HK1186548A - Code based indexing and information retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

An indexing and information retrieval system includes a database configured for storing a record of content and indexing the record with a code and property of predetermined location information, a member device configured for inputting the record to the database with the code and the corresponding property of predetermined location information, and a client device configured for retrieving the records from the database with the code. The code is associated with a predetermined location.

Description

Index and information retrieval system based on coding

Technical Field

The present application relates to a digital data indexing and retrieval technology, and more particularly, to an indexing and retrieval system using location information, which enables a searcher to directly retrieve target information by dialing a short code.

Background

The performance of a web search engine depends largely on the design of the index, including factors such as merging factors, storage technology, index size, and fault tolerance. All factors show the importance of the indexing technique. Various search engines produce lengthy search results, which leads to another problem in that it takes a lot of time for the searcher to repeatedly click to search for desired content in each of the result links.

This chance-dependent attempt mode does not shorten the query time, but rather increases the error rate. This problem is even more acute when the retriever is faced with ambiguous multi-language indexers and multi-file formats, particularly from an index table generated by human error, and thus retrieves inappropriate files.

Advertisers and publishers, relying on search engine performance, will therefore pay high costs, but only a low chance of visibility (OTS) is obtained, with extra charges having to be added to web banner advertisements to get public attention. The ever-increasing number of available search results that are generated by search engines also makes searching increasingly difficult.

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem that this patent application will solve is, overcome the not enough of prior art, provide an index and search system.

The technical scheme adopted by the invention for solving the technical problems is as follows:

as an embodiment, an indexing and information retrieval system includes a database storing data and indexing the data by a code, a member device inputting the data to the database according to the code, and a user device retrieving the data from the database according to the code. Wherein the code is associated with a preset position.

The location may be an area, which may be a circular area at a certain radius from a particular geographic reference point. The location may also be an area defined by at least 3 geographic reference points. The area defined by the at least 3 geographic reference points may be a polygon.

The member device may be configured to input data to the database with the code and information regarding the predetermined location attribute. The user device may be configured to retrieve the data from the database with the code and information about the predetermined location attribute. The database may be configured to index the data with codes and attributes associated with the location information. The property of the preset position may include an identification code. The identification code may be an international direct dialing telephone number (IDD code), an IP address, a zip code, a global position number (GLN), more accurate latitude and longitude data, and the like.

The member device may be configured to input data with the code, information regarding the attributes of the predetermined location, and the classification category thereof. The user device may be configured to retrieve the data from the database with the code, the information regarding the predetermined location attribute, and the classification category thereof. The database may be configured to index the data with codes, information about the attributes of the predetermined locations, and their classification categories.

The member device and the user device may be network-connected computers, and the database may be run on a network-connected server.

The location information may be current location information of the user device and the database may prioritize material closer to the current location of the user device.

The location information may be information of locations recently visited by the user device and the database may prioritize the profile of locations more recently visited by the user device.

The location information of the user device may be generated by a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a computer network. The user device may send the location information of the user device to the database by sending the proximity location information.

The code may be a digital code that a user may enter via a user device. The code may be a digital code that a user sees, hears or touches through a publication or advertisement, and the code is entered through a keyboard, tablet, camera, microphone or scanner, or the like. The profile may include details, a topographic map, or a website link entered by the Acode member.

The code may be associated with several positions including the preset position. The member device may be configured to input data with the code and information regarding the location attribute. The user device may be configured to retrieve the material with the code and information about the location attribute. The database may be configured to index the data with codes and information about location attributes.

The code may be associated with several positions including the preset position. The database may set a ranking of several locations, where the ranking method is based on the short distance top of column (SDFL) principle. The user device may send its own location information attributes to the database and retrieve the data based on the coding and ordering.

As another example, the present patent application provides an indexing method using codes as retrieval information. The method includes storing data, the database indexing the data by encoding and information about location attributes; the member device entering the data into the database based on the code and information regarding the location attribute; the user device retrieves the profile from the database based on the code and the information about the location attribute.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level overview of a retrieval system (i.e., Acode system) according to an embodiment of the present application

Fig. 2 illustrates a tangible media object referred to in embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 3 illustrates that the tag format is a tangible media object in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 illustrates a registration flow chart for implementing the registration process of the Acode member in fig. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating how an Acode member uses a mobile communication device to enter the Acode system according to the embodiment of the application.

