System and method enabling searching for items, listings, or products based on listing activity

• US 10,055,786 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Shusterman, Richard Aaron Neal, Pham, Vinh Thu
• Primary Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US12/510,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,311 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method for providing a listing activity engine for online computer users is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: accessing a plurality of listings corresponding to items offered on a host site; accessing listing activity level information related to the plurality of listings, the listing activity level information including information indicative of a number of times particular listings of the plurality of listings were viewed or activated; producing search results that include only matched listings of the plurality of listings that were viewed or activated a number of times less than a pre-determined listing activity threshold; and displaying the search results to a user.

Claims

1. A method for an improved user interface for displaying listings from a listing database on a display screen of a user device, the method comprising:

generating a user interface with a widget that provides a single interaction point for manipulation of data associated with one or more low-activity listings and activates a dedicated user interface area for display of the data on the display screen of the user device;

maintaining the listing database, the listing database including a plurality of listings of items offered on a host site;

storing, in the listing database, listing activity information for each of the listings of items offered on the host site, the listing activity information indicative of a number of times the respective listing has been viewed;

querying the listing database to generate a plurality of search results, the plurality of search results including a portion of the plurality of listings included in the listing database;

identifying at least one low-activity listing by filtering the plurality of search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above a threshold; and

populating the user interface area provided by the widget with the at least one low-activity listing for display on the display screen of the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, including charging the user for filtering the search results.

3. The method of claim 1, including charging the user for exclusive use for a pre-determined duration of functionality to filter the search results.

4. A system comprising:

a memory device for storing instructions; and

one or more processors, which, when executing the instructions, causes the system to perform operations comprising;

generating a user interface with a widget that provides a single interaction point for manipulation of data associated with one or more low-activity listings and activates a dedicated user interface area for display of the data on a display screen of a user device;

maintaining a listing database, the listing database including a plurality of listings of items offered on a host site;

storing, in the listing database, listing activity information for each of the listings of items offered on the host site, the listing activity information indicative of a number of times the respective listing has been viewed;

querying the listing database to generate a plurality of search results, the plurality of search results including a portion of the plurality of listings included in the listing database;

identifying at least one low-activity listing by filtering the plurality of search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above a threshold; and

populating the user interface area provided by the widget with the at least one low-activity listing for display on the display screen of the user device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise charging the user for use of functionality to filter the search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above the threshold.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise charging the user for exclusive use for a predetermined duration of functionality to filter the search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above the threshold.

7. A non-transitory machine-useable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

generating a user interface with a widget that provides a single interaction point for manipulation of data associated with one or more low-activity listings and activates a dedicated user interface area for display of the data on a display screen of a user device;

maintaining a listing database, the listing database including a plurality of listings of items offered on a host site;

storing, in the listing database, listing activity information for each of the listings of items offered on the host site, the listing activity information indicative of a number of times the respective listing has been viewed;

querying the listing database to generate a plurality of search results, the plurality of search results including a portion of the plurality of listings included in the listing database;

identifying at least one low-activity listing by filtering the plurality of search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above a threshold; and

populating the user interface area provided by the widget with the at least one low-activity listing for display on the display screen of the user device.

8. The machine-useable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise charging a user for use of functionality to filter the search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above the threshold.

9. The machine-useable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise charging a user for exclusive use for a predetermined duration of functionality to filter the search results to exclude listings with listing activity information indicating the listing has been viewed a number of times that is above the threshold.