JP2003330927A - Method and system of navigation to target address - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow various information terminals to utilize a plurality of mapping servers on the Internet. <P>SOLUTION: In response to sending of query information by a client asking for a target address, a navigation system detects a type of the terminal. In response to inputting from a retrieval input screen of a client selecting information, a retrieval meta information, and a client side priority information, the navigation system sends, based on the selecting information and the client side priority information, the retrieval meta information to the mapping servers, in the order of priority, starting from a mapping server with highest priority. The navigation system receives the retrieval result of the mapping servers and navigates with a screen corresponding to the information terminal of the client based on the retrieval result of the mapping server. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation method to a destination address and its system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, to access a home page on the Internet, the address of the home page (UR
L) has to be found and the address entered, but finding and entering the URL takes time and effort. In particular, when the URL is entered incorrectly even if one of the characters that make up the URL is incorrect, the target home page cannot be displayed, and the effort of inputting URLs with a large number of characters is a great deal.

For this problem, a mapping server (search engine) having a search function can be used to find the desired home page. The following mapping servers have been known as mapping servers for searching a target home page. (Prior art example 1) A directory type mapping server and a robot type mapping server have been used since the early days of the spread of the Internet and are well known among users. The directory type mapping server classifies websites and provides them in a form that is easy to find, and a typical one is Yahoo. When applying for registration, keywords, introductory texts, site themes, etc. are often entered, and it is common for operators to classify websites based on this information. It is common to find the target page by hierarchically selecting from large classifications to small classifications, but you can also search by keywords added when applying for registration.

On the other hand, the robot type mapping server is
A software called "search robot" automatically crawls web pages to search the collected information. Typical examples are Lycos and Infosee.
k, Google, Goo, etc. In many cases, full text search of the text of the page is possible, and when a searcher inputs a keyword, all web pages including the keyword are searched. When applying for registration, you often enter only the URL,
The search robot will periodically patroll from the URL entered here. The directory-type mapping server and the robot-type mapping server are generally used by entering a keyword in a search keyword input box on the home page of the mapping server, or by using as a toolbar in a browser such as an Internet Explorer. Is. Less than,
In this specification, mapping servers such as the directory type mapping server and the robot type mapping server are referred to as approximate information mapping servers.

(Prior art example 2) A method of navigating to a desired home page address by directly inputting a specific keyword (natural language) into a URL input box of a browser is known. As a typical example of this method, there is a technology by Real Names, Inc. (hereinafter, referred to as Internet keyword method). Details of this technique are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-502071. (Conventional example 3) Directly in the URL input window of the browser
A method of navigating to a desired home page address by inputting a specific number is known. As a typical example of this method, there is a technology by the Internet Number Company (referred to as the Internet number system). For details of this technique, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2002
No. 024117. According to the above-mentioned (conventional example 1) to (conventional example 3), it is not necessary to input a specific URL in any of the methods, and the trouble on the user side is improved.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following problems. (A) Since any of the above mapping servers can be searched only by a specific browser of a specific operating system (OS) of a specific computer model, if at least one of the computer model, OS and browser is different, I cannot access each mapping server successfully. For example, in recent years, it has become possible to access the Internet using a mobile information terminal such as a mobile phone as known by i-mode (registered trademark) and an information home appliance such as an Internet TV. In many cases, the above mapping server cannot be supported.

(B) Even if an information terminal has information corresponding to a protocol of a specific OS, a specific browser and a specific mapping server in advance, the specific O
When the version of S, the browser and the protocol of each mapping server are changed, it is necessary to rewrite the corresponding information in each information terminal. A method may be considered in which information is downloaded to each information terminal so as to correspond to the changed format, but it is difficult for the client to know when the information has been changed, and when multiple mapping servers are desired to be used. , Its processing is complicated and not very realistic.

(C) In the above-mentioned (conventional example 1) to (conventional example 3), the mapping servers exist as individual mapping servers, and when a plurality of mapping servers are used, they are added to the web of each mapping server each time. You will need to access them and search individually. Multiple mappings for mobile terminals that have low communication speed and are often charged according to the amount of communication information, unlike PCs that have high communication speed and can often access the Internet at a fixed monthly fee. Using a server puts a heavy financial and time burden on the user. Furthermore, when using a plurality of mapping servers, the user often decides the policy for searching the target address without being clearly aware of it, and in most cases the characteristics of each mapping server are not well known. As a result, the user will search for the target address by trial and error using a plurality of mapping servers, and it will be very difficult to display the corresponding homepage from the target address.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation method to a destination address and a system thereof that can solve at least one of the above problems. An example of the specific purpose is as follows. (a) Various mapping servers on the Internet can be used as long as the information terminals can access at least the Internet regardless of the model, OS, and browser of the various information terminals. (b) It is possible to deal with the additional change of the mapping server without burdening the user of each information terminal. (c) When trying to retrieve a target address from various information terminals using various mapping servers, it is possible to efficiently navigate to the target address without imposing a burden on a client who does not have knowledge about the mapping server. . The problems of the invention and the means for solving the problems other than those described above will be described in detail in the description in the specification described later.

[0010]

The present invention is configured as follows, for example. A navigation method to a target address according to a first aspect of the present invention links a plurality of mapping servers to a navigation system on a network and stores a search input screen corresponding to each information terminal of the client in the navigation system. Responding to the inquiry information of the target address transmitted from each information terminal to the navigation system, the navigation system determines the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information, and the navigation system determines each client. Of the plurality of mapping servers displayed on the search input screen, the step of returning a search input screen corresponding to the model of the information terminal and displaying the display items of the plurality of mapping servers to the client information terminal. Chi,
In response to the client inputting the selection information indicating which mapping server to use, the search meta information, and the client-side priority information indicating which mapping server should be prioritized, the navigation system selects the selection information and the client. The step of transmitting the search meta information in order from the mapping server having the highest priority based on the side priority information, the step of receiving the search result of the mapping server by the navigation system, and the navigation system displaying the search result of the mapping server. Based on the screen corresponding to the information terminal of the client.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, navigation side priority information regarding a mapping server is stored in advance in the navigation system, and the client side priority information and the navigation side priority information stored in advance are stored. Determining the highest priority mapping server based on both,
It is characterized in that the search meta information is transmitted to the mapping server in order from the determined mapping server having the highest priority. A third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the step of determining the mapping server having the highest priority is performed based on a predetermined arithmetic expression. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, when the client-side priority information is input, the priority level is input based on the size of the number. Characterize.

A fifth invention is the invention of any one of the first invention to the fourth invention, wherein the display items of the plurality of mapping servers displayed on the search input screen correspond to at least two mapping servers having different mapping methods. It is characterized in that it includes those that do. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, two mapping servers having different mapping methods are provided, one of which is an internet keyword type mapping server which navigates to a target URL by inputting a keyword in a URL input window. Yes, the other is an approximate information mapping server that navigates to the most probable URL by entering a keyword in the search information input window.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the search information input to the input window of the Internet keyword mapping server on the search input screen is used as it is as the search information input to the approximate information mapping server. Is characterized by. According to an eighth invention, in the fifth invention, two mapping servers having different mapping methods are provided, one of which is an Internet number mapping server that navigates to a target URL by inputting a keyword in a URL input window. The other is characterized by being an approximate information mapping server that navigates to the most probable URL by entering a keyword in the search information input window.

In a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects of the invention, a step of excluding mapping servers that cannot be searched by the associated mapping server depending on the model of the information terminal of the client detected by the navigation system is excluded. It is characterized by including. First
The 0th invention is that in the invention of any one of the first invention to the ninth invention, the navigation system has essential selection information on the navigation system side that determines in advance the type of the mapping server that must be selected. Characterize. An eleventh invention is characterized in that, in the tenth invention, the navigation system side essential selection information is an Internet keyword type mapping server selection.

In a twelfth aspect based on any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information includes the information device of the client in the inquiry information. It is characterized by including a step of detecting the model information of. A thirteenth invention is the invention according to any one of the first invention to the twelfth invention, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information includes the OS of the information equipment of the client in the inquiry information.
It is characterized by including a process of detecting the type information.

In a fourteenth aspect of the present invention based on any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information includes the information device of the client in the inquiry information. It is characterized by including a process of detecting the browser type information of. A fifteenth invention is the invention according to any one of the first to fourteenth inventions, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information includes the screen size of the information equipment of the client in the inquiry information. It is characterized by including a process of detecting information.