Fig. 6 shows the Acode system of fig. 1 applied to different cities around the world according to an embodiment of the present application.

The steps shown in FIG. 7A are some of the steps that may be performed on the mobile interface of the Acode system of FIG. 1 according to embodiments of the present application.

The steps illustrated in fig. 7B are further steps performed on the mobile interface of the Acode system of fig. 1 according to embodiments of the present application.

FIG. 8 illustrates how the Acode system of FIG. 1 generates a sorted list according to embodiments of the present application.

FIG. 9 is a record of a virtual route record generated by the Acode system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 10A is an illustration of a portion of a user interface for use by the Acode system of FIG. 1 at an in-building level in an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 10B is another portion of a user interface for use by the Acode system of FIG. 1 at an in-building level in accordance with embodiments of the present application.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the indexing and retrieval system (hereinafter referred to as the Acode system) of the present invention includes several embodiments of the indexing and retrieval system. Embodiments of the code-based Acode system disclosed herein are described in detail below. Features that are not important to an understanding of the code-based Acode system are not depicted or described for purposes of clarity to describe, among other things, those of ordinary skill in the art.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the code-based Acode system disclosed herein is not limited to the description of specific implementations. For those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all shall be considered as belonging to the protection scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level overview of a retrieval system (i.e., Acode system) according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1, an Acode system 9 includes a networked computer system 10. The computer system 10 includes a member platform 30, a system server 20, and a user platform 40. The Acode system 9 also includes several member devices 50 and user devices 60. The member device 50 and the user device 60 are connected to the computer system 10 via the internet 100.

The system server 20 includes a central processing system 22 and a database 24. The central processing system 22 is a software system running on the system server 20, and the central processing system 22 is executed between the member platform 30 and the user platform 40, which respectively collects input data of the two platforms, processes data of the two platforms, and outputs data to the two platforms. The central processing system 22 also accesses the database 24 and provides business logic control for the computer system 10. The database 24 is used to store, filter and group data. Wherein each piece of data is encoded by at least one Acode, and attributes (hereinafter also referred to as location information) and content of the predetermined location participate in the processing.

The location may be a point, a line or an area defined by a set of geographic coordinates.

The location information may include information defining a corresponding location. It may be set to one or more countries, one or more regions (inter-country), one or more states, one or more metropolitan areas, one or more cities, one or more towns, one or more administrative areas, one or more areas with a common zip code, one or more areas served by a common cable head end station, one or more areas served by a common network access point or node, one or more geographical areas defined by other means, etc.

The location information may also include a latitude and/or longitude, or a range of latitudes and/or longitudes. Thus, for example, a location may be a geographic location that includes an area defined by geographic reference points. For example, a circular area formed by points defined by one latitude and longitude coordinate and a certain radius.

As another example, a location is an area defined by 3 or more geographic reference points. Such as a triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon or other polygon defined by a plurality of geographic reference points.

The location information may also include IP address information from which the location of the user may be estimated.

The member platform 30, including the member interface 32, is a software system for the user to manipulate Acode data. The member interface 32 is a software interface for the member device 50 to connect to. Which may be web servers, web services, or any kind of application software interfaces (APIs). The member device 50 and the member interface 32 exchange data via the internet 100.

The user platform 40, including the user interface 42, is a software system for users to access Acode material. The user interface 42 is a software interface for the user device 60 to connect to. Which may be a web server, web service, or any kind of application software interface. The user device 60 and the user interface 42 exchange data over the internet 100.

The member device 50 is a networked computer device that includes an input device 52 and an output device 54. The member device 50 is used by an Acode member 70 to access the member interface 32 via the Internet 100. The input device 52 may be a keyboard, keys, mouse pointer, trackball mouse, touch pad, camera, scanner, image receiver, microphone, audio receiver, and the like. The output device 54 may be a display, a computer display unit, an image producing device, a projector, a speaker, an audio generator, or the like.

