CLICKABLE MAP INTERFACE FOR PRODUCT INVENTORY

• US 20090012865A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Celik, Aytek Esen
• Application Number:
  US12/171,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.480
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing a map for displaying inventory for sale. A clickable map interface allows users to view or purchase the inventory of a product from a seller at a particular location. A user can view the inventory of a product from sellers within a particular region.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying products for sale on an interactive map comprising:

receiving information from sellers on products for sale, wherein the information includes an inventory quantity and location for each of the products;

generating an interactive map that displays the products at their respective locations and provides the inventory quantity for each of the products;

receiving a search request for a particular product;

identifying related products based on the search request, wherein the related products are similar to the particular product;

displaying the related products at their respective locations on the interactive map, wherein the related products that are displayed are those products located within a boundary of the interactive map;

receiving a selection of at least one of the related products from the interactive map; and

updating the inventory quantity of the selected at least one of the related products when the selection comprises a purchase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection comprises a click on the location of the at least one of the related products from the interactive map.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the displayed products comprise points on the interactive map at the respective locations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the inventory quantity is displayed for a particular product when that product is selected from the interactive map.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a product is not displayed on the interactive map when the inventory quantity for that product is zero.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the boundary of the interactive map is established by an input from a user, a physical location of a user, a computer profile of the user, information from a computer that is displaying the interactive map, or a location term from the search request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the boundary of the interactive map is defined by at least one of an address, a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location, a city, a neighborhood, a zip code, an area code, a county, or a state.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the products for sale comprise auction listings or classified advertisements.

9. In a computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for displaying inventory on a map, the storage medium comprising instructions for:

receiving information regarding inventory for sale from a plurality of sellers, wherein the information includes a location for each of the sellers, further wherein each of the sellers has at least some of the inventory for sale;

generating an interactive map configured to display a location for at least one of the sellers;

displaying the information regarding the inventory that is for sale from the at least one of the sellers that are displayed on the interactive map;

receiving a search request relating to at least one category of the inventory;

identifying which of the inventory is related to the search request; and

receiving a selection of the inventory displayed on the interactive map.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the selection comprises clicking on a location of the seller of the selected inventory.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the inventory for sale comprises items subject to an auction, further wherein the information regarding the inventory for sale comprises a current price and an auction end date.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the information further comprises a starting price and an auction start date.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the inventory for sale comprises items listed in classified advertisements, further wherein the information regarding the inventory for sale comprises a description and price.

14. A computer implemented method for providing a searchable interface with products for sale comprising:

receiving feeds from sellers including seller information and available products with respective locations of the available products, where the available products are associated with an inventory amount;

providing a searchable interface with the available products and the respective locations;

receiving a search request related to a particular product from the searchable interface;

providing search results on the searchable interface based on the search request, where the search results include at least some of the available products;

receiving a selection for at least one of the provided available products; and

updating the inventory amount of the selected at least one provided available product when the selected product is purchased.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein seller information or the inventory amount of products is updated by consumers.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the products comprise goods and services.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the searchable interface comprises an interactive map.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the providing a searchable interface comprises displaying the interactive map with at least a portion of the available products displayed on the interactive map at their respective locations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the selection comprises clicking the displayed product from the interactive map.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the search results provided on the searchable interface include the inventory amount of each respective product in the search results.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the products comprise online advertising.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the online advertising is sold and displayed based on the geographic location.