GEO-TRIP NOTES

• US 20090216733A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maphook Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maphook Incorporated
• Inventors: Carter, Paul Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A user may use a mobile device to request information related to a selected topic or a point of interest. A location of the mobile device may be determined in order to provide the user with informational content related to the selected topic or point of interest in close proximity to the user. The mobile device may receive and display the informational content as a set of search results. The user may select one or more of the search results in order to review the information content referenced by the selected one or more search results. A verification process or step may ensure that the selected information is relevant to the selected topic or determined location, and a link may be generated relating the topic, the selected search result(s), and the determined mobile device location. Moreover, a rating system may be used to provide an indication of the relevancy of one or more search results. Thereafter, additional users, or the same users, may be provided access to the link when located in close proximity to the determined location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a mobile device a request for information related to a selected topic;

determining a location of the mobile device;

receiving at the mobile device search results that are based on the selected topic, wherein the search results relate to places of interest within a proximate distance of the determined location of the mobile device;

receiving at the mobile device a selection of at least one of the search results;

receiving at the mobile device a relevancy indicator, the relevancy indicator indicating a relevancy of the selected at least one of the search results to the determined location, and

responsive to receiving the relevancy indicator, updating a relevancy rating that relates the selected at least one of the search results with the selected topic and the determined location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results are further based on information contained in a user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximate distance is based on information contained in a user profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results include at least one user opinion related to information contained in the search results.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of providing directions to the places of interest within a proximate distance of the determined location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results include a link referencing information from a previous request for information related to the selected topic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at the mobile device a relevancy indicator includes receiving an indication of acceptance or rejection at the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of transmitting the updated relevancy rating to a server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein hysteresis is implemented to prevent repeatedly sending the mobile device the same search results.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes a step of adding information created at the mobile device to the search results.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results include a link, and wherein the link is published for access by additional computing platforms.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive a request for information related to a selected topic;

determine a location of the apparatus;

receive search results that are based on the selected topic, wherein the search results relate to places of interest within a proximate distance of the determined location of the apparatus;

receive a selection of at least one of the search results;

receive a relevancy indicator, the relevancy indicator indicating a relevancy of the selected at least one of the search results to the determined location; and

update a relevancy rating that relates the selected at least one of the search results with the selected topic and the determined location responsive to receipt of the relevancy indicator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the search results include a link referencing information from a previous request for information related to the selected topic.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to receive a relevancy indicator includes instructions to receive an indication of acceptance or rejection at the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein hysteresis is implemented to prevent repeatedly sending the apparatus the same search results.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computer readable instructions further include at least one instruction that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to add information created at the apparatus to the search results.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive a request for information related to a point of interest from a mobile device;

determine a location of the mobile device;

determine if the apparatus already contains information related to the point of interest within a proximal distance of the determined location of the mobile device; and

when the apparatus already contains the information, transmitting the information to the mobile device as search results; and

when the apparatus does not already contain the information, requesting the information from a data provider, receiving the information from the data provider, storing the information at the apparatus, and transmitting the information to the mobile device as search results.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to transmit the search results to the mobile device as a link, and wherein the link is stored at the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to update the link stored at the apparatus responsive to a selection of at least one of the search results at the mobile device.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer readable instructions further include at least one instruction that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to determine that the request for information is based on pre-selected information, and wherein the pre-selected information is included in the search results.

21. A method executed at a computing platform comprising:

receiving a request for information related to a point of interest from a mobile device;

determining a location of the mobile device;

determining if the computing platform already contains information related to the point of interest within a proximal distance of the determined location of the mobile device; and

when the computing platform already contains the information, transmitting the information to the mobile device as search results; and

when the computing platform does not already contain the information, requesting the information from a data provider, receiving the information from the data provider, storing the information at the computing platform, and transmitting the information to the mobile device as search results.

22. A method comprising:

receiving at a server a relevancy rating from a first mobile device, wherein the relevancy rating is associated with a search result;

recalculating a relevancy output stored at the server by incorporating the relevancy rating received from the first mobile device, wherein the relevancy output is associated with the search result;

receiving at the server a search query from a second mobile device;

transmitting the search result from the server to the second mobile device; and

transmitting from the server the recalculated relevancy output to the second mobile device;