System and method for location based content correlation

• US 20060099964A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Barrese, James J., Pritchett, Dan L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and a system to correlate location and content. For example hyperlinked content can be received from a user including current geographical position data. The current geographical position data can be extracted from the hyperlinked content. Location or geographically-based content can be selected based on the current geographical position data. The geographical based content can be returned to the user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless receiver and transmitter;

a location unit to render location data;

a display;

a plurality of servers coupled to a wide-area network having location-based content stored in at least one memory device;

at least one client to communicate with the wide-area network, the at least one client being mobile;

the at least one client having a browser to transmit content requests including current location data to the plurality of servers and to render location-based content returned in response to the requests;

wherein the at least one client requests one of goods and services and at least one server returns product offers based on the current location data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location unit is to render the current location data as current location coordinates by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location unit is a global positioning system (GPS), and the current location data include longitude, latitude and altitude.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client pre-selects a price range for the product offers, and the returned product offers are within the pre-selected price range.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the client pre-selects a geographically-based product and is alerted when the selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client pre-selects a route, and the returned offers arise from offers from vendors along the route.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the client competes with other clients in an auction for at least one of goods and services.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing unit coupled to the display, the processing unit being to process the product offers returned by the at least one server and render the product offers on the display, and

a user interface coupled to the processing unit for receiving user input.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is included within one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the client is navigated to a location of an offerer .

11. A system comprising:

a plurality of servers coupled to a wide-area network having a plurality of geographically organized product content stored in at least one memory device;

a plurality of clients that communicate with the wide-area network over a communications medium, the plurality of clients having varying locations;

means for generating location data for each of the plurality of clients;

the plurality of clients each having a hyperlink browser to send HTTP requests to the plurality of servers and to render geographically organized product content returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the hyperlink browser of a particular client includes current location data of the particular client in HTTP requests, and

wherein the plurality of servers select geographically organized product content in response to the HTTP requests depending on the location data in HTTP requests.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for generating location data is triangulation of a cellular telephone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for generating location data is a global positioning system (GPS), and the current location data include at least longitude and latitude.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the client pre-selects a price range for the geographically organized product content, and the selected geographically organized product content offered is within the pre-selected price range.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the client pre-selects a geographically-based product and is alerted when the selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the client pre-selects a route, and the selected geographically organized product content arises from at least one product offerer along the route.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the client competes with other clients in an auction for at least one geographically-based product, wherein the at least one geographically-based product is at least one of a good and a service.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the hyperlink browser runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of servers coupled to a wide-area network having geographically-based offer content stored in at least one memory device;

a plurality of clients to communicate with the wide-area network over a communications medium, the plurality of clients having varying locations;

means for generating location data for each of the plurality of clients;

the plurality of clients each having a hyperlink browser to send HTTP requests to the plurality of servers and to render offer content returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the hyperlink browser of a particular client includes current location data of the particular client in HTTP requests, and

wherein the plurality of servers select geographically-based offer content in response to the HTTP requests depending on the current location data in HTTP requests.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for generating location data is triangulation of a cellular telephone.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for generating location data is a global positioning system (GPS), and the current location data include at least longitude and latitude.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the client pre-selects a price range for the geographically-based offer content, and the selected geographically-based offer content is further selected based on the pre-selected price range.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the client pre-selects a based geographically-based product and is alerted when the selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected zone.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the client pre-selects a route, and the selected geographically-based offer content arises from at least one offerer along the route.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the geographically-based offer content is at least one of a good and a service.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the hyperlink browser runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

27. A system comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) device to render location coordinates;

a display coupled to the GPS;

a wireless receiver and transmitter coupled to the GPS;

a plurality of servers coupled to a wide-area network having location-based content stored in at least one memory device;

at least one client that communicates with the wide-area network, the at least one client being mobile;

the at least one client having a hyperlink browser to send HTTP requests including location coordinates to the plurality of servers and to render location-based content returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the at least one client requests at least one of goods and services and the servers return location-based offers from at least one vendor of the goods and services.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the client pre-selects a price range for the location-based offers, and the returned location-based offers are within the pre-selected price range.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the client pre-selects the one of goods and services and is alerted when the pre-selected one of goods and services is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the client pre-selects a route, and the returned location-based offers arise from offerers by vendors along the route.

31. The system of claim 27, which allows the client to compete with other clients in an auction for the one of goods and services.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a processing unit coupled to the display, the processing unit being to process the product offers returned by the at least one server and render the product offers on the display, and

a user interface coupled to the processing unit for receiving user input.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the system is disposed within one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the client is navigated to a location of an offerer .

35. A method comprising:

receiving hyperlinked content from a user including current geographical position data;

extracting the current geographical position data from the hyperlinked content;

selecting geographically-based content based on the current geographical position data; and

communicating the geographically-based content to the user.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

pre-selecting a price range for geographically-based content, wherein the returned geographically-based content is within the pre-selected price range.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

pre-selecting a geographically-based product; and

alerting the user when the pre-selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

pre-selecting a route, wherein returned offers arise from offerers by vendors along the route.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

allowing clients to compete in an auction for at least one of goods and services.

