Systems and methods for providing zip code linked web sites

• US 20040133799A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Campbell, Leo J
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method that establishes a network node containing public and private information related to a plurality of geographic zones or ZIP Codes; receives a request from a user to access the node (1004); enables the user to view the information related to a zone; receives a user selection of private or public informaton (1008). If private information is selected, determines whether the user is a resident of a geographic area corresponding to the zone (1016); and modifies the user information contained in the node for the zone in response to a user request, it is determined that the user resides in the geographic area corresponding to the zone. If the public information is selected (1010), in response to the user'"'"'s request, searches the public information (1012) and providing the user with general information relevant to the zone (1012).

Claims

1. A method for providing geographic information via a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a network node containing public and private information related to a plurality of geographic zones;

receiving a request from a user to access the node;

enabling the user to view the information related to a zone;

receiving a user selection of private or public information;

if private information is selected, determining whether the user is a resident of a geographic area corresponding to the zone;

modifying user information contained in the node for the zone in response to a user request, if it is determined that the user resides in the geographic area corresponding to the zone; and

if the public information is selected, in response to the user'"'"'s request, searching the public information and providing the user with general information relevant to the zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the user resides in the geographic area comprises authenticating the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein authenticating the user comprises using at least one of unique information, a password, and other information specified by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the public information comprises using an expanding multi-stage search to display the general information relevant to the zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request is archived and information accessed based on an EPM.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving input from an area within a map to focus the search.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the node can receive the input from the area on the map, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving input from an area within an aerial image to focus the search.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the node can receive the input from the area on the aerial image, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relevant to the zone includes information about businesses in the geographic area corresponding to the zone.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about businesses in the geographic area includes information related to a target market for the businesses.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relevant to the zone includes information about residences in the geographic area corresponding to the zone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relevant to the zone comprises at least one of demographic, socioeconomic, and housing profiles.

15. A method for providing information relevant to a selected geographic area, comprising the steps of:

establishing a database including information for a plurality of geographic areas;

receiving a request to access information from the database relevant to the geographic area;

allowing the user to select between private and public information within the database that is associated with the geographic area; and

enabling the user to execute a search and view the selected information for the geographic area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein if a request for private information is received a determination is made whether the user is a resident of the geographic area, before allowing the user to modify information contained in the database for the geographic area.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a user'"'"'s request is received and information is accessed based upon an EPM.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the user resides in the geographic area comprises authenticating the user'"'"'s unique information, password, and other information specified by the user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, if a request is received for the public information, searches are conducted on the public information and results are provided with general information relevant to the geographic area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving input from an area within a map to focus the search.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the input from the area on the map can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein searching the public information comprises using an expanding multi-stage search to display the selected geographic information.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving an input from an area within an aerial image to focus the search.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the input from the area on the aerial image can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises information relevant to businesses in the geographic area.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the information relevant to businesses in the geographic area comprises sales offers and information related to a target market of the businesses.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises information relevant to residences in the geographic area.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises demographic, socioeconomic, and housing profiles.

30. A network that provides geographic information, comprising:

a node on the network that contains a database, and that;

provides information related to a plurality of geographic areas,

receives user selection between private and public information within a geographic area,

if private information is selected, the node determines whether the user is a resident in the geographic area, and if the user resides in the geographic area, allows the user to modify information contained within the database,

if public information is selected, in response to the user'"'"'s selection, searches the public information and provides the user with general information relevant to the geographic area.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the node determines whether the user resides in the geographic area by authenticating the users unique information, password, and other information specified by the user.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein a user'"'"'s request is received and information is accessed based upon an EPM.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the node can focus the search of the public information by receiving input from an area within a map.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the input from the area on the map can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the node can focus the search of the public information by receiving input from an area within an aerial image.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the input from the area on the aerial image can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises information relevant to businesses in the geographic area.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein the node can expand the search using a multi-stage search to provide the user with the information relevant to the geographic area.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the information relevant to businesses in the geographic area comprises sales offers and information related to a target market of the businesses.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises information relevant to residences in the geographic area.

42. The system of claim 30, wherein the public information relevant to the geographic area comprises demographic, socioeconomic, and housing profiles.

