Search engine and indexing technique

• US 8,972,371 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Local.com
• Original Assignee: Local Corporation
• Inventors: Xia, Xiongwu
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US13/438,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A local search engine geographically indexes information for searching by identifying a geocoded web page of a web site and identifying at least one geocodable web page of the web site. The system identifies a geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page of the web site. The geocode indicates a physical location of an entity associated with the web site. The system indexes content of the geocoded web page and content of the geocodable web page. The indexing including associating the geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page to the indexed content of the geocoded web page and the geocodable web page to allow geographical searching of the content of the web pages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first request from a wireless messaging device, the request having associated therewith a device identifier and containing keyword data usable by a directory assistance service;

determining from the device identifier a geographical location of the requester; and

generating a directory listing comprising data from at least one of a geocoded web page and a geocodable web page;

wherein the one of a geocoded web page and geocodable web page have associated therewith a geocode identifying a geographical location that is within a predefined threshold of the determined geographical location of the requester.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the determined geographical location of the requester to a directory assistance service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the geocode is associated with the geocoded web page and the geocodable web page.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the geocode associated with the geocoded web page and geocodable web page comprises an index.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the index associating the geocoded web page and the geocodable web page is a reverse index.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises a telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises an Internet Protocol address.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises a cookie.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises a device identifier in accordance with the Wireless Application Protocol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises a device identifier in accordance with a non-TCP/IP based network protocol.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises an identifier of the wireless messaging device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier comprises an identifier of any of a personal computer, laptop, workstation personal digital assistant or cell phone.

13. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a first request from having associated therewith a device identifier and containing keyword data usable by a directory assistance service;

determining from the device identifier a geographical location of the requester; and

generating a directory listing comprising data from at least one of a geocoded web page and a geocodable web page;

wherein the one of a geocoded web page and geocodable web page have associated therewith a geocode within a predefined parameter of the determined geographical location of the requester.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer instructions for:

forwarding the determined geographical location of the requester to a directory assistance service.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the geocode is associated with the geocoded web page and geocodable web page and further comprise an index.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises a telephone number.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises an Internet Protocol address.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises a cookie.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises a device identifier in accordance with the Wireless Application Protocol.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises a device identifier in accordance with a non-TCP/IP based network protocol.

21. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the device identifier comprises an identifier of a wireless messaging device.

22. A system comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory, operatively coupled to the communication interface, for storing a plurality of geocoded web pages and geocodable web pages, each of the geocodable webpages associated with a geocoded webpage; and

a processor, operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, the processor configured for;

receiving a first request having associated therewith a device identifier and containing keyword data usable by a directory assistance service;

determining from the device identifier a geographical location of the requester; and

generating a directory listing comprising data from at least one of the plurality of geocoded web pages and geocodable web pages stored in the memory;

wherein the at least one geocoded web page and geocodable web page have associated therewith a geocode identifying a geographical location that is within a predefined threshold of the determined geographical location of the requester.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the device identifier comprises a telephone number.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the device identifier comprises an Internet Protocol address.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the device identifier comprises a cookie.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the device identifier comprises a device identifier in accordance with the Wireless Application Protocol.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the device identifier comprises an identifier of a wireless messaging device.