SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST

• US 20070136259A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnaby Dorfman, Huy Ha, Jason Karls, Jonathan Gold, Timothy Caro-Bruce, Udi Manber
• Original Assignee: Barnaby Dorfman, Huy Ha, Jason Karls, Jonathan Gold, Timothy Caro-Bruce, Udi Manber
• Inventors: Manber, Udi, Dorfman, Barnaby, Gold, Jonathan, Karls, Jason, Ha, Huy, Caro-Bruce, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/12 Relief maps relief models G09B25/06

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating an online listing, such as a yellow pages listing, that includes information about an object, such as a business, and also includes at least one image of the structure containing the object. For example, the image may be a digital image of the store front of a business taken at a street view. Additionally, a user may select an image from a plurality of images that the user perceives as being an appropriate representative image for the business. Based on votes received a default representative image may be identified that is provided in response to a request for information about the business.

Claims

1. A method for providing information in response to a search request, the method comprising:

receiving a search request;

determining a dataset representative of a geographic area for which the search is to be performed;

causing a map representative of at least a portion of the geographic area to be displayed;

identifying a listing corresponding to the search request, wherein the listing is associated with a location within the geographic area;

causing interactive information representative of the identified listing to be displayed with the map; and

causing an interactive position identifier associated with the identified listing to be displayed on the map.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an interaction with the displayed interactive information representative of the identified listing; and

causing the displayed interactive position identifier associated with the identified listing to be emphasized.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein causing the interactive position identifier to be emphasized generates a visual alteration of the interactive position identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a second listing that corresponds to the search request, wherein the second listing is associated with a second location within the geographic area.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing a second interactive position identifier associated with the second listing to be displayed on the map.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the first interactive position identifier to be emphasized distinguishes the first interactive position identifier from the second interactive position identifier displayed on the map.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing second interactive information representative of the identified second listing to be displayed with the map.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a particular location within the geographic area; and

organizing the display of the interactive information and the second interactive information based on a distance from the determined particular location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the interactive information identifies a first business name and the second interactive information identifies a second business name.

10. A computer system for providing information in response to a search request, the computer system comprising:

one or more databases storing information related to locations within a geographic area; and

a computing device in communication with the one or more databases, the computing device operative to;

determine a geographic area for which the search is to be performed;

cause a map representative of at least a portion of the geographic area to be displayed;

identify a plurality of listings stored in the one or more databases that match the search request, wherein the listings are each associated with a respective location within the geographic area;

cause a plurality of interactive position identifiers to be displayed on the map, each of the plurality of interactive position identifiers associated with a respective listing of the plurality of listings; and

cause the plurality of listings to be displayed with the map, wherein at least one of the plurality of listings are interactive.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is further operative to:

cause a first displayed interactive position identifier of the plurality of displayed interactive position identifiers to be emphasized in response to an interaction with a displayed listing of the plurality of listings.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein causing the first displayed interactive position identifier to be identified distinguishes the first displayed interactive position identifier from the remaining plurality of displayed position identifiers.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

determine a particular location within the geographic area; and

organize the display of the plurality of listings based on a distance from the determined particular location.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the search request is a search for businesses of a type and each of the plurality of listings identify businesses of that type.

15. A method for obtaining information in response to a search request, the method comprising:

providing a search request;

receiving a map representative of an area associated with the search request;

receiving an identification of a listing corresponding to the search request, wherein the listing is associated with a location within the area represented by the map;

displaying the map and the listing; and

displaying on the map an interactive position identifier associated with the listing.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an interaction with the displayed listing; and

emphasizing the displayed interactive position identifier associated with the identified listing.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein emphasizing the interactive position identifier generates a visual alteration of the interactive position identifier.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an identification of a second listing that corresponds to the search request, wherein the second listing is associated with a second location within the area represented by the map; and

displaying on the map a second interactive position identifier associated with the second listing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein emphasizing the first interactive position identifier distinguishes the first interactive position identifier from the second interactive position identifier displayed on the map.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying with the map the second listing.

21. A method for obtaining information regarding at least one object within a range, the method comprising:

receiving an identification of an object within the range for which information is to be provided;

displaying information regarding the identified object, wherein the displayed information includes an image representative of the identified object; and

displaying a map, wherein the map includes an identifier of a location of the identified object.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving an identification of an object includes receiving an identification of a plurality of objects within the range for which information is to be provided.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein displaying information regarding the identified object includes displaying information regarding each of the plurality of identified objects.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the image is a digital image of the object.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the image is a street view of the object.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the image is a user specified representative image.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the image is an image selected from a plurality of images representative of the object.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the information regarding the identified object, the image representative of the identified object, and the identifier of the identified object is interactive.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing an inquiry regarding the displayed information; and

emphasizing the identifier of the identified object.

30. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

receive a search request;

determine a dataset representative of a geographic area for which the search is to be performed;

cause a map representative of at least a portion of the geographic area to be displayed;

identify a listing corresponding to the search request, wherein the listing is associated with a location within the geographic area;

cause interactive information representative of the identified listing to be displayed with the map; and

cause an interactive position identifier associated with the identified listing to be displayed on the map.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

receive an interaction with the displayed interactive information representative of the identified listing; and

cause the displayed interactive position identifier associated with the identified listing to be emphasized.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

identify a second listing that corresponds to the search request, wherein the second listing is associated with a second location within the geographic area; and

cause a second interactive position identifier associated with the second listing to be displayed on the map.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the instructions that direct the computer system to cause the first interactive position identifier to be emphasized distinguishes the first interactive position identifier from the second interactive position identifier displayed on the map.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

cause second interactive information representative of the identified second listing to be displayed with the map;

determine a particular location within the geographic area; and

organize the display of the interactive information and the second interactive information based on a distance from the determined particular location.

35. A computer implemented method for providing information in response to a search request, the method comprising:

determining a geographic area for which the search is to be performed;

causing a map representative of at least a portion of the geographic area to be displayed;

identifying a plurality of listings stored in one or more databases that match the search request, wherein the listings are each associated with a respective location within the geographic area;

causing a plurality of interactive position identifiers to be displayed on the map, each of the plurality of interactive position identifiers associated with a respective listing of the plurality of listings; and

causing the plurality of listings to be displayed with the map, wherein at least one of the plurality of listings are interactive.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

causing a first displayed interactive position identifier of the plurality of displayed interactive position identifiers to be emphasized in response to an interaction with a displayed listing of the plurality of listings.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining a particular location within the geographic area; and

organizing the display of the plurality of listings based on a distance from the determined particular location.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the search request is a search for businesses of a type and each of the plurality of listings identify businesses of that type.

39. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

receive an identification of an object within a range for which information is to be provided;

display information regarding the identified object, wherein the displayed information includes an image representative of the identified object; and

display a map, wherein the map includes an identifier of a location of the identified object.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the instructions that direct a computing system to receive an identification of an object include instructions that direct the computing system to receive an identification of a plurality of objects within the range for which information is to be provided.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the instructions that direct a computing system to display information regarding the identified object include instructions that direct the computing system to display information regarding each of the plurality of identified objects.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the image is a digital image of the object.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the image is a street view of the object.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the image is an image selected from a plurality of images representative of the object.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein at least one of the information regarding the identified object, the image representative of the identified object, and the identifier of the identified object is interactive.