Using phone service to initiate requests for web information

A telephone system, comprising:

• an automated call handler configured to receive a telephone call from a telephone of a caller and to determine if the telephone call is a request for web-based information,
• wherein the automated call handler is further configured to determine that the telephone call is a reciuest for web-based information responsive to detecting meta-information received with a telephone number in a dialing sequence for the received telephone call;
• and
• wherein the telephone number in conjunction with any meta-information sent with the telephone call determines the web page reciuested;
• a web device configured for i) determining web-based information associated with the request and an IP address of a return response device of the caller to which the web-based information is to be returned to the caller, and wherein the IP address is not associated with the telephone by receiving a network protocol formatted request generated by the telephone nor by receiving a network protocol formatted return address generated by the telephone, and ii) generating an HTTP request for the web-based information;
• a web server connected to the web device, the web server being configured to respond to receipt of the HTTP request by retrieving the requested web-based information and sending the retrieved information to the return response device at the IP address.

A communication service, comprising:

• enabling an automated call handler to detect request for web-based information responsive to receiving a dialing sequence from a caller's telephone, the dialing sequence having at least, a telephone number for making a telephone call connection;
• wherein the enabling includes configuring the automated call handler to determine that the telephone call is a request for web-based information responsive to detecting meta-information received with a telephone number in the received dialing sequence;
• and
• wherein the telephone number in conjunction with any meta-information sent with the telephone call determines the web page requested;
• enabling an IP address sending device connected to the caller's telephone to determine an IP address of a web-connected return response device of the caller, the return response device being physically independent of the caller's telephone;
• and
• enabling the call handler to respond to receipt of the telephone call by generating an HTTP request for the web-based information and sending the request to a web server containing the web-based information.