US 8,412,591 B2Granted

Systems and methods for online matching of consumers and retailers

AssigneeEczell Corporation

InventorDare Ajala

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Systems and methods match buyers and sellers of goods and/or services online. More specifically, a website facilitates a search by consumers of retailers for goods and/or services. In addition, the website facilitates the advertising of goods and/or services by retailers. Specifically, a user of the system may search for particular products and services, and/or businesses. Interactive maps provide a user with location information of businesses and/or service providers that fit one or more criteria searched by the user. Icons may be generated on the map, whereupon users may obtain information relating to products or services searched for by selecting the icons. Further information may also be obtained relating to the businesses, service providers, products and/or services of the businesses and/or service providers. Users may select to buy particular products and/or services directly from the businesses and/or service providers, or may tag products and/or services for viewing at a later time. Moreover, users may correspond with others for recommending and/or reviewing particular products, services, businesses and/or service providers.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for finding a business selling a product, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an online system, wherein the online system includes information relating to a plurality of businesses, each of the businesses having at least one product for sale;
inputting at least one search parameter into the system, wherein the at least one search parameter relates to at least one of a business, a product, or a location;
using the online system to retrieve information of at least one business, product, or location matching the at least one search parameter;
displaying a map on a graphical display apparatus, the map graphically displaying geographical location information;
displaying location information of a first business on the map matching the at least one search parameter, wherein the information on the map comprises an icon representing the first business;
providing a graphical cursor on the map and using the cursor via a cursor controlling apparatus to select the icon representing the first business;
displaying information about the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business in a visual window overlaid on the map, wherein the information includes visual representations of the at least one product for sale by the first business;
providing a webpage dedicated to a first user;
tagging at least one product for sale, wherein the at least one product for sale is linked to the webpage dedicated to the first user;
and
linking the first user's webpage to a second user's webpage, wherein the second user receives information about the tagged products and searches of the first user.

8 more elements

A system for retrieving and storing information about a plurality of businesses, each of the plurality of businesses having at least one product for sale and accessible by a first user for searching the system for a first product, the system comprising:

a database storing information relating to the plurality of businesses and the products for sale by the businesses;
an interface configured to present a graphical representation to the first user of the system, wherein the graphical representation comprises a map displayed on a graphical display apparatus, wherein the map shows geographical location information of at least one icon representing at least one business having at least one product for sale, wherein the system comprises searching means for the first user to search for at least one of a first product, a business, and a location, wherein the at least one icon pictorially shows a location of the at least one business;
a graphical cursor on the map, wherein the user moves the cursor via a cursor controlling apparatus to select an icon, wherein a visual window is overlaid on the map comprising further information about the at least one business and the at least one product for sale by the business, wherein the further information includes visual representations of the at least one product for sale by the business;
a first webpage dedicated to the first user, wherein the at least one product for sale is linked to the first webpage dedicated to the first user;
and
a second webpage dedicated to a second user, wherein the first webpage is linked to the second webpage, and further wherein the second user receives information about the linked products and searches of the first user.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/016,123Filed 28 Jan 2011
Published: US 2012/0197757 A12 Aug 2012
Granted: 2 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06Q 30/0639
Electronic shopping [e-shopping]: locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility
G06Q 30/02
Commerce: marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
G09B 29/007
Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes: using…
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial