Location-based data communications system and method

摘要

A communications system and method for communicating geographic location-based information to a client computer operating in a communications network is disclosed. The system involves the use of a geographic location-based records database, a client profile database containing at least one user preference, a means for receiving at least one request from a client computer, the request including information about a location of the client computer, and a means for parsing the request to identify the location of the client computer. The system and method involve identifying a set of information records from the database that are relevant to the location of the client computer and the user's preferences, an algorithm that computes a statistical result from the information records, and a communications network for communicating the result to the client computer.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for communicating geographic location-based information to a client computer operating in a communications network comprising the steps of:
receiving, by way of a first communications network, at least one request from a client computer, wherein the at least one request includes information about the location of the client computer, at least one user preference, and at least one query; parsing the at least one request to identify the location of the client computer, the at least one user preference, and the at least one query; identifying a set of information records, from a database of information records, associated with a plurality of geographic locations based on the location of the client computer; selecting at least some of the information records for each of the plurality of geographic locations from the set of information records based on the at least one query; computing a weighted statistical value for the location of the client computer using a plurality of weights and each of the selected information records for each of the plurality of geographic locations, wherein the plurality of weights are calculated from relative linear distances between the location of the client computer and at least two of the plurality of geographic locations, and wherein the weighted statistical value is a weighted statistical average of the selected information records for said at least two of the plurality of geographic locations, weighted in accordance with the weights, and wherein the weighted statistical value takes into account at least one of geographic factors or historical trends; adjusting the computed value to account for at least one specific geographic characteristic of the location of the client computer and the geographical location associated with the selected information records; and responding to the request, by way of the first or second communications network, by delivering or providing the adjusted value to the client computer.