Abstract:
Business entity search results are provided for smartphones for automatic dialing. Search results are provided based on partial business entity name and location information. Search results are trimmed to only include name, address, and phone number. A smartphone is adapted to display search results concisely allowing the user to quickly identify and call the desired business entity.

Description:
CLAIM FOR DOMESTIC PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/884,378 filed Sep. 30, 2013 and under 35 U.S.C. §120 claims the benefit thereof. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to telecommunications and in particular to searching via wireless mobile telephones. 
         [0003]    There are numerous computerized systems and multi-media device applications that can be utilized to find a telephone number for a commercial entity. Some are voice activated while typing in a “search” field initiates others. The smartphone search engines often glean information from numerous databases, and the user must scan through the website&#39;s and/or the application&#39;s results to find the correct commercial entity, often having to link to a business&#39;s website to eventually dial the correct telephone number for him/herself. This can be a slow tedious process, especially on the small user interface (screen) of a smartphone. 
         [0004]    Voice activated search engines available on smartphones are rudimentary, and do not function well—confusing similarly sounding words, and simply misinterpreting the user&#39;s spoken words. Additionally, they do not work adequately for users with accents, or those speaking with a regional dialect, exhibiting alcohol induced slurring, or possessing speech impediments. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a simple, refined search interface adapted to receive and display search results in a simplified name, address, telephone number only format. Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is providing a computer program for searching, retrieving, trimming, and displaying business entity contact information and automatic dialing of the desired business entity, based on a partial business entity name and location data. The smartphone is adapted to display the search results concisely. Since smartphones have a small screen, streamlining the amount of information displayed to the user, increases user satisfaction, as the information presented is visually uncluttered, allowing the user to quickly identify the search results. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a system diagram of an exemplary environment in which the present invention may be practiced; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary network architecture diagram showing aspects capable of implementing the business entity searching and automatic dialing of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary computer architecture diagram showing aspects of computer hardware architecture capable of implementing the business entity searching and automatic dialing of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing the general process for the business entity searching and automatic dialing for smartphones; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating the general process for installing the business entity searching and automatic dialing application of the present invention on a smartphone; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating the steps followed by the automated telephone directory and dialing system of the present invention for obtaining search results for a business entity search and dialing a business entity; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an exemplary screen display diagram showing the results of an illustrative search; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0014]    Looking at  FIG. 1  the components of an exemplary environment in which the business entity searching and automatic dialing of the present invention may operate is illustrated. Environment  10  includes mobile smartphone(s)  12 , a wireless network  14  for coupling/connecting smartphones  12  with a WAN/LAN network  16 , a search/content server  18 , and a remote database  20 . 
         [0015]    “Mobile smartphone” means any web-enabled mobile phone. While the term “smartphone” is well known in the art, smartphones typically include a touch sensitive screen, a messaging client, global positioning systems (GPS) technology or any other geo-position mechanisms to determine the physical coordinates of the smartphone, and a browser application. The browser application employs any web-based language such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), JavaScript, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), or any other web-based programming language capable of sending and displaying messages, search queries, and search query results. 
         [0016]    Wireless network  14  is configured to couple smartphones  12  with network  16  and may include one or more sub-networks such as mesh networks and cellular networks. Wireless network  14  may employ any access technology for voice and data communication between smartphones  12  such as Wifi, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, WLAN, etc. 
         [0017]    Search/content server  18  manages data and services that are usable and/or available to smartphones  12 . Search/content server  18  provides searching, data sorting and filtering of data, which may include web-content, audio recordings, video content, text content, etc. Services may include applications for download, email services, SMS, IM services, photo services, etc. 
         [0018]    Network  16  is configured to couple search/content server  18  with smartphones  12  through wireless network  14 . Network  16  can include local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and can also include the Internet. Remote database  20  stores business entity information and is coupled to search/content server  18  via network  14 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2 , while still simplified, expands upon the exemplary environment  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Search/content server  18  is coupled/operatively connected to smartphone  12  via networks  14 ,  16  for preforming business entity searching and automatic dialing of the present invention. Search/content server  18  includes a search engine  24  and web-server application  22 , wherein the web server application allows server  18  to communicate with smartphone  12 , enabling smartphone  12  to access search engine  24  through network  14 ,  16 . Search engine  24  process search queries from smartphone  12  and may retrieve query results from a local database  26  or a remote database  20 . 
