The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 04, 2005
Garry R. Wiseman, Snoqualmie, WA (US);
Mark Atherton, Ware, GB;
Garry R. Wiseman, Snoqualmie, WA (US);
Mark Atherton, Ware, GB;
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A unique system and method that facilitates searching for items offered for sale or otherwise in an online classifieds environment. The system and method involve allowing a user to search for such items according to the item's location or geo-tag information. The geo-tag information for each item can be approximate such as the city, state, or zip code or more specific such as the street address where the item is located. The amount of geo-tag information disclosed to any other user can depend on the type of item being offered. One or more geo-tagged items can be returned in response to a query. The items can be returned in a list or a map format wherein the items can be pinpointed according to their locations. The map of the area around and near the item's location can provide useful information to the user to facilitate determining which item(s) to pursue.