Location-Based Search System with Server-Side Caching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional navigation devices are limited in their ability to perform searches based on terms not stored in their databases, requiring users to either focus on the road or pull over to perform searches, and manufacturers are reluctant to include external communication capabilities due to cost concerns.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a location-aware device to send search terms to a server, which caches recent search results and supplements them with sponsor information, allowing for location-based searches without incurring full communication costs, and enables automatic repetition of searches as the user moves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If external communication capability is built into the navigation device to enable searches for terms not stored in the device database, then search versatility is improved, but communication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The server pre-calculates and caches search results for common search terms at various locations before the user needs them. When the user performs a search, the system checks the cache for pre-computed results, avoiding the need for real-time external communications and reducing communication costs while maintaining search versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the navigation device and external databases. It receives search requests from the device, queries external databases, caches the results, and returns them to the device. This intermediary approach allows the device to access comprehensive search results without directly incurring full communication costs for each search operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the user performs searches using the navigation device, then location-based search capability is improved, but the user must focus on the search rather than the road or pull over
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation device automatically performs location-based searches using its built-in GPS and database without requiring user intervention. The system self-updates with new search results from the server and automatically provides relevant information to the user, eliminating the need for the user to manually perform searches while driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously updates search results in the background as the user moves, maintaining location-based search capability without interrupting the driving process. The device automatically queries the server for updated results and caches them, ensuring continuous availability of relevant information without requiring the user to stop or divert attention from the road.
3Reliability
If the navigation device uses its built-in database for searches, then device independence is improved, but search comprehensiveness is limited to stored terms
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation device is designed to function independently using its built-in database for basic searches, while also having the capability to connect to external servers for comprehensive searches. This multi-functionality allows the device to serve both offline and online search needs, maintaining device independence for basic operations while achieving comprehensive search capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes its operational parameters based on availability and need. When external communication is available and beneficial, the device queries the server for comprehensive results. When communication is unavailable or unnecessary, the device falls back to its built-in database. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the system to optimize between device independence and search comprehensiveness based on current conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provides location-aware search results from a navigation or other device and provides one or more enhanced listings or advertisements with the results to offset the communication cost of the search. The sponsor may be charged for the listing or advertisement and the charge may be based on whether the device arrives in an area around the sponsor location within a threshold amount of time.