The sixteenth invention is a navigation system for navigating an intended address from a plurality of types of information terminals to a client information terminal by using a plurality of mapping servers existing on a network, and various information of the client. A search input screen corresponding to the terminal, a storage unit that stores at least the client-side priority information of the mapping server, and a query analysis unit that analyzes the inquiry information of the target address transmitted from each information terminal to the navigation system by the client. , A client model determining means for determining the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information, and a search input screen corresponding to the model of the information terminal of each client and displaying the display items of the plurality of mapping servers. Client sentiment The prompter that returns to the terminal, the selection information which client uses which mapping server among the multiple mapping servers displayed on the search input screen, the search meta information, and the client side that prioritizes which mapping server In response to the input of the priority order information, the selection priority setting means for selecting the mapping server and setting the priority order based on the selection information and the client side priority information, and the highest priority set by the selection priority setting means. Mapping server control means for performing search meta information in order from the mapping server having the highest priority on the basis of the protocol information, and mapping server control means corresponding to the client information terminal based on the received mapping server search result On the screen Characterized in that it comprises a client navigator for bets, the.

The above first to sixteenth inventions will be described. In the present specification, the “server” refers to one that provides a service to a client using a computer, and includes both hardware and software. In the first invention, the mapping server is used as a concept including a server having some search meta information and information corresponding to a URL, for example. The client side priority information input method is the fourth
Not limited to the configuration of the invention, a method of determining by the order of selection of the mapping server by the client, or "top priority"
For example, a method of providing a selection field of “medium” and “low” and clicking it can be exemplified.

The arithmetic expression described in the third invention includes a method of multiplying the priority value of the client side priority information by the priority value of the navigation side priority information. For example, if the priority level of the navigation-side priority information of a certain mapping server is given in advance at 80%, and the priority level of the client-side priority information input by the client is 70%, 0. 8
This is the case where x0.7 = 0.56 (56%) is set. Further, the above arithmetic expression includes various logical operations such that the navigation system unconditionally selects the mapping server regardless of the intention of the client side. The "at least two mapping servers having different mapping methods" described in the fifth aspect of the present invention mainly means a case where the server allocation methods adopted when the mapping servers realize predetermined functions are different. It should be noted that, in the present specification, the mapping servers of the Internet keyword system and the Internet number system have different allocation methods to the URL of the target Web because of the difference between the natural language (word) and the number. Different mapping servers.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the navigation function is not provided on the information terminal of the client, but the navigation system on the network has the navigation function. Therefore, various information terminal models, OSs, and browsers are provided. Irrespective of the difference, various mapping servers on the Internet can be used as long as the information terminal can access the Internet. Also, by changing the navigation function on the navigation system side,
It becomes possible to cope with additional changes of the mapping server etc. without imposing a burden on the client of each information terminal. Furthermore, when searching for the target address from each information terminal using multiple mapping servers, it is possible to select the mapping server at one time while respecting the client's intention of selection. It is possible to remarkably reduce the time required for transmission and reception, etc., and improve the navigation of the target address compared to the conventional method.

According to the second aspect of the invention, there is a possibility that optimal navigation can be realized in consideration of both the search policy on the navigation system side and the intention on the client side in determining the priority order. According to the third aspect of the invention, the step of determining the mapping server with the highest priority is performed based on a predetermined arithmetic expression.
It is possible to appropriately set the weight of the priority of the client side and the navigation side to an optimum one. According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the client-side priority information is input, the priority level is input based on the size of the number, so that the client can easily and accurately determine the priority order. be able to. According to the fifth invention, by including at least two mapping servers corresponding to different mapping methods,
You can search and navigate to the target address from different perspectives by entering once from the client.
You can navigate the destination address efficiently.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the Internet keyword system and the approximate information mapping server can be designated together on the search input screen, thereby facilitating the input of the Internet keyword system and the wide range of the approximate information mapping server. Research capabilities can be used together. According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the search information can be input only once using the Internet keyword method, and the labor of inputting by the client can be reduced. According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the effect is particularly great in the case of a mobile terminal in which it takes time to input characters and the like. According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the Internet number system and the approximate information mapping server can be designated together on the search input screen, so that the Internet keyword system can be easily input and the approximate information mapping server's wide-range search capability can be achieved. Can be used together.

According to the ninth aspect, even if the search information is transmitted in the navigation system, a meaningless search for the mapping server can be omitted in advance, and the speed and stability of the search can be improved. According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the mapping server considered to be most effective by the navigation system is displayed on the client, and the navigation side independently sets the selection, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the search for each information terminal. there is a possibility.

