xxxxsub channels table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 4

SUBCHANNELKEY SUBCHANNELDESC 26 DIY merchants 27 Driving Schools 28 Eating Out 29 Electrical 30 Escorts 31 Estate Agents 32 Fancy Dress Hire 33 Farm Shops 34 Financial 35 Fitness & Beauty

An xxxx~channel~sub~channe1~mapping table 38 groups sub channels together into channels. The keys relate to the above xxxx channels table 34 and xxxxsubchannels table 36 and are as follows:

CHANNELKEY integer SUBCHANNEL KEY integer

Table 5 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the xxxxchannelsubchannelmapping table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 5

CHANNELKEY SUB CHANNEL KEY 4 28 4 55 4 57 4 64 4 65 4 67 4 68

For example, Channel 4 is'Ents-Guide'. Sub channel 28 is'Eating Out'.

Therefore'Eating Out'is displayed within the'Ents-Guide'channel.

An xxxx~sub~channel~trade~mapping table 40 groups together trade classifications into sub channels. The keys relate to the above xxxxsubchannels table and the trades table and are shown below.

SUBCHANNEL KEY integer TRADE KEY integer

Table 6 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the xxxx subchannel~trademapping table of a database for use in the present directory resource:

Table 6

SUBCHANNELKEY TRADE KEY 28 146 28 151 28 198 28 199 28 200 28 201 28 202 28 203 28 204

For example, sub channel 28 is'Eating Out'. Trade classification 146 is 'Indian Restaurants'. Therefore'Indian Restaurants'are grouped into sub channel 'Eating Out'.

The mapping tables 48,40 define part of the hierarchy of the directory. Every directory can have a unique set of sub channels and channels, but the trade key is global to the application. This means if a listing were to be taken from one directory and used in another, it would work with the new mapping tables 38,40 to display in a different channel and sub channel. For example, in a'Holiday pastimes'directory the

trade classification'Restaurants-Child Friendly'could reside in the sub channel 'Kids food'and channel'Children's Entertainment'. But in another directory the same trade classification could reside in a'Restaurants'sub channel and an'EntsGuide'channel.

An xxxx Jegions table 42 defines the names for each region and holds the complete list of region names used by the particular directory. This table is only a lookup for the region names and does not define the locations that are grouped into each region. The keys in this table are shown below:

REGION KEY integer REGIONDESC character

Table 7 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the xxxx regions table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 7

REGIONKEY REGION DESC 11 South Coast 12 South West 13 South Central 14 Essex & The East 15 Midlands (West)

The xxxx regionlocationmapping table 44 groups together locations into regions. The region key is from the particular directories regions table 42. The location key is from the locations table 32, global to the application. The keys are as set out below: REGION KEY integer LOCATION KEY integer Table 8 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the xxxxregionlocationmapping table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 8

REGION KEY LOCATION KEY 11 221 12 222 15 230 15 262 16 262

For example, Region 11 is'South Coast'. Location 221 is'Brighton'.

Therefore'Brighton'can be found in the'South Coast'region. Location 262 is 'Burton-On-Trent'. Because it is near the region borders it has been placed in regions 15 (Midlands West) and 16 (Midlands East). Every directory can have a unique set of regions and region groups. It is possible to create directories of specific areas such as London that may use postcode areas or borough councils as regions.

An advantageous facility provided by the present invention is the xxxx location associationsmap table 46 which associates villages, small towns and districts to their nearest large town or city. Every location is listed in this table. If a location is large enough not to be associated, its own location key is used as an associated location key. The fields in the table are:

LOCATION KEY integer ASSOCIATED LOCATION KEY integer

Table 9 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the locations table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 9

LOCATIONKEY ASSOCIATED LOCATION KEY 1 1591 2 11 3 3 4 4 6 1233 7 1102 8 360 9 4 10 10 il 11

Location I is'Abbots Langley', a village. Location 1591 is'Watford', its nearest city. Location 4 is'Aberdeen', a large city. Therefore it is not associated and the associated location key is also 4.

An xxxx listings table 48 (Figs 2 and 3) holds the listings of a particular account xxxx. Significant fields are the business name, phone number, location key and trade key. The business name and phone number are used to create the listing, the location key stores the geographic location (in the form of the town name lookup from the locations table 32) and the trade key stores the trade classification (in the form of the trade classification lookup from the trades table 30). The fields are as follows

LISTING KEY integer BUSINESS NAME character ADDRESS 1 character ADDRESS 2 character ADDRESS 3 character TOWN character COUNTY character POST CODE character PHONE NUMBER character LOCATION KEY integer TRADE KEY integer

Table 10 below shows some typical entries that might form part of the locations table of a database for use in the present directory resource: Table 10 LISTING~KEY BUSINESSNAME PHONE NUMBER LOCATION KEY TRADE KEY

7 Waterloo Arms 04343435555 1425 189 8 The Edge 07656567657 1425 170 9 The Bugle Inn 08768767687 1425 189 10 Chamberlayne Arms 09878778887 1425 189

A classified directory implemented by the present software can be located and bookmarked conventionally. On selection of the directory, the host server transmits the channel descriptions and channel keys of XXXX channels table 34. The channel descriptions are displayed as a retrieval menu 50 through which the user can navigate using directional keys or a direction wheel 54. Clicking on the highlighted selection 52 using the direction wheel 54 returns the corresponding channel key to the directory server, which then queries the channelsubchannelmap 38 to give the

corresponding sub-channel keys, which are matched to retrieved sub-channel descriptions in table or map 36. A second retrieval menu 54 of selected sub-channels can be navigated as described before and the highlighted sub-channel 56 can be selected using the wheel 54.

