Clickable map interface

• US 8,700,586 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Celik, Aytek Esen
• Primary Examiner(s): Duran, Arthur
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, RODNEY M
• Application Number:
  US11/329,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,015 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing a map for displaying inventory. A clickable map interface allows users to view or purchase the inventory of a product at a particular location. A user can view the inventory of a product from retail stores within a particular region. Alternatively, a user can view a map with the inventory of advertisements available within a particular geographic region.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying an inventory amount of a product on a map over a network, the method comprising:

determining a geographic area;

receiving an input over the network that requests the product for the determined geographic area;

determining, with a processor, product availability in the geographic area based on information provided by consumers;

identifying at least one location in the geographic area where an inventory of the product is available;

determining an available inventory amount of the product at the at least one location using the information provided by the consumers;

displaying at least a portion of the geographic area on the map including the at least one location; and

displaying, on the map, the available inventory amount of the product at the at least one location.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the geographic area is determined by an input from a user, a physical location of a user, a computer profile of the user, or information from a computer that is displaying the map.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the geographic area is defined by at least one of an address, a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location, a city, a neighborhood, a zip code, an area code, a county, or a state.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the product is online advertising.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the online advertising is sold and displayed based on the geographic area of a user viewing the online advertising.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the online advertising comprises an advertisement for a business located within the geographic area of the user.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identified at least one location in the geographic area where the inventory is available is at least one retail store.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the at least one location in the geographic area where the inventory is available comprises:

identifying the at least one retail store in the geographic area;

determining which of the at least one retail stores offer the product for sale; and

displaying on a map the inventory amount of the product at each of the at least one retail stores that offer the product for sale.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the identified at least one location of the at least one retail store is operative to display the inventory amount of the product.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the inventory amount of the product is displayed at one of the identified at least one retail store when the user clicks on that retail store.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identified at least one location in the geographic area where the inventory is available is at least one local seller.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining an available inventory amount of the product at the at least one location using the information provided by the consumers comprises:

receiving, at a publishing site, information on product availability and inventory from consumers; and

receiving, at the publishing site, information on product availability and inventory from mothers groups, neighborhood associations, or fan associations.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining an available inventory amount of the product at the at least one location using the information provided by the consumers comprises using information provided by consumers regarding consumer purchases or reservations of products made over the network.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for displaying a quantity of a product on a map, the storage medium comprising instructions for:

identifying an identity of the product and a geographic location;

determining whether the product is available in a vicinity of the geographic location;

identifying locations where the product is available within the vicinity of the geographic location;

determining, for each of the identified locations, the quantity of the product available for sale at the identified location;

displaying the vicinity of the geographic location on the map;

displaying the identified locations where the product is available within the vicinity of the geographic location on the map; and

displaying on the map the quantity of the product available for sale at each of the identified locations.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12 wherein the geographic location is determined by an input from a user, a physical location of a user, a computer profile of a user, or information from a computer that is displaying the map.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13 wherein the geographic location is defined by at least one of an address, a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location, a city, a neighborhood, a zip code, an area code, a county, or a state.

15. The storage medium according to claim 12 wherein the quantity of the product available at the identified location is determined based on information provided by consumers.

16. The storage medium according to claim 12 wherein the product is available from retail stores within the vicinity of the geographic location or a local seller within the vicinity of the geographic location.

17. The storage medium according to claim 16 wherein the instruction of determining whether the inventory of the product is available comprises:

identifying the retail stores in the vicinity of the geographic location;

determining which of the retail stores offer the product for sale; and

displaying on a map the inventory of the product at each of the retail stores that offer the product for sale.