LOCATION-BASED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL

• US 20100036834A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peter Bandas
• Original Assignee: Peter Bandas
• Inventors: Bandas, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/444,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A collection of data records may be augmented by, for each data record of a plurality of data records, parsing each data record to find an address, converting the address to a geographic location indicator, and associating the geographic location indicator with said data record. These data records may be searched by receiving an indication of a geographic area in order to obtain a set of records with geographic location indicators representing geographic locations within, or partly within, the geographic area.

Claims

1. A method of searching data records comprising:

receiving an indication of a geographic area;

searching a collection of data records, each data record having an associated geographic location indicator, to obtain a set of records with geographic location indicators representing geographic locations within, or partly within, said geographic area;

accessing a personal profile and searching said set of records, or a filtered set of said set of records, to obtain a subset of records which match criteria specified by said personal profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving an indication of a geographic area comprises receiving an indication of a specific geographic location and receiving an indication of an area encompassing said specific geographic location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said receiving an indication of an area encompassing said specific geographic location comprises receiving an indication of a radius from said specific geographic location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each geographic indicator is a numeric indicator.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each said numeric indicator comprises a pair of numeric co-ordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to said accessing a personal profile, receiving a set of search criteria and searching said set of records to obtain said filtered set of records, said filtered set of records meeting said set of search criteria.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said set of search criteria comprises a specification of a keyword which is to be found in each record in said filtered set of records.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal profile specifies a first a set of keywords which are to be present in data records.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said personal profile specifies a second set of keywords which are to be absent in data records.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each record of said collection of records has associated point of interest data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein some of said collection of data records is advertising records.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said set of search criteria comprise a specification of a parameter which is to be found in each record in said filtered set of records.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal profile specifies a first a set of parameters which are to be present in data records.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said personal profile specifies a second set of parameters which are to be absent in data records.

15. A computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor cause said processor to:

prompt for an indication of a geographic area;

on receiving an indication of a geographic area, search a collection of data records, each data record having an associated geographic location indicator, to obtain a set of records with geographic location indicators representing geographic locations within said geographic area, and

access a personal profile and search said set of records, or a filtered set of said set of records, to obtain a subset of records which match criteria specified by said personal profile.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 containing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, further cause said processor to:

prior to said accessing a personal profile, receive a set of search criteria and search said set of records to obtain said filtered set of records, said filtered set of records meeting said set of search criteria.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said set of search criteria comprise a specification of a parameter which is to be found in each record in said filtered set of records.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said search said set of records, or a filtered set of said set of records, to obtain a subset of records which match criteria specified by said personal profile is a search for records in which parameters of a first set of parameters in said personal profile are present.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein said search said set of records, or a filtered set of said set of records, to obtain a subset of records which match criteria specified by said personal profile is a search for records in which parameters of a second set of parameters in said personal profile are absent.