User device 60 is a networked computer device that includes an input device 62 and an output device 64. The user device 60 is used by an Acode user 80 to access the user interface 42 through the Internet 100. The input device 62 may be a keyboard, keys, mouse pointer, trackball mouse, touch pad, camera, scanner, image receiver, microphone, audio receiver, and the like. The output device 64 may be a display, a computer display unit, an image producing device, a projector, a speaker, an audio generator, or the like.

The marketing channel 90 includes all of the distribution means that the Acode member 70 may use. Acode member 70 may use both tangible and intangible types of advertising material in conjunction with an Acode system. The tangible media object 91 may be a newspaper, magazine, advertisement on a bus stop poster, or the like. Intangible media object 92 may be a radio broadcast advertisement, a television advertisement, or the like. Thus, the Acode user 80 can easily recognize and remember the Acode and enter it on his user device 60.

As shown in FIG. 1, a detailed information flow of an exemplary system of Acode system 9 is illustrated. In fig. 1, "Tx" represents the chronological order of the steps or events that occur, where T1 represents the earliest stage and T6 represents the last stage.

In stage T1, the Acode member 70 collects or fills out detailed information on the publication or advertisement, including its designated location information, and enters the material into the member platform 30 of the connected Internet computer system 10. Thereafter, an Acode code is selected by the Acode member 70 or determined by the computer system 10. The computer system 10 will encode the target location information and the Acode as an index. The central processing system 22 handles communication between the member platform 30 and the database 24. If the Acode member 70 initially needs to communicate with the computer system 10, it must register its member account and pay for the Acode system service.

At stage T2, the computer system 10 replies to the member device 50 with a registered Acode code and displays it on the output interface 54. The registered Acode code may be displayed in the form of an Acode label 901.

At stage T3, an Acode member 70 will publish or distribute a designated Acode 901 in at least one marketing channel 90, such as a publication or advertisement. The Acode-coded publication or advertisement may be a venue logo, billboard, magazine, newspaper, poster, vehicle banner, print advertisement, road sign, building or shopping mall banner, braille logo or reading, broadcast advertisement, or other type of consumption-oriented advertisement. The publication or advertisement will be published or published in a location relevant to the designated Acode.

During stage T4, the Acode user 80 (interested party) sees the publication or advertisement. If he is interested in the content, he can note down Acode code 901.

At stage T5, the Acode user 80 inputs an Acode code 901 on an Acode website or application via his user device 60 to send an Acode request to the Acode system 9. The user device will send the attributes of its location information to the computer system 10 via the internet. The user platform 40 is responsible for passing the Acode encoding 901 and the location information attributes to the central processing system 22. The central processing system 22 processes and compares the Acode code 901 and the attributes of the location information with the system database 24. The central processing system 22 provides the filtered and sorted list of search results to the user interface 42. The Acode user 80 may then preview the details on the output interface 64 of the user device 60.

At stage T6, the computer system 10 returns a list of profiles associated with the requested Acode code. The list of profiles is sorted according to the shortest distance to the user's location according to the short distance top of the column (SDFL) principle.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example poster of a tangible media object 910. The marketing material of the Acode system 9 shown in FIG. 1 includes a tangible object 91 and an intangible object 92. In FIG. 2, a tangible media object 910 includes an Acode tab 912 and an Acode operational guide 914 presented textually. If an Acode user is interested in the content of the tangible media object, he can easily remember and dial the Acode code via the mobile device to retrieve detailed information without writing notes or taking a picture of the object.

FIG. 3 illustrates information printed on an Acode label 916 that is a tangible media object. Referring to fig. 3, the Acode label includes 3 elements: (1) acode coding 9161 of decimal numbers, (2) letters regarding country and region location information 9162; (3) IDD code 9163 represents a country and a region. The Acode label design is flexible, and the color and layout can be changed according to the commodity content. Fig. 3 shows 3 examples: (1) decimal number 9164 with an "Acode" typeface; (2) decimal number 9165 with position information; and (3) decimal number 9166 with position information and an "Acode" typeface.

Fig. 4 illustrates a registration process of an Acode system Acode member in fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The Acode system includes two types of users: an "Acode member" registers a specific type code (hereinafter referred to as "Acode") and a public mobile user is named "Acode user" to index information using the Acode code with a user device 60, such as a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, a notebook, a netbook, a tablet device, and the like, as shown in fig. 1.

