Multi-mode location based e-directory service enabling method, system, and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of preparing a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for location-based supplier information, said method comprising:
- receiving, in an apparatus, a user request for location-based supplier information;
identifying, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information;
identifying from the user request at least one informational element useful in querying an e-directory of suppliers;
causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate primary supplier hits;
causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a world wide web (www) using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate supplier web page hits;
causing the apparatus to merge said primary supplier hits with said supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers including a plurality of facts respecting each supplier in said list;
causing the apparatus to sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location;
causing the apparatus to purge any duplicate supplier hits;
causing the apparatus to format said list of suppliers to remove any facts extraneous to presentation over a viewing device to said user; and
causing the apparatus to deliver the list of suppliers to the viewing device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method prepares a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for location-based supplier information. The method includes identifying from said user request a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information, identifying from the user request at least one informational element useful in querying a directory of suppliers, querying a primary directory of suppliers using said desired location and said informational element in order to generate primary supplier hits, querying the world wide web (www) using said desired location and said informational element in order to generate www supplier hits, merging said primary supplier hits with said www supplier hits to create a list of suppliers including a plurality of facts respecting each supplier in said list, sorting all supplier hits in said list by proximity to said desired location, purging any duplicate supplier hits, and formatting said list of suppliers to remove any facts extraneous to presentation over a viewing device to said user.
19 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of preparing a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for location-based supplier information, said method comprising:
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receiving, in an apparatus, a user request for location-based supplier information; identifying, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information; identifying from the user request at least one informational element useful in querying an e-directory of suppliers; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate primary supplier hits; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a world wide web (www) using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate supplier web page hits; causing the apparatus to merge said primary supplier hits with said supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers including a plurality of facts respecting each supplier in said list; causing the apparatus to sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location; causing the apparatus to purge any duplicate supplier hits; causing the apparatus to format said list of suppliers to remove any facts extraneous to presentation over a viewing device to said user; and causing the apparatus to deliver the list of suppliers to the viewing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 25)
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6. A method of preparing a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for supplier information, the method comprising:
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receiving, in an apparatus, a user request for location-based supplier information; identifying, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information; identifying from the user request at least one informational element usable in querying an e-directory of candidate suppliers; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using the desired location and the informational element, in order to generate first supplier hits; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a world wide web using the desired location and the informational element, in order to generate supplier web page hits; causing the apparatus to merge the first supplier hits with the supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers and a plurality of facts associated with each supplier on the list; and causing the apparatus to sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An article of manufacture usable with e-Directory services, the article of manufacture comprising:
a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to allow the processor to prepare a response to a user that is making a user request for supplier information, by; receiving, in an apparatus, the user request; identifying, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information; identifying from the user request at least one informational element usable in querying candidate suppliers; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate first supplier hits; causing the apparatus to query, responsive to the user request, a world wide web using said desired location and said informational element, in order to generate supplier web page hits; causing the apparatus to merge said first supplier hits with said supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers including a plurality of facts associated with each supplier in said list; causing the apparatus to sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location; causing the apparatus to purge duplicate supplier hits; causing the apparatus to format said list to remove any extraneous facts; and causing the apparatus to format said list to a format that can be presented by a viewing device of said user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 26)
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18. A system for preparing a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for supplier information, the system comprising:
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means for receiving, in an apparatus, a user request for location-based supplier information; means for identifying, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information; means for identifying from the user request at least one informational element usable in query candidate suppliers; means for querying, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using the desired location and the informational element, in order to generate first supplier hits; means for querying, responsive to the user request, a world wide web using the desired location and the informational element, in order to generate supplier web page hits; means for merging the first supplier hits with the supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers and a plurality of facts associated with each supplier on the list; means for sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location; means for delivering the list of suppliers and their associated facts to a client device of the user; means for purging any duplicate suppliers on the list; and means for formatting the list of suppliers to remove any facts extraneous to presentation on the client device of the user. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 27)
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21. An e-Directory service apparatus to prepare a response to a user making a user request for supplier information, the apparatus comprising:
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a data request service module to receive the user request; a request query service module operatively associated with the data request service to identify, through use of automatic location detection in a mobile communications device, a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information and to identify from the received user request at least one informational element usable in querying candidate suppliers, the request query service module being capable to query, responsive to the user request, a primary e-directory of suppliers using the desired location and the informational element in order to generate first supplier hits and to query, responsive to the user request, a world wide web using the desired location and the informational element in order to generate supplier web page hits; a data merging service module operatively associated with the request query service module to merge the first supplier hits with the supplier web page hits to create a list of suppliers and a plurality of facts associated with each supplier on the list; at least one module operatively associated with the data merging service module, including a list sorting module to sort the list of suppliers based on proximity to the desired location; a duplicate elimination service module to purge any duplicate suppliers on the list; a user customization service module to customize the list of suppliers and their associated facts based on user preferences; a prioritize weighting service module to weigh the suppliers on the list based on criteria; and at least one formatting service modules to format the sorted list into a form suitable for a client device of the user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 28)
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Specification