Providing geocoded targeted web content

• US 8,473,335 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Outside.in, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deeming, Robert F., Johnson, Steven B.
• Primary Examiner(s): KANERVO, VIRPI H
• Application Number:
  US12/207,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14
• 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: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• 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 system and method are disclosed for providing geocoded web content to a user based on a specific geographic location specified by the user. A determination module receives a geographic location from the user and determines latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the geographic location from a geographic information database. The determination module further determines a geographic boundary associated with the latitude and longitude coordinates based at least in part on an area of interest surrounding the geographic location. A web content search module determines web content comprising substance associated with a location within the geographic boundary. A front end interface transmits the determined web content for display in an order based at least in part on distance from the location associated with the web content to the geographic location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing geocoded web content to a user, the method comprising:

receiving from the user an address corresponding to a geographic location;

determining latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the address;

determining a first geographic boundary surrounding the latitude and longitude coordinates, wherein the latitude and longitude coordinates represent a centroid of the first geographic boundary;

determining a second geographic boundary surrounding the first geographic boundary, based at least in part on a boundary parameter;

determining, using a processor, first web content that comprises information associated with a location within the first geographic boundary;

determining, using a processor, second web content that comprises information associated with a location within the second geographic boundary and outside of the first geographic boundary; and

transmitting the determined first web content and the determined second web content for display in groups that are hierarchically ordered based on distance from the geographic location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web content comprises a news article.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the boundary parameter indicates a neighborhood surrounding the first geographic boundary.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the boundary parameter indicates a city surrounding the first geographic boundary.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic boundary is a specified distance from the centroid.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the centroid corresponds to a center of a regular shaped geographic boundary or of a trapezoidal shaped geographic boundary.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the boundary parameter indicating a city surrounding the first geographic boundary, determining a plurality of neighborhoods located within the city;

determining a hierarchal order for the plurality of neighborhoods, wherein each of the plurality of neighborhoods is associated with a position in the hierarchal order;

determining a neighborhood from the plurality of neighborhoods that comprises the latitude and longitude coordinates; and

associating the determined neighborhood with a first position in the hierarchal order.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting for display a web advertisement that is associated with the geographic location.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating an adjusted boundary parameter; and

transmitting updated web content to reflect web content with information associated with a location within a geographic boundary based on the adjusted boundary parameter.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a geographic boundary from the user.

11. A computer-implemented method of providing geocoded web content to a user, the method comprising:

receiving from the user an address corresponding to a geographic location;

determining latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the address;

determining a first boundary parameter that indicates a distance from the latitude and longitude coordinates;

determining a second boundary parameter that indicates an area of interest comprising the geographic location;

determining concentric geographic boundaries that surround the latitude and longitude coordinates that represent a centroid of the concentric geographic boundaries, the concentric geographic boundaries comprising a circular geographic boundary based on the first boundary parameter and an outer geographic boundary that surrounds the circular geographic boundary based on the second boundary parameter;

determining, using a processor, first web content that comprises information associated with a location within the circular geographic boundary;

determining, using a processor, second web content that comprises information associated with a location within the outer geographic boundary and outside of the circular geographic boundary; and

displaying the determined first web content and the determined second web content in groups that are hierarchically ordered based on distance from the geographic location.

12. A computer-implemented method of providing geocoded web content to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a geographic location from the user;

determining latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the geographic location;

determining a geographic boundary surrounding the latitude and longitude coordinates based at least in part on a boundary parameter that indicates an area of interest surrounding the geographic location;

associating the latitude and longitude coordinates with a centroid of the geographic boundary;

determining a second boundary parameter that indicates an area of interest that surrounds the geographic boundary;

determining concentric geographic boundaries based at least in part on the geographic boundary and the second boundary parameter;

determining, using a processor, web content comprising information associated with a location within at least one of the concentric geographic boundaries and outside of the geographic boundary; and

transmitting the determined web content for display in an order based at least in part on distance from the location associated with the web content to the geographic location.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the web content comprises a news article.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the area of interest is a geographic region within a geographic boundary that is a specified distance from the latitude and longitude coordinates.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the area of interest is a neighborhood comprising the geographic location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the area of interest is a city comprising the geographic location.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to the boundary parameter indicating a city, determining a plurality of neighborhoods located within the city;

determining a hierarchal order for the plurality of neighborhoods, wherein each of the plurality of neighborhoods is associated with a position in the hierarchal order;

determining a neighborhood from the plurality of neighborhoods that comprises the latitude and longitude coordinates; and

associating the determined neighborhood with a first position in the hierarchal order.