ONLINE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING GEOGRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS OF LOCALITIES THAT ARE PERTINENT TO A TEXT ITEM

• US 20080243906A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Topix
• Original Assignee: Topix
• Inventors: Peters, Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/768,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243906A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Content may be rendered from a network with the inclusion of supplemental geographic information. A text content from a content item is analyzed in order to make a determination as to one or more localities that are identified or relevant to the text. A geographic presentation may be provided with the rendered content using the determination of the one or more localities.

Claims

1. A method for rendering content over a network, the method comprising:

analyzing a text content from a content item in making a determination as to one or more localities that are identified or relevant to the text; and

generating a geographic presentation using the determination of the one or more localities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a geographic presentation using the determination of the one or more localities includes providing the geographic presentation on a web page in proximity or adjacent to a summary, link or rendering of the content item. text-based content item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a geographic presentation using the determination of the one or more localities as dynamic content in connection with a rendering of at least a portion of the content item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein making a determination as to one or more localities that are identified or relevant to the text includes identifying at least one of:

(i) a street address, (ii) a landmark, (iii) a neighborhood, (iv) a nickname of a neighborhood or region, (v) an intersection, (vi) a place of business, or (vii) a government building.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a geographic presentation includes displaying a graphic corresponding to one or more of (i) a map of the one or more localities, (ii) a satellite image of the one or more localities, or (iii) a hybrid map and satellite image of the one or more localities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a geographic presentation includes displaying information in connection with the graphic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying information includes displaying information corresponding to one or more of (i) historical facts, (ii) relevant landmarks, or (iii) a name of a business that is in the identified locality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a geographic presentation includes referencing the identified one or more localities to a resource for a geographical value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein referencing the identified one or more localities to one or more resources includes querying a mapping service over a network to determine the geographical value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein querying a mapping service includes formatting or structuring a query for the mapping service based on information that is determined from or corresponds to the one or more localities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein querying a mapping service includes determining a locality identifier that is in a form that is acceptable to the mapping service, and using the information item in querying the mapping service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein analyzing a text content from a content item in making a determination as to one or more localities includes identifying one or more information items that are candidates for locality identifiers from the text content, and determining the locality identifier for querying the mapping service by referencing the one or more information items to another resource.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the other resource corresponds to a list or directory that identifies a name as being one or more of (i) a business, (ii) a nickname of a geographic region, or (iii) a landmark.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the locality identifier for querying the mapping service corresponds to a street address.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the geographical value corresponds to a value for latitude and longitude.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a user input on a web page on which the geographical presentation is provided, and providing the geographical presentation in response to the user input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the user input includes detecting the user selecting a link to the content item that is associated with the geographical value.

18. A system comprising:

a document retrieval component that is configured to retrieve a plurality of content items from a plurality of network sites, including a given content item from a corresponding network location, wherein the document retrieval component parses the given content item to output a text stream;

a locality reference component is coupled to the document retrieval component in order to use the text stream to determine a pertinent locality corresponding to the given content item; and

a geographic display generator that is configured to generate a geographic presentation for the given content item, wherein the geographic presentation is based at least in part on the pertinent locality.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the locality reference component is configured to inspect the text stream for one or more information items that corresponds to at least one of:

(i) a key word, (ii) a name, (iii) a character string, or (iv) a phrase; and

wherein the locality reference component uses the one or more information items in determining the pertinent locality.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a given one of the one or more information items provides an inference to the pertinent locality.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the locality reference component is configured to inspect the text stream for one or more information items that corresponds to the pertinent locality, and wherein the locality reference component references a resource directory to associate the information item to the pertinent locality.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the locality reference component communicates with a mapping service to perform at least one of (i) generate a geographical value based on the pertinent locality, and (ii) generate the geographic presentation using the geographical value of the pertinent locality.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the geographic presentation corresponds to one of (i) a map of the one or more localities, (ii) a satellite image of the one or more localities, or (iii) a hybrid map and satellite image of the one or more localities

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a data structure that includes data corresponding to the geographical value provided from the locality reference component communicating with the mapping service, and to store, in association with the geographical value, a content corresponding to at least one of;

(i) the content item, (ii) a link to the content item, and (iii) content derived from the content item;

a presentation component that displays the content as part of a presentation that includes the geographic presentation for the content item corresponding to the content.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the geographic display generator is configured to access the geographical value from the data structure, and to utilize the mapping service to generate a map or geographic image that is based on or selected using the geographical value.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the geographic display generator utilizes a local directory to generate additional information associated with the pertinent locality.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the presentation generated by the presentation component further comprises the map output by the geographic display generator.

28. A webpage provided from a server to any one or more of a plurality of terminals that communicate with the server, comprising:

a content that corresponds or is based on a plurality of content items; and

a geographic presentation that is provided with at least a given one of the plurality of content items, wherein the geographic presentation is generated independently of the given content item and is based on a pertinent locality identified by the given content item.

29. The webpage of claim 28, wherein the geographic presentation is dynamically formed on the webpage.

30. The webpage of claim 28, wherein the geographic presentation is selectively presented with the given content item.

31. The webpage of claim 30, wherein the geographic presentation corresponds to a satellite image of the pertinent locality.

32. The webpage of claim 31, wherein the geographic presentation corresponds to a map, or a hybrid satellite image and map of the pertinent locality.