System and method for mining and searching localized business-marketing and informational data

• US 20050278309A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aptas, Inc. (Local Matters, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aptas, Inc. (Local Matters, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bauer, Michael, Dalton, Susan, Evans, Perry
• Application Number:
  US10/858,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system and method for searching records. One embodiment includes a method for searching comprising: receiving a search a term comprising a product term and a geography limitation; identifying a normalized term corresponding to the product term; identify a first set of records corresponding to the normalized term; sorting the first set of records according to the geography limitation; returning at least some of the first set of records according to the sort; identifying navigation links corresponding to the normalized term; identifying a second set of records corresponding to at least one of the navigation links; and returning at least some of the second set of records.

Claims

1. A method for searching comprising:

receiving a search term comprising a product term and a geography limitation;

identifying a normalized term corresponding to the product term;

identifying a first set of records corresponding to the normalized term;

sorting the first set of records according to the geography limitation;

returning at least some of the first set of records according to the sort;

identifying navigation links corresponding to the normalized term;

identifying a second set of records corresponding to at least one of the navigation links; and

returning at least some of the second set of records.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the search term comprises:

receiving a product category and a geography limitation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the search term comprises:

receiving a service category and a geography limitation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the normalized term comprises:

comparing the product term against a list of synonyms.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein returning at least some of the first set of records according to the sort comprises:

transmitting at least some of the first set of records for display.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying navigation links comprises:

identify event types corresponding to the normalized term.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying navigation links comprises:

identify event types corresponding to the normalized term.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of records includes advertisements.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an indication of the second set of records to a user;

receiving a selection from the user corresponding to at least one of the second set of records; and

retrieving information related to the received selection.

10. A method of searching comprising:

receiving a search a term comprising a product term;

identifying a normalized term corresponding to the product term;

identifying a navigation link corresponding to the normalized term;

identifying business records associated with the navigation link; and

returning at least some of the identified business records.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether a geographical limitation is associated with the normalized term; and

sorting the identified business records according to the geographical limitation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein sorting the identified business records comprises:

filtering the identified business records.

13. A system for identifying records, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a plurality of instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to;

identify a normalized term corresponding to a product term received in a search;

identify a navigation link corresponding to the normalized term;

identify business records associated with the navigation link; and

return at least some of the identified business records.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

present an indication of the second set of records to a user;

receive a selection from the user corresponding to at least one of the second set of records; and

retrieve information related to the received selection.

15. A system for searching comprising:

means for receiving a search a term comprising a product term;

means for identifying a normalized term corresponding to the product term;

means for identifying a first set of records corresponding to the normalized term;

means for sorting the first set of records according to the geography limitation;

means for returning at least some of the first set of records according to the sort;

means for identifying navigation links corresponding to the normalized term;

means for identifying a second set of records corresponding to at least one of the navigation links; and

means for returning at least some of the second set of records.