         [0020]    Smartphone  12  includes a display  28 . Business search/auto dial interface application  32  is a computer application that when executed by a processor displays a search interface  30  within display  28 . Search interface  30  allows a user of smartphone  12  to enter a business entity&#39;s name or partial name for searching of local database  26  or remote database  20  via search engine  24 . Search interface  30  will display results of a search in a concise: name, address, and telephone number format, maximizing the small physical area of display  28 . Business search/auto dial interface application  32  trims and formats the results for display, minimizing extraneous information potentially gleaned from a search. Business search/auto dial interface application  32  employs JSON scripting to send the search query and to trim the search results to attain the concise formatting/display and will not displaying exhaustive results in various formats. 
         [0021]    Looking at  FIG. 3  a simplified, exemplary computer architecture illustrating possible components (all well known and understood in the art) of computer  40  for carrying out business entity searching and automatic dialing of the present invention is shown. Computer  40  could include both smartphone  12  and search/content server  18 . Computer  40  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  42  in communication with a memory  44  via Bus  46 . Computer  40  also includes a power supply  48 , a network interface  50 , input/output interface  52 , and GPS  54 . Mass storage  56  provides non-volatile storage for computer  40 , and stores program modules  58  and database  60 . Mass storage device is coupled to CPU  42  via mass storage controller (not shown). Network interface  50  includes circuitry for coupling computer  40  to one or more networks, and is constructed for use with one or more communication protocols. Input/Output devices could include a keyboard (virtual or hard), microphone, a mouse, etc. 
         [0022]    Example program modules  58  may include search engine  24 , web server application  22 , and business search/auto dial interface application  32 . Database  60  may include remote database  20  and local database  26 . 
         [0023]    In operation ( FIGS. 4-7 ) search interface  30  allows the user of smartphone  12  to input a search term (i.e. business entity) and display the results of the search in display  28 . A sample screen shot  300  is shown in  FIG. 7 , illustrating an exemplary implementation of the search interface  30 , and includes a search term entry-window  302 , for a user to enter a business entity, a search/submission button  304  to initiate the search (instructing the smartphone  12  to transmit a request to retrieve results to the search/content server  18 ) based on the entry into entry-window  302 . An example business entity name “Hot Rice” example is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates the method business search/auto dial interface application  32 , implements for providing business entity search results to a smartphone  12 . The method illustrated in  FIG. 4  is operations implemented by a set of logical instructions carried out/running on a computer system. Routine  200  begins upon receiving an entry in entry-window  302  and initiating the business entity search via search/submission button  304  (step  202 ). Business entity search and smartphone location information is transmitted over network  16  to search content server  18  (step  204 ). Server  18  receives from smartphone  12  the search request to retrieve results from querying local and/or remote database  26 ,  20  (step  206 ). At step  208  results are retrieved. Routine  200  then proceeds to step  210  wherein server computer  18  trims the results. The results are then ordered based on the physical location (GPS data) of smartphone  12  (step  212 ). Server  18  then transmits the trimmed and order results to smartphone  12  (step  214 ). Smartphone  12  receives (over the network  16 ) the results from server  18  (step  216 ). Routine  200  then proceeds to operation  218 , displaying the results are retrieved business search/auto dial interface application  32  then trims, orders the results, and transmits them back to smartphone  12  for display within the result-display  306  (see  FIG. 7 ). 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , the installation  400  of the business search/auto dial interface application  32  on a smartphone  12  is illustrated. Application  32  is downloaded via the installation platform of smartphone  12  from an application store such as Apple Application Store or Android Play Store (step  402 ). Application  32  will automatically integrate with some of the main functionalities of smartphone  12  such as the smartphone&#39;s  12  keyboard (step  404 ) and GPS system (step  406 ). Depending on the smartphone&#39;s operating system, application  32  may integrate directly with smartphone&#39;s  12  default telephone application (step  408 ). This integration feature may occur automatically (i.e. outside of the user&#39;s control), or alternatively may occur at the user&#39;s prompting. If application  32  does integrate directly with the default telephone application, application  32  will also integrate with the smartphone&#39;s  12  contact list (step  410 ), providing the flexibility to allow users to add frequently searched business entities to his/her contacts. A tab will be added to the default phone application of the smartphone adding the functionality of application  32  as one of the main functionalities of the smartphone&#39;s  12  default telephone application (step  414 ), adapting the physical layout of the default telephone application&#39;s control features, to best maximize the small physical display area on smartphone  12 . The user may now access application  32  directly through the additional tab within the telephone application (step  416 ). Application  32  is now ready to operate (step  418 ). If application  32  is not integrated with the default telephone application of smartphone  12  (step  408 ), an application icon is installed on the smartphone&#39;s  12  home screen (step  412 ). The user may now access application  32  directly through the icon (step  416 ), and application  32  is now ready to operate (step  418 ). 
