Systems and methods to facilitate search of business entities

• US 9,177,068 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: YellowPages.com LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Lieske, Jay H. Jr., Lam, Man Tat
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US12/186,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-711, 707722-723, 707736-738, 707/758, 707/805, 707/14.4, 707/14.49, 707 1454- 1455, 707/14.6, 707/14.73, 707/26.1, 707/26.41, 707/27.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate search of listings of businesses according to opening date or age of the businesses at their current business locations. For example, a user may submit a search request for listings of new businesses (e.g., the businesses having the “Grand Opening” status) at a location specified by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing first data and second data received via a communication network by one or more interfaces facilitated by a server system, the first data indicative of a first age of a first business, and the second data indicative of a second age of a second business;

storing, by the server system in a data storage facility of the server system, listings of a plurality of businesses, including data indicative of ages of the businesses, wherein the data comprises the first data indicative of the first age of the first business and the second data indicative of the second age of the second business;

at a first time, generating by the server system a first indication of a first level of past operations of the first business at least in part by;

comparing, by the server system, the first data indicative of the first age of the first business to a first threshold corresponding to a first time period of past operations;

determining, by the server system, whether the first data indicative of the first age of the first business satisfies the first threshold; and

assigning, by the server system, a first status to a first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part the determining whether the first data satisfies the first threshold and storing a first status indicator in association with the first listing in the data storage facility;

at a second time, generating by the server system a second indication of a second level of past operations of the second business at least in part by;

comparing, by the server system, the second data indicative of the second age of the second business to a second threshold corresponding to a second time period of past operations;

determining, by the server system, whether the second data indicative of the second age of the second business satisfies the second threshold; and

assigning, by the server system, a second status to a second listing corresponding to the second business and storing a second status indicator in association with the second listing in the data storage facility based at least in part the determining whether the second data satisfies the second threshold, wherein the second status is different from the first status;

processing a transmission received via the communication network by the server system to facilitate an interface to a search engine of the server system, the transmission corresponding to a search request, the interface for the search request including an input field to receive a search term and a user interface element selectable to indicate a level of past operations, wherein the search term further includes a location of interest specified in the interface;

responsive to the search request;

identifying, via the search engine, a subset of the listings based at least in part on i) the indicated level of past operations, ii) the data indicative of the ages of the businesses, and iii) a geographic area identified based on the location of interest, and retrieving the subset of the listings from the data storage facility, wherein the identifying comprises;

assigning the second status to the first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part on a difference between the first time and the third time;

selecting the first listing and the second listing to form the subset of the listings based at least in part on the second status assigned to the first listing and the second listing; and

sorting the subset of the listings based at least in part on statuses assigned to each listing of the subset of the listing, the statuses based at least in part on the data indicative of the ages of the businesses and comprising the second status; and

transmitting by the server system the subset of the listings via the communication network to an end-user device to facilitate, via the interface, the subset of the listings in the sorted order, wherein the listings of the subset of the listings indicate respective opening dates of respective businesses at respective locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises an application programming interface to allow a third party application to submit the search request and to retrieve the listings of the identified subset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element is pre-associated with a criterion based on the data indicative of the ages of the businesses.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the criterion requires listings of the identified subset be established within a predetermined time period from the search request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the listings is identified based at least in part on whether the respective business had a grand opening at the respective location within a predetermined time period from the search request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the listings of the businesses comprise listings of at least one of a product or a service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the listings of the businesses comprise respective telephonic contact information for the respective businesses.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the listings of the businesses further comprise respective address information for the respective businesses.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the identified subset is a listing of an advertiser;

and the listing of the advertiser includes one of a banner or a video advertisement.

10. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions, that when executed by a server system cause the server system to perform a method, the method comprising:

processing first data and second data received via a communication network by one or more interfaces facilitated by the server system, the first data indicative of a first age of a first business, and the second data indicative of a second age of a second business;

storing in a data storage facility of the server system listings of a plurality of businesses, including data indicative of ages of the businesses, wherein the data comprises the first data indicative of the first age of the first business and the second data indicative of the second age of the second business;

at a first time, generating a first indication of a first level of past operations of the first business at least in part by;

comparing the first data indicative of the first age of the first business to a first threshold corresponding to a first time period of past operations;

determining whether the first data indicative of the first age of the first business satisfies the first threshold;

assigning a first status to a first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part the determining whether the first data satisfies the first threshold and storing a first status indicator in association with the first listing in the data storage facility;

at a second time, generating a second indication of a second level of past operations of the second business at least in part by;

