Geographical indexing system and method

• US 20060200490A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roger Owen Abbiss
• Original Assignee: Roger Owen Abbiss
• Inventors: Abbiss, Roger Owen
• Application Number:
  US11/366,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200490A1
• 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 geographical indexing system and method for use in association with a plurality of search results and a user-selected location. A user-selected location is obtained by providing a user with a graphical geographical map and receiving a user-selected location on the graphical geographical map. Geographically indexed search results are obtained by indexing a plurality of search results by geographical proximity to the user-selected location, and displaying those results to the user. A set of targeted search results are then determined from the indexed search results and a user request for information is obtained. The user request for information is then sent to a set of targeted search result contacts associated with the targeted search results and the responses are received and aggregated and then displayed, stored or forwarded to the user.

Claims

1. A geographical indexing system for use in association with a plurality of search results, said geographical indexing system comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a user-selected location;

(b) a processor coupled to the memory for;

(i) obtaining the user-selected location by;

(I) providing a user with a graphical geographical map;

(II) receiving the user-selected location as selected by the user on the graphical geographical map; and

(ii) indexing the plurality of search results based on the user-selected location.

2. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, the processor further performs an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the indexed search results from (ii), storing the indexed search results from (ii), forwarding the indexed search results from (ii).

3. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, wherein the user-selected location is selected from the group consisting of:

the user'"'"'s work location, the user'"'"'s home location, alternative user location, a user GPS position, a street intersection, a street address, a landmark location, a neighbourhood, and a user-defined geographical zone.

4. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the previous user-selected locations are displayed on the graphical geographical map.

5. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the indexed search results are displayed on the graphical geographical map.

6. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile device, wherein one or more of the indexed search results are sent to the mobile device using a method selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, voicemail, fax, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

7. The geographical indexing system of claim 1, wherein the processor further:

(iii) determines at least one targeted search result contact from the indexed search results in (ii);

(iv) receives a user request for information;

(v) sends the user request for information to the at least one targeted search result contact;

(vi) receives at least one response from the at least one targeted search result contact.

8. The geographical indexing system of claim 7, wherein the processor further performs an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the at least one response from (vi), storing the at least one response from (vi), forwarding the at least one response from (vi).

9. The geographical indexing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one targeted search result contact is determined by first displaying the search results followed by an action selected from the group consisting of:

selecting at least one of the displayed search results, selecting all of the displayed search results, selecting the displayed search results within a geographical zone.

10. The geographical indexing system of claim 7, further comprising a database wherein all received responses are saved in the database and aggregated and then followed by an action selected from the group consisting of:

being displayed to the user and being sent to the user using a method selected from the group consisting of;

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

11. A method for geographically indexing a plurality of search results, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a user-selected location by;

(i) providing a user with a graphical geographical map;

(ii) receiving the user-selected location as selected by the user on the graphical geographical map; and

(b) indexing the plurality of search results based on the user-selected location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the indexed search results from (b), storing the indexed search results from (b), forwarding the indexed search results from (b).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-selected location is selected from the group consisting of:

the user'"'"'s work location, the user'"'"'s home location, an alternative user location, a user GPS position, a street intersection, street address, landmark, a neighbourhood, a user-defined geographical zone.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying one or more of previous user-selected locations on the graphical geographical map.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of the indexed search results are displayed on the graphical geographical map.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending one or more of the indexed search results to a mobile device using a method selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(c) determining at least one targeted search result contact from the indexed search results in (b);

(d) receiving a user request for information;

(e) sending the user request for information to the at least one targeted search result contact;

(f) receiving at least one response from the at least one targeted search result contact.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the at least one response from (f), storing the at least one response from (f), forwarding the at least one response from (f).

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one targeted search result contact is determined by first displaying the search results followed by an action selected from the group consisting of:

selecting at least one of the displayed search results, selecting all of the displayed search results, selecting the displayed search results within a geographical zone.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising saving all received responses in a database and aggregating them followed by an action selected from the group consisting of:

being displayed to the user and being sent to the user using a method selected from the group consisting of;

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

21. A request for information system for use in association with a plurality of search results, said indexing system comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a user request for information;

(b) a processor coupled to the memory for;

(i) determining at least one targeted search result contact from the plurality of search results;

(ii) receiving the user request for information;

(iii) sending the user request for information to the at least one targeted search result contact; and

(iv) receiving at least one response from the at least one targeted search result contact.

22. The request for information system of claim 21, wherein the processor further performs an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the at least one response from (iv), storing the at least one response from (iv), forwarding the at least one response from (iv).

23. The request for information system of claim 22, wherein the at least one targeted search result contact is determined by first displaying the search results followed by a method selected from the group consisting of:

selecting at least one of the displayed search results, selecting all of the displayed search results, selecting the displayed search results within a geographical zone, selecting the displayed search results within a user-specified distance from a user-selected location.

24. The request for information system of claim 21, wherein a user request for information is sent to the at least one search result contact using a method selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

25. The request for information system of claim 21, further comprising a database wherein all received responses are saved in the database and where one of:

the received responses are aggregated and the received responses are sent individually to the user.

26. The request for information system of claim 25, wherein the aggregated responses are then displayed to the user and sent to the user using a method selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

27. The request for information system of claim 26, wherein the aggregated responses are sent to the user at predefined time intervals as defined by one of the user and the request for information system.

28. The request for information system of claim 21, wherein the processor further:

(v) obtains the user-selected location by;

(I) providing a user with a graphical geographical map;

(II) receiving the user-selected location as selected by the user on the graphical geographical map; and

(vi) indexes the plurality of search results based on the user-selected location.

29. The request for information system of claim 28, the processor further performs an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the indexed search results from (vi), storing the indexed search results from (vi), forwarding the indexed search results from (vi).

30. The request for information system of claim 28, wherein the user-selected location is selected from the group consisting of:

the user'"'"'s work location, the user'"'"'s home location, an alternative user location, a user GPS position, a street intersection, street address, landmark, a neighbourhood, a user-defined geographical zone.

31. A method for use in association with a plurality of search results, said method comprising:

(a) determining at least one targeted search result contact from the plurality of search results;

(b) receiving the user request for information;

(c) sending the user request for information to the at least one targeted search result contact; and

(d) receiving at least one response from the at least one targeted search result contact.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the at least one response from (d), storing the at least one response from (d), forwarding the at least one response from (d).

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one targeted search result contact is determined by first displaying the search results followed by a method selected from the group consisting of:

selecting at least one of the displayed search results, selecting all of the displayed search results, selecting the displayed search results within a geographical zone.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein a user request for information is sent to the at least one search result contact using a method selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising saving all received responses in a database and aggregated.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the aggregated responses are then one of:

displayed to the user and sent to the user using a method selected from the group consisting of;

e-mail, voicemail, fax, mail, wireless transmission, and other electronic communication.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the aggregated responses are sent to the user at predefined time intervals as defined by one of the user and the request for information system.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

(e) obtaining the user-selected location by;

(i) providing a user with a graphical geographical map;

(ii) receiving the user-selected location as selected by the user on the graphical geographical map; and

(f) indexing the plurality of search results based on the user-selected location.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising an action selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the indexed search results from (f), storing the indexed search results from (f), forwarding the indexed search results from (f).

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the user-selected location is selected from the group consisting of:

the user'"'"'s work location, the user'"'"'s home location, an alternative user location, a user GPS position, a street intersection, street address, landmark, a neighbourhood, a user-defined geographical zone.