Method and system for collaborative and private sessions

• US 10,380,666 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Gould, Helen M., Garcia, Edward O'Neil, Melcher, Ryan, Lagunas, Diego, Bolivar, Alvaro, Anderson, Jennifer T., Susilo, Karenina, Spoon, Ryan, Lewis, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H
• Application Number:
  US15/952,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20180240173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 715761-765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Examples of a method and system for collaborative and private sessions are provided. In some aspects a collaborative shopping session including a first user and one or more other users is established. The establishing of the session including displaying a common interface for the collaborative shopping session at respective computer systems of the first user and each of the one or more other users. A side session is initiated for a second user, the side session having a different interface in which activity within the side session by the second user is not shared with the first user or the one or more other users of the collaborative shopping session. A determination, based on one or more merge criterion, of whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session is made; and the side session is merged with the collaborative session based on the determining.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

processing circuitry;

a hardware memory storing instructions that when executed, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising;

establishing a collaborative shopping session including a first user and one or more other users, the establishing including displaying a common interface for the collaborative shopping session at respective computer systems of the first user and each of the one or more other users,

initiating a side session for a second user of the one or more other users included in the collaborative shopping session, the side session having a different interface in which activity within the side session by the second user is not shared with the first user or the one or more other users of the collaborative shopping session,

processing user interactions received from a device operated by the second user according to the side session;

determining, based on one or more merge criterion, whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session, and

selectively merging the side session and the collaborative session based on the determining.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the second user has requested the merge of the side session and the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether a merge of the side session and the collaborative session has been approved by at least one user of the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the one or more merge criterion requires a content of the side session to be related to content of the collaborative shopping session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising merging the side session and the collaborative session by supplanting content of the collaborative session with content from the side session.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising receiving input from the second user indicating content of the side session to be shared with the collaborative session.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the determining of whether the one or more merge criterion is met is based on the received input.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising terminating the side session in response to the one or more merge criterion not being met.

9. A method, comprising:

establishing a collaborative shopping session including a first user and one or more other users, the establishing including displaying a common interface for the collaborative shopping session at respective computer systems of the first user and each of the one or more other users;

initiating a side session for a second user of the of the one or more other users included in the collaborative shopping session, the side session having a different interface in which activity within the side session by the second user is not shared with the first user or the one or more other users of the collaborative shopping session;

processing user interactions received from a device operated by the second user according to the side session,

determining, based on one or more merge criterion, whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session; and

selectively merging the side session and the collaborative session based on the determining.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the second user has requested the merge of the side session and the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether a merge of the side session and the collaborative session has been approved by at least one user of the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the one or more merge criterion requires a content of the side session to be related to content of the collaborative shopping session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising merging the side session and the collaborative session by supplanting content of the collaborative session with content from the side session.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving input from the second user indicating content of the side session to be shared with the collaborative session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining of whether the one or more merge criterion is met is based on the received input.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising terminating the side session in response to the one or more merge criterion not being met.

17. Anon-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause hardware processing circuitry to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establishing a collaborative shopping session including a first user and one or more other users, the establishing including displaying a common interface for the collaborative shopping session at respective computer systems of the first user and each of the one or more other users;

initiating a side session for a second user of the one or more other users included in the collaborative shopping session, the side session having a different interface in which activity within the side session by the second user is not shared with the first user or the one or more other users of the collaborative shopping session;

processing user interactions received from a device operated by the second user according to the side session;

determining, based on one or more merge criterion, whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session; and

selectively merging the side session and the collaborative session based on the determining.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the second user has requested the merge of the side session and the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether a merge of the side session and the collaborative session has been approved by at least one user of the collaborative session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising determining whether the one or more merge criterion is met based on whether the one or more merge criterion requires a content of the side session to be related to content of the collaborative shopping session, and determining whether to merge the side session with the collaborative session based on whether the one or more merge criterion are met.