The search application then interrogates the listings table 48 and displays at Fig. 6 a selection menu 58 of those regions for which there are listings within the selected sub-channel. The descriptions of the regions that are to be displayed, and the region keys, that are to be transmitted but not displayed, are sent from the directory server to the mobile device. Navigation through the menu 58 and selection of the highlighted region 60 returns the corresponding location key to the directory server.

It again queries the listings table 48 and reports those locations for the location key in which there are listings within both the selected sub-channel and the selected location. The available selections are augmented by the results of interrogation of the location-association-map 46. Locations where the selected business or trade is available are shown as a further selection menu 62 through which the user can scroll as described above. Selection of the highlighted location 64 returns the location key to the directory server, and the search application then interrogates the database and reports to the mobile device a selection menu 66 of businesses or traders whose descriptions are displayed but whose telephone numbers are not displayed but are stored temporarily in RAM of the user terminal 10. Selection of a highlighted trader 68 causes the mobile telephone user terminal to call the corresponding telephone number.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a required business or trade, if present in the directory, can be selected with a small number of keystrokes and without having to enter alphabetical information, and also that placement of the call can be made with a single or only a few keystrokes, depending on the design of WAP or other internet-enabled phone being used.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A computer program on a carrier for providing a classified telephone directory resource through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, said program comprising: computer implementable instructions for providing at the directory server a database organized into trader records each comprising an identity, a trade classification, a geographical location, and a telephone number; and computer implementable instructions for providing a search application that displays a user interface on the screen of a user terminal and that on entry of a selected trade classification and geographical location searches the database in accordance with the query and forwards the resulting records for display on the screen of the user terminal, wherein the user interface displays in successive screens hierarchical retrieval menus for trade classifications and geographical locations that are scrollable in response to one or more direction keys of the user terminal to highlight selections that are entered in response to a control key of the user terminal.
2. The program of claim 1, wherein the search application includes instructions for display of the trade classification retrieval menus before the geographical location retrieval menus.
3 The program of claim I or 2, wherein the search application and database are arranged so that an item in a retrieval menu is displayed only where there is a corresponding trader record in the database.
4. The program of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the search application includes instructions for displaying the resulting records as a retrieval menu of identities.

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5. The program of claim 4, wherein the search application includes instructions to cause the user terminal to call the telephone number of a selected trader in response to selection of an identity using a control key of the user terminal.
6. The program of any preceding claim, wherein the search application includes instructions for response to a common directional and control key of the user terminal.
7. The program of claim 6, wherein the search application includes instructions for response to rotation of a control wheel of the user terminal to scroll through a retrieval menu and is responsive to clicking the control wheel to enter a selection.
8. The program of any preceding claim, when present on a carrier that is a magnetic or optical disk.
9. The program of any of claims 1-7, when present in an electrical carrier.
10. A directory server for a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with the directory server, wherein the directory server is loaded with the program of any of claims 1-7.
11. Use of an internet-enabled mobile telephone user terminal to interrogate via a wireless telecommunication network a directory server that is loaded with the program of any of claims 1-7.
12. Use of the program of any of claims 1-7 in a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with a directory server to provide a classified telephone directory resource at user terminals of said network.

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13. A method of providing a classified telephone directory resource through a switched network having mobile telephone user terminals in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, said method comprising: providing at the directory server a database organized into trader records each comprising an identity, a trade classification, a geographical location, and a telephone number; and providing a search application for searching the database by trade classification and by geographical location and arranged (a) to display available trade classifications and locations sequentially menu-wise at a user terminal, (b) on entry at the user terminal of a selected location and classification to display resulting trader identifications menu-wise, and (c) on entry at the user terminal of a selected identity to call the corresponding telephone number.
14. A classified telephone directory available through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, wherein the directory includes instructions for displaying a user interface of hierarchical retrieval menus for trade classifications and geographical locations navigable at the user terminal by pointing device means to enter a query.
15. A classified telephone directory available through a switched telecommunications network having mobile telephone user terminals provided with screen displays and in wireless communication via gateways with an directory server, wherein the directory includes instructions for displaying reported selections as a retrieval menu of descriptions navigable at the user terminal by pointing device means to place a call.
16. The directory of claim 15, wherein the reported selections comprise descriptions for display and telephone numbers not for display.