Collecting useful user feedback about geographical entities

• US 9,043,325 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Moczydlowski, Wojciech
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M
• Application Number:
  US13/168,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/737, 707/758, 707/802, 707/803, 715/765
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

A system and machine-implemented method for displaying user-submitted comments for geographic entities, including displaying a list of geographic entities, and displaying concurrently for each listed geographic entity one or more user-submitted comments associated with the geographic entity and a comment entry field which permits a user to submit a new comment associated with the geographic entity.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for displaying user-submitted comments for geographic entities, the method comprising:

receiving a search query for geographic entities;

displaying, in response to the received search query, a list of geographic entities; and

displaying, concurrently for each listed geographic entity, content of one or more user-submitted comments associated with the geographic entity, and a comment entry field which permits a user to submit a new comment associated with the geographic entity,

wherein each of the one or more user-submitted comments corresponds to a comment submitted by an individual user, and

wherein, for each of the user submitted-comments, display of the content of the user-submitted comment is prioritized based on whether the user-submitted comment was submitted by a contact of the user within a social network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a graphical map display area which indicates the locations of the geographic entities on a map, concurrent with the list of geographic entities, and the content of one or more user-submitted comments and the comment entry field for each listed geographic entity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second new comment; and

updating, while displaying the content of the user-submitted comments, the displayed content of the user-submitted comments to include content of the second new comment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the new comment associated with one of the plurality of geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment for generating a search index of geographical entities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the comment entry field, the new comment associated with one of the listed geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment to rank the listed geographical entities, based on whether the new comment was anonymously submitted.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, for each of the user-submitted comments, a graphical component for sending a text message or a private message to the respective individual user who submitted the comment.

7. A system for displaying user-submitted comments for geographic entities, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a search query for geographic entities;

displaying, in response to the received search query, a list of geographic entities;

displaying, concurrently for each listed geographic entity, content of one or more user-submitted comments associated with the geographic entity, and a comment entry field which permits a user to submit a new comment associated with the geographic entity,

wherein each of the one or more user-submitted comments corresponds to a comment submitted by an individual user, and

wherein, for each of the user-submitted-comments, display of the content of the user-submitted comment is prioritized based on whether the user-submitted comment was submitted by a contact of the user within a social network;

receiving a second new comment; and

updating, while displaying the content of the user-submitted comments, the displayed content of the user-submitted comments to include the second new comment.

8. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

displaying a graphical map display area which indicates the locations of the geographic entities on a map, concurrent with the list of geographic entities, and the content of one or more user-submitted comments and the comment entry field for each listed geographic entity.

9. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

receiving the new comment associated with one of the plurality of geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment for generating a search index of geographical entities.

10. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

receiving the new comment associated with one of the plurality of geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment for ranking geographical entities.

11. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

displaying, for each of the user-submitted comments, a graphical component for sending a text message or a private message to the respective individual user who submitted the comment.

12. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a search query for geographic entities;

displaying, in response to the received search query, a list of geographic entities;

displaying, concurrently for each listed geographic entity, content of one or more user-submitted comments associated with the geographic entity and a comment entry field which permits a user to submit a new comment associated with the geographic entity,

wherein each of the one or more user-submitted comments corresponds to a comment submitted by an individual user, and

wherein, for each of the user submitted-comments, display of the content of the user-submitted comment is prioritized based on whether the user-submitted comment was submitted by a contact of the user within a social network;

receiving the new comment associated with one of the plurality of geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment for ranking geographical entities.

13. The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

displaying a graphical map display area which indicates the locations of the geographic entities on a map, concurrent with the list of geographic entities, and the content of one or more user-submitted comments and the comment entry field for each listed geographic entity.

14. The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising;

receiving a second new comment; and

updating, while displaying the content of the user-submitted comments, the displayed content of the user-submitted comments to include content of the second new comment.

15. The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

receiving the new comment associated with one of the plurality of geographic entities; and

utilizing the new comment for generating a search index of geographical entities.

16. The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

displaying, for each of the user-submitted comments, a graphical component for sending a text message or a private message to the respective individual user who submitted the comment.

17. The medium of claim 12, wherein

the new comment has a reduced effect for ranking geographical entities if the user is not signed into an account provided by the system when submitting the new comment.