System and method for displaying images in an online directory

• US 20050216186A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Manber, Udi, Karls, Jason, Gold, Jonathan A., Ha, Huy T., Dorfman, Barnaby M., Caro-Bruce, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating an online listing, such as a yellow pages listing, that includes information about an object, such as a business, and also includes at least one image of the structure containing the object. For example, the image may be a digital image of the store front of a business taken at a street view. Additionally, a user may select an image from a plurality of images that the user perceives as being an appropriate representative image for the business. Based on votes received a default representative image may be identified that is provided in response to a request for information about the business.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding an object, the method comprising:

determining a location;

determining a range surrounding the location;

identifying an object within the range for which information is to be provided;

displaying information regarding the identified object, wherein the displayed information includes an image representative of the identified object; and

displaying a map, wherein the map includes an identifier of the location and an identifier of the identified object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an object includes:

receiving a search term; and

identifying an object within the range for which information is to be provided that matches the search term.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an object includes identifying a plurality of objects within the range for which information is to be provided.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying information regarding the identified object includes displaying information regarding each of the plurality of identified objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a digital image of the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a street view of the object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is of a store front of a business.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a user specified representative image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is an image selected from a plurality of images representative of the object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is a street map.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the identified object is an image representative of the object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the identified object is displayed on the map at a position representative of a location of the object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the information regarding the identified object, the image representative of the identified object, and the identifier of the identified object is interactive.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving an inquiry regarding the displayed information, emphasizing the identifier of the identified object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein an inquiry is received in response to a user positioning a pointer over the displayed information.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of the displayed information, displaying additional information regarding the identified object.

17. In a computer system having a computer-readable medium including a computer-executable program therein for performing a method for providing information regarding an object, the method comprising:

selecting an object;

identifying a plurality of images related to the selected object;

displaying on a graphical user interface a representative image of the object; and

displaying on the graphical user interface, in addition to the representative image, at least one of the plurality of the identified images related to the object.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of images related to the object includes images of the selected object.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of images related to the object includes images of objects adjacent to the selected object.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of images includes street view images of the object.

21. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a representative image for the selected object.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein determining a representative image includes:

identifying an image with associated geographic coordinates that are sufficiently close to geographic coordinates of the selected object.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein determining a representative image includes:

selecting an image from the plurality of images that has been previously identified as a user specified representative image for the selected object.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the selected image has been identified by a majority of voters as being a representative image for the selected object.

25. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the selected image has been identified by a user as the representative image for the selected object.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the selected image has been provided by a user.

27. The computer system of claim 17, wherein displaying in the graphical user interface at least one of the identified images related to the object includes:

displaying in the graphical user interface a plurality of the identified images.

28. The computer system of claim 17, wherein displaying in the graphical user interface at least one of the identified images related to the object includes:

displaying in the graphical user interface a plurality of the identified images in a geographic order.

29. The computer system of claim 17, wherein displaying in the graphical user interface at least one of the identified images related to the object includes:

displaying in the graphical user interface a plurality of the identified images in a time based order.

30. The computer system of claim 17, wherein displaying in the graphical user interface at least one of the identified images related to the object includes:

displaying in the graphical user interface a plurality of the identified images taken during a season.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the season is winter.

32. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the season is Christmas.

33. The computer system of claim 17, wherein displaying in the graphical user interface at least one of the identified images related to the object includes:

displaying in the graphical user interface a plurality of the identified images in a film-strip type view.

34. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the displayed at least one image may be selected as a representative image for the object.

35. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying a map identifying a location of the selected object.

36. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying a link to information regarding at least one other object.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the at least one other object is similar to the selected object.

38. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the at least one other object is geographically close to the selected object.

39. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the at least one other object is on an opposite side of a street from the selected object.

40. A computer-accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that direct a computing system to:

provide a plurality of images representative of an object;

receive a user'"'"'s vote for an image of the plurality of images; and

select an image of the plurality of images with a majority of received votes as an image representative of the object.

41. The computer-accessible medium of claim 40, further having instruction stored thereon that further direct a computer system to:

select the image for which the user voted as a user specified image representative of the object.

42. The computer-accessible medium of claim 40, wherein the image representative of the object is provided in response to a request for information regarding the object.

43. The computer-accessible medium of claim 40, wherein the computer system is further directed to:

associate the user'"'"'s vote with the image and the object.

44. A method for correlating a plurality of images having associated geographic locations with an address, the method comprising:

associating a geographic location with the address;

defining a boundary surrounding the geographic location associated with the address; and

correlating with the address images having an associated geographic location within the defined boundary.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

identifying an image of the plurality of images for the address; and

wherein associating a geographic location with the address includes;

associating the geographic location of the identified image with the address.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein defining a boundary includes determining an approximate size of a structure located at the address and defining a boundary surrounding the approximate size of the structure.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein a plurality of images are correlated with the address.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the images are images of a structure located at the address.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the images are images of a front of a structure located at the address.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein the defined boundary for the address overlaps a second defined boundary for an adjacent address.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein images having an associated geographic location within both the first boundary and the second boundary may be correlated with both the address and the adjacent address.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein the defined boundary for the address overlaps at least a portion of a second address.

53. A computer system for defining boundaries surrounding street addresses, the computer system including a processor and memory, wherein the computer system is configured to execute computer instructions that cause the processor to:

obtain geographic coordinates for a first street address;

define a first boundary that includes the obtained geographic coordinates;

identify a second street address located on a same side of a street as the first street address; and

define for the second street address a second boundary, wherein the second boundary includes a geographic area adjacent to the first boundary.

54. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the computer system is further configured to execute computer instructions that cause the computer to:

determine an approximate size of a structure located at the first street address; and

wherein the first boundary is defined to surround the approximate size of the structure.

55. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the approximate size of the structure is determined based on a type of business that occupies the structure.

56. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the approximate size of the structure is determined based on a number of businesses that occupy the structure.

57. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the computer system is further configured to execute computer instructions that cause the computer to:

determine an approximate size of a second structure located at the second street address; and

wherein the second boundary is defined to surround the approximate size of the second structure.

58. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the first boundary and the second boundary overlap.

59. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the first boundary and the second boundary do not overlap.

60. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the computer system is further configured to execute computer instructions that cause the computer to:

identify at least one image having associated geographic coordinates located within the first boundary; and

correlate the at least one image with the first address.

61. The computer system of claim 53, wherein the computer system is further configured to execute computer instructions that cause the computer to:

identify at least one image having associated geographic coordinates located within the first boundary and located within the second boundary; and

correlate the at least one image with the first address and the second address.