IP Library Granted Patent US 7,856,442
Granted Patent B2
US 7,856,442 · App. 12/059,278 · Granted Dec 21, 2010

Method and system for communicating local content over a network

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,856,442
App. No.
12/059,278
Granted
Dec 21, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communications system for communicating local content over a network includes storing a plurality of primary local content entries on a local content provider computer system, storing an account total for each of a plurality of customers, storing a plurality of added local content entries relating to the customers on a local content provider computer system, transmitting at least a subset of the matched entries from the local content provider computer system over a network to a partner computer system, each matched entry that is transmitted including data from a respective one of the primary local content entries, and depending upon the account total of each customer corresponding to each entry, added content from the respective added local content entry and updating a selected account total of a selected customer for a charge based on a transaction at the partner computer system, the transaction involving extraction and transmission of a selected entry corresponding to the selected customer due to a search request being received from a remote computer system at the partner computer system.

Claims (56)

1. A method of communicating local content over a network, comprising:

storing a plurality of primary local content entries on a local content provider computer system;

storing an account total for each of a plurality of customers;

storing a plurality of added local content entries relating to the customers on a local content provider computer system;

matching each added local content entry to a respective one of the primary local content entries;

adding the added content to the primary local content entry when the account total is above a predetermined amount, to create the matched entries;

transmitting at least a subset of the matched entries from the local content provider computer system over a network to a partner computer system, each matched entry that is transmitted including data from a respective one of the primary local content entries and added content from the respective added local content entry;

wherein said transmitting further comprises:

transmitting both the primary local content entry and the added local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is above a predetermined value;

transmitting only the primary local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is below a predetermined value; and

updating a selected account total of a selected customer for a charge based on a transaction at the partner computer system, the transaction involving extraction and transmission of a selected matched entry corresponding to the selected customer due to a search request received from a remote computer system at the partner computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the entries in a partner data store at the partner computer system;

receiving a search request from the remote computer system at the partner computer system;

extracting the selected entry from the partner data store based on the search request; and

transmitting the selected entry from the partner computer system to the remote computer system.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

reporting the transaction by automatically transmitting a transaction report from the partner computer system to the local content provider system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the account total is automatically updated in response to the transaction report.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the entries is extracted from the partner data store, further comprising:

transmitting a results page from the partner computer system to the remote computer system, the results page including a plurality of entry selectors corresponding to the entries that are extracted;

receiving a selection from the remote computer system at the partner computer system following selection of one of the entry selectors at the remote computer system; and

transmitting the entry corresponding to the entry selector selected at the remote computer system to the remote computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each entry includes at least a name, an address, a telephone number, and a geographical location.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving contents for the entries from a plurality of customer computer systems.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving an update of each account total from the customer computer systems upon payment.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving enrollment information from each customer computer system prior to receiving the contents for each entry.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating the geographic location of each entry, utilizing the contents received from each respective customer computer system.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer, carries out a method comprising:

storing a plurality of primary local content entries on a local content provider computer system;

storing an account total for each of a plurality of customers;

storing a plurality of added local content entries relating to the customers on a local content provider computer system;

matching each added local content entry to a respective one of the primary local content entries;

adding the added content to the primary local content entry when the account total is above a predetermined amount, to create the matched entries;

transmitting at least a subset of the matched entries from the local content provider computer system over a network to a partner computer system, each matched entry that is transmitted including data from a respective one of the primary local content entries and added content from the respective added local content entry;

wherein said transmitting further comprises:

transmitting both the primary local content entry and the added local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is above a predetermined value;

transmitting only the primary local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is below a predetermined value; and

updating a selected account total of a selected customer for a charge based on a transaction at the partner computer system, the transaction involving extraction and transmission of a selected matched entry corresponding to the selected customer due to a search request received from a remote computer system at the partner computer system.

12. A communications system for communicating local content over a network, comprising:

a local content provider computer system, including at least one local content provider data store;

a plurality of primary local content entries stored in the at least one local content provider data store;

an account total stored in the at least one local content provider data store for each of a plurality of customers;

a plurality of added local content entries stored in the at least one local content provider data store for each one of the customers;

a business targeting module that matches each added local content entry to a respective one of the primary local content entries and adds the added content to the primary local content entry when the account total is above a predetermined amount, to create the matched entries;

a data-forwarding module for transmitting at least a subset of the matched entries from the local content provider computer system over a network to a partner computer system, each matched entry that is transmitted including data from a respective one of the primary local content entries and added content from the respective added local content entry;

wherein said transmitting further comprises:

transmitting both the primary local content entry and the added local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is above a predetermined value;

transmitting only the primary local content entry when the account total corresponding to the respective local content entry is below a predetermined value; and

an account reduction module that updates the total of a selected customer for a charge based on a transaction at the partner computer system, the transaction involving extraction and transmission of a selected matched entry corresponding to the elected customer due to a search request received from a remote computer system at the partner computer system.

13. The communications system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a reporting module on the partner computer system that reports the transaction by automatically transmitting a transaction report from the partner computer system to the local content provider system.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 31, 2016
From: LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; LIVE NATION WORLDWIDE, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040521/0186 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2015
From: TICKETMASTER, LLC
To: LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT, INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 035489/0081 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2008
From: HERRATTI, JAY; RHODEN, ROBERT D.; ANGEL, ROBERT JAMES; BUSH, AARON LOUIS
To: TICKETMASTER, A DELAWARE COMPANY, D.B.A. AS CITYSEARCH.COM
Reel/Frame 021102/0869 →