Phone number recognition

Abstract

Method and system for recognising a numeric or alphanumeric sequence of characters in a document, the sequence conforming to predetermined rules and representing user identifiers for identifying users in a communication system include identifying a country of origin of the document, recalling rules relating to the format of the sequence associated with the determined country of origin, searching the document to identify any sequence in the document satisfying the format and returning any such sequence.

1 . A method of recognising a numeric or alphanumeric sequence of characters in a document, said sequence conforming to predetermined rules, and representing user identifiers for identifying users in a communications system, the method comprising: 
 identifying a country of origin of the document;    recalling rules relating to the format of said sequence associated with the determined country of origin:    searching the document to identify any sequence in the document satisfying said format; and    returning any such sequence.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the document comprises a web page, and the method comprises the step of launching web browser to locate a web page on a world wide network.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the document is selected from the group comprising a Word document, an email and a PDF file or any other text source.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , which comprises the step of converting said sequence into a call format for the determined country of origin.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2  which comprises the step of marking said sequence in a displayed version of the page.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said sequences represent phone or fax numbers.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein said sequences represent phone or fax numbers and the step of marking comprises associating said phone or fax number with a button on a display, said button being actuatable by a user to instigate a call using said number.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the step of determining the country comprises examining the domain of the located page.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein the step of determining the country comprises examining the language of text on the page.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , which comprises the step of examining the language of text on the page by detecting an html language code.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the step of examining the language of text on the page comprises executing a language recogniser component to recognise the language of preselected words in the text on the page.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the step of examining the domain of the located page comprises determining whether or not it is a shared domain, and if it is a shared domain then examining a secondary domain.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the step of determining the country comprises examining language settings of software installed at a user terminal.  
     
     
         14 . A method of initiating a communication via a communication network, the method comprising: 
 marking in a document at least one sequence representing a communication identifier, the step of marking comprising associating said identifier with a button displayed to a user,    actuating the button at a user interface of a user terminal; and    executing a client installed at the user terminal to receive said identifier and instigate the communication via the communication network using the identifier.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , which comprises the step of converting the sequence into a call format suitable for making a phone call from the country of origin of the document.  
     
     
         16 . A system for recognising a numeric or alphanumeric sequence of characters in a document, said sequence conforming to predetermined rules and representing user identifiers for Identifying users in a communications system, the system comprising; 
 a component for identifying a country of origin of the document;    a store holding rules relating to the format of said sequence associated with the different countries;    a search component arranged to search the document to identify any sequence in the document satisfying a format for the determined country of origin; and    a tool for instantiating an object for returning any such sequence.    
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 16 , which further comprises a web browser arranged to locate a page on a world wide network, said page constituting said document.  
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 16  when implemented on a user terminal, the user terminal further comprising a client for executing a peer-to-peer communication using said user identifier.  
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 18 , which comprises a converter arranged to convert said sequence into a call format for use by said client in a peer-to-peer communication.  
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium comprising computer code components which, when executed by a computer into which the computer medium is installed, implement the following method steps: 
 identifying a country of origin of a document;    recalling rules relating to the format of a sequence of numeric or alphanumeric characters associated with the determined country of origin;    searching the document to identify any sequence in the document satisfying said format; and    returning any such sequence.    
     
     
         21 . A method of effecting a voice communication between user terminals over a communication network, the method comprising: 
 displaying to a user at a user interface a menu of country options;    selecting a country of a destination of the communication from said country options;    receiving a number in local form;    recalling formatting rules for the destination country;    appending to the number a country prefix for the country of destination in accordance with the formatting rules to generate a formatted number, and    supplying the formatted number to a client installed at the user terminal for effecting the voice communication using the formatted number.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the step of displaying the menu comprises displaying a map on which each continent provides a respective menu of country options of that continent.