Online business directory with predefined search template...

Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C707S793000, C707S793000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06189003

ABSTRACT:

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE
A Microfiche Appendix having a total of 734 frames (8 sheets) is included in this application that contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the Microfiche Appendix, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to online search engines, and more particularly to Electronic Yellow Pages, Internet Yellow Pages and Operator Assisted Yellow Pages services that enable a user to find relevant listings of businesses needed to fulfill their product/service needs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many times when using existing search engines and Electronic Yellow Pages (“EYP”) a user cannot target a search among the thousands of potential listings, leaving the user with too many choices to make or too many results in response to a search request. The traditional directories offer too broad of a selection since they are limited to searches by business category or address. These directories do not facilitate searching by specific attributes such as hours of operations, special services, detailed product lines, etc.
Also, once the user finds the listings from a search, the user typically cannot use the online medium to contact potential vendors directly over the Internet, through e-mail or via other electronic communication mediums. This leaves the user with the cumbersome task of following up by telephone in order to contact each listing separately and individually, which is inherently limited to following up during normal business hours. In many cases, users desire to follow up with more than one of the businesses identified by the search. Currently, the user must contact each business sequentially and during business hours.
Alternatively, businesses that are interested in leveraging the communications and marketing power of the Internet can either build their own Web site or purchase an enhanced online listing within an EYP. However, there is currently no platform that enables an advertiser to start with a simple listing (name, address, phone number), enhance it with detailed business information, and leverage a communications application under one program. What is lacking is a simple, convenient and inexpensive method and system for businesses to receive personalized inquiries, and solicit orders electronically from consumers specifically seeking that business's products or services.
As a result, the overall market lacks a convenient and easy to use methodology to bridge the gap between motivated buyer and qualified seller. Motivated buyers need a better search process, involving the use of tools that personalize their search criteria. Qualified sellers require an enhanced way for buyers to find and select sellers via tools that enable sellers to feature/promote the attributes that best define their market offerings. Both parties also require a convenient way for each party to communicate with each other, accelerating the buying and selling processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, the invention provides a system and method for deriving search templates for searching of business directory data. According to the method, at least one search criteria is identified that is defined through research about companies in at least one category of business. Business directory data is then obtained for at least one business listing, where the business directory data comprises at least a business name, address and telephone number. At least one category attribute representative of the at least one business listing is developed to facilitate categorical classification of the at least one business listing. At least one search template is then dynamically derived in response to a search request received from a user. The at least one search template is used to electronically search a directory database to identify at least one business in response to the search request.
According to the system of the invention, a data retrieval system is provided that is operative to allow ready and willing buyers to find and contact qualified businesses. A database coupled to the data retrieval system stores business directory data including enhanced information regarding local businesses. An electronic distribution network is coupled to the database for facilitating connections between motivated buyers and qualified sellers.
The invention thus provides the end user with a more detailed search tool that can refine and target their search process to find a qualified vendor of products/services in an electronic directory, narrowing down a list of potential candidates to those that have the highest relevancy matching the user's specific search criteria, and enables the user to broadcast a specific, unique purchase related request to these targeted candidates via an electronic platform.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon review of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5715444 (1998-02-01), Danish et al.
patent: 5930474 (1999-07-01), Dunworth et al.
At Hand Network(sm) Expands Reach; New Partnership Pacts With HotBot, GeoCities, LookSmart Give At Hand Network Exclusive Yellow Page Distribution. PR Newswire, Oct. 19, 1998, p. p3849.
Vicinity Delivers YourTown GeoEnabled Business Directory to Yahoo!, Lycos, Geocities, Travelocity and Planet Direct, Business Wire, Jul. 15, 1996, p. 07157087.
Excite & GTE Directories Offer SurperPages, Newsbytes, Nov. 24, 1997, p. NEW11240038.
Ashany, R. Application of Sparse Matrix techniques to Search Retrieval, Classification, and Relationship Analysis in Large Data Base Systems—SPARCOM, Fourth International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, Sep. 1978, pp. 499-516.
Article form the Internet entitled, “Yellow Page Alliance Called Unfair”, by Jeff Pelline dated Aug. 12, 1997.

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