System and method for providing an on-line directory service

A method for providing access to information in an on-line electronic directory service database to a user at a computer and for automatically placing a telephone call to a remote telephone device in response to a call request originating at the computer, said computer running a web browser application configured to receive web pages from a remote server, to present said web pages to said user and to navigate among web pages by sending navigational commands to said remote server, said method comprising:

• establishing a data link between the computer and a server associated with said directory service database;
• receiving a first search request from the computer via said data link;
• responsive to the first search request, searching said directory service database for a directory listing meeting said first search request, and communicating information from the directory service database over the data link for display at the computer, said information comprising a web page bearing a directory listing, said directory listing corresponding to a telephone number associated with said remote telephone device;
• receiving a call request from the computer, indicating a request to establish a voice connection between said computer and said remote telephone device;
• dialing said telephone number in response to the call request, to establish a voice link between the server and said remote telephone device associated with the dialed telephone number;
• and
• while said terminal server is interconnected to said computer, establishing a voice connection between the computer and the remote telephone device.

A method for providing a customized, on-line electronic directory service to a customer at a customer computer, said customer computer running a web browser application configured to receive web pages from a web server to present said web pages to said customer and to navigate among web pages by sending navigational commands to said web server, said method comprising:

• providing a web server associated with a directory database containing a plurality of directory listings including advertising information;
• creating a customer profile for the customer and storing the profile in a customer profile database associated with the web server;
• receiving a first directory search request from the customer;
• communicating one or more web pages bearing one or more directory listings for display at the customer computer in response to the first directory search request;
• updating the customer profile to include information relating to the first directory search request;
• receiving a second directory search request from the customer;
• supplementing the second directory search request with the updated customer profile;
• and
• communicating one or more web pages bearing one or more directory listings for display at the customer computer in response to the second directory search request as supplemented.

A system for providing an on-line electronic directory service to a user at a personal computer and for automatically placing a telephone call to a remote telephone device in response to a call request originating at the personal computer, said personal computer including a display and running a web browser application adapted to provide a user interface and to communicate with a remote device via hypertext transfer protocol, said system comprising, in combination:

• a terminal server communicating via hypertext transfer protocol with said personal computer through a data link over a first communications channel;
• a database server coupled with said terminal server and with an associated database, said database server receiving a directory search request provided by said personal computer and responsively searching said associated database and delivering a hypertext markup language (HTML) coded directory listing via said first communications link to said browser application for presentation to said user by said personal computer;
• and
• a telephony server coupled with said database server and adapted to communicate with the remote telephone device by establishing a voice link over a second communications channel upon receiving the call request, said telephony server being further adapted to integrate the data link and the voice link so that a voice connection is established between the personal computer and the remote telephone device.

A system for providing an interactive, real-time telephone directory and advertisement service to a user at a personal computer and for establishing a voice connection between said personal computer and a selected remote telephone station, said personal computer executing a web browser application adapted to (i) receive web pages from a remote server, (ii) present said web pages to said user and (iii) navigate among web pages by sending navigational commands to said remote server, said system comprising, in combination:

• a web server coupled to a database and to a telephone interface, said web server communicating with said personal computer via a data link;
• said web server providing to said personal computer, via said data link, web pages including telephone directory listings and advertisements;
• said web server receiving a directory search request from said personal computer, via said data link, and said web server responsively searching said database and delivering to said personal computer, via said data link, a web page bearing a directory listing and/or advertisement responsive to said search request, said directory listing and/or advertisement defining a telephone number corresponding to a remote telephone station;
• said web server further receiving a call request from said personal computer, said call request defining a request to establish a voice connection between said personal computer and said remote telephone station;
• and
• responsive to said call request, said telephone interface establishing a voice link with said remote telephone station and integrating said data link and said voice link to establish said voice connection,
• whereby, through said web browser application, said user may send said directory search request to said web server, said personal computer may receive and present to said user said web page bearing said directory listing and/or advertisement, and said user may send said call request to said web server, indicating a desire to communicate by voice with the telephone station corresponding to said directory listing and/or advertisement,
• and whereby and said telephone interface may responsively establish said voice connection while said personal computer is connected to said web server.

A method of providing a customized, on-line electronic directory service to a customer at a customer computer, said customer computer running a web browser application configured to receive web pages from a web server, to present said web pages to said customer and to navigate among web pages by sending navigational commands to said web servers said method comprising:

• providing a web server associated with a directory database containing a plurality of directory listings including advertising information;
• creating a customer profile for the customer and storing the profile in a customer profile database associated with the server;
• receiving a first directory search request from the customer, said first directory search request including a first search restriction;
• communicating one or more web pages bearing one or more directory listings for display at the customer computer in response to the first directory search request;
• updating the customer profile to include said first search restriction;
• receiving a second directory search request from the customer, said second directory search request not including said first search restriction;
• automatically supplementing the second directory search request with the updated customer profile and thereby establishing a modified second directory search request including said first restriction;
• and
• communicating one or more web pages bearing one or more directory listings for display at the customer computer in response to the modified second directory search request.