Acode members are primarily from business entities, such as commercial companies and advertising agencies, that can apply for or use channels to publish Acodes to the public. For example, a member may print an Acode label on a corner of an advertisement placed in a newspaper or magazine.

Referring to FIG. 4, an Acode member must first confirm its service type 110 before selecting an Acode code. At the same time, the member must provide location information for its advertisements. In the present embodiment, the position information is defined by an IDD code. The IDD code includes: a country code 114; 116, city code 116. Further, the location information may also be a city name, an IP address, a zip code, a global position number (GLN), latitude and longitude data, and the like.

In step 118, the Acode member may manually enter the content of his company profile, publication, or advertisement via a form on the member interface, see FIG. 1.

For those Acode members that already have their own web site, the Acode system provides them with another option to allow the member to connect the already registered Acode code with the URL address of its existing web site. The output device is provided with a simulator to members to evaluate the appearance of publications or advertisements.

In step 120, the Acode system allows the member to preview content at the output interface 54 of the member device shown in FIG. 1. The output devices are installed on web pages or any Application Software (APIs) with different kinds of simulators. The output interface 54 shown in fig. 1 also allows members to schedule publication or advertisement distribution.

FIG. 5 illustrates how an Acode user enters the Acode system in FIG. 1 in an embodiment of the present invention application. The Acode system can automatically retrieve attributes of the user device location information and display the location information on the user device.

In one embodiment, an Acode user may easily remember his Acode code if he is interested in a publication or advertisement and enter the Acode code into the Acode system 130 via a web page or application to retrieve detailed information. Even more, the Acode user may select a certain region he wants to access. The user's current location may be detected by the Acode system through the user device, and thus, the user may select their current location, or may select other locations based on country and city IDD codes.

For example, an Acode user who is newly homed in Tokyo, Japan uses his user device to enter the Acode system. The current position is displayed as "tokyo new home" on the user device. The user may enter an Acode code such as "12152" and search the list 142 of Tokyo New Home all use codes "12152". If more than one option appears on the list, it means that more than one Acode member represents his company with an Acode code of "12152" in Tokyo New Hotel area. The user may select company information from the list in which the user is interested. The Acode system will calculate the distance between the location of the user device and the published content or advertising location with the same Acode "12152". The positioning results are listed in the order of the shortest distance to the longest distance according to the distance, and the sorting mode is called a short distance first order (SDFL) principle. In this embodiment, a new sink registration Acode will be ranked in higher priority than a thousand generation field registration Acode because the thousand generation field and the new sink are farther away than the user's location. Finally, the Acode user selects one of the options 158 and accesses the corresponding page 160.

In another embodiment, the Acode user may retrieve details of other city Acode encodings in addition to his current location. The user may dial-through the country code first, then the city code, as an IDD (international dial-through telephone code) prefix, steps 132 and 134. In this example, if the user's current location is tokyo and the user dials IDD city code 852, he will get a list of search results for hong kong instead of tokyo.

In another embodiment, the Acode user may choose 152 from the sorted list without having to dial the Acode code. Thereafter, the Acode user may select one of the categories 154. The category and location information attributes are sent to the computer system and the results list is sorted by the short distance top of column (SDFL) principle. Finally, the selected item 158 on the result list is displayed with its associated web page 160.

The Acode system combines Acode encoding with location information into an indexer. The location information includes a city name, a location defined according to an international direct dialing code (IDD code), an IP address, a zip code, a global position number (GLN), and more precise latitude and longitude data, and the like. Thus, the Acode system may be applied to geographic areas of different sizes. In practice, the class 3 scale is summarized as follows:

a. intercity level implementation-within a country, a single short code is allowed to serve different cities.

b. Urban level implementation keeping track of and comparing distances from the seeker's device to the short code physical location within a city.

c. Implementation of the in-building level: information is retrieved based on the retriever.

a. Intercity level enforcement

Fig. 6 illustrates the application of the Acode system 9 of fig. 1 to different cities around the world in embodiments of the present application. In the present embodiment, one Acode encoding employs 5-bit numbers. Each Acode member may use one or more Acode codes, and each Acode code may also be used by different members at different locations. Thus, even with simple Acode coding like "12345," the Acode system can be reused in various cities around the world, as in FIG. 6.

