Information distribution system

• US 7,974,879 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Supermedia LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Messina, James, Mahoney, Timothy, Harada, Edwin Y., Chu, Lester K., Heatherly, Douglas G., Palma, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US11/340,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/37, 705/26.3, 705/14.49, 705/14.51, 705/14.69, 705/14.7, 705/14.71, 705/14.73, 707/2, 707/3, 707/999.002, 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 705/14.69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method that enhances the “focus” of information exchanged between sellers and buyers. Buyers identify potential sources for goods and services that are desirable to the buyer. Buyers can focus their access to listings of seller information by identifying desirable attributes, including but not limited to: geography attributes relating to the location(s) of the seller; and category attributes relating to the various categories of offerings that interest to the buyer. The use of geographical and categorical attributes is not limited to their inclusion as part of the search terms. Instead, seller listings can be organized into hierarchies of geography-based and category-based attributes in a highly normalized fashion to enhance the ability of a buyer focus on the most desirable listings. The system can be configured to limit, order, or otherwise prioritize the information viewed by the buyer on the basis of the desired attributes identified by the buyer.

Claims

1. An information distribution system, comprising:

a request subsystem configured to receive a request that includes a geography selection and a category selection; and

a response subsystem configured to construct a response, the response subsystem including a plurality of listings, a plurality of fee types, and a placement heuristic that determines a placement and order of listings included in the response based at least in part on a fee type from the plurality of fee types associated with each of the listings, wherein said response includes two or more listings from said plurality of listings based on the request, wherein each listing is associated with at least one said fee type in said plurality of fee types;

further wherein a bid amount is associated with at least one listing, wherein said placement heuristic influences an order of listings based in part on said bid amount or a position adjustment factor, wherein said bid amount does not solely control said order, and wherein said placement heuristic calculates a priority metric by subtracting an enhanced format fee from said bid amount.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of fee types comprise a fixed-fee and a per-hit fee.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said per-hit fee relates to a free listing.

4. The system of claim 2, said response subsystem further including a plurality of groups and a plurality of listing attributes;

wherein said response includes at least two of said plurality of groups, wherein said listings in said response include a plurality of listing attributes, said plurality of listing attributes include at least two types of listing attributes from;

(a) a plurality of geography attributes;

(b) a plurality of category attributes; and

(c) a plurality of fee types;

wherein said listings in said plurality of listings sharing the same group affiliation share two or more of;

(a) at least one geography attribute;

(b) at least one said category attribute; and

(c) at least one said fee type.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said geography selection relates to at least one of a plurality of geographic regions, wherein said plurality of geographic regions are pre-defined, and wherein said plurality of geographic regions include at least two of:

(a) a first geographic region;

(b) a second geographic region smaller than or a subset of said first geographic region; and

(c) a third geographic region smaller than or a subset of said second geographic region.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a plurality of service area attributes, wherein at least one said listing in said plurality of listings includes at least one of the service area attributes, and wherein said plurality of service area attributes includes a broad service area and a narrow service area, wherein said broad service area comprises a geographical region that includes said narrow service area.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said response is generated from at least said geography selection, or from at least said category selection and said geography selection, or from at least said category selection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said category selection and said geography selection is a blank value.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said placement heuristic determines an order of listings, wherein said order includes a first position and a second position lower than said first position, wherein said plurality of listings in said response includes a first listing and a second listing, wherein said first listing occupies said first position, wherein said second listing occupies said second position, and wherein said first listing is a fixed-fee listing, and wherein said second listing is a per-hit listing.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said placement heuristic determines an order of listings, wherein said order includes a first position and a second position lower than said first position, wherein said plurality of listings in said response includes a first listing and a second listing, wherein said first listing occupies said first position, wherein said second listing occupies said second position, and wherein said first listing is a listing for a first geographic region, and wherein said second listing is for a second geographic region.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said second geographic region is smaller than said first geographic region or said second geographic region is a subset of said first geographic region.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said first listing is associated with a first service area attribute and wherein said second listing is associated with a second service area attribute.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a results subsystem, said results subsystem configured to construct a result, wherein said response subsystem generates said response from said result, wherein said result includes more said listings than said response.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of summary views and a plurality of detailed views, said plurality of summary views including a first summary view and a second summary view, said plurality of detailed views including a first detailed view and a second detailed view, said plurality of listings further including a first listing and a second listing,

wherein said first listing is associated with said first summary view and said first detailed view, wherein said second listing is associated with said second summary view and said second detailed view;

and

further wherein said plurality of detailed views comprise at least one of;

