Geo targeted commerce

• US 20060287995A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lycos Incorporated (Brightcom Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Quince, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A user query has values for attributes that specify features of a desired item is received and processed in a computer system in a network. A database is searched for an item having attribute values that satisfy at least a subset of the values for attributes from the user query. Once an item is found in the database, a location where the item will be supplied along with a set of suppliers for the item in proximity to the location is determined.

Claims

1. A method, executed in a computer system, the method comprising:

processing a query received from a user, the query having information corresponding to values for a plurality of attributes that specify features of a desired item;

searching a database for an item having attribute values that satisfy at least a subset of the attribute values in the user query;

determining a location where the item will be supplied;

determining a set of suppliers for the item, the set of suppliers in proximity to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item may be a product or a service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing comprises:

determining a preliminary item specification for the item, the preliminary item specification including attributes from the user query;

searching the database by the attributes in the preliminary item specification for items that match attributes in the user query;

determining if a sufficient number of attributes have been specified; and

if not, sending the user a message to reformulate the query.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attributes from the user query include an item type.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein searching the database includes searching a local database and remote databases.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining if a sufficient number of attributes have been specified comprises:

determining a list of attributes of the item, the list of attributes of the item including attributes of items that match attributes in the user query; and

determining if a majority of the attributes of the list of attributes of the item have been specified.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a list of attributes of the desired item, with determining comprising;

obtaining a plurality of item specifications, the item specifications comprising an item type and a set of attributes of the item; and

combining the sets of attributes of the item into the list of attributes of the desired item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a desired item specification, with determining comprising;

combining the desired item type and the list of attributes and associated attribute values of the desired item.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining a plurality of item specifications includes searching local databases.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining a plurality of item specifications includes searching remote databases.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining a plurality of item specifications includes searching websites over the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location includes obtaining a physical address from the user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the set of suppliers comprises:

determining a set of desired items that correspond to the desired item specification; and

linking each desired item of the set of desired items with a supplier from a supplier database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the set of desired items includes searching a local database for matching the desired item specification.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the set of desired items includes searching a remote database for matching the desired item specification.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein, determining the set of desired items includes searching databases at remote partner sites over the Internet.