When an Acode user accesses the Acode system through a mobile device, his location information may be obtained through an IP address, GPS data, or Cookies data and provided to the Acode system. Therefore, when the user dials the Acode code "12345", the Acode system will use the user's location information and return a service search result list for the same city or town as the user is located according to the Acode code "12345". The Acode user may also bookmark the Acode code for subsequent use, or return to the previous page to continue the search by selecting another city or browsing through a sorted list of categories via the well-known IDD prefix.

In the Acode system, each Acode member registered with an Acode code needs to determine the city to which the Acode code is to be applied and the type of service to which it belongs. This requirement optimizes the reusability of Acode codes across different cities.

7A-7B illustrate the operation of the output interface 64 of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present application, which includes the following steps:

step 201: the Acode user knows the Acode code from a publication or advertisement and can dial the Acode code on his user device through a web page or application software to access the Acode system. The Acode system will automatically show the user's location information at the title of the output interface. The location information of the user, such as "hong kong", is determined by attributes of the location information, such as international direct call (IDD code), IP address, GPS material, cookies, etc.

Step 202: the Acode system uses the short distance top of column (SDFL) principle to sort and display the Acode codes "12345" located in hong Kong in the search result list. For example, each entry in the search result list contains an IDD code (852) representing that the entry information comes from hong kong. The Acode user may display relevant detailed information on their user device if selecting an item.

Step 203: the user apparatus displays detailed information of the selected item, and the Acode code and the company name "12345 Ad5 h.k.ltd" are displayed at the title of the output interface. Content is classified into different parts, such as "Profile", "Vision and Session", "Current Projects", "Contact Us". All of these parts can be modified at the discretion of the Acode member. Thus, the display mode may be different between different members.

Step 204: the Acode user may also dial the Acode code prefixed with the IDD code to solicit information for other cities. International Direct Dial (IDD) codes may also be printed on the Acode label, similar to Acode label 9163 shown in fig. 3. For example, the Acode user dials 8610 on the IDD code page, the system will automatically display its location under the text bar of its output interface, Beijing, China.

Step 205: the Acode user may proceed to dial a 5-bit Acode encoding of the Acode label printed on the magazine.

Step 206: acode "12345" is displayed containing a search listing titled "Beijing, China" city name. Meanwhile, each item will display the Acode code, the International direct Dial-Up telephone code (IDD) (8610), the type of service, and the company name. The Acode user may select any item to review its associated detailed information 203.

Step 207: referring to fig. 7B, the Acode system also browses information from the sorted list in consideration of human habits. In this embodiment, the Acode system designs a three-level classification list. In this step, several categories are designed as icons.

Step 208: once the Acode user selects the "Security" icon in step 207, the second level of classification will be presented in the next page. The Acode user may continue to select the next level of classification "Information Security".

Step 209: the Acode system will show the final level of classification in the form of a navigation list under the "Information Security" classification. The user may select a profile, such as "Computer Software," in a third hierarchical category.

Step 210: under the Computer Software option page, all relevant companies are listed. Each option shows the Acode code, international direct call (IDD code), category name, and company name. The Acode user may select any one of the options to retrieve the corresponding detailed information.

Step 211: the Acode system also allows an Acode user to add an Acode code of interest as a bookmark on his user device.

In this embodiment, if an Acode code '12152' is shared by more than one business unit, i.e., "Acode member" from a city, the search result list will be filtered according to the Acode code to be only data of the city. If the length of the Acode code is limited to 5 bits or 6 bits, a maximum of 99999 to 999999 Acode code combinations can be retrieved in a city. The ductility of the Acode system depends on the number of cities in which the system is used, where the combination may not be limited.

b. Implementation at the urban level:

referring to fig. 8, the design is mostly distributed on a fixed location advertisement. For example, a tangible media object may be a poster printed on an exterior wall of a building or a poster at a bus stop, with an attractive Acode label printed on the poster. Acode systems may use Acode codes of 4-5 bit character lengths, thereby making the Acode codes easier and faster to remember by the brain of the Acode user. Even when an Acode user passes through an advertisement in a running automobile, the user can remember the Acode code immediately and can dial the Acode code with his mobile device leisurely.

