GB2445394A - Database query method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of querying a database using Short Message Service (SMS) massages is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving an information string from a mobile telecommunications service provider (10) whose network provides a SMS facility (12) to its users, the information string being representative of a SMS message sent from a user device (4) in the network, analyzing the string to determine whether the original SMS message contained at least two phrases, the first of these being the user's SMS sending device number and the second being a query phrase, and extracting the phrases, performing a query on the database using the query phrase, and compiling a return string including at least some components of the results of the database query, the return string forming the basis for a return SMS which is sent to the user's message device (4), the query phrase is in the style of a unique record identifier, the database query being conducted on a field containing only unique record identifiers such that only a single record can be identified by the query string, or the query fails.

Description

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2445394

Database Query Method

This invention relates to a database query method, and specifically a database query method for use in conjunction with remote devices which are capable of wirelessly 5 communicating with a centralised, local database, and which have the facility for sending Short Message Service (SMS) messages.

BACKGROUND

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The use of mobile telephones is now practically globally ubiquitous. Furthermore, the use of the Short Message Service (SMS) embedded in software in such telephones, and indeed many other forms of mobile and/or wireless communication device is also very widespread. Until recently, SMS or "text" messages have been used simply as a means 15 of text-based communication between individual users of devices, but more recently commercial applications for text messages have begun to appear.

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For instance, as mobiles become more advanced and their capabilities proliferate, peripheral service providers have begun delivering pictures, ringtones, video clips and 20 the like to mobiles. The subscription for such services is commonly made by sending a text message to the specific number given in advertising media, some of which may be delivered directly to the user mobile by the mobile service provider. Once the user sends the appropriate text message to the correct number, a number of ringtones, video clips or digital photos may be periodically sent to the phone from which the subscription 25 request is received. To terminate the subscription, the user simply sends a terminate message, again to a prescribed number.

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Additionally, most modern phones are now provided with a screen of sufficient resolution and suitable software and communication capability such that some browsing of the I* 30 internet is possible, albeit often limited in the case of mobile phones on account of the restrictions placed by service providers on the amount of data in kb or Mb which may be delivered to the phone over their network during any given period. It is therefore currently possible for a mobile phone user to connect to the internet, or at least a suitably modified portal to the internet, by causing the phone to connect to the service 35 provider's data delivery system using a particular wireless data communication protocol (e.g. GPRS, CDMA, HSCSD etc.). Once this is achieved, the phone user may simply

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enter the name of a known search engine, e.g. www.aooale.com. and enter, using the telephone keypad, a search string of any length of alphanumeric characters. The browser software will be capable of processing all the subsequently delivered search results, which may be delivered using HTML, at least at a very high level.

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As can be appreciated, the number of search results returned in any search of this type may range from 0 to many hundreds of thousands, and currently, anyone who has experience of using the browsing facility on a modern mobile phone will understand how frustrating viewing any more than a 1 or two search results can be. Briefly, the time 10 taken to deliver the data over the wireless telecommunications network is slow.

It is also known for web-site search engines to provide a search facility which automatically searches through a number of index database record fields. Most appositely, for instance, the www.amazon.co.uk website offers a search facility entry of a 15 single search string which is then matched against indexed fields of the underlying databases of books, CDs, DVDs, and other products. For instance, entering the word "sport" will identify database records having matching title, author, category and possibly other fields. Alternatively, entry of the current 10 digit international standard book number (ISBN) will automatically retrieve and display the book uniquely identified by that 20 number.

Furthermore, although not currently available worldwide, Google Inc have developed and are providing as a test facility in USA a SMS message internet search service whereby a mobile user may formulate a text message search query and by simply sending this text

25 message to a prescribed number as would normally be done by persons sending text messages between each other, query results are returned by text message to that user's phone. For example, the text message "NY jets" (being the American football sport team) might return the following result and fixture information: "NFL Recent game: Dec

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• 17; *NY Jets*: 26; Minnesota: 13; Next game: Dec 25 8:30pm EST NY Jets at Miami".

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As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of developing software adapted for j querying remote or local databases, particularly very large databases where the query is

• generally non-specific to the particular fields of the various tables contained in those databases, and further where the user of the device or software through which the query

35 is entered may be a lay person whose query creation skills pay no regard to the structure of the databases, providing such a service is complex. For instance, in the

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case of internet search queries such as provided by Google and Yahoo, the success of these businesses depends on the skills of their programmers developing algorithms and embodying such in software to disseminate the user entered string of text and numbers. Accordingly, there is great difficulty in providing a service which returns meaningful 5 results.

