Time- and geolocation-limited marketplace

• US 10,304,122 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Afaq, Muhammad Anzar, Zhang, Emily, Chen, Ran, van Voorden, Frederik
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US14/097,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

In some embodiments, an app provides a geolocation-limited marketplace limited to a pre-defined period of time. The geolocation-limited marketplace is accessible only by the users in a predefined geographical area. Typically, the predefined geographical area is limited to an area small enough for a user to walk from one end to the other in a short period of time. The pre-defined period of time is of some limited length of time that may occur at a pre-defined interval. In some instances, the period of time is one hour.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a location restricted remote access transaction between an electronic publication system and a client machine, the method comprising:

providing, by the electronic publication system to a client machine, a first user interface configured for displaying images of products offered for sale a at physical store located within a geographical area;

receiving, by the electronic publication system from the client machine, a first signal requesting access to a listing application, the listing application configured to enable the client machine to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographical area;

retrieving a cookie from the client machine;

authenticating an identity associated with the client machine using the cookie;

receiving, from the client machine, data indicative of a first product and a shape of a geographic area within which to list the first product, the shape of the geographic area corresponding to one or more indicated landmarks, streets, school, or event venue;

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area; and

responsive to successfully authenticating the identity associated with the client machine and determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area, granting access to the listing application by transmitting a second user interface to the client machine, the second user interface configured to receive listing information for the first product and to list the first product on the electronic publication system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at the physical store within the geographical area;

determining whether the client machine is located within the geographic area;

responsive to determining that the client machine is not located within the geographic area, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area; and

responsive to determining that the seller has the publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area, granting access to the listing application for listing the second product located at the physical store within the geographical area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a time at which the first signal is received; and

determining whether the time at which the first signal is received is within a predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area,

wherein granting access to the listing application is further responsive to determining that the time is within the predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing to the client machine a third user interface that displays a geographical location of the physical store.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pre-populating one or more product listing information fields for the listing of the first product located at the physical store.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area comprises determining that the client machine is within a predetermined distance of the geographic area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at a second physical store at a second geographical location;

detecting a second distance between the client machine and the second physical store at the second geographical location;

responsive to determining that the second distance is not within the predetermined distance, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location; and

responsive to determining that the seller has the publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location, granting access to the listing application for listing the second product located at the second physical store at the second geographical location.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, causes the computer to execute operations for conducting a location restricted remote access transaction between an electronic publication system and a client machine, the operations comprising:

providing, by the electronic publication system to a client machine, a first user interface configured for displaying images of products offered for sale at a physical store located within a geographical area;

receiving, by the electronic publication system from the client machine, a first signal requesting access to a listing application, the listing application configured to enable the client machine to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographical area;

retrieving a cookie from the client machine;

authenticating an identity associated with the client machine using the cookie;

receiving, from the client machine, data indicative of a first product and a shape of a geographic area within which to list the first product, the shape of the geographic area corresponding to one or more indicated landmarks, streets, school, or event venue;

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area; and

responsive to successfully authenticating the identity associated with the client machine and determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area, granting access to the listing application by transmitting a second user interface to the client machine, the second user interface configured to receive listing information for the first product and to list the first product on the electronic publication system.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at the physical store within the geographical area;

determining whether the client machine is located within the geographic area;

responsive to determining that the client machine is not located within the geographic area, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area; and

responsive to determining that the seller has the publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area, granting access to the listing application for listing the second product located at the physical store within the geographical area.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a time at which the signal is received; and

determining whether the time at which the signal is received is within a predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area,

wherein granting access to the listing application is further responsive to determining that the time is within the predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

pre-populating one or more product listing information fields for the listing of the first product located at the physical store.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 5, wherein:

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area comprises determining that the client machine is within a predetermined distance of the geographic area.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at a second physical store at a second geographical location;

detecting a second distance between the client machine and the second physical store at the second geographical location;

responsive to determining that the second distance is not within the predetermined distance, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location; and

responsive to determining that the seller has the publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location, granting access to the listing application for listing the second product located at the second physical store at the second geographical location.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

providing, by the system to a client machine, a first user interface configured to display images of products offered for sale at a physical store located within a geographical area;

receiving, by the system from the client machine, a signal requesting access to a listing application, the listing application configured to enable the client machine to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographical area;

retrieving a cookie from the client machine and authenticate an identity associated with the client machine based on the cookie;

receiving, from the client machine, data indicative of a first product and a shape of a geographic area within which to list the first product, the shape of the geographic area corresponding to one or more indicated landmarks, streets, school, or event venue;

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area; and

responsive to successful authentication of the identity associated with the client machine and determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area, granting access to the listing application by provisioning of a second user interface at the client machine, the second user interface configured to receive listing information for the first product and to list the first product for sale on an electronic publication system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at the physical store within the geographical area;

determining whether the client machine is located within the geographic area;

responsive to a determination of that the client machine is not located within the geographic area, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area; and

responsive to a determination that the seller has the publication system account registered at the physical store within the geographical area, granting access to a listing application for listing the second product located at the physical store within the geographical-area.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a time at which the signal is received; and

determining whether the signal is received at a time within a predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area,

wherein grant of access to the listing application is further responsive to a determination that the time is within the predetermined time period to list products offered for sale at the physical store within the geographic area.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

provide to the client machine a third user interface that displays a geographical location of the physical store.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

pre-populating one or more product listing information fields for the listing of the first product located at the physical store.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the client machine is located within the geographic area by determining that the client machine is within a predetermined distance of the geographic area.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the predetermined distance from the user associated with the client machine;

receiving a second signal requesting access to the listing application to enable listing of a second product located at a second physical store at a second geographical location;

detecting a second distance between the client machine and the second physical store at the second geographical location;

responsive to a determination that the second distance is not within the predetermined distance, determining whether a seller associated with the client machine has a publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location; and

responsive to a determination that the seller has the publication system account registered at the second physical store at the second geographical location, granting access to the listing application for listing the second product located at the second physical store at the second geographical location.