Information Distribution System With Tiered Listing Hierarchy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional phone books and online search engines fail to provide a flexible and efficient mechanism for customers to find specific goods and services, as they lack advanced geographic and categorical filtering, and do not effectively allow providers to target their advertising efforts based on user interests and location.
Innovation Solution
A system that organizes information into hierarchies of geography, category, and fee types, allowing for refined searches and advertising targeting through relationship-based processing rules and enhanced display formats, and uses a tiered listing approach to promote competition among advertisers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional phone books are used to provide provider information, then customers can obtain basic listings, but the information is static and cannot be updated or tailored to specific customer needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static phone book into a dynamic electronic system where listings can be updated in real-time. The electronic directory allows providers to modify their information continuously, ensuring customers always access current data while maintaining the ability to adapt to changing customer needs and preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where customer interactions with listings generate data that is used to refine and personalize future listings. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to specific customer needs by learning from usage patterns and preferences, while automatically updating information based on provider inputs.
2Ease of operation
If phone books include all providers in a geographic region, then coverage is comprehensive, but customers cannot perform narrow inquiries limited to specific subsets of regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the geographic region into hierarchical segments (countries, states, cities, neighborhoods) that can be independently selected and combined. This segmentation allows customers to perform narrow inquiries by selecting specific subsets of regions while maintaining the option for comprehensive coverage, effectively managing information volume through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds geographic dimensionality through multi-level hierarchical filtering, transforming a flat comprehensive list into a structured multi-dimensional space. Customers can navigate through multiple geographic dimensions (country→state→city→neighborhood) to drill down to specific subsets, making comprehensive information manageable and searchable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If phone books organize listings into categories, then information is structured, but the category hierarchy is limited to one level and lacks sophistication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested hierarchical category structure where categories contain subcategories that contain further subcategories (e.g., Restaurants→Italian Restaurants→Pizza Restaurants). This nesting allows sophisticated multi-level categorical filtering without excessive complexity, as each level builds upon the previous one in a logical, organized manner that customers can navigate systematically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds categorical dimensionality by creating multiple hierarchical levels of classification. Instead of a single flat category list, customers can filter through multiple categorical dimensions (broad category→specific category→sub-specific category), enabling sophisticated filtering while maintaining organized structure through the hierarchical framework.
4Ease of manufacture
If phone books provide fixed listing formats, then production is simple, but advertisers cannot enhance their listings with varied display formats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms fixed static listing formats into dynamic configurable templates. Advertisers can select from multiple display format templates (text, images, videos, interactive elements) and dynamically adjust their listings. The system maintains ease of manufacture through pre-defined templates while providing adaptability through customizable options within each template type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows advertisers to modify various parameters of their listings (format type, size, media content, interactivity) without changing the fundamental structure. This parameter-based approach maintains simplicity through standardized options while providing versatility through adjustable characteristics, enabling enhanced display formats without complicating the basic creation process.
5Ease of manufacture
If phone books charge uniform advertising fees, then pricing is simple, but advertisers cannot target their advertising efforts effectively based on user interests and location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments advertising fees into multiple components based on different dimensions (geographic location, category, time period, performance metrics). This segmentation allows advertisers to target specific user groups and locations effectively, while the system maintains pricing simplicity through modular fee structures that can be combined in standardized ways.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different fee characteristics to different segments of advertising space (premium locations, popular categories, peak times). This local quality approach enables effective targeting by allowing advertisers to pay premium fees for high-value positions while maintaining overall pricing simplicity through consistent rules applied locally across different segments.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for distributing information (collectively the “system”) is disclosed. The system can, but need not, include category-based and geography-based attributes to better “focus” the information distributed by the system. In the processing of listing-based attributes (e.g. attributes limited to a particular listing), the system can also be influenced by relationship-based attributes (e.g. attributes between the administrator of the system and the advertisers, and even potentially users). If desired, the system can accommodate the ability of advertisers to modify or enhance the display characteristics relating to information records in order to further differential listings and advertisers. The ability to organize listings into tiers can also be incorporated into the system. By organizing listings into tiers, the system may be more effective in maximizing competition at all ends of the listing continuum, and not just the competition for the top position or two.