The Acode system uses a sorting table to handle conflicts between the same Acode encoding different member profiles within a city. The Acode system compares the real-time location of the Acode user with the distance between the intended locations of the publications or advertisements to rank the results of the search in a list order using the short distance top of column (SDFL) principle. For example: in one embodiment, the Acode code "12345" is also selected for three different hong Kong members (company A, company B, company C) as shown in FIG. 8. Table 1 shows that the Acode system sorts out each member in a list.

Please refer to fig. 8 for explanation with three scenarios. In fig. 8, in scene 1, starting from area a, user X is traversing path 1 from area a (pt 1) to area D (pt 3). Midway, he was attracted to the poster on the exterior wall of company a's building, remembering the Acode code "12345" at the location of area a (pt 5). When he dials the Acode code with the mobile device, user X has actually provided his immediate location information to the Acode system via the Internet. The Acode system detects User X location by the User X's mobile device location information attribute. The location information attribute may be international direct dial (IDD code), IP address, zip code, global position number (GLN), and more precise latitude and longitude data, among others. The location may be verified by a reference point or a reference area. Thus, the Acode system will compare the location information to the distance of each advertisement registered by the Acode code "12345", generate a sorted list as shown in Table 1, and send the resulting list to user X's mobile device. The closer the ad position is to the user, the higher the ranking in the results list.

TABLE 1

As can be seen from Table 1, a higher ranking will give company A to area A location point pt 5. Although company B and company C use the same Acode code "12345," they are both calculated to be in an area that is further away from user X than company A.

In scenario 2, in region B, user Y is attracted to another company B's advertisement, and remembers Acode code "12345" at region B's (pt6) location. When user Y dials Acode code "12345," the Acode system immediately generates another sort table, similar to scenario 1, described above. In region B, because only company B has placed advertisements along the way on Path 2, company B has obtained the highest ranking and is displayed on user Y's mobile device as the top index entry.

In scenario 3, referring to user X and user Y mentioned above, if neither person dials the Acode code before reaching the reference point where area a and area B overlap, i.e., location point (pt 4). When the Acode system begins generating a sort table for comparison, the location where the user uploaded in the past is also taken into account. The Acode system will translate the user's previously arrived location from a reference point to a reference line through three main sources:

GPS data: by means of devices having GPS location

History of Acode System: from a location reference point previously visited by the user

Cookies or application software: the location where the user often stays. Such as user X often appears in area a and area D.

Table 2.

Referring to Table 2, during the past-2 t period, user X has appeared more frequently in area A, while user Y has also appeared more frequently in area B. Thus, for user X, area A has a higher ranking priority level and for user Y, area B has a higher ranking priority level. As a result, company A's advertisement is picked up for user X and company B's advertisement is picked up for user Y.

c. Implementation of the in-building level:

the Acode system also makes up for the problem that GPS signals are lacked or weak in buildings. The Acode system may display a special electronic roadmap on the mobile device to help the user identify the location of the current public area, such as a shopping center, exhibition center or parking lot.

An Acode user may dial an Acode code to download a floor plan of a designated building, such as a shopping mall. The Acode system receives the Acode user's current location and compares that location to the location of the shopping mall for distance and direction. If the Acode user is outside the mall, the Acode system will display the mall building plan and provide an electronic identification panel on the user device. If the Acode user is in a shopping center, the Acode system will upload the building plan directly to the user device and ask the user to confirm which floor he is on.

As shown in FIG. 9, when Acode user Z inputs Acode code "12348," the Acode system generates a corresponding virtual route record for Acode user Z. FIGS. 10A-10B show floor plan views of the first floor of the shopping mall, and the path that Acode user Z needs to follow. Once the Acode user Z has marked his first reference point with the store number 113, which is marked on the wall near the store, the Acode system also uses the marked data as the initial reference point for user Z. The user device of user Z will then display a partial building plan. The design enables the user to locate by himself without considering the strength of GPS signals. The property management department can also use the invention at zero cost without investing in additional basic equipment.