According to the sixteenth invention, since the navigation function is not provided in the client information terminal but the navigation system side on the network is provided with the navigation function, there are differences in various information terminal models, OSs, and browsers. Regardless of the above, various mapping servers on the Internet can be used so long as they are at least an information terminal capable of accessing the Internet. Also, by changing the navigation function on the navigation system side,
It becomes possible to cope with additional changes of the mapping server etc. without burdening the clients of various information terminals. Furthermore, when searching for the target address from each information terminal using multiple mapping servers, it is possible to select the mapping server at one time while respecting the client's intention of selection. It is possible to remarkably reduce the time required for transmission and reception, etc., and improve the navigation of the target address compared to the conventional method.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Before describing the specific configuration of the present embodiment, the function to be realized by the present embodiment and its effect will be described first. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general usage pattern of the present embodiment. The system server 1 as one mode of a navigation system, a plurality of mapping servers 2 and various information terminals 3 of clients are respectively as one mode of a network. It is connected to the Internet 4. Clanant's information terminal 3 includes a personal computer 5, a mobile phone 6, a mobile terminal (PD) installed in each home or company.
A7), information home appliances 8 having a network function such as an Internet television and an Internet microwave oven are widely included. For example, when the client of the mobile phone 6 accesses the system server 1 from the mobile phone 6, the prompt 27 as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display screen 9 of the mobile phone 6. As described above, in the conventional method, in many cases, the mobile phone 6 cannot find the target address due to the limitation of the model, OS, and display screen provided by the mapping server 2 (see FIG. 1).

The prompt 27 of the mobile phone 6 shown in FIG. 2 can display the display items 10 of a plurality of mapping servers having different mapping methods. In FIG. 2, as the mapping server having the provided address search function, the company A internet keyword method name, the company B internet number method name, the company C mapping server name (the company C search engine name indicating the service in FIGS. 2 to 4) The same applies to the companies D to N), and the display screen 9 is displayed with a prompt 27 including the company D search engine name, company E search engine name, company F search engine name, and company G search engine name. Has been done. The prompt 27 includes a text input box 11, a mapping server selection field 12 for inputting which mapping server the client selects, and a priority specification field 13 for inputting which mapping server the client preferentially searches. It is provided. Further, the prompt 27 includes a service name 24 for this navigation and a jump button 25 for returning an input.

The selection pattern of which mapping server to select for the prompt 27 among the mapping servers that search for the target address, which are present in a large number on the network, includes heterogeneous selection in which mapping servers having different mapping methods are combined. It is classified as homogeneous selection that combines mapping servers with the same mapping method. For example, in the case of heterogeneous selection, (1) Internet keyword method and Internet number method (2) Internet keyword method and approximate information mapping server (3) Internet number method and approximate information mapping server pattern are conceivable. In the case of, (1) two or more Internet keyword methods with different service providers, (2) two or more Internet number methods with different service providers, and (3) patterns of two or more approximate information mapping servers are possible. . In addition, in this embodiment, the text (symbol,
Are also input as search meta information of the selected mapping server. When the prompt 27 as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, the client inputs the text to be searched in the text input box 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the text “◯ Δ electronics” is input.
"○ △" is a company name or the like. After that, the mapping server is selected and the client side priority is input.

In the prompt 27 shown in FIG. 2, how to select the mapping server selection field 12 is specified by moving the cursor on the prompt 27 and pressing the enter key 28 of the mobile phone 6. The designated state is indicated by "re" in the selection column 12 in FIG. Further, the priority order is designated by inputting a numeral in the priority order designation field 13 corresponding to the selected mapping server. For example, the priority is expressed by decreasing the numerical value such as 90%, 80%, ... With 100% being the maximum value.

FIG. 3A shows that in the case of the heterogeneous selection described above, Company A is 90%, Company B is 80%, Company C is 70%,
This is a case where the target address is searched by prioritizing D company 60% and G company 30% in this order. FIG. 3B is a display screen in the case of homogeneous selection using a plurality of mapping servers corresponding to the above-mentioned approximate information mapping server. In FIG. 3B, 90% of company H and 8% of company I are also displayed.
This is a case where the target address is searched by prioritizing 0%, J company 70%, K company 60%, and N company 30%. In addition, the priority designation by the client is
It is also possible to specify it in a state in which it is not performed at all. In that case, the priority order of the mapping server is set by the service selection, which will be described later, and the priority order information set in advance in this system server side in the priority table. In other words, setting the client-side priority information is not included in the priority setting. In such a case, in the mobile phone, the system server side often gives priority to the Internet keyword for the search.

