System and Method for Permitting Geographically-Pertinent Information to be Ranked by Users According to Users' Geographic Proximity to Information and to Each Other for Affecting the Ranking of Such Information

• US 20080307053A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everbridge Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nixle, LLC (Everbridge Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mitnick, Craig R., Emachah, Firas
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A system and method for permitting geographically-pertinent information provided on the Internet to be ranked by users, while taking into account the users'"'"' geographic proximity to the information, the distance between each user who rates the information, the age of the information, and the age of the users'"'"' ratings to determine a ranking for affecting the ranking of information.

Claims

1. A method for permitting information specific to a geographic location to be rated by users in the geographic location and by users, in other locations concentrically located from the geographic location, for providing the most relevant information in an ordered rank to users in that geographic location and in other locations concentrically located from the geographic location, said method comprising:

(a) providing information that is pertinent to the geographical location;

(b) making such information available to users in the geographical location;

(c) permitting the users in the geographical location to rate the information, and along with temporal and physical parameters, to form first user responses;

(d) providing said first user responses to a ranking engine for determining a first level rank for said information;

(e) permitting users in the other locations concentrically located from the geographic location to experience the information and to rate the information, and along with temporal and physical parameters, to form second user responses;

(f) providing said second user responses to said ranking engine for determining a second level rank;

(g) repeating steps (e) and (f) to modify said second level rank to form a revised level rank; and

(h) providing the information, in ordered rank, to the users in the geographic location and in the other locations based on said revised level rank.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the rating of each user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distance between a user and the information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distances between users that rate the information.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between a user and the information and adjusted based on population density.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between users that rate the information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said geographical location is a zip code and wherein the other locations concentrically located from the geographical location are surrounding zip code areas.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of making such information available to users in the geographical location comprises providing a web portal that displays such information for users to experience.

10. An interactive system for permitting information specific to a geographic location to be rated by users in the geographic location and by users, in other locations concentrically located from the geographic location, for displaying the most relevant information, in an ordered rank, to users in that geographic location and in other locations concentrically located from the geographic location, said interactive system comprising:

a database for storing articles associated with respective geographic locations;

a first exchange, coupled to said database, for receiving information from an aggregator feed of Internet news content;

a second exchange, coupled to said database, for receiving information from mobile devices or web browsers;

an interactive Internet application, coupled to said database, through which users in a given geographic location can experience information pertinent to their respective geographic location and rate said information, and along with temporal and physical parameters, to form first user responses, said Internet application comprising a ranking engine for determining a first level rank for said information from said first user responses; and

wherein users in other locations concentrically located from the geographic location can also experience the information and rate said information, and along with temporal and physical parameters, to form second user responses that are provided to said ranking engine for determining a second level rank, said second level rank being used to display the information in an ordered rank to the users in the geographic location and in the other locations based on said second level rank.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the information.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the rating of each user.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distance between a user and the information.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distances between users that rate the information.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between a user and the information and adjusted based on population density.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between users that rate the information.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said geographical location is a zip code and wherein the other locations concentrically located from the geographical location are surrounding zip code areas.

18. A method for permitting geographically pertinent information to be experienced by users in a corresponding geographical location and in other locations concentrically located from the geographic locations, said method comprising:

organizing information pertinent to a respective geographic location to be assigned a virtual point;

allowing users in the geographical location to rate the information;

calculating rank levels of the information using a ranking engine, said calculation involving user ratings, temporal and physical parameters to form an ordered rank;

displaying said ordered rank of said information to other users in the geographic location to influence the interest of the other users in further rating the information;

causing the information to be disseminated to other locations concentrically-located from the geographic location by providing the ratings, as well as temporal and physical parameters, of the users in the other locations concentrically-located from the geographic location to said ranking engine whereby the information is disseminated at increasing radii with respect to said virtual point; and

creating a virtual three-dimensional cone of information expansion away from said virtual point as more user ratings are fed to said ranking engine.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the information.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said temporal parameters include the age of the rating of each user.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distance between a user and the information.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein said physical parameters include the physical distances between users that rate the information.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between a user and the information and adjusted based on population density.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said physical parameters include a population density distance, said population density distance being the physical distance between users that rate the information.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein said geographical location is a zip code and wherein the other locations concentrically located from the geographical location are surrounding zip code areas.