42. A method comprising:

selecting at least one of a good and a service;

rendering current geographical position data;

receiving hyperlinked content from a user including the current geographical position data and the selected at least one of a good and a service;

determining vendors within a range of the current geographical position data that have the at least one of a good and a service;

returning a list of vendors that have the at least one of a good and a service in the range of the current geographical position data.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein rendering includes triangulation of a cellular telephone.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

pre-selecting a price range for the at least one of a good and a service, wherein the returned list of vendors have the at least one of a good and a service offered within the pre-selected price range.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

alerting the user when the at least one of a good and a service is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected zone.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

alerting merchants within the range of the current geographical position data of the price range.

48. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

pre-selecting a route, wherein the returned list of vendors arises from vendors along the route.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

allowing users to compete in an auction for the at least one of a good and a service.

50. A method comprising:

selecting vendors to receive offers from;

transmitting hyperlinked content to a server including current geographical position data;

extracting the current geographical position data;

determining selected vendors within a range of the current geographical position data; and

returning available offers from the vendors in the range of the current geographical position data.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

rendering the current geographical position data by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

rendering current geographical position data with a global positioning system (GPS), the current geographical position data including longitude, latitude and altitude.

53. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

displaying available offers from pre-selected vendors on a display when the current geographical position data of a user is within a pre-selected range.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

displaying a quantity available of at least one offered good in a vendors'"'"' inventory.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

selecting at least one offered product, the offered product including at least one of a good and a service; and

guiding a user to a location of a vendor offering the product.

56. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

allowing transmission of a counter-offer to a vendor offering one of a good and a service; and

alerting a user whether the counter-offer is accepted.

57. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive hyperlinked content from a user including current geographical position data;

select geographically-based content based on the current geographical position data; and

communicate the geographically-based content to the user.

58. The machine-accessible medium of claim 57, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

render current geographical position data by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

59. The machine-accessible medium of claim 57, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

render current geographical position data with a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

60. The machine-accessible medium of claim 57, wherein the return of the geographically-based content is based on a pre-selected price range for the geographically-based content.

61. The machine-accessible medium of claim 60, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

alert the user when a pre-selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

62. The machine-accessible medium of claim 57, wherein the geographically-based content is returned for vendors located along a pre-selected route.

63. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

render current geographical position data;

receive hyperlinked content from a user including the current geographical position data and at least one pre-selected listing, the listing being one of a good and a service;

determine vendors within a range of the current geographical position data that have the at least one selected listing; and

communicate a list of vendors that have the at least one pre-selected listing in a range of the current geographical position data.

64. The machine-accessible medium of claim 63, wherein triangulation of a cellular telephone renders the current geographical position data.

65. The machine-accessible medium of claim 63, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

66. The machine-accessible medium of claim 63, wherein the return of the list of vendors is based on a selected price range for the at least one selected listing.

67. The machine-accessible medium of claim 66, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

alert the user when at the at least one selected listing is offered within the selected price range and within a selected zone.

68. The machine-accessible medium of claim 63, wherein the list of vendors is returned for vendors located along a selected route.

69. The machine-accessible medium of claim 66, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

alert vendors within the range of the current geographical position data of the selected price range.

70. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

transmit hyperlinked content to a server including current geographical position data;

extract the current geographical position data;

determine at least one vendor within a selected range of the current geographical position data to receive an offer from; and

return available offers from the at least one merchant in the selected range of the current geographical position data.

71. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

render the current geographical position data by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

72. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

render current geographical position data provided by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

73. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

display available offers from the at least one vendor on a display when current geographical position data of a user is within the selected range.

74. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

display a quantity of at least one offered listing in a merchant'"'"'s inventory.

75. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

guide a user to a location of the at least one vendor.

76. The machine-accessible medium of claim 70, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

transmit a counter-offer to the at least one vendor; and

alert the user whether the counter-offer is accepted or declined.

77. A system comprising:

means for receiving hyperlinked content from a user including current geographical position data;

means for extracting the current geographical position data from the hyperlinked content;

means for selecting geographically-based content based on the current geographical position data; and

means for communicating the geographically-based content to the user.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

79. The system of claim 77, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

80. The system of claim 77, further comprising:

means for pre-selecting a price range for geographically-based content, wherein the returned geographically-based content is within the pre-selected price range.

81. The system of claim 80, further comprising:

means for pre-selecting a geographically-based product; and

means for alerting the user when the pre-selected geographically-based product is offered within the pre-selected price range and within a pre-selected geographical zone.

82. The system of claim 77, further comprising:

means for pre-selecting a route, wherein returned offers arise from vendors along the route.

83. The system of claim 77, further comprising:

means for allowing clients to compete in an auction for at least one of goods and services.

84. A system comprising:

means for selecting vendors to receive offers from;

means for receiving hyperlinked content by a server including current geographical position data;

means for extracting the current geographical position data;

means for determining vendors within a range of the current geographical position data; and

means for returning available offers from the vendors in the range of the current geographical position data.

85. The system of claim 84, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by triangulation of a cellular telephone.

86. The system of claim 84, wherein current geographical position data is rendered by a global positioning system (GPS), and the current geographical position data includes longitude, latitude and altitude.

87. The system of claim 84, further comprising:

means for pre-selecting a route, wherein returned available offers arise from vendors along the route.