An example of the Internet keyword system name of the company A is Real Names of Real Names, Inc., and an example of the Internet number system name of the company B is Internet Number of the Internet Number Company. Further, examples of the approximate information mapping server shown in the company C mapping server to the company G mapping server include, for example, Giga code, Mapion,
Yahoo weather, MSN discerning site, Google
Lucky, etc. can be exemplified, and the company H mapping server ~
Examples of the approximate information mapping server shown in N company mapping server include, for example, Google and LookS.
Examples include mart, MSN search, Infoseek, fresh eye, Lycos, and goo.

When a keyword and a selected mapping server name (search engine name) are selected and transmitted to this system server, for example, a search result screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. An example in which the target homepage address is displayed is the screen of FIG. 4 (A), and an example of the display indicating that the page cannot be found is the screen of FIG. 4 (B). Thus the client
The target homepage address can be searched by making full use of a plurality of mapping servers regardless of the type of information terminal to be accessed.

The specific configuration of the present embodiment that realizes the above-described various functions will be described in detail below from the aspects of both method and system. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the system of this embodiment from the viewpoint of a network. This computer system includes client types A to X as various information terminals 3 configured to be connectable to a navigator manager (this system server 1) via various networks such as the Internet 4, and navigators via various networks. The mapping server 2 (A, B, ...) Connectable to the hosting manager is included, and the general web server 14 can also be connected.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the navigator manager. The navigation manager 1 includes a query analysis engine 15 as a query analysis unit for analyzing inquiry information of a target address transmitted from each information terminal to a navigation system by a client, and a model of a client information terminal included in the inquiry information. A client model discrimination engine 16 as a client model discrimination means for discriminating
A prompter 1 that returns a search input screen corresponding to the model of the information terminal of each client and displaying the display items of the plurality of mapping servers to the information terminal of the client.
7, selection information indicating which mapping server the client uses among the plurality of mapping servers displayed on the search input screen, search meta information, and client-side priority information regarding which mapping server should be prioritized. In response to the selection information and the client-side priority information, the mapping server selection priority setting engine 18 as a selection priority setting means for setting the selection and priority of the mapping server, and the mapping server selection priority. A mapping server control engine 19 as a mapping server control means for causing each mapping server to search for the search meta information in order from the mapping server with the highest priority set by the setting engine 18, and the received mapping server detection. Based on the results, it is configured to include a client navigator 20 to navigate the screen corresponding to the client information terminal.

A storage unit 26 is provided in the navigation manager 1, and the storage unit 26 has a mapping protocol DB 23 (see FIG. 16) storing protocol information of the plurality of mapping servers 2 and a mapping server selection. The service selection priority table 21 stores information client side priority information, model / browser information, and the like. The service selection priority table 21 has a display screen DB 2 storing search input screens corresponding to various information terminals of clients.
2 is included. The storage unit 26 and the table 2 described above
1. The DBs 22 and 23 can also be distributed and arranged on the network. Furthermore, each component of the navigator manager shown in FIG. 6 can be distributed on the network if necessary.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the entire navigation system. As shown in FIG. 7, when an input screen display request is issued from the information terminal of each client in step 101, a search input screen response is returned from the system server to the client in step 102. In step 103, the client specifies the metadata as the search information and the priority of each mapping server according to the search input screen response, and sends the metadata to the system server. The system server then sends the metadata to each mapping server in steps 104, 106 and 108, as well as step 105,
In 107 and 109, the search result from each mapping server is received, and in step 110, the user navigates by the address (URL) of the target Web server, and in step 111, a screen display request is sent to the mapping server group that the user wants to reach. It is automatically transmitted to the target server, and in step 112, the response of the target Web server is returned to the user's information terminal, and the series of processes is ended.

8 and 9 are schematic flow charts of the present navigation method. The processing and configuration of this embodiment will be described below based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. (Inquiry transmission from client and response processing)
8, in step 201, the client transmits an inquiry to the system server. For example, when the information terminal of the client is a mobile phone, this inquiry transmission is performed by operating the cursor on the display screen of the mobile phone and sending the inquiry transmission to the Web server established by this system server. Be seen. In step 202, the system server determines the model of the information terminal of the client based on the inquiry information of the inquiry transmission. This processing is mainly performed by the query analysis engine 15 and the client model discrimination engine 16 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are each an example of a flowchart of the client model discrimination engine, and a step of extracting the model type information of the information terminal of the client as shown in step 302 and a step of extracting the OS type information as shown in step 305. , Step 308
And a step of extracting browser type information as shown in
It is characterized by having a step of extracting screen size information as shown in step 314. And
By analyzing the queries included in the inquiry information in the order of model type information, OS type information, browser type information, and screen size information, the form of the information terminal of the client is most efficiently analyzed.

