ONLINE SITES WITH ASSOCIATED FICTITIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

• US 20160364408A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bin Wu
• Original Assignee: Bin Wu
• Inventors: WU, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A method, which provides a location context to an online object, includes (a) receiving identification information regarding the online object; (b) in a database, creating a relationship between the online object and a representation of a geographical location; (c) receiving a request for retrieving the relationship from the database based on the identification information or the geographical location; and (d) responding to the request by returning the relationship retrieved from the database. The request may originate from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically. The online object may correspond to an online business. In some implementations, the online object is unrelated in real life to a community located at the geographical location.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location context to an online object, comprising:

receiving identification information regarding the online object;

in a database, creating a relationship between the online object and a representation of a geographical location;

receiving a request for retrieving the relationship from the database based on the identification information or the geographical location; and

responding to the request by returning the relationship retrieved from the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request originates from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the online object corresponds to an online business.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the online object is unrelated in real life to a community located at the geographical location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the creator of a relationship corresponds to an online business which systematically relate online objects to fictitious locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the geographical location is specified by a latitude and a longitude.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographical location is further specified by an altitude.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database further includes both relationships between real objects and geographical locations and online objects and geographical locations, and wherein, in the relationships of the online objects, the geographical locations are limited to public areas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the public areas are selected from the group consisting of sidewalks, public parks, public lands, on throughways, or underground.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the online objects in the database form a virtual community.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein virtual community comprises a virtual bazaar.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship is created in the database by a server, having a user interface that is implemented in a website or a mobile application program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the server conducts one or more of the following activities:

online commerce of goods or services, classified advertisement, advertising, information sharing or exchange, online publishing of articles or books, online communications, or online socializing.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface allows a user to explore a local community using an avatar.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the local community comprises a virtual community.

16. A system comprising:

one or more user interfaces;

a database; and

a server operating the user interfaces and the database, wherein the server;

receives identification information regarding an online object from the one or more user interfaces;

creates in the database a relationship between the online object and a representation of a geographical location;

receives a request from the one or more user interfaces for retrieving the relationship from the database based on the identification information or the geographical location; and

responding to the request by returning the relationship retrieved from the database to the one or more user interfaces from which the request originates.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the request originates from an application program that displays the representation of the geographical location graphically.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the online object corresponds to an online business.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the online object is unrelated in real life to a community located at the geographical location.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the creator of a relationship corresponds to an online business which systematically relate online objects to fictitious locations.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the representation of the geographical location is specified by a latitude and a longitude.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the geographical location is further specified by an altitude.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the database further includes both relationships between real objects and geographical locations and online objects and geographical locations, and wherein, in the relationships of the online objects, the geographical locations are limited to public areas.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the public areas are selected from the group consisting of sidewalks, public parks, public lands, on throughways, or underground.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the online objects in the database form a virtual community.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein virtual community comprises a virtual bazaar.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interfaces are each implemented in a website or a mobile application program.

28. The system of claim 27, where the server conducts one or more of the following activities:

online commerce of goods or services, classified advertisement, advertising, information sharing or exchange, online publishing of articles or books, online communications, or online socializing.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the user interface allows a user to explore a local community using an avatar.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the local community comprises a virtual community.