A further disadvantage is that such SMS provide only information to the user. Although this is a useable alternative to creating an actual connection to the internet using data transfer protocols now commonly provided on phones, there is no facility for interaction 10 with the information provided by the returned query results. Even in the context of an internet search performed using a conventional PC, the fundamental basis for the search is discovery of information.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of searching and 15 interacting with data returned by a database search conducted using an alphanumeric character based SMS service.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

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According to the present invention there is provided a method of searching data stored in a database hosted by a service provider, including the steps of Receiving an information string from a mobile telecommunications service provider whose network provides a SMS facility to its users, said information string being 25 representative of a SMS message sent from a user device in said network

Analysing said string to determine whether the original SMS message contained at least two phrases of a particular length and of a predetermined alphanumeric constitution, the first of these being the user's SMS sending device number and the second being a query phrase, and extracting said phrases 30 Performing a query on said database using said query phrase, and

Compiling a return string for re-submission to said mobile telecommunications service provider including at least some components of the results of the database query, said return string ultimately forming the basis for a return SMS which is sent to the user's message device 35 characterised in that

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the query phrase is in the style of a unique record identifier, said database query being conducted on a field containing only unique record identifiers such that only a single record can be identified by the query string, or the query fails.

5 Preferably, the method includes the step, in the event the database query returns a unique record, of making a temporary association in the database between the unique record identifier (or query phrase, as they are the same) and the user's mobile device number.

10 Further preferably, the method includes the steps of including in the return string an invitation to the user to affirm his selection of the particular database record, and in this case the analysis of the information string not only determines the user's mobile device number but whether the information string includes either a query phrase or an affirmation phrase, and if the latter, then the previously formed temporary association 15 between unique record identifier and user mobile device number is crystallised.

In a further preferred embodiment, the user may be sent a yet further invitation to complete a purchase of the identified item. For example, the first invitation sent to the user after the completion of the first search may be a "RESERVE FOR 24 HOURS?" or 20 similar reservation invitation, and the second invitation may be to complete the purchase of the identified book, in particular a "PAY NOW?" invitation.

Of course, the failure of the information string to contain a query phrase or the failure of the database query to return any results are preferably notified to the user in a return 25 string of shorter form, and such short form return strings do not cause any temporary associations, or cause any further events.

. . In a most preferred embodiment, the method is used as a means for permitting mobile • •

device users to perform SMS queries using ISBNs on a book retailer's ISBN database. "• 30 More recently, a European Article Number (EAN) has begun replacing ISBNs, and such

• ^ • a unique identifier may be used instead of an ISBN. In such a particular embodiment, the • •

. return string additionally includes price information as well as the database record identifying which particular book possesses the ISBN originally submitted by the user by SMS thus allowing the user to check whether a book being sold in a bookstore is (1) 35 available and (2) less expensive through the book retailer.

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Indeed, it is preferred that one or more ancillary data are included in the return string in addition to the relevant components of the database query to assist the user in his determination whether to affirm his selection. In the context of the ISBN search facility, the temporary association is between user mobile device number and ISBN, and the 5 affirmation of the user effectively reserves a copy of the book identified by said ISBN to said user. Of course, some prior user registration must occur so that the database not only includes a table with all currently available ISBNs, but also contains user details such as credit card information, name, delivery and shipping addresses, and of course, mobile number.

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In a most preferred embodiment, a purchase facility is also included such that not only can the user reserve a copy of the book, but can subsequently complete the purchase of the book.

15 It is to be mentioned that a computer program implementing the various steps above is also to be considered as covered by this applications, as is a computer system incorporating both the program and the method steps and other features implemented thereby.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Figure 1 shows a schematic mobile telecommunications system, and 25 Figure 2 shows a schematic arrangement of a system according to the present invention

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Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown a schematic mobile telecommunications network generally indicated at 2 and including a mobile device 4 from which SMS or text

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•• messages can be sent and to which such can be delivered, an antenna 6 enabling radio-*5" 30 frequency wireless communication between the mobile and a mast 8 thereof, and a

. . mobile telecommunications network service provider 10 which administers and manages • •

** traffic on said network, including SMS communications. Examples include T-Mobile, Orange, and Vodafone.

35 In the present arrangement, a further SMS service provider 12 is used, and in the particular arrangement, Opera Telecom is a provider of such a service. The user will be

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aware that the sending of a text to another mobile is achieved by entering the other mobile device number, usually a string of 11 digits. However, there are many commercial text services operating in the UK and elsewhere which involve the sending of text messages to a five digit number. The provision of such five digit numbers for the sending 5 of text messages and the delivery of specific commercial, text activated services is provided by companies like Opera, which often provide these services for a number of different subscriber companies, indicated generally at 14. The present invention relates to the provision of a particular type of service by a company such as 14.

10 Referring to Figure 2, when a user sends a text message over the mobile network to the dedicated number provided by SMS service provider 12 to company 14, said message is ultimately delivered to a holding area 16 within the system of service provider 12. Additionally, SMS service provider 12 may allow company 14 to provide its own scripts or programs to control the flow of information, the extent and nature thereof, between the 15 system 18 of company 14. In this regard, and in a particular embodiment of this invention, there is provided a handler 20 which controls the format of the information which is delivered to system 18. Said handler effectively parses the raw text message string data and then conducts a formatting process depending on whether the text original text message from the mobile device 4 included the unique record identifier, 20 such as ISBN, or whether any other reserved keyword is included, for example the word "buy" or "reserve". In a preferred embodiment, a reflective programming language such as Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) may be used in the handlers 16, 20 to facilitate communication therebetween.