In step 203 in FIG. 8, a prompt which is a display screen corresponding to the client is responded based on the analysis in step 202. FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart in the prompter. As shown in step 401 of the flowchart, a process of extracting the client type code analyzed by the client type determination engine and a prompt page file corresponding to the client as shown in step 402 And a process of transmitting a prompt page to the client as shown in step 403.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram systematically extracting and drawing the processing relating to the inquiry transmission from the client and the prompt screen display in each component shown in FIG. 6, mainly in step 2 in FIG.
This corresponds to the processing from 01 to step 203. In FIG. 13, the inquiry information transmitted from each client 3 is input to the query analysis engine 15, and the query analysis engine 15 extracts the client model and browser information from the inquiry information and outputs it to the client model determination engine 16. To be done. Then, the client model identification engine 16 outputs browser information matching the client model and browser information to the prompter 17, and the prompter 17 creates a prompt screen that can be displayed on the information terminal of each client based on the browser information. Send to client 3.

(Mapping Server Selection and Priority Order Information Registration Processing) In step 204 in FIG. 8, the client sends input information such as the meta URL, mapping server selection, and priority order information to the system server. For example, the screen information after inputting the meta URL, the mapping server selection, and the priority order as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B described above is transmitted. Step 20 in FIG.
In step 5, the client model is determined, and step 2
In 06, the default value for server selection is registered from the client model. In the process of step 206, since the search result of the mapping server may not be displayed depending on the type of the information terminal of the client, in the case of such an information terminal of the client, the mapping server selected by the client is removed in advance. It includes processing to do.

At step 207 in FIG.
Based on the inquiry information set by the client in step 204, the system server retrieves server selection and priority setting information. In step 208 in FIG. 9, the client selection and priority are registered. FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram systematically extracting and depicting the processing relating to mapping server selection and priority order information setting in each component shown in FIG. 6, mainly step 2 in FIG. 8 and FIG.
This corresponds to the processing from 05 to step 208.

In FIG. 14, when the inquiry information is transmitted from the client 3 to the query analysis engine 15, the query analysis engine 15 analyzes the query to extract the mapping server selection information and the priority order information, and the mapping server selection priority. Send to the setting engine 18. Further, the query analysis engine 15 extracts the model of the information terminal of the client 3 and browser information by analyzing the query, and sends it to the client model discrimination engine 16. Then, the mapping server selection priority setting engine 18 stores the mapping server selection information and the priority order information setting for the client in the service selection priority table 21. On the other hand, the client model discrimination engine 16 stores the discriminated model and browser information setting in the service selection priority table 21. The information stored in the service selection priority table 21 also includes display screen information such as browser information and size depending on the model, and such information is registered in the display screen DB 22.
Normally, the screen registered in the display screen DB 22 is HTML.
Many are stored in file format.

FIG. 15 is an example of a flowchart showing the processing of the mapping server selection priority setting engine. In FIG. 15, the mapping server selection priority setting engine 18 (see FIG. 14) retrieves the type code such as the model of the client in step 601, and registers the mapping server corresponding to the client in the service selection priority table 21 in step 602. The process of step 602 includes a process of removing a mapping server that cannot be seen depending on the type of the information terminal of the client, if necessary. Then, in step 603, the highest priority mapping server designated by the client is extracted, and in step 603, step 604, and step 605, it is repeated until all the mapping servers selected by the client are completed (NO in step 604).

(Transmission / reception processing to the mapping server and client navigation processing) Step 2 in FIG.
In the processing of 09 to step 212, the source address is searched and transmitted in order from the mapping server having the highest priority among all the mapping servers selected by the client, and as a result of the search, from the meta URL to the mapping server obtained. This is for converting to the target URL. Step 213 in FIG. 8 is a process for navigating the information terminal of the client to the target URL, which allows the client to display the target URL on its own information terminal. FIG. 16 is a block diagram for explaining the function of the mapping server control engine, FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flowchart of the mapping server control engine, and FIG. 18 is an HTTP (Hype
6 is a flow chart illustrating one method in which a client navigator directs a client to a URL to navigate to based on the rtext Transfer Protocol).

