Online sites with associated fictitious geographical locations

• US 10,452,690 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bin Wu
• Original Assignee: Bin Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/736,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20160364408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A method, which provides a location context to an online object, includes (a) receiving identification information regarding the online object; (b) in a database, creating a relationship between the online object and a representation of a geographical location; (c) receiving a request for retrieving the relationship from the database based on the identification information or the geographical location; and (d) responding to the request by returning the relationship retrieved from the database. The request may originate from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically. The online object may correspond to an online business. In some implementations, the online object is unrelated in real life to a community located at the geographical location.

Claims

1. A method for managing a relationship between an online business and a geographical location, comprising:

receiving, from a first user, a request for creating the relationship between the online business and the geographical location, the request comprising identification information regarding the online business;

creating, in a database, a relationship between the online business and a representation of the geographical location, the relationship associating the geographical location with the online business as a fictitious location of the online business;

periodically receiving, from a mobile device associated with the first user, a current geographical location of the mobile device determined by a location determination component in the mobile device;

verifying the fictitious location of the online business by determining that the received current geographical location of the mobile device is in proximity to the fictitious location of the online business;

receiving a search query for businesses in the vicinity of the geographical location; and

responding to the search query by returning information associated with the online business along with information associated with one or more businesses each having a real address in the vicinity of the geographical location, wherein the returning the information associated with the online business is based on the created relationship and the verifying the fictitious location of the online business.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query originates from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is an online business does not have a business address at the geographical location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the returned information makes the entity appear to be located at the geographical location or to provide a service to a community in the vicinity of the geographical location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user corresponds to an online business that systematically relate online objects to fictitious locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the geographical location is specified by a latitude and a longitude.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographical location is further specified by an altitude.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises both relationships between real objects and geographical locations and online objects and geographical locations, and wherein, in the relationships of the online objects, the geographical locations are limited to public areas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the public areas are selected from the group consisting of sidewalks, public parks, public lands, on throughways, or underground.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the online objects in the database form a virtual community.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein virtual community comprises a virtual bazaar.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship is created in the database by a server, having a user interface that is implemented in a website or a mobile application program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the server conducts one or more of the following activities:

online commerce of goods or services, classified advertisement, advertising, information sharing or exchange, online publishing of articles or books, online communications, or online socializing.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface allows a user to explore a local community using an avatar.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the local community comprises a virtual community.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the returning the information associated with the online business comprises providing for display a map of an area including the geographical location showing the entity at the geographical location.

16. A system comprising:

one or more user interfaces;

a database; and

a server operating the user interfaces and the database, wherein the server;

receives, from a first user, a request for creating the relationship between the online business and the geographical location, the request comprising identification information regarding the online business;

creates in the database a relationship between the online business and a representation of the geographical location, the relationship associating the geographical location with the online business as a fictitious location of the online business;

periodically receives, from a mobile device associated with the first user, a current geographical location of the mobile device determined by a location determination component in the mobile device;

verifies the fictitious location of the online business by determining that the received current geographical location of the mobile device is in proximity to the fictitious location of the online business;

receives a search query for businesses in the vicinity of the geographical location; and

responds to the search query by returning information associated with the online business along with information associated with one or more businesses each having a real address in the vicinity of the geographical location, wherein the returning the information associated with the online business is based on the created relationship and the verifying the fictitious location of the online business.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search query originates from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the online business does not have a business address at the geographical location.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the returned information makes the entity appear to be located at the geographical location or to provide a service to a community in the vicinity of the geographical location.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first user corresponds to an online business that systematically relate online objects to fictitious locations.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the representation of the geographical location is specified by a latitude and a longitude.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the geographical location is further specified by an altitude.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the database further comprises both relationships between real objects and geographical locations and online objects and geographical locations, and wherein, in the relationships of the online objects, the geographical locations are limited to public areas.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the public areas are selected from the group consisting of sidewalks, public parks, public lands, on throughways, or underground.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the online objects in the database form a virtual community.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein virtual community comprises a virtual bazaar.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interfaces are each implemented in a website or a mobile application program.