System and method for providing search results based on location

• US 7,565,157 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ortega, Ruben E., Frederick, Robert, Dorfman, Barnaby
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US11/283,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 707/3, 707/102
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method for providing a listing of common searches based on a location. The method includes receiving a location of a mobile computing device, generating a listing of common searches associated with the location, and transmitting the listing of common searches to the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a listing of search requests based on a location, comprising:

automatically, without user input;

receiving a current location and an indication of movement of a mobile computing device;

predicting a future location of the mobile computing device based on the current location and the indication of movement of the mobile computing device;

in response to predicting the future location, generating a set of search requests determined to be relevant to the predicted future location; and

transmitting the set of search requests to the mobile computing device,

wherein each of the set of search requests is capable of being executed from the mobile computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of search requests is filtered such that only search requests performed by a defined user group are used in generating the listing.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of search requests is filtered based on one or more user attributes.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of search requests is filtered based on a geographic proximity of the search requests to the location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of search requests is filtered based on information received from a news source.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a current location includes receiving coordinates from a global positioning satellite.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a current location includes receiving a current location generated based on cell tower triangulation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the set of search requests includes generating the set based on a location type associated with the predicted future location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of movement of the mobile computing device includes at least one of an orientation of movement or a direction of movement.

10. A location aware searching system, comprising:

a location database configured to maintain a plurality of locations and a plurality of search requests; and

a location aware search engine system, the location aware search engine system including a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, configured to automatically, without user input, perform the steps of;

receiving a current location and an indication of movement of a mobile computing device;

predicting a future location for the mobile computing device based on the current location and indication of the movement of the mobile computing device;

in response to predicting the future location, generating a set of search requests, from the plurality of search requests, determined to be relevant to the predicted future location; and

transmitting the set of search requests to the mobile computing device,

wherein each of the set of search requests is capable of being executed from the mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of search requests further includes search information associated with each of the search requests.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein generating the set of search requests further includes sorting the set based on the search information associated with the search requests.

13. The system of claim 10, further including an auto-complete search term engine configured to suggest one or more search terms based on the first letters of a search term being entered by a user and based on the set of search requests.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further includes a user database configured to store one or more attributes associated with a user of a mobile device and wherein the set of search requests is filtered based on one or more of the user attributes.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of search requests is filtered based on a geographic proximity of the search requests to the location.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving a location includes receiving a location generated based on a cell tower triangulation method.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein generating the set of search requests includes generating the set based on a location type associated with the predicted future location.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of movement of the mobile computing device includes at least one of an orientation of movement or a direction of movement.

19. A location aware searching system, comprising:

a web site system, the web site system including computer program logic configured to provide an online web site and configured to generate a user profile for a user based on activity of the user when visiting the web site; and

a location aware search engine system, the location aware search engine system including computer program logic configured to automatically, without user input, perform the steps of;

receiving a current location and an indication of movement of a mobile computing device;

predicting a future location for the mobile computing device based on the current location and the indication of movement of the mobile computing device;

in response to predicting the future location, generating a set of search requests, from the plurality of search requests, determined to be relevant to the predicted future location;

filtering the set of search requests based on the user profile from the web site system; and

transmitting the filtered set of search requests to the mobile computing device,

wherein each of the filtered set of search requests is capable of being executed from the mobile computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the location aware search engine is configured to assign the user to a user group based on the user profile from an online retail service engine, and further wherein the set of search requests is generated based at least in part on the user group.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the user profile includes a past purchasing history for the user.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the location aware search engine system is further configured to filter the set of search requests based on a geographic proximity of the search requests to the location.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the location aware search engine system is further configured to filter the set of search requests based on information received from a news source.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein receiving a location includes receiving coordinates from a global positioning satellite.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein receiving a location includes receiving a location generated based on a cell tower triangulation method.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein generating the set of search requests includes generating the set based on a location type associated with the location.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the web site system is configured as a retail web site configured to allow the user to make online purchases of goods or services.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the web site system includes an auto-complete search term engine configured to suggest one or more search terms based on the first letters of a search term being entered by a user and based on the set of search requests.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the indication of movement of the mobile computing device includes at least one of an orientation of movement or a direction of movement.