Local business and product search system and method
Computer implemented systems and methods are described that enable customers to search for a product, and obtain a list of retail locations that are likely to provide that product without any need for any specific information about the stock or products held by that retailer.
1. A system, comprising:
one or more data stores having stored therein:
business entity information for each of a plurality of business entities,
business category information representing a plurality of business categories, a first business category of the business categories being represented in the business entity information for a first business entity of the business entities,
product information for each of a plurality of products,
product category information representing a plurality of product categories, a first product category of the product categories being represented in the product information for a first product of the products, and
a plurality of facts, each fact representing a link between one of the business categories and one of the product categories, each fact including relation data connecting the corresponding business category and the corresponding product category, and specifically expressing a confidence level that businesses in the corresponding business category sell products in the corresponding product category; and
one or more computing devices configured to use the business entity information for the first business entity, the product information for the first product, one or both of the business category information and the product category information, and one or more of the facts to determine that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product by generating a new fact not included in the plurality of facts, the new fact representing that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of facts includes a first fact representing a link between the first product category and the first business category, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to generate the new fact using generator code stored in the one or more data stores, the generator code being configured to infer the new fact based on the first fact and using one or both of the business category information and the product category information.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product by:
identifying the first product category based on the first product and the product category information;
identifying a first fact in the plurality of facts based on the first product category, the first fact representing a link between the first product category and the first business category; and
identifying the first business entity based on the first business category.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of products includes both goods and services.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:
receive input from a client device;
identify the first product based on the input; and
transmit a representation of the first business entity to the client device.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:
determine a geographic location of the client device; and
identify the first business entity based on the geographic location.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each fact of a first subset of the facts represents that the corresponding link is probable, and wherein each fact of a second subset of the facts represents that the corresponding link is possible.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the business category information represents a first hierarchy of relationships among the plurality of business categories, and wherein the product category information represents a second hierarchy of relationships among the plurality of product categories, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product by traversing one or both of a portion of the first hierarchy and a portion of the second hierarchy.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of facts includes a first fact triple expressing the link between the first product category and the first business category, wherein the business entity information for the first business entity includes a second fact triple expressing a first relationship between the first business entity and the first business category, wherein the product information for the first product includes a third fact triple expressing a second relationship between the first product and the first product category, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product based on the first, second, and third fact triples.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the relation data for each fact comprise a machine-readable object that represents a relationship between the corresponding business category and the corresponding product category.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the machine-readable object associated with each fact has a present tense verb phrase associated therewith that unambiguously describes the corresponding relationship.
13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
storing business entity information for each of a plurality of business entities,
storing business category information representing a plurality of business categories, a first business category of the business categories being represented in the business entity information for a first business entity of the business entities,
storing product information for each of a plurality of products,
storing product category information representing a plurality of product categories, a first product category of the product categories being represented in the product information for a first product of the products, and
storing a plurality of facts, each fact representing a link between one of the business categories and one of the product categories, each fact including relation data connecting the corresponding business category and the corresponding product category, and specifically expressing a confidence level that businesses in the corresponding business category sell products in the corresponding product category; and
determining that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product based on the business entity information for the first business entity, the product information for the first product, one or both of the business category information and the product category information, and one or more of the facts.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product includes generating a new fact not included in the plurality of facts, the new fact representing that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of facts includes a first fact representing a link between the first product category and the first business category, and wherein generating the new fact includes using generator code stored in the one or more data stores, the generator code being configured to infer the new fact based on the first fact and using one or both of the business category information and the product category information.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product includes:
identifying the first product category based on the first product and the product category information;
identifying a first fact in the plurality of facts based on the first product category, the first fact representing a link between the first product category and the first business category; and
identifying the first business entity based on the first business category.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of products includes both goods and services.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving input from a client device;
identifying the first product based on the input; and
transmitting a representation of the first business entity to the client device.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
determining a geographic location of the client device; and
identifying the first business entity based on the geographic location.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein each fact of a first subset of the facts represents that the corresponding link is probable, and wherein each fact of a second subset of the facts represents that the corresponding link is possible.
21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the business category information represents a first hierarchy of relationships among the plurality of business categories, and wherein the product category information represents a second hierarchy of relationships among the plurality of product categories, and wherein determining that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product includes traversing one or both of a portion of the first hierarchy and a portion of the second hierarchy.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of facts includes a first fact triple expressing the link between the first product category and the first business category, wherein the business entity information for the first business entity includes a second fact triple expressing a first relationship between the first business entity and the first business category, wherein the product information for the first product includes a third fact triple expressing a second relationship between the first product and the first product category, and wherein determining that the first business entity is a possible supplier of the first product is based on the first, second, and third fact triples.
23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the relation data for each fact comprise a machine-readable object that represents a relationship between the corresponding business category and the corresponding product category.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the machine-readable object associated with each fact has a present tense verb phrase associated therewith that unambiguously describes the corresponding relationship.