# US 2010/0205167 A1 · Local business and product search system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0205167 A1 - Document ID: US20100205167A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/702,153 - Filed: 2010-02-08 - Published: 2010-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2009-02-10 - Assignees: True Knowledge Ltd. - Inventors: William Tunstall-Pedoe; Petra Elisabeth Holmes; Jonathan Gough - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100205167A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/24: Querying - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Computer implemented systems and methods are described that enable customers to search for a product, and obtain a list of retail locations that are likely to provide that product without any need for any specific information about the stock or products held by that retailer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for identifying retail locations likely to sell a particular product, comprising: one or more data stores having a database stored therein, the database including retail location information representing a plurality of retail locations, retail category information for at least some of the plurality of the retail locations, and product information representing a plurality of products, the product information including natural language representations of at least some of the products, each of the natural language representations comprising one or more natural language words representing the corresponding product, the database further including a plurality of mappings between the products and retail categories represented in the retail category information, each of the mappings representing a likelihood of a corresponding retail location in an identified retail category providing a corresponding product; and one or more computing devices configured to identify one or more of the retail locations in a particular geographic area likely to provide the particular product in response to a query identifying the particular product with reference to the mappings, and to transmit a response to the query communicating the identified one or more retail locations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the database further includes product ontology information representing hierarchies of product categories, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to extend the mappings using the product ontology information to identify the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the database further includes retail category ontology information representing hierarchies of retail categories, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to extend the mappings using the retail category ontology information to identify the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the geographic area with reference to geographic information received in association with the query. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the geographic information comprises one or more of a name of a geographic location, geographic coordinates, or a name of a landmark. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the query comprises a natural language question asking where to buy the particular product, and wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to interpret the natural language question. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the one or more retail locations with reference to the product stock information identifying specific ones of the retail locations stocking specific ones of the products. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the database further includes business hours information identifying business hours for specific ones of the retail locations, and wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the one or more retail locations with reference to the business hours information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to identify the one or more retail locations with reference to the business hours information by inferring first business hours for a first one of the one or more retail locations from the business hours associated with one or more of the specific retail locations having specified business hours, wherein the first retail location and the one or more of the specific retail locations having specified business hours have associated retail categories that are related. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to operate in conjunction with a search engine, and wherein the query is received via a search interface associated with the search engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the response to the query further communicates a real time location of a user who entered the query formatted for presentation in a mobile device interface in conjunction with representations of the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more data stores and one or more computing devices are configured as a general structured knowledge and inference system, wherein the database includes data corresponding to a knowledge base and representing first knowledge about a plurality of objects using a plurality of relationships between pairs of the objects, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to interact with the knowledge base and generate second knowledge not represented in the knowledge base from the first knowledge by inference. ### Claim 13 A computer implemented method for identifying retail locations likely to sell a particular product, comprising: receiving a query from a remote computing device with a computing system, the query identifying a particular product; connecting with a database associated with the computing system, the database including retail location information representing a plurality of retail locations, retail category information for at least some of the plurality of the retail locations, and product information representing a plurality of products, the product information including natural language representations of at least some of the products, each of the natural language representations comprising one or more natural language words representing the corresponding product, the database further including a plurality of mappings between the products and retail categories represented in the retail category information, each of the mappings representing a likelihood of a corresponding retail location in an identified retail category providing a corresponding product; using the computing system to identify in the database one or more of the retail locations in a particular geographic area likely to provide the particular product in response to a query identifying the particular product with reference to the mappings; and transmitting a response to the query to the remote computing device communicating the identified one or more retail locations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the database further includes product ontology information representing hierarchies of product categories, the method further comprising extending the mappings using the product ontology information to identify the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the database further includes retail category ontology information representing hierarchies of retail categories, the method further comprising extending the mappings using the retail category ontology information to identify the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising identifying the geographic area with reference to geographic information received in association with the query. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer implemented method of claim 16 wherein the geographic information comprises one or more of a name of a geographic location, geographic coordinates, or a name of a landmark. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the query comprises a natural language question asking where to buy the particular product, the method further comprising interpreting the natural language question. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising identifying the one or more retail locations with reference to the product stock information identifying specific ones of the retail locations stocking specific ones of the products. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the database further includes business hours information identifying business hours for specific ones of the retail locations, the method further comprising identifying the one or more retail locations with reference to the business hours information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer implemented method of claim 20 wherein identifying the one or more retail locations with reference to the business hours information comprises inferring first business hours for a first one of the one or more retail locations from the business hours associated with one or more of the specific retail locations having specified business hours, wherein the first retail location and the one or more of the specific retail locations having specified business hours have associated retail categories that are related. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising operating in conjunction with a search engine, wherein the query is received via a search interface associated with the search engine. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the response to the query further communicates a real time location of a user who entered the query formatted for presentation in a mobile device interface in conjunction with representations of the one or more retail locations. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13 wherein the database and computing system are part of a general structured knowledge and inference system, wherein the database includes data corresponding to a knowledge base and representing first knowledge about a plurality of objects using a plurality of relationships between pairs of the objects, and wherein identifying the one or more retail locations involves the computing system interacting with the knowledge base and generating second knowledge not represented in the knowledge base from the first knowledge by inference. ### Claim 25 A search engine configured to identify retail locations likely to sell a particular product, comprising: one or more data stores having a database stored therein, the database including retail location information representing a plurality of retail locations, retail category information for at least some of the plurality of the retail locations, and product information representing a plurality of products, the product information including natural language representations of at least some of the products, each of the natural language representations comprising one or more natural language words representing the corresponding product, the database further including a plurality of mappings between the products and retail categories represented in the retail category information, each of the mappings representing a likelihood of a corresponding retail location in an identified retail category providing a corresponding product; and one or more computing devices configured to: receive a query entered into a search interface associated with the search engine; determine that the query is a product search identifying the particular product and a geographic area; identify one or more of the retail locations in the particular geographic area likely to provide the particular product with reference to the mappings, and transmit a response to the query communicating the identified one or more retail locations. ### Claim 26 A computer program product for identifying retail locations likely to sell a particular product, comprising one or more computer readable storage media having computer program instructions stored therein configured for execution by one or more computing devices to thereby cause the one or more computing devices to: receive a query from a remote computing device, the query identifying a particular product; connect with a database associated with the computing system, the database including retail location information representing a plurality of retail locations, retail category information for at least some of the plurality of the retail locations, and product information representing a plurality of products, the product information including natural language representations of at least some of the products, each of the natural language representations comprising one or more natural language words representing the corresponding product, the database further including a plurality of mappings between the products and retail categories represented in the retail category information, each of the mappings representing a likelihood of a corresponding retail location in an identified retail category providing a corresponding product; identify in the database one or more of the retail locations in a particular geographic area likely to provide the particular product in response to a query identifying the particular product with reference to the mappings; and transmit a response to the query to the remote computing device communicating the identified one or more retail locations.