Apparatus and methods for providing route-based advertising and vendor-reported business information over a network
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing business information and advertising to a user, the method comprising:
- receiving from the user a query identifying a contemplated route;
accessing a computer database of self-reported business information from vendors, each vendor having an identified geographic location, wherein the self-reported business information has been previously supplied by the vendors through a vendor interface and stored in the database; and
providing to the user, via a server accessible over a network, information from the database concerning the business information of a set of vendors extracted from the database on the basis of geographic proximity to the route identified by the user and wherein the vendor interface is configured so that each vendor can also specify an advertising budget; and
providing to the user, over the network, in response to the query, advertising from the set of vendors based, at least in part, on data retrieved from the database and based on advertising budgets supplied by the set of vendors.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of providing information about vendors to a user includes receiving from the user a query identifying a contemplated route, providing a computer database of self-reported business information from the vendors, each vendor having an identified geographic location, and providing to the user, via a server accessible over a network, information from the database concerning the business information of a set of vendors extracted from the database on the basis of geographic proximity to the route identified by the user.
-
Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A method of providing business information and advertising to a user, the method comprising:
-
receiving from the user a query identifying a contemplated route; accessing a computer database of self-reported business information from vendors, each vendor having an identified geographic location, wherein the self-reported business information has been previously supplied by the vendors through a vendor interface and stored in the database; and providing to the user, via a server accessible over a network, information from the database concerning the business information of a set of vendors extracted from the database on the basis of geographic proximity to the route identified by the user and wherein the vendor interface is configured so that each vendor can also specify an advertising budget; and providing to the user, over the network, in response to the query, advertising from the set of vendors based, at least in part, on data retrieved from the database and based on advertising budgets supplied by the set of vendors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method of providing, over a network, advertising to a user, the method comprising:
-
receiving from a user a query identifying a contemplated route; accessing a computer database in which is stored self-reported business information from vendors, each vendor having an identified geographic location, and identifying a set of vendors selected on the basis at least of proximity of geographic location to the route, wherein the self-reported business information has been previously supplied by the vendors through a vendor interface and stored in the database and wherein the vendor interface is configured so that each vendor can also specify an advertising budget; and providing to the user, over the network, in response to the query, advertising from the set of vendors based, at least in part, on data retrieved from the database and based on advertising budgets supplied by the set of vendors. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
Specification