an operating hours attribute, a history attribute, a method of payment attribute, a brand attribute, an e-mail address attribute, a web site attribute, an address attribute, a phone number attribute, and a fax number attribute.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compare function, wherein said response includes at least a first selected listing and a second selected listing, wherein invoking said compare function modifies said response so that said second selected listing is moved to a location operationally adjacent to said first selected listing.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of listings includes a first listing and a second listing, wherein said placement heuristic determines an order of listings, wherein said placement heuristic places said first listing before said second listing, wherein said first listing is associated with a first bid amount, wherein said second listing is associated with a second bid amount, and wherein said second bid amount is greater than said first bid amount.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of listings includes a first listing and a second listing, wherein said placement heuristic determines an order of listings, wherein said placement heuristic places said first listing before said second listing, and wherein said placement heuristic is influenced by a position adjustment factor.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of links in said response includes a plurality of business listings and a plurality of sponsored links.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bid amounts and a plurality of listing attributes, said plurality of listings including a first listing, said plurality of bid amounts including a first bid amount associated with a first listing, wherein said first bid amount is not independent of said listing attributes associated with said first listing.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein only a subset of said listings are associated with one or more said bid amounts.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of groups, a plurality of bid amounts, and a plurality of priority metrics, said plurality of listings including a first subset of listings associated with said plurality of bid amounts and a second subset of listings that are not associated with said plurality of bid amounts, wherein said first subset of listings are associated with a first subset of said plurality of groups, wherein said second subset of listings are associated with a second subset of said plurality of groups,

wherein at least one priority metric is generated for each listing associated with a bid amount, and wherein said placement heuristic orders said first subset of listings using said priority metrics as an input.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein for at least one said listing, said priority metric is equal to said bid amount.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein an enhanced display fee is subtracted from said bid amount to calculate said priority metric or said priority metric is calculated by adding a position adjustment factor to said bid amount.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the listings associated with at least one group in said first subset of groups are associated with a plurality of bid tiers.

25. An information distribution system, comprising:

a server, including instructions configured to access a database structure, said database structure including a plurality of listings, wherein each said listing in said plurality of listings is associated with a geography attribute, a category attribute, and at least one of a fixed-fee attribute and a per-hit attribute;

a plurality of interfaces, including an advertiser interface and a user interface, wherein said advertiser interface is configured to capture one or more listing attributes relating to said plurality of listings, wherein said user interface is configured to submit a request to said server, wherein said instructions are configured to receive said request from said user interface, wherein said instructions are configured to generate a response using said request and said database structure, wherein said response includes a first listing associated with a position adjustment factor, and wherein said user interface is configured to receive said response; and

further wherein a bid amount is associated with at least one listing, wherein an order of listings in said response is based in part on said bid amount or a position adjustment factor, wherein said bid amount does not solely control said order, and wherein a priority metric is calculated by subtracting an enhanced format fee from said bid amount.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said response includes said first listing associated with a first bid amount and a second listing associated with a second bid amount, wherein said first listing is positioned before said second listing, and wherein said second bid amount is greater than said first bid amount.

27. An information distribution system, comprising:

a database structure including a plurality of listings, wherein each said listing is associated with a listing attribute, wherein said listing attribute comprises at least one of (a) a category attribute;

(b) a geography attribute; and

(c) a fee-type attribute;

an access device configured to submit a request to said database structure, wherein said request attribute comprises at least one of (a) a category selection and (b) a geography selection;

a software application providing for;

selectively identifying one or more listings from said database structure from said list attribute and said request attribute;

prioritizing the selectively identified listings using at least one listing attribute;

transmitting a response including the selectively identified and prioritized listings to said access device;

wherein a bid amount is associated with at least one listing, wherein an order of listings in said response is based in part on said bid amount or a position adjustment factor, wherein said bid amount does not solely control said order, and wherein a priority metric is calculated by subtracting an enhanced format fee from said bid amount.

28. A method of transmitting information, comprising:

maintaining a database structure including a plurality of listings, wherein each said listing is associated with a listing attribute, wherein said listing attribute comprises at least one of (a) a category attribute;

(b) a geography attribute;

(c) a fee-type attribute and (d) a position adjustment attribute;

receiving a request from an access device that includes a request attribute, wherein said request attribute comprises at least one of (a) a category selection and (b) a geography selection;

selectively identifying one or more listings from said database structure from said list attribute and said request attribute;

ordering the selectively identified listings using at least one listing attribute;

transmitting a response including the selectively identified and ordered listings to said access device;

wherein a bid amount is associated with at least one listing, wherein an order of listings in said response is based in part on said bid amount or a position adjustment factor, wherein said bid amount does not solely control said order, and wherein a priority metric is calculated by subtracting an enhanced format fee from said bid amount.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a priority metric influenced by at least one of a popularity metric and a relevance metric is used to selectively identify one or more listings from said database structure.