25 It is to be mentioned that users of the system proposed by this application are charged

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premium rate for sending the text messages, and therefore they will be more inclined to

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...* ensure that they are correct in their content. The handler 20 also contains a routine

. . which has the effect of instructing a return message if the incoming raw text message • •

** data is corrupt or incorrect in some way.

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• ^ • Once the raw data has been appropriately formatted, it is ready for collection by one of two separate handlers 22, 24 which form part of the system 18. Of course, the handler 20 may also be incorporated into the system 18, and the various different combinations of handlers and their arrangement, integration, division, and disposition are all 35 considered as falling within the scope of this application.

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In the most preferred embodiment, the first handler 22 is the ISBN handler dealing with text messages received from users which include a correct ISBN. Within the ISBN handler, there are various subroutines. A mobile number extraction routine is provided, with obvious purpose. A query engine is provided which can effectively conduct a query 5 using the ISBN on the underlying database 26. Routines are also included to concatenate the various pieces of ancillary data which may also be retrieved from the database during the query operation, such as price and availability of the book uniquely identified by the ISBN. A yet further routine is included in the handler to create a temporary association between the ISBN and the mobile number, and finally there may 10 be a further routine to check whether the mobile number is that of a previously registered user of the system, or whether this is a new user, in which latter case a temporary user record may be created by another routine. Finally, a routine is included which returns a "Item not found" or equivalent message in the event that the database query using the ISBN returns no results. This occurrence will be particularly rare, but the 15 databases of warehousers and the like are rarely 100% as far as ISBNs are concerned.

In terms of the reserve handler 24, the messages received thereby will exclusively relate to specific requests from the mobile device users to reserve or purchase the particular item for which they previously search using the ISBN or other unique record identifier.

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Once a "buy" or "reserve" message is received in the handler 24, routines are triggered to make the previously temporary association between the user's mobile number and the ISBN more permanent, and furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the particular item is removed from stock and reserved for that particular user. In a preferred arrangement, 25 the user then subsequently visits the corresponding website for the system 18, and

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•• completes the purchase of his item. In the event that the user does not complete the

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• purchase within the prescribed time then the system simply terminates the association between user mobile number and item, and returns the item to available stock.

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"* Obviously, the reader will be aware that a variety of different routines may be required to

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• 30 effect a "reservation" of an item in this manner, but such are easily within the • contemplation of the skilled man.

Both handlers 22, 24 are also provided with means of retrieving queued messages from the SMS service provider 12, and also of pushing messages created internally by the 35 system 18 out to said provider. There are various ways of achieving this, but ideally a simple web-based HTTP system such as HTTP POST and HTTP GET is preferable.

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Claims (8)

1. A method of searching data stored in a database hosted by a service provider, 5 including the steps of

Receiving an information string from a mobile telecommunications service provider whose network provides a SMS facility to its users, said information string being representative of a SMS message sent from a user device in said network Analysing said string to determine whether the original SMS message contained at least 10 two phrases of a particular length and of a predetermined alphanumeric constitution, the first of these being the user's SMS sending device number and the second being a query phrase, and extracting said phrases Performing a query on said database using said query phrase, and Compiling a return string for re-submission to said mobile telecommunications service 15 provider including at least some components of the results of the database query, said return string ultimately forming the basis for a return SMS which is sent to the user's message device characterised in that the query phrase is in the style of a unique record identifier, said database query being 20 conducted on a field containing only unique record identifiers such that only a single record can be identified by the query string, or the query fails.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method includes the step, in the event the database query returns a unique record, of making a temporary association in the

25 database between the unique record identifier and the user's mobile device number.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method includes the steps of including in the return string an invitation to the user to affirm his selection of the particular database record and thus render more permanent the temporary association

30 previously made.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the analysis of the information string determines the user's mobile device number, and additionally whether the information string includes either a query phrase or an affirmation phrase which, when received,

35 causes the increase in permanency of the previously formed temporary association between user mobile device number and unique identifier.

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5 A method according to any preceding claim wherein one or more ancillary data are included in the return string in addition to the relevant components of the database query.

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6. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the failure of the information string to contain a query phrase or the failure of the database query to return any results are notified to the user in a short form return string including standard text and having no impact on other method steps.

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7. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the method is used as a book reservation and/or purchasing system, said query phrases and unique identifiers being ISBNs, and said user affirmation effectively causing a reservation or purchase to be made of the ISBN previously temporarily associated with the user mobile device number.

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8. A method according to claim 7 when dependent on claim 5 wherein the ancillary data include price and availability information.

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