Fig. 10A-10B illustrate user interfaces of the Acode system of fig. 1 implemented at the indoor level of a building in accordance with embodiments of the present application. 10A-10B, to reach the ABC shopping mall, Acode user Z has the Acode code of "12348". The operation of the interface on the building plan comprises the following steps:

step 301: user Z wants to go to the ABC shopping mall's shoe store ("Adidas"), and therefore enters the shopping mall's Acode code "12348" on his user device in order to download the relevant detailed information as well as download the latest version of the shopping mall plan.

Step 302: alternatively, user Z, without knowing the Acode code for the shopping mall, can click "Find me" to retrieve the results list for all buildings in the vicinity.

Step 303: the Acode system transmits a building plan for the first floor of the ABC shopping mall back to user Z's user device and displays on user Z's user device.

Step 304: the user Z may get lost while shopping through the shopping mall, and he simply inputs the store number of the nearby store, for example 113. The user Z may click on "Search Shop Number" to Search the result list of all shops nearby.

Step 305: the shop near user Z may be displayed on the user apparatus as a search result list. User Z may select any one of the stores to represent his current location.

Step 306: a label displaying "You are here" would show a plan view of the first floor displayed on the user device, and close to the user Z is the store 113.

Step 307: referring to FIG. 10B, user Z may search for a store to go to through the sorted list of ABC shopping mall.

Step 308: when the user Z selects the category "shoes", a search result list is generated on the user apparatus, and a store number and a store name of a shoe store are displayed. In this example user Z has selected the store "Adidas".

Step 309: the Acode system compares and displays a revised shortest path from user Z's current location to "Adidas (Adidas)".

Step 310: a floor plan of the building would be displayed on the user device in full screen, starting with the first floor of the ABC shopping mall and associated with the shortest path to the fourth floor of store "468". In this example, the current location of user Z is near the first floor store 113, so the Acode system will guide user Z to the direction of the elevator and board the elevator to the destination at the fourth floor. User Z can click on "next" to display the first floor of the shopping mall in full screen to know the direction and distance to go to elevators 4-6. Text messages may also appear on the user device to direct.

Step 311: when user Z follows the guide to the fourth floor, he can continue to click "next" to take other prompts and paths to "store 468".

In Table 3, the location list may be used to describe the activity of user Z from the initial point "store 113" to the destination "store 468" in one step.

TABLE 3

Regarding the feasibility of receiving Acode numbers in a virtual environment, the visual feasibility of Acode based on the above embodiments includes distribution on printed matter or electronic devices such as TV or LCD display screens for easy reading and memorizing by Acode users. A possible solution to hear the Acode code includes spelling the Acode code through a broadcast system, such as a radio broadcast, so that the user can hear and remember the Acode code in real time. A possible approach to touch the Acode code includes using the Acode code inscribed with Braille letterhead (Braille alphabet) so that the visually impaired person can also touch and memorize the Acode code.

Regarding the input method of the Acode system, according to the above-described embodiments, the Acode user may input the Acode code through a numeric keypad having physical keys or through an analog numeric keypad on a display screen. The Acode user may also input the Acode code through an audio receiver, including connecting a personal computer, a portable tablet, a smart phone, a mobile phone, etc. with a microphone. The Acode coded spelling can be recognized by the user device as a sound file and by a computer system on the user device or server side and converted into decimal data recognizable by the computer. An Acode user may also enter an Acode code through a scanner, for example, scanning an Acode code printed on a tangible item such as a poster or magazine.

Further analyzing the application of the Acode system in marketing, according to the above embodiments, the Acode system can assist Acode members in marketing analysis, which can be directed to the same advertisement content based on using different, non-unique Acode codes and distributed in different marketing channels. For example, one Acode code "12344" may be assigned to a newspaper, while another Acode code "12346" is assigned to a television advertisement. The difference of the click rate can display the number of potential users in different advertisement channels, and can reflect the success degree of the advertisement channels as a certificate for continuously putting the marketing resources into the channels. The click rate also reflects the success of a marketing channel in a specific area. At the same time, the "click-through rate" also shows the immediate user response to a particular activity, such as a promotional response during a particular event. Demographic reports may also show the distribution of different potential customer groups across cities or countries.

In the above embodiments, the commercial value of the Acode system is mainly determined by that it can break the boundary between the internet and traditional media, and help publishers, merchants, or Acode members to fully extend their marketing channels to all internet-accessible devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, personal computers, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, and so on. Thus, a publication or advertisement may be continuously distributed without being limited by area or time.

