Systems and methods for online matching of consumers and retailers

• US 8,412,591 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aitemconnect Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eczell Corporation
• Inventors: Ajala, Dare
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/016,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272, 701/400, 715/700, 715716-726, 715733-747, 715/864
• US Class Current: 705/26.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

Systems and methods match buyers and sellers of goods and/or services online. More specifically, a website facilitates a search by consumers of retailers for goods and/or services. In addition, the website facilitates the advertising of goods and/or services by retailers. Specifically, a user of the system may search for particular products and services, and/or businesses. Interactive maps provide a user with location information of businesses and/or service providers that fit one or more criteria searched by the user. Icons may be generated on the map, whereupon users may obtain information relating to products or services searched for by selecting the icons. Further information may also be obtained relating to the businesses, service providers, products and/or services of the businesses and/or service providers. Users may select to buy particular products and/or services directly from the businesses and/or service providers, or may tag products and/or services for viewing at a later time. Moreover, users may correspond with others for recommending and/or reviewing particular products, services, businesses and/or service providers.

Claims

1. A method for finding a business selling a product, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an online system, wherein the online system includes information relating to a plurality of businesses, each of the businesses having at least one product for sale;

inputting at least one search parameter into the system, wherein the at least one search parameter relates to at least one of a business, a product, or a location;

using the online system to retrieve information of at least one business, product, or location matching the at least one search parameter;

displaying a map on a graphical display apparatus, the map graphically displaying geographical location information;

displaying location information of a first business on the map matching the at least one search parameter, wherein the information on the map comprises an icon representing the first business;

providing a graphical cursor on the map and using the cursor via a cursor controlling apparatus to select the icon representing the first business;

displaying information about the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business in a visual window overlaid on the map, wherein the information includes visual representations of the at least one product for sale by the first business;

providing a webpage dedicated to a first user;

tagging at least one product for sale, wherein the at least one product for sale is linked to the webpage dedicated to the first user; and

linking the first user'"'"'s webpage to a second user'"'"'s webpage, wherein the second user receives information about the tagged products and searches of the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one search parameter relates to a business, and further wherein the at least one search parameter includes location information about the business.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one search parameter relates to a product, and further wherein the at least one search parameter includes a product name.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inputting a plurality of search parameters into the system, wherein a first search parameter relates to a product and a second search parameter relates to location-specific information about where the product is sold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one search parameter relates to a location, and further wherein the at least one search parameter relates to a geographical range.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one search parameter relates to information selected from a street designation, a city designation, and a zip code designation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein using the cursor to select an icon representing the first business includes touching the icon with the cursor and further wherein touching the icon with the cursor causes a window to be shown including the information about the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving information on the map relating to location information of a plurality of businesses matching the at least one search parameter, wherein the information on the map comprises a plurality of icons, each of the plurality of icons representing one of the plurality of businesses.

9. The method of claim 1 further wherein the at least one search parameter relates to at least one product, and further wherein the information received about the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business includes at least one pictorial representation of the at least one product.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing an inter-user messaging system within the online system; and

sending an information message from a first user to a second user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

posting a review in the online system, wherein the posted review is displayed to at least one user of the online system.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

purchasing the at least one product for sale by the first business through the online system, wherein the user does not have to travel to the physical or virtual location of the first business in order to purchase products offered by the first business.

13. A system for retrieving and storing information about a plurality of businesses, each of the plurality of businesses having at least one product for sale and accessible by a first user for searching the system for a first product, the system comprising:

a database storing information relating to the plurality of businesses and the products for sale by the businesses;

an interface configured to present a graphical representation to the first user of the system, wherein the graphical representation comprises a map displayed on a graphical display apparatus, wherein the map shows geographical location information of at least one icon representing at least one business having at least one product for sale, wherein the system comprises searching means for the first user to search for at least one of a first product, a business, and a location, wherein the at least one icon pictorially shows a location of the at least one business;

a graphical cursor on the map, wherein the user moves the cursor via a cursor controlling apparatus to select an icon, wherein a visual window is overlaid on the map comprising further information about the at least one business and the at least one product for sale by the business, wherein the further information includes visual representations of the at least one product for sale by the business;

a first webpage dedicated to the first user, wherein the at least one product for sale is linked to the first webpage dedicated to the first user; and

a second webpage dedicated to a second user, wherein the first webpage is linked to the second webpage, and further wherein the second user receives information about the linked products and searches of the first user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein selecting the icon using the cursor comprises touching the icon with the cursor without clicking on the icon.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the map shows a plurality of icons representing a plurality of businesses, wherein each of the businesses has a plurality of products for sale, and further wherein each of the plurality of icons shows a location of one of the plurality of businesses, and further wherein the pop-up window includes information relating to a plurality of products, each of the products shown in the pop-up window satisfying search parameters input by the user.