In FIG. 17, the mapping server control engine 19 (see FIG. 16) determines in step 701 whether or not there is a mapping server to be checked. If it is determined that there is no mapping server, the mapping server control engine 19 in FIG. ) The client navigator 20 is instructed to display on the information terminal of Kleinato that the navigation cannot be performed as shown in FIG. On the other hand, step 701
When it is determined that there is a mapping server to be checked in step 703, the protocol of the mapping server is set to the mapping protocol DB in step 703.
23 (see FIG. 16), a query is created based on the meta URL from the query analysis engine 15 and the extracted protocol in step 704, and the query is sent to a predetermined mapping server 23 in step 705. In 707, the response from the mapping server 2 is received, and the navigation destination is searched for from the response and taken out. And the navigation destination U
When the RL is found, the navigation destination URL is sent to the client navigator 20 in step 709.

As shown in FIG. 18, the client navigator 20 (see FIG. 16) receives the URL of the navigation destination in step 801, and in step 802 the system server determines whether the format of the URL is correct and determines that it is correct. If so, a predetermined response code relating to the transfer is set in step 803, the navigation destination URL is set in the HTTP header in step 804, and the U of the response HTML template is set in step 805.
The RL part is rewritten, and HTTP is performed in step 806.
Returns the header and HTML page body to the client. On the other hand, if the system server determines in step 802 that the URL format is not correct, it sets a predetermined response code regarding success in step 807, and
In step 808, an HTML page indicating that navigation is not possible is prepared, and in step 806, the HTML page indicating that navigation is not possible is returned to the client. In this way, the navigation destination URL can be displayed on the information terminal of the client.

(Query Analysis Processing) Finally, the query analysis processing will be described. The query analysis processing is related to prompter display, mapping server selection and priority order information registration, and transmission / reception processing to / from the mapping server, as described above. 19 and 20 are examples of flowcharts showing the processing of the query analysis engine. The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 are executed when the query analysis engine is the keyword navigation request (YE in step 505).
Both S) and the case of a prompt request (YES in step 506) can be processed. In the case of a keyword navigation request, it is characterized in step 508 whether or not there is mapping server selection information in the navigation request.

That is, when it is determined in step 508 that there is mapping server selection information in the navigation request, the mapping server selected in step 509 is retrieved, the priority of the mapping server is retrieved in step 510, and in step 511. The mapping server name and priority are sent to the mapping server selection priority setting engine. On the other hand, when it is determined in step 508 that there is no mapping server selection information, the text input box 11 (see FIG. 2) is selected from the query in step 512.
In step 513, the inquiry keyword input to the command is extracted, and the inquiry keyword is URL-decoded in step 513. In step 514, the inquiry keyword is converted into EUC (Enhanced UNIX® C).
The query keyword is sent to the mapping control engine in step 515.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general usage pattern of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an example of a prompt displayed on a mobile phone.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of heterogeneous selection of a plurality of mapping servers, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of homogeneous selection.

4A and 4B are display screens each showing a navigation result, FIG. 4A is an example in which a target homepage address is displayed, and FIG. It is an example of a display indicating that the home page address could not be found.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the system of the present embodiment from the viewpoint of a network.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a navigation manager.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the entire navigation system.

FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart of the present navigation method.

FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of the present navigation method.

FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of a client model determination engine.

FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart of a client model determination engine.

FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart in the prompter.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram in which processing relating to prompt screen display is systematically extracted and drawn.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing each component shown in FIG.
It is a functional block diagram drawn by systematically extracting the processing related to mapping service selection and priority setting.

FIG. 15 is an example of a flowchart showing a process of a mapping server selection priority setting engine.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram for explaining the function of a mapping server control engine.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flowchart of a mapping server control engine.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart showing a method in which a client navigator guides a client to a URL of a navigation destination based on HTTP.

FIG. 19 is an example of a flowchart showing processing of a query analysis engine.

FIG. 20 is an example of a flowchart showing processing of a query analysis engine.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... This system server (navigation manager), 2 ... Mapping server, 3 ... Information terminal, 4 ... Internet, 5 ... Personal computer, 6 ... Mobile phone, 7 ... PD
A, 8 ... Information appliances, 9 ... Display screen, 10 ... Display items, 1
5 ... Query analysis engine, 16 ... Client model discrimination engine, 17 ... Prompter, 18 ... Mapping server selection priority setting engine, 19 ... Mapping server control engine, 20 ... Client navigator,
21 ... Service selection priority table, 22 ... Display screen DB, 26 ... Storage unit.

