METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GEOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC SEARCH RESULTS INCLUDING A MAP-BASED DISPLAY

• US 20090106681A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Abhinav, Tully, Timothy, Sen Sarma, Joydeep, Pan, Jiangyi, Du, Wei, Kapur, Shyam
• Application Number:
  US11/875,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106681A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A method and apparatus for geographic specific search results in response to a search request having an address field includes retrieving map portion having the address thereon. The method and system further includes determining entities in geographic relation to the address and generating an entity listing, where the entity listing includes listing of the various entities. These entities may represent any type of business, club, library, government building/office, or other locations. The method and apparatus further includes determining various descriptive terms that relate to the entities which are in geographic relation to the address. These terms include hyperlinks to corresponding entity listings. The method and apparatus further includes generating a visual display that includes: the map portion with the address displayed thereon; an entity portion that includes the entity listing; and a term portion with a taxonomical display of the plurality of terms.

Claims

1. A method for geographic specific search results in response to a search request including an address, the method comprising:

retrieving a map portion having the address thereon;

determining entities in geographic relation to the address and generating an entity listing of a plurality of the entities;

determining a plurality of terms relating to the entities in geographic relation to the address, the terms being hyperlinks to corresponding entity listings; and

generating a visual display including;

the map portion having the address displayed thereon;

an entity portion having the entity listing; and

a term portion having a taxonomical display of the plurality of terms.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the address directly corresponds with an entity address; and

if the address does correspond with an address;

generating a hyperlink to a lead generation page for the entity; and

including the hyperlink in the visual display.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

referencing an advertisement database based on the entities in geographic relation to the address to determine advertising relationships; and

ordering the listing of entities in the entity portion based on the advertising relationships.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a position adjustment request to an updated position;

updating the visual display including;

a map portion having the updated position displayed thereon;

an updated entity portion having an updated listing of entities in geographic relation to the updated position; and

an updated term portion having the taxonomical display of a plurality of updated terms relating to entities in geographic relation to the updated position.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

ordering the listing of entities in the entity portion based on a distance factor for each listing, the distance factor representing a distance between the address and an address for the entity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving entity selection input command based on the user-selection of a hyperlink associated with one of the entities listed in the entity portion; and

providing a display relating to the entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying relating to the entity includes a web page.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying relating to the entity includes a lead generation page.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a term selection input command based on the user-selection of a hyperlink associated with one of the terms listed in the term portion; and

updating the entity portion to include entities sorted based on the term.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the map portion of the visual display includes a plurality of position indicators for each of the locations of the entities in the entity listing.

11. Computer readable media storing program code that when executed by a processor causes execution of a method for geographic specific search results in response to a search request including an address, the computer readable media comprising:

program code for retrieving a map portion having the address thereon;

program code for determining entities in geographic relation to the address and generating an entity listing of a plurality of the entities;

program code for determining a plurality of terms relating to the entities in geographic relation to the address, the terms being hyperlinks to corresponding entity listings; and

program code for generating a visual display including;

the map portion having the address displayed thereon;

an entity portion having the entity listing; and

a term portion having a taxonomical display of the plurality of terms.

12. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for determining if the address directly corresponds with an entity address; and

if the address does correspond with an address, program code for generating a hyperlink to a lead generation page for the entity; and

program code for including the hyperlink in the visual display.

13. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for referencing an advertisement database based on the entities in geographic relation to the address to determine advertising relationships; and

program code for ordering the listing of entities in the entity portion based on the advertising relationships.

14. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for receiving a position adjustment request to an updated position;

program code for updating the visual display including;

a map portion having the updated position displayed thereon;

an updated entity portion having an updated listing of entities in geographic relation to the updated position; and

an updated term portion having the taxonomical display of a plurality of updated terms relating to entities in geographic relation to the updated position.

15. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for ordering the listing of entities in the entity portion based on a distance factor for each listing, the distance factor representing a distance between the address and an address for the entity.

16. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for receiving entity selection input command based on the user-selection of a hyperlink associated with one of the entities listed in the entity portion; and

program code for providing a display relating to the entity.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the program code for displaying relating to the entity includes program code for displaying a web page.

18. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the program code for displaying relating to the entity includes program code for displaying a lead generation page.

19. The computer readable media of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for receiving a term selection input command based on the user-selection of a hyperlink associated with one of the terms listed in the term portion; and

program code for updating the entity portion to include entities sorted based on the term.

20. The computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the map portion of the visual display includes a plurality of position indicators for each of the locations of the entities in the entity listing.