System and method for automatic searches and advertising

• US 20080077559A1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: BlackBerry Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis, Currie, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system and method provides location-aware search results from a navigation or other device and provides one or more enhanced listings or advertisements with the results to offset the communication cost of the search. The sponsor may be charged for the listing or advertisement and the charge may be based on whether the device arrives in an area around the sponsor location within a threshold amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of receiving search results, comprising:

identifying a first location of a device using a first set of at least one radio signal;

receiving at least one search term from a user;

providing an identifier of the first location and the at least one search term to a server;

receiving from the server a first set of results corresponding to the search term and the first location;

identifying a second location of the device using a second set of at least one radio signal; and

responsive to the first location, the second location and a threshold, receiving a second set of results from the server corresponding to the search term and the second location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of results is received responsive to a difference between the first location and the second location exceeding the threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of results is received responsive to a request provided to the server after the at least one search term is provided to the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is provided to the server responsive to a difference between the first location and the second location exceeding the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the second set of results is additionally responsive to a current time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the user selecting the at least one search term from a set of at least one predetermined term.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the user entering text of the at least one search term.

8. A system for receiving search results, comprising:

a location identifier for identifying a location of a device using a first set of at least one radio signal and for providing at an output at least one identifier of the location;

an automatic search user interface manager having an input operatively coupled for receiving at least one search term from a user, the automatic search user interface manage for providing the at least one search term at an output;

an automatic search execution manager having an input coupled to the automatic search user interface manager for receiving the at least one search term and to the location identifier for receiving the at least one identifier of a first location, the automatic search execution manager for providing at an output the at least one search term; and

a device search manager having an input coupled to the location identifier for receiving at least one identifier of a second location and to the automatic search execution manager for receiving the at least one search term, the device search manager for providing via an input/output the at least one search term and the at least one identifier of the second location to a server, the a device search manager additionally for receiving from the server via the device search manager input/output a first set of results corresponding to the search term and the second location;

wherein;

the automatic search execution manager is additionally for receiving from the location identifier at the automatic search execution manager input at least one identifier of a third location of the device; and

the automatic search execution manager is additionally for, responsive to the first location, the third location and a threshold, indicating the at least one search term to the device search manager; and

the device search manager is additionally for receiving from the location identifier via the device search manager input at least one identifier of a fourth location and for receiving from the automatic search execution manager the indication of the search term, the device search manager for providing via the device search manager input/output the at least one search term and the at least one identifier of the fourth location to a server, the a device search manager additionally for receiving from the server via the device search manager input/output a second set of results corresponding to the search term and the fourth location.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein automatic search execution manager indicates the at least one search term to the device search manager responsive to a difference between the first location and the third location exceeding the threshold.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the second set of results is received by the device search manager after the first set of results is received by the device search manager.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the automatic search execution manager indicates the at least one search term to the device search manager additionally responsive to a current time.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the automatic search user interface manager by the user selecting the at least one search term from a set of at least one predetermined term.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the automatic search user interface manager by the user entering text of the at least one search term.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for receiving search results, comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

identify a first location of a device using a first set of at least one radio signal;

receive at least one search term from a user;

provide an identifier of the first location and the at least one search term to a server;

receive from the server a first set of results corresponding to the search term and the first location;

identify a second location of the device using a second set of at least one radio signal; and

responsive to the first location, the second location and a threshold, receive a second set of results from the server corresponding to the search term and the second location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the second set of results is received responsive to a difference between the first location and the second location exceeding the threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the second set of results is received responsive to a request provided to the server after the at least one search term is provided to the server.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the request is provided to the server responsive to a difference between the first location and the second location exceeding the threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to receive the second set of results are additionally responsive to a current time.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the user selecting the at least one search term from a set of at least one predetermined term.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one search term is received from the user by the user entering text of the at least one search term.