METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED INFORMATION OVER A NETWORK

1 . A method for providing customized information to a user in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

associating interest data with a geographical zone, said geographical zone and/or said interest data defined or selected by said user;

associating customized information with said interest data and/or said geographical zone; and

providing said customized information to said user.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

associating said geographical zone and/or said interest data with temporal user data, said temporal user data defined or selected by said user; and

associating said customized information with said temporal user data.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving from a customized information provider geographical data and/or content information and/or temporal provider data;

comparing said geographical data and/or content information and/or temporal provider data with said geographical zone and/or said interest data and/or said temporal user data, respectively; and

providing said content information to said user if said geographical data and/or said content information and/or said temporal provider data matches said geographical zone and/or said interest data and/or said temporal user data, respectively.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

associating an activation status with said geographical zone; and

providing said customized information in accordance with said activation status.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

determining a position of said user relative to said geographical zone; and

providing said customized information in accordance with said position.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving from a customized information provider geographical data and/or content information;

comparing said geographical data and/or content information with said geographical zone and/or said interest data, respectively; and

providing said content information to said user if said geographical data and/or said content information matches said geographical zone and/or said interest data, respectively.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing said geographical zone and/or said interest data to a customized information provider.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing to a customized information provider a billing cost entry associated with the providing of said customized information to said user.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of renting or auctioning a location in said geographical zone to a customized information provider.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said customized information comprises a location in said geographical zone, said location being provided by a customized information provider.

11 . A method for providing customized information in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving geographical area data from a server in said network; and

associating content information with said geographical area data, said content information to be provided to a user over said network.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein said geographical area data comprises a geographical zone selected and/or defined by said user.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising a step of receiving interest data from said server, said interest data selected and/or defined by said user.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising a step of comparing said interest data with said content information.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving temporal user data from said server; and

associating said content information with said temporal user data.

16 . A server system for providing customized information to a user in a network, said system comprising:

means for associating interest data with a geographical zone, said geographical zone and/or said interest data defined or selected by said user;

means for associating customized information with said interest data and/or said geographical zone; and

means for providing said customized information to said user.

17 . The server system according to claim 16 , further comprising:

means for associating said geographical zone and/or said interest data with temporal user data, said temporal user data defined or selected by said user; and

means for associating said customized information with said temporal user data.

18 . The server system according to claim 16 , further comprising:

means for receiving from a customized information provider geographical data and/or content information;

means for comparing said geographical data and/or content information with said geographical zone and/or said interest data, respectively; and

means for providing said content information to said user if said geographical data and/or content information matches said geographical zone and/or interest data, respectively.

19 . The server system according to claim 16 , wherein the server system is connected to a provider system for providing customized information to the server system via a network, said provider system comprising:

means for receiving geographical area data from said server system; and

means for associating content information with said geographical area data, said content information to be provided to a user over said network.