comparing the second data indicative of the second age of the second business to a second threshold corresponding to a second time period of past operations;

determining whether the second data indicative of the second age of the second business satisfies the second threshold; and

assigning a second status to a second listing corresponding to the second business and storing a second status indicator in association with the second listing in the data storage facility based at least in part the determining whether the second data satisfies the second threshold, wherein the second status is different from the first status;

processing a transmission received via the communication network by the server system to facilitate an interface to a search engine of the server system, the transmission corresponding to a search request, the interface for the search request including an input field to receive a search term and a user interface element selectable to indicate a level of past operations, wherein the search term further includes a location of interest specified in the interface;

responsive to the search request;

the search engine identifying a subset of the listings based at least in part on i) the indicated level of past operations, ii) the data indicative of the ages of the businesses, and iii) a geographic area identified based on the location of interest, and retrieving the subset of the listings from the data storage facility, wherein the identifying comprises;

assigning the second status to the first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part on a difference between the first time and the third time; and

selecting the first listing and the second listing to form the subset of the listings based at least in part on the second status assigned to the first listing and the second listing; and

sorting the subset of the listings based at least in part on statuses assigned to each listing of the subset of the listings, the statuses based at least in part on the data indicative of the ages of the businesses and comprising the second status; and

transmitting by the server system the subset of the listings via the communication network to an end-user device to facilitate presentation of the subset of the listings through the interface in the sorted order, wherein the listings of the subset of the listings indicate respective opening dates of respective businesses at respective locations.

11. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein the subset is within a geographic area identified based on the search request;

and the method further comprises;

increasing a priority of a third listing in the subset in response to a determination that a business of the third listing opened at a location within the geographic area within a predetermined period of time from the search request.

12. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein the first listing is not a listing of an advertiser of the search engine.

13. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein the subset of the listings is selected based at least in part on a determination that businesses of the subset of the listings have each had a grand opening near the location within a predetermined number of months and days.

14. A server system, comprising:

a network interface configured to facilitate access to a network;

one or more servers coupled to the network interface;

one or more storage media coupled to the one or more servers to retain instructions, the one or more servers to execute the instructions to;

process first data and second data received via a communication network by one or more interfaces facilitated by the server system, the first data indicative of a first age of a first business, and the second data indicative of a second age of a second business;

store in a data storage facility of the server system listings of a plurality of businesses, including data indicative of ages of the businesses, wherein the data comprises the first data indicative of the first age of the first business and the second data indicative of the second age of the second business;

at a first time, generate a first indication of a first level of past operations of the first business at least in part by;

comparing the first data indicative of the first age of the first business to a first threshold corresponding to a first time period of past operations;

determining whether the first data indicative of the first age of the first business satisfies the first threshold;

assigning a first status to a first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part the determining whether the first data satisfies the first threshold and storing a first status indicator in association with the first listing in the data storage facility;

at a second time, generate a second indication of a second level of past operations of the second business at least in part by;

comparing the second data indicative of the second age of the second business to a second threshold corresponding to a second time period of past operations;

determining whether the second data indicative of the second age of the second business satisfies the second threshold; and

assigning a second status to a second listing corresponding to the second business and storing a second status indicator in association with the second listing in the data storage facility based at least in part the determining whether the second data satisfies the second threshold, wherein the second status is different from the first status;

process a transmission received via the communication network by the server system to facilitate an interface of the server system, the transmission corresponding to a search request via the network interface, the interface for the search request including an input field to receive a search term and a user interface element selectable to indicate a level of past operations, wherein the search term further includes a location of interest specified in the interface;

responsive to the search request;

identify by the search engine a subset of the listings based at least in part on i) the indicated level of past operations, ii) the data indicative of the ages of the businesses, and iii) a geographic area identified based on the location of interest, and retrieving the subset of the listings from the data storage facility, wherein the identifying comprises;

assigning the second status to the first listing corresponding to the first business based at least in part on a difference between the first time and the third time;

selecting the first listing and the second listing to form the subset of the listings based at least in part on the second status assigned to the first listing and the second listing; and

sorting the subset of the listings based at least in part on statuses assigned to each listing of the subset of the listings, the statuses based at least in part on the data indicative of the ages of the businesses and comprising the second status; and

transmit the subset of the listings via the communication network to an end-user device to facilitate presentation of the subset of the listings through the network interface in the sorted order, wherein the listings of the subset of the listings indicate respective opening dates of respective businesses at respective locations.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface comprises an application programming interface to allow a third party application to submit the search request and to retrieve the listings of the identified subset.