System and method for location-based searches and advertising

• US 8,612,437 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis, Currie, Robert, Gotlieb, Charles E
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Huen
• Application Number:
  US11/511,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,668 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method provides location-aware search results from a navigation or other device and provides one or more enhanced listings or advertisements with the results to offset the communication cost of the search. The sponsor may be charged for the listing or advertisement and the charge may be based on whether the device arrives in an area around the sponsor location within a threshold amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of providing results corresponding to at least one search term and a target location, the method comprising:

receiving, and associating an identifier of a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed with at least one device;

storing, in a cache of one or more servers, the identifier of the RSS feed, the RSS feed and an identifier for each device associated with the RSS feed;

receiving, via a network from a device, a request comprising the at least one search term and the target location;

identifying whether a threshold number, greater than one, of a plurality of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location exist in the cache with at least one search result in the cache being from a RSS feed corresponding to the device from which the request was received, wherein the device is identified by the identifier for the device associated with the RSS feed;

responsive to the threshold number of the plurality of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location existing in the cache;

selecting a proper subset of the plurality of search results, which more closely corresponds to the target location than the remainder of search results not selected,

modifying the proper-subset of the plurality of search results responsive to at least one sponsor who has paid a fee for the sponsorship, and

providing the modified proper subset of the plurality of search results to the device from which the request was received; and

responsive to the threshold number of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location not existing in the cache, providing one or more search results from the RSS feed to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising, responsive to the threshold number of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location not existing in the cache:

providing the at least one search term to at least one external server;

receiving a plurality of search results to the at least one search term provided to the at least one external server; and

storing in the cache at least some of the plurality of search results received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one external server comprises a plurality of external servers, each operated by an entity independent of operators of the other external servers.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising:

receiving information useful for performing a follow up operation with at least one of the at least one sponsor; and

performing the follow up operation with the at least one of the at least one sponsor responsive to the information received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the performing the follow up operation comprises contacting at least one of the at least one sponsor or an agent of at least one of the at least one sponsor.

6. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising:

receiving an indication that the device is nearby a location of the at least one of the at least one sponsor; and

charging said at least one of the at least one sponsor a fee responsive to the indication.

7. The method of claim 1:

wherein the request comprises ancillary information comprising at least one selected from the group comprising schedule information regarding a user of the device from which the request was received and at least one identifier of another device; and

the method additionally comprises modifying the proper subset of the plurality of search results responsive to the ancillary information.

8. A system for providing results corresponding to at least one search term and a target location, the system comprising:

a search manager having an input operatively coupled for receiving, via a network from a device, a request comprising the at least one search term and the target location, the search manager for providing the request at an output;

a cache manager having an input coupled to the search manager output for receiving the request, the cache manager for identifying whether a threshold number, greater than one, of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location exist in a cache of one or more servers, the cache comprising an identifier of a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed associated with at least one device, the RSS feed and an identifier for each device associated with the RSS feed, the cache coupled to the cache manager via an input/output and for, responsive to the threshold number of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location existing in the cache, providing a plurality of said search results and at least a portion of the request, comprising the target location, at an output wherein at least one search result in the cache is from a RSS feed corresponding to the device from which the request was received, wherein the device is identified by the identifier for the device associated with the RSS feed;

a results segregator having an input coupled to the cache manager output for receiving the plurality of search results, the results segregator for selecting a proper subset of the plurality of search results more closely corresponding to the target location in the request than the remainder of search results not selected and for providing the proper subset at an output;

a sponsor manager having an input coupled to the results segregator output for receiving the subset, the sponsor manager for modifying the subset of the plurality of search results responsive to at least one sponsor who has paid a fee for the sponsorship and for providing at an output the modified subset of the plurality of search results; and

a communication interface having an input coupled to the sponsor manager output for receiving the modified proper subset of the plurality of search results, the communication interface for providing via an output the modified proper subset of the plurality of search results to the device from which the request was received.

9. The system of claim 8:

wherein the cache manager is additionally for, responsive to the threshold number of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location not existing in the cache, providing at, the cache manager output the at least one search term; and

additionally comprising an external search manager having an input coupled to the cache manager output for receiving the at least one search term, the cache manager for providing at an input/output the at least one search term to at least one external server, receiving at the cache manager input/output a plurality of search results to the at least one search term provided to the at least one external server, and for storing in the cache via an input/output coupled to the cache at least some of the plurality of search results received.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one external server comprises a plurality of external servers, each operated by an entity independent of operators of the other external servers.

11. The system of claim 8, additionally comprising a follow up processor having an input for receiving information useful for performing a follow up operation with at least one of the at least one sponsor, the follow up processor for performing the follow up operation with the at least one of the at least one sponsor responsive to the information received.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the follow up operation comprises contacting the at least one of the at least one sponsor or an agent of the at least one sponsor.

13. The system of claim 8, additionally comprising a sponsor charge manager having an input for receiving an indication that the device is nearby a location of at least one of the at least one sponsor, the sponsor charge manager for charging via an output the at least one of the at least one sponsor a fee responsive to the indication.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the request comprises ancillary information comprising at least one selected from the group comprising schedule information regarding a user of the device from which the request was received and at least one identifier of another device;

the results segregator provides the ancillary information at the results segregator output;

the sponsor manager input is additionally for receiving the ancillary information; and

the sponsor manager is additionally for modifying the proper subset of the plurality of search results responsive to the ancillary information.

15. A computer program product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing search results corresponding to at least one search term and a target location, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

receive and associate an identifier of a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed with at least one device;

store, in a cache of one or more servers, the identifier of the RSS feed, the RSS feed and an identifier for each device associated with the RSS feed;

receive, via a network from a device, a request comprising the at least one search term and the target location;

identify whether a threshold number, greater than one, of a plurality of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location exist in the cache wherein at least one result in the cache is from a RSS feed corresponding to the device from which the request originated, wherein the device is identified by the identifier for the device associated with the RSS feed; and

responsive to the threshold number of the plurality of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location existing in the cache;

select a proper subset of the plurality of search results more closely corresponding to the target location than the remainder of search results not selected;

modify the subset of the plurality of search results responsive to at least one sponsor who has paid a fee for the sponsorship; and

provide the modified proper subset of the plurality of search results to a device from which the request was received.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising, computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to, responsive to the threshold number of search results corresponding to the at least one search term and the target location not existing in the cache:

provide the at least one search term to at least one external server;

receive a plurality of search results to the at least one search term provided to the at least one external server; and

store in the cache at least some of the plurality of search results received.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the at least one external server comprises a plurality of external servers, each operated by an entity independent of operators of the other external servers.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to:

receive information useful for performing a follow up operation with at least one of the at least one sponsor; and

perform the follow up operation with the at least one of the at least one sponsor responsive to the information received.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to perform the follow up operation comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to contact at least one of the at least one sponsor or an agent of at least one of the at least one sponsor.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to:

receive an indication that the device is nearby a location of at least one of the at least one sponsor; and

charge said at least one of the at least one sponsor a fee responsive to the indication.

21. The computer program product of claim 15:

wherein the request comprises ancillary information comprising a selection from the group comprising schedule information regarding a user of the device from which the request was received and at least one identifier of another device; and

additionally comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the computer system to modify the proper subset of the plurality of search results responsive to the ancillary information.