Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media for Locating Real-World Objects Using Computer-Implemented Searching

• US 20150006499A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Benjamin Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/930,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20150006499A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Provided are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for locating a real-world object using a computer-implemented search engine. A real-world object may be coupled to a transmitter that periodically transmits signals having an identifier. A user device having a location may include a received that detects such signals and stores the detected identifier and signal strengths. Upon determining changes in the signal strengths of received signals from a real-world object transmitter, the user device may send the identifier, the location, and the signal strengths to a location server. Upon receiving a query for the location of the real-world object, a search engine may send a request to the location server for the location of the real-world object. The location server may obtain the identifier corresponding to the real-world object and determine the location of the real-world object based on the stored signal strengths and locations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for locating a real-world object, the method comprising:

receiving over a network, at a search engine, a search query from a user device for a real-world object, the search engine configured to search digital documents accessible over a network;

obtaining, via one or more processors, an identifier of a transmitter associated with the real world object;

determining from location data, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object, the location data comprising one or more locations and a plurality of signal strengths; and

providing, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object to the user device in response to the search query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises one or more terms that identify the real-world object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein obtaining an identifier of a transmitter associated with the real world object comprises obtaining the identifier based on the one or more terms.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location comprises a set of geographic coordinates or a user-assigned name.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location of the real world object is based on an identification of the most recent signal strengths of the plurality of signal strengths.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smartphone.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the location of the real-world object to the user device comprises providing a marker at the location on a computer-generated geographic map.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a signal from the transmitter at a second user device;

determining whether the change between the received signal strength and a previously received signal strength is above a threshold;

transmitting, over a network, the user device location and a signal strength indicator to a server.

20. The system of claim 17, The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location of the real world object is based on an identification of the most recent signal strengths of the plurality of signal strengths.

9. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium having executable computer code stored thereon for locating a real-world object, the code comprising a set of instructions that causes one or more processors to perform the following:

receiving over a network, at a search engine, a search query from a user device for a real-world object, the search engine configured to search digital documents accessible over a network;

obtaining, via one or more processors, an identifier of a transmitter associated with the real world object;

determining from location data, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object, the location data comprising one or more locations and a plurality of signal strengths; and

providing, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object to the user device in response to the search query.

10. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the search query comprises one or more terms that identify the real-world object.

11. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein obtaining an identifier of a transmitter associated with the real world object comprises obtaining the identifier based on the one or more terms.

12. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location comprises a set of geographic coordinates or a user-assigned name.

13. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location of the real world object is based on an identification of the most recent signal strengths of the plurality of signal strengths.

14. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the user device comprises a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smartphone.

15. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein providing the location of the real-world object to the user device comprises providing a marker at the location on a computer-generated geographic map.

16. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the transmitter is configured to periodically transmit a signal with the identifier.

17. A system, comprising:

a transmitter configured to be coupled to a real-world object, the transmitter configured to transmit a signal including an identifier;

a receiver associated with a user device, the receiver configured to receive the signal;

a server comprising;

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory tangible memory accessible by the one or more processors and having executable computer code stored thereon, the code comprising a set of instructions that causes one or more processors to perform the following;

receiving over a network, at a search engine, a search query from a user device for the real-world object, the search engine configured to search digital documents accessible over a network;

obtaining, via one or more processors, the identifier;

determining from location data, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object, the location data comprising one or more locations and a plurality of signal strengths; and

providing, via one or more processors, the location of the real world object to the user device in response to the search query.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising a location data repository accessible by the server, wherein the location data repository stored the location data.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the search query comprises one or more terms that identify the real-world object.