METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A LOCATION BASED SEARCH

• US 20080154876A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Jianxiu
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for providing location based searches and other services are provided. Embodiments may include dividing a searchable region into quad regions and populating the search regions with a plurality of listings. The division of quad regions may be dependent on a maximum number of listings per quad region and a minimum size for any one quad region. Embodiments may include assigning unique identifiers to each quad regions and assigning the unique identifiers to each of the listings according to the quad region in which the listings are located as geographical codes. The geographical codes may be used as part a location based search. In some of the embodiments, the listings may be searched by prefixes of the geographical codes rather than the entire geographical codes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a search request for one or more listings within an area of interest defined in relation to a point of interest;

identifying a number of geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest, each region having an associated identifier;

searching, when the number of identified regions is greater than a threshold, for each listing of a plurality of listings having a geographical code sharing at least a prefix of an identifier of at least one of the identified regions; and

searching, when the number of identified regions is less than or equal to the threshold, for each listing of the plurality of listings having a geographical code equal to the identifier of at least one of the identified regions.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a unique identifier for each of the one or more geographical regions, wherein each identifier includes a plurality of digits;

and assigning each listing of the plurality of listings a geographical code based on the identifier of a geographical region in which the listing is located.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising dividing a searchable region into the one or more geographical regions;

and populating the searchable region with the plurality of listings.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the dividing the searchable region into the plurality of geographical regions includes further dividing a geographical region into additional geographical regions when a number of listings within the geographical region reaches a maximum number unless dividing the geographical region would reduce a size of the geographical below a minimum number.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising filtering any listings identified during the searching operations to exclude any listing that is located outside the area of interest.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising responding to the search request with any listings identified by the filtering operation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the search request for one or more listings within the area of interest defined by a distance to a point of interest and the searching operations further include searching for one or more listings within the area of interest and having one or more specified attributes.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion configured to receive a search request for one or more listings within an area of interested defined by a distance to a point of interest;

a second executable portion configured to determine a number and an identity of one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest; and

a third executable portion configured to either (i) search for each listing of a plurality of listings having a geographical code sharing at least a prefix of the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is greater than a threshold number, or (ii) search for each listing of the plurality of listings having a geographical code equal to the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is less than or equal to the threshold number.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8 further comprising a fourth executable portion configured to provide a unique identifier for each of the one or more geographical regions, wherein each identifier number includes a plurality of digits;

and a fifth executable portion configured to assign each listing of the plurality of listings a geographical code based on the identifier of a geographical region in which the listing is located.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9 further comprising a sixth executable portion configured to divide a searchable region into the plurality of geographical regions;

and a seventh executable portion configured to populate the searchable region with the plurality of listings.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the sixth executable portion is further configured to divide a geographical region into additional geographical regions when a number of listings within the geographical region reaches a maximum number unless dividing the geographical region would reduce a size of the geographical region below a minimum number.

12. The computer program product according to claim 8 further comprising a fourth executable portion configured to filter any listings identified during the searching operations of the third executable portion to exclude any listing of the plurality of listings that is located outside the area of interest.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12 further comprising a fifth executable portion for responding to the search request with any listings identified by the filtering operation of the fourth executable portion.

14. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the first executable portion is further configured to receive the search request for one or more listings within an area of interest that have one or more specified attributes and the third executable portion is further configured to either (i) search for one or more listings having the one or more specific attributes and a geographical code sharing at least a prefix of the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is greater than a threshold number, or (ii) search for each listing of the plurality of listings having the one or more specific attributes and a geographical code equal to the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overall with the area of interest is less than or equal to the threshold number.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to receive a search request for one or more listings within an area of interested defined by a distance to a point of interest;

configured to determine a number and an identity of one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest; and

configured to either (i) search for each listing of a plurality of listings having a geographical code sharing at least a prefix of the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is greater than a threshold number, or (ii) search for each listing of the plurality of listings having a geographical code equal to the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is less than or equal to the threshold number.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a unique identifier for each of the one or more geographical regions, wherein each identifier number includes a plurality of digits;

and to assign each listing of the plurality of listings a geographical code based on the identifier of a geographical region in which the listing is located.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to divide a searchable region into the plurality of geographical regions;

and to populate the searchable region with the plurality of listings.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to divide a geographical region into additional geographical regions when a number of listings within the geographical region reaches a maximum number unless dividing the geographical region would reduce a size of the geographical region below a minimum number.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to filter any listings identified during the searching operations to exclude any listing of the plurality of listings that is located outside the area of interest.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to respond to the search request with any listings identified by the filtering operation.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the search request for one or more listings within an area of interest that have one or more specified attributes and to either (i) search for one or more listings having the one or more specific attributes and a geographical code sharing at least a prefix of the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overlap with the area of interest is greater than a threshold number, or (ii) search for each listing of the plurality of listings having the one or more specific attributes and a geographical code equal to the identifier of at least one of the one or more geographical regions that has at least a partial overlap with the area of interest when the number of the one or more geographical regions that have at least a partial overall with the area of interest is less than or equal to the threshold number.