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Masato Yamashita             1-6-6 Honhommachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Iwatani Electronics Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B075 KK33 KK37 ND20 PR08

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A navigation system on a network is linked to a plurality of mapping servers, and a search input screen corresponding to each information terminal of a client is stored in the navigation system so that the client can access the navigation system from each information terminal. In response to sending the inquiry information of the target address to the navigation system, the navigation system determines the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information, and the navigation system corresponds to the model of the information terminal of each client. And a step of returning the search input screen displaying the display items of the plurality of mapping servers to the information terminal of the client, and which mapping server is selected by the client among the plurality of mapping servers displayed on the search input screen. In response to the selection information indicating whether to use the server, the search meta information, and the client-side priority information indicating which mapping server is to be prioritized, the navigation system selects the selection information and the client-side priority information. Based on the above, the step of transmitting the search meta information from the mapping server having the highest priority, the step of receiving the search result of the mapping server by the navigation system, and the step of the navigation system of the client based on the search result of the mapping server. A method for navigating to a target address, comprising: navigating on a screen corresponding to an information terminal. 2. The navigation method to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein navigation side priority information regarding a mapping server is stored in advance in the navigation system, and the client side priority information is stored in advance. Determining the highest priority mapping server based on both navigation side priority information, and transmitting the search meta information to the mapping server in order from the determined highest priority mapping server. How to navigate to an address. 3. The method of navigating to a destination address according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the mapping server having the highest priority is performed based on a predetermined arithmetic expression. 4. The navigation method to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein when the client-side priority information is input, the height of the priority is set to a large number. Navigation method to enter the destination address based on the input. 5. The navigation method to a target address according to claim 1, wherein display items of a plurality of mapping servers displayed on the search input screen are different from each other in at least two mapping methods.
How to navigate to a destination address, including one corresponding to one mapping server. 6. The navigation method to a target address according to claim 5, wherein the two mapping servers having different mapping methods are configured so that one of them inputs a keyword in an input window of a URL to obtain a target UR.
An internet keyword-based mapping server that navigates to L, and the other is an approximate information mapping server that navigates to the most probable URL by entering a keyword in the search information input window. . 7. The navigation method to a target address according to claim 6, wherein the search information input in the input window of the Internet keyword type mapping server on the search input screen is input as it is to the approximate information mapping server. The navigation method to the destination address used as search information. 8. The navigation method to a target address according to claim 5, wherein two mapping servers having different mapping methods are provided to one of the target URLs by inputting a keyword in a URL input window. A navigation method to a target address, which is an internet number mapping server for navigating, and the other is an approximate information mapping server for navigating to a most probable URL by entering a keyword in a search information input window. 9. The method of navigation to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein mapping cannot be searched by the associated mapping server depending on a model of a client information terminal detected by the navigation system. A method for navigating to a destination address, including the step of removing a server in advance. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
In the method for navigating to a target address according to the item, the navigation system has essential selection information on the side of the navigation system that determines in advance the type of mapping server that must be selected. 11. The method for navigation to a destination address according to claim 10, wherein the essential selection information on the side of the navigation system is selection of an Internet keyword-based mapping server. 12. The method of navigation to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information is included in the inquiry information. A method of navigation to a destination address, including the step of detecting model information of a client information device. 13. The navigation method to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information is included in the inquiry information. A navigation method to a destination address, which includes a process of detecting OS type information of a client information device. 14. The method of navigation to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information is included in the inquiry information. A navigation method to a destination address, which includes a process of detecting browser type information of a client information device. 15. The method for navigation to a destination address according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the model of the information terminal of the client included in the inquiry information is included in the inquiry information. A method for navigating to a destination address, including the process of detecting screen size information of a client information device. 16. A navigation system for navigating a target address from a plurality of types of information terminals to a client information terminal by using a plurality of mapping servers existing on a network, which corresponds to various information terminals of the client. Search input screen, storage means for storing at least client side priority information of the mapping server, query analysis means for analyzing inquiry information of the target address transmitted from each information terminal to the navigation system by the client, and the inquiry A client model determining means for determining the model of the information terminal of the client included in the information, and a search input screen corresponding to the model of the information terminal of each client and displaying the display items of the plurality of mapping servers, the client information. On the terminal Prompter to be trusted, selection information of which mapping server the client uses among the multiple mapping servers displayed in the search input screen, search meta information, and client-side priority order of which mapping server is given priority. In response to the input of the information, the selection priority setting means for setting the selection and the priority of the mapping server based on the selection information and the priority information on the client side, and the highest priority set by the selection priority setting means. Mapping server control means for performing search meta information in order from the mapping server with the highest mapping server based on the protocol information, and a screen corresponding to the information terminal of the client based on the received mapping server search result. Navigate with A navigation system to a destination address, including a client navigator.