System and method for performing local searhces across user defined events

Abstract

The instant invention presents a system and method for performing local searches across one or more events created by one or more users. The system of the present invention comprises an event data structure comprising one or more user defined events, each event associated with a zip code. A zip list processor is provided to receive a zip code and a distance value, e.g., from user defined input, which are used to calculate a zip list comprising all zip codes geographically located with the distance value from the zip code. An event list generator to receives the zip list and queries the event data structure to retrieve events associated with codes contained in the zip list. The method of the present invention comprises creating an event data structure comprising one or more user defined events, each event associated with a zip code, calculating a zip list comprising all zip codes geographically located within a distance equal to a received distance value from a received zip code, and querying the event data structure to retrieve events associated with zip codes contained in the zip list.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A system for performing searches across user defined events for an arbitrary geographic region or regions, the system comprising: 
 an event data structure comprising one or more user defined events, each event associated with a zip code;    a zip list processor, operative to receive a zip code and a distance value, which are used to calculate a zip list comprising all zip codes geographically located within the distance value from the zip code; and    an event list generator to receive the zip list and query the event data structure to retrieve events associated with zip codes contained in the zip list.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the zip list processor utilizes great circle mathematics to calculate all zip codes geographically located with the distance value from the zip code.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  comprising a zip data structure to store one or more zip codes and associated latitude and longitude values.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  comprising a calendar generator to facilitate creation of a calendars and a calendar data structure.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the each of the one or more user defined events are associated with a calendar in the calendar data structure.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the calendar generator is operative to format and present the calendar and associated user defined events on a display device.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the one or more user defined events are marked as public or private events.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein private events are excluded from the query performed by the event list generator.  
     
     
         9 . A method for performing searches across user defined events for an arbitrary geographic region or regions, the method comprising: 
 creating an event data structure comprising one or more user defined events, each event associated within a zip code;    calculating a zip list comprising all zip codes geographically located within a distance equal to a received distance value from a received zip code; and    querying the event data structure to retrieve events associated with zip codes contained in the zip list.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein calculating comprises utilizing great circle mathematics to calculate all zip codes geographically located with the distance value from the zip code.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein calculating comprises retrieving zip codes from a zip data structure used to store one or more zip codes and associated latitude and longitude values.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  comprising generating a calendar data structure and one or more calendars through the use of a calendar generator.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  comprising associating each of the one or more user defined events with a calendar in the calendar data structure.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  comprising formatting and presenting the calendar and associated user defined events on a display device.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  comprising marking the one or more user defined events are marked as public or private events.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein querying excludes private events.