         [0026]    A flow diagram generally illustrating the overall process  500  for the automated telephone directory and dialing system is illustrated in  FIGS. 6   a - b.  Business search/auto dial interface application  32  operates identically whether opened from independent icon (step  504 ) or opened from telephone application  32  (step  502 ). As is well known in the art, application  32  is opened by touching the corresponding icon on smartphone&#39;s  12  home screen or the appropriate tab within the smartphone&#39;s  12  default telephone application. As soon as either the icon or tab is touched the smartphone&#39;s  12  default keyboard appears (not illustrated) along with the entry-window  302 , search/submission button  304 , location entry-window  308 , and result-display  306 . Location entry-window  308  allows the user to override the smartphone&#39;s  12  GPS system. At step  506  the user must decide if he/she wants to search for a business entity outside of his or her physical location (i.e. the physical location of the smartphone  12 ), and if he or she so desires, enter a location in location entry-window  308  (step  508 ). If the user wants to search for a business entity within his/her present geographic location (based on the GPS data of smartphone  12 ), the user simply inputs the name of the business he/she is trying to contact (step  510 ). Entering the business entity&#39;s name (or more than three characters of the business&#39;s name) the user presses the search/submission button  304 , initializing the search (step  512 ). If application  32  is integrated within the smartphone&#39;s  12  default telephone application (step  514 ), smartphone&#39;s  12  contacts will first be searched (step  516 ). If the desired business is located (step  518 ) it will be displayed in the format of business entity name, address, and telephone number (step  522 ) and displayed within the results-display  306 . As soon as the user touches the business entity name (i.e., of the business displayed within results-display  306 ) (step  528 ) smartphone  12  will call the business (step  530 ). The displayed result (i.e. the business entity&#39;s name, address, and telephone number) is “linked” to the default telephone application of smartphone  12 , providing an executable connection between the displayed result and the default telephone application of smartphone  12 . If the desired business is not located within smartphone&#39;s  12  contacts, application  32  will next search a remote database (Yellow Pages, for example) (step  520 ) based on the desired location inputted by the user or the location of smartphone  12 . If just one business entity is found (step  524 ), the business entity&#39;s contact information will be displayed in the format of business entity name, address, and telephone number (step  522 ) within the results-display  306 . As soon as the user touches the name (i.e., of the business displayed within results-display  306 ) (step  528 ) smartphone  12  will call the business (step  530 ). If more than one business entity with the same name is found (step  525 ), the results are ordered based on location and the closest location (i.e. the business that is physically located closest geographically to the smartphone  12  or the location provided by the user) is listed first (step  526 ). If no business entity is found (step  525 ) no business names/address/telephone number will be returned, the process will return to step  510 , and the user will be prompted to input a different business name. 
         [0027]    If application  32  is not integrated into smartphone&#39;s  12  default telephone application (step  512 ), application  32  will not search smartphone&#39;s  12  contacts, but will move to step  520 , and search the remote yellow pages database. If just one business is found (step  524 ), the business entity&#39;s contact information will be displayed in the format of name, address, telephone number (step  522 ) within the results-display  306 . As soon as the user touches the name (i.e., of the business displayed within results-display  306 ) (step  528 ) smartphone  12  will call the business (step  530 ). If more than one business entity with the same name is found (step  525 ), the results are ordered based on location and the closest location to the phone or location provided by the user is listed first (step  526 ). If no business entity is found (step  524 ), the system will return to step  510  and the user will have to input a different business name. 
         [0028]    The disclosure provided above and the examples herein should not be construed as limiting as many variations or embodiments could be made to above subject matter without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention resides in the following claims.