System and method for providing information matching a user's stated preferences

Abstract

A location-based and preference-based system and method for matching media content about persons, places and things with the expressed preferences of mobile users to notify users about and provide users with access to media content about persons, places and things that match the user's expressed preferences. The system thus provides information such as stories or articles that match the user's interests and relate to their location. The system may assign ranks to all of the media content that meets that user's preferences wherein, in one embodiment, it will automatically play them in the assigned order. Comparison of the user's preferences with the various profiles of the media content allows the user only to be informed of the media content for those persons, places or things that the user is likely to be interested in. The system and method thus provides for a mobile real-time point of interest exchange network.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of using a wireless mobile device to obtain information about goods, services and/or places of interest, the method comprising:
 enabling a user of the wireless mobile device to enter a profile reflecting one or more of the user's preferences regarding goods, services and/or places of interest, including a geolocation criterion;   transmitting the profile to a server;   transmitting geographic location information of the wireless mobile device to the server; receiving from the server information about at least one good, service and/or place of interest meeting the user's preferences, including the geolocation criterion, wherein the information about the at least one good, service and/or place of interest includes at least one review or rating of the at least one good, service and/or place of interest; and   displaying the information about the at least one good, service and/or place of interest on a display of the wireless mobile device.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the received information is based on the user profile, the wireless mobile device location and the plurality of merchant profiles. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the received information includes video information. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the received information includes audio information. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising updating distance information associated with the at least one good, service and/or place of interest according to the user's movement. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising accepting a user click of a display and presenting additional information relates to the at least one good, service and/or place of interest. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising displaying homes on a map that match preferences of the user with real estate broker information. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the displayed information is limited to a specified range from the user's current location.