The indexing and information retrieval system of the patent application has great significance to the advertising industry. The information displayed on the existing television advertisement, newspaper, magazine, poster or slogan is only one-way, and the receiver only accepts the information unilaterally. One side of the patent application provides a real-time information retrieval way for interested public before forgetting a certain advertisement; on the one hand change unidirectional alternating current to bidirectional. The reaction of the interested person can be transmitted back to the system through the Internet, and the advertiser can also reflect the benefit of the advertisement through the browsing times of the interested person. In particular, the click-through rate stored by the Acode system may be a response to the advertiser to a group of potential customers actively contacting their advertisement.

The marketability of the Acode system comes from the reusability of using location information by Acode coding, and the flexibility of classifying functions according to different lengths of the Acode coding.

In this embodiment, the Acode system uses only 5-bit short codes. However, in order to meet different requirements, the length of the Acode coding can still be extended. Acode coding, as extended to 6-7 bits, can be used for short-term commercial activities such as lotteries, television bonus surveys, and the like. Acode codes, as extended to 8-9 digits, can be used to pair as personal blogs with personal mobile phone numbers in a particular city. In addition, for example, the user device can scan the Acode code having a length like a commodity bar code by using the Acode code extended to 13 bits or more to search product information. Since the Acode is encoded as digital type data, no special keying skills are required. Finally, advertising campaigns like lotteries may deliver encrypted identity features to protect personal privacy and attract more participants to experience a real-time outcome feedback.

In another embodiment, Acode encoding is used along with other encoding. A university who is an Acode member may use the Acode code "13320" and publish the code to the public. Students who are Acode users know the Acode code "13320" which can access university information through an application software of an Acode website or user device. Since each department or department has their own web site or information to be published, the Acode code "13320" may direct the Acode user to a central sorted results list that includes information for all departments or departments. A university may also be one where each department or department is assigned a code that is more easily accessible. If the code '12' is assigned to a social department, it may be released to a department office, a sign board, or a landmark. Students can quickly access information of the social department in the central classification result list by inputting the code '12' without browsing and selecting in the list.

The foregoing is a more detailed description of the invention in connection with specific preferred embodiments and it is not intended that the invention be limited to these specific details. For those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all shall be considered as belonging to the protection scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. An indexing and information retrieval system, comprising: comprising a database storing material and indexing the material by a code, a member device inputting the material to the database according to the code, and a user device retrieving the material from the database according to the code, wherein the code is associated with a predetermined location.

2. The indexing and information retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said member device inputting said data to said database based on said code and information relating to predetermined location attributes; retrieving, by the user device, material from the database based on the code and the information about the predetermined location attribute; the database indexes the material by the code and the information about the preset position attribute.

3. The indexing and information retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said member device inputting said data to said database based on said code, information regarding predetermined location attributes and classification categories; retrieving, by the user device, material from the database based on the code, the information regarding the predetermined location attribute, and the classification directory; the database indexes the material by the code, the information about the preset position attribute and the classification directory.

4. The indexing and information retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein: the attribute of the preset position comprises an identification code; the identification code is an international direct dialing code (IDD code), a postal code, a zip code, or a global position number (GLN).

5. The indexing and information retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the code is associated with a number of locations including a preset location, the database determining an ordering of the number of locations; the user device retrieves the profile from the database according to the encoding and ranking.

6. The indexing and information retrieval system as recited in claim 5, wherein: the user device sends its own location information to the database, which determines a ranking according to the location information.

7. The indexing and information retrieval system according to claim 6, wherein: the location information is current location information of the user device, and the database gives priority to data closer to the current location of the user device; or the location information is the location information that the user device has recently visited, and the database gives the user device a preference to the details of locations that have recently visited more often.

8. The indexing and information retrieval system according to claim 7, wherein: the location information of the user device is generated by a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a computer network.

9. The indexing and information retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the member device and the user device are network-connected computers, and the database is run on a server connected to the network.

10. The indexing and information retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the code is a digital code that a user sees, hears or touches through a publication or advertisement, the user device being operated by the user, receiving the code entered by the user through a keyboard or a camera or a loudspeaker or a scanner.