43. A system for providing geographic information via a network, comprising:

means for establishing a network node containing public and private information related to a plurality of geographic zones;

means for receiving a request from a user to access the node;

means for enabling the user to view the information related to a zone;

means for receiving a user selection of private or public information;

if private information is selected, means for determining whether the user is a resident of a geographic area corresponding to the zone;

means for modifying user information contained in the node for the zone in response to a user request, if it is determined that the user resides in the geographic area corresponding to the zone; and

if the public information is selected, in response to the user'"'"'s request, means for searching the public information and providing the user with general information relevant to the zone.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for determining that the user resides in the geographic area comprises means for authenticating the user.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein means for receiving the user'"'"'s request and accessing information, based on an EPM, is provided.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the means for authenticating the user comprises using at least one of unique information, a password, and other information specified by the user.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

48. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for searching the public information comprises means for using an expanding multi-stage search to display the general information relevant to the zone.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for searching the public information comprises means for receiving input from an area within a map to focus the search.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the means for searching further comprises means for receiving the input from the area on the map, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

51. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for searching the public information comprises means for receiving input from an area within an aerial image to focus the search.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for searching further comprises means to receive the input from the area on the aerial image, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

53. A method for providing geographic information via a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a network node containing public and private information related to a plurality of ZIP Codes;

receiving a request from a user to access the node;

enabling the user to view the information related to a zone;

receiving a user selection of private or public information;

if private information is selected, determining whether the user is a resident of a ZIP Code corresponding to the zone;

modifying user information contained in the node for the zone in response to a user request, if it is determined that the user resides in the ZIP Code corresponding to the zone; and

if the public information is selected, in response to the user'"'"'s request, searching the public information and providing the user with general information relevant to the zone.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein determining that the user resides in the ZIP Code comprises authenticating the user.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the request is received and information is accessed based upon an EPM.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein authenticating the user comprises using at least one of unique information, a password, and other information specified by the user.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein searching the public information comprises using an expanding multi-stage search to display the general information relevant to the zone.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving input from an area within a map to focus the search.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the node can receive the input from the area on the map, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

61. The method of claim 53, wherein searching the public information comprises receiving input from an area within an aerial image to focus the search.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the node can receive the input from the area on the aerial image, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

63. The method of claim 53, wherein the information relevant to the zone includes information about businesses in the Zip Code corresponding to the zone.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the information about businesses in the ZIP Code includes information related to a target market for the businesses.

65. The method of claim 53, wherein the information relevant to the zone includes information about residences in the ZIP Code corresponding to the zone.

66. The method of claim 53, wherein the information relevant to the zone comprises at least one of demographic, socioeconomic, and housing profiles.

67. A network that provides geographic information, comprising:

a node on the network that contains a database, and that;

provides information related to a plurality of ZIP Codes,

receives user selection between private and public information within a ZIP Code,

if private information is selected, the node determines whether the user is a resident in the ZIP Code, and if the user resides in the ZIP Code, allows the user to modify information contained within the database,

if public information is selected, in response to the user'"'"'s selection, searches the public information and provides the user with general information relevant to the ZIP Code.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the node determines whether the user resides in the ZIP Code by authenticating the user'"'"'s unique information, password, and other information specified by the user.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein a user'"'"'s request is received and information is accessed based upon an EPM.

70. The system of claim 67, wherein the user is one of an individual, a business, and an organization.

71. The system of claim 67, wherein the node can focus the search of the public information by receiving input from an area within a map.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the input from the area on the map can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

73. The system of claim 67, wherein the node can focus the search of the public information by receiving input from an area within an aerial image.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the input from the area on the aerial image can be received, to focus the search, before and after initiating the search.

75. The system of claim 67, wherein the public information relevant to the ZIP Code comprises information relevant to businesses in the ZIP Code.

76. The system of claim 67, wherein the node can expand the search using a multi-stage search to provide the user with the information relevant to the ZIP Code.

77. The system of claim 75, wherein the information relevant to businesses in the ZIP Code comprises sales offers and information related to a target market of the businesses.

78. The system of claim 67, wherein the public information relevant to the ZIP Code comprises information relevant to residences in the ZIP Code.

79. The system of claim 67, wherein the public information relevant to the ZIP Code comprises demographic, socioeconomic, and housing profiles.