CONFIGURATION OF RESOURCES FOR AN ENTITY

• US 20090299796A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pai, Samarth Sharath, Wise, Angela S., Paulino, Roderick C.
• Application Number:
  US12/129,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A set-up facilitating system assists an entity (such as a business entity) in providing one or more resources, including one or more network-accessible resources. The set-up facilitating system begins by identifying initial information regarding the entity. The set-up facilitating systems then uses the initial information to glean additional information from one or more sources. The initial information and additional information are used to automatically provision the resources, such as a network-accessible page, review-related information, an ad program, service, etc.

Claims

1. A method for configuring one or more resources on behalf of an entity, the method being performed on data processing equipment, comprising:

determining initial information regarding the entity;

based on the initial information, collecting additional information regarding the entity from at least one information source, the initial information and the additional information together comprising entity information; and

based on the entity information, generating at least one resource for the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a business entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial information corresponds to a name and mailing code of the entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one information source comprises at least one network-accessible information source that provides public information regarding the entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one resource that is generated for the entity comprises a network-accessible page, wherein said generating comprises using the entity information to automatically provide the network-accessible page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one resource that is generated for the entity comprises review information, wherein said generating comprises:

using the entity information to identify one or more reviews associated with the entity; and

in response to an instruction from the user, incorporating said one or more reviews into a network-accessible page provided by the entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said one or more reviews that are associated with the entity are extracted from one or more network-accessible information sources which provide review information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one resource that is generated for the entity comprises an ad program, wherein said generating comprises:

using the entity information to provide at least one ad program recommendation to a user; and

invoking an ad program associated with an ad program recommendation selected by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one ad program recommendation provides details regarding a network-implemented ad program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the details describe an offer to be presented by the network-implemented ad program.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the details identify at least one network-accessible page to be presented to an ad recipient by the network-implemented ad program.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the details identify one or more keywords associated with the network-implemented ad program, and a cost associated with the network-implemented ad program.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one ad program recommendation provides details regarding a direct mail ad campaign.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one resource that is generated for the entity comprises a tool for use by the entity in performing a function.

15. A set-up facilitating system for configuring one or more resources on behalf of an entity, comprising:

an information collecting module configured to use initial information as a seed to collect additional information regarding an entity, the additional information being collected from at least one information source, the initial information and the additional information together comprising entity information; and

a resource-providing module configured to use the entity information to generate at least one resource for the entity.

16. The set-up facilitating system of claim 15, wherein the resource-providing module includes a site-generating module, wherein the site-generating module is configured to provide, as said at least one resource, a network-accessible page.

17. The set-up facilitating system of claim 15, wherein the resource-providing module includes a recommendation-processing module, wherein the recommendation-processing module is configured to provide, as said at least one resource, one or more reviews that are extracted from one or more network-accessible information sources.

18. The set-up facilitating system of claim 15, wherein the resource-providing module includes an ad program-generating module, wherein the ad program-generating module is configured to provide, as said at least one resource, an ad program recommendation.

19. The set-up facilitating system of claim 15, wherein the resource-providing module includes a service-generating module, wherein the service-generating module is configured to provide, as said at least one resource, a tool for use by the entity.

20. A computer-readable medium for storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions providing a set-up facilitating system when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

information collection logic configured to use initial information as a seed to collect additional information regarding an entity, the additional information being collected from at least one information source, the initial information and the additional information together comprising entity information; and

resource-providing logic configured to use the entity information to generate at least one resource for the entity,

wherein the feature-providing logic comprises;

site-generating logic configured to provide, as said at least one resource, a network-accessible page;

recommendation-processing logic configured to provide, as said at least one resource, one or more reviews that are extracted from one or more network-accessible information sources;

ad program-generating logic configured to provide, as said at least one resource, an ad program recommendation; and

service-generating logic configured to provide, as said at least one resource, a tool for use by the entity.