Method of contextually determining missing components of an incomplete uniform resource locator

Abstract

A technique and apparatus for connecting a terminal to a host server on the Internet in response to an incomplete uniform resource locator (URL). The present method and apparatus receives an incomplete URL from the user, e.g., just a host name. The present method and apparatus contextually determines the remaining or missing components of the incomplete URL as a function of the host server received from the user.

1 . A method of connecting a terminal to a host server on the internet in response to an incomplete uniform resource locator, wherein said terminal has a monitor and an input device, the method comprising the steps of: 
 entering a host name by a user corresponding to said host server on said input device to provide said incomplete uniform resource locator;    contextually determining remaining components of said incomplete uniform resource locator as a function of said host server.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of contextually determining includes the step of determining a domain of said host server as a function of a probability distribution of the number of host servers in a particular domain.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said monitor includes a plurality of clickable buttons, each of said plurality of clickable buttons corresponding to one component of a uniform resource locator; and wherein the step of contextually determining contextually determines the remaining components of said incomplete uniform resource locator in response to one or more of said plurality of clickable buttons clicked by said user.  
   
   
       4 . Apparatus for connecting a computer terminal to a host server on the internet in response to an incomplete uniform resource locator, comprising a device for contextually determining remaining components of said incomplete uniform resource locator as a function of a host name entered by a user to provide a complete uniform resource locator, wherein said host name corresponds to said host server.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said device for contextually determining is operable to determine a domain of said host server as a function of a probability distribution of the number of host servers in a particular domain.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said terminal includes a monitor having a plurality of clickable buttons, each of said plurality of clickable buttons corresponding to one component of a uniform resource locator; and said device for contextually determining contextually determines the remaining components of said incomplete uniform resource locator in response to one or more of said plurality of clickable buttons clicked by said user.