Method and apparatus to facilitate a transaction within a network-based auction facility

• US 20030093326A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Mike, Poon, Alex D., Leahy, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Method and apparatus to facilitate programmatic access to a network-based commerce facility via a network. The method includes receiving a request from a third party application via the network at the network based commerce facility. The request performs an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by the network-based commerce facility. In responsive to the request, the method performs the action pertaining to the electronic commerce and communicates from a result of the action from the network-based commerce facility to the third party application in a programmatically accessible format.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate programmatic access to a network-based commerce facility via a network, the method including:

receiving a request from a third party application via said network at said network based commerce facility, said request to perform an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by said network-based commerce facility; and

responsive to said request, performing said action pertaining to said electronic commerce, and communicating from said network-based commerce facility to said third party application a result of said action in a programmatically accessible format.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said action pertaining to said electronic commerce includes any one of registering as a user, selling, trading, buying, obtaining information, submitting information, updating submitted information, and accessing a user profile on said network-based commerce facility.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said electronic commerce includes auction transactions occurring on said network-based commerce facility.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transaction actions includes any one of:

putting an item up for sale, re-listing an item for sale, changing an item attribute of an item for sale;

checking for errors in said putting an item for sale before submitting;

listing auction fees for an item before submitting;

getting information about a single item;

getting all items listed in a particular category;

searching for items;

listing all the items a particular end-user is selling;

listing all of the items a particular user has bid on;

getting a list of high bidders for an auction;

getting information about a single user;

getting the feedback scores for a single user;

leaving feedback about a user;

getting a URL to a logo of said network-based commerce facility;

getting an official time of said network-based commerce facility;

activating a test user;

retrieving the Custom Categories;

retrieving account information of said user; and

adding text to a description field for an items.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said request is a call function to interact with a database of said network-based commerce facility, as a facility.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein said call function includes any one of registering as a user, selling, trading, buying, obtaining information, submitting information, updating submitted information, and accessing a user profile on said network-based commerce facility.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein said call function performs any one of:

putting an item up for sale, re-listing an item, changing an item attributes;

checking for errors in said putting an item for sale before submitting;

listing auction fees for an item before submitting;

getting information about a single item;

getting all items listed in a particular category;

searching for items;

listing all the items a particular end-user is selling;

listing all of the items a particular user has bid on;

getting a list of high bidders for an item listed for sale;

getting information about a single user;

getting the feedback scores for a single user;

leaving feedback about a user;

getting a URL to a logo of said network-based commerce facility;

getting an official time of said network-based transaction facility;

activating a test user;

retrieving the Custom Categories;

retrieving account information of said user; and

adding text to a description field for an items.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein said result includes information to be interpreted by an interpreter and to be arranged into a customized user interface, said customized user interface being readable and available to said end-user.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein said customized user interface provides specialized operations designed for specific business needs.

10. A method as in claim 8 wherein said interpreter is a routine capable of parsing said result to extract raw data.

11. A method as in claim 9 wherein said routine is an eXtensive Markup Language (XML) parser capable of parsing said result, said result being an XML document.

12. A method as in claim 1 wherein said programmatically accessible format is an (XML) document.

13. A method as in claim 1 wherein said result is transmitted from said network-based commerce facility to said third-party application in said programmatically accessible format published by said network-based commerce facility.

14. A method as in claim 11 wherein said programmatically accessible format published by said network-based transaction facility is an (XML) specification having customized tags.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor, cause the processor to facilitate programmatic access to a network-based commerce facility via a network, the method including:

receiving a request from a third party application via said network at said network based commerce facility, said request to perform an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by said network-based commerce facility; and

responsive to said request, performing said action pertaining to said electronic commerce, and communicating from said network-based commerce facility to said third party application a result of said action in a programmatically accessible format.

16. A computer readable medium as in claim 15 wherein said result includes information to be interpreted by an interpreter and to be arranged into a customized user interface, said customized user interface being readable and available to said end-user.

17. A computer readable medium as in claim 16 wherein said customized user interface provides specialized operations designed for specific business needs.

18. A computer readable medium as in claim 17 wherein said interpreter is a routine capable of parsing said result to extract raw data.

19. A computer readable medium as in claim 18 wherein said routine is an eXtensive Markup Language (XML) parser capable of parsing said result, said result being an XML document.

20. A computer readable medium as in claim 19 wherein said programmatically accessible format is a (XML) document.

21. A computer readable medium as in claim 20 wherein said result is transmitted from said network-based commerce facility to said third-party application in said programmatically accessible format published by said network-based commerce facility.

22. A computer readable medium as in claim 21 wherein said programmatically accessible format published by said network-based transaction facility is an (XML) specification having customized tags.

23. A method to facilitate programmatic access to an Internet service facility via an Internet, the method including:

receiving a request from a third party application via said Internet at said Internet service facility, said request to perform an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by said Internet service facility; and

responsive to said request, performing said action pertaining to said electronic commerce, and communicating from said Internet service facility to said third party application a result of said action in a programmatically accessible format.

24. A system to detect fraudulent activities at a network-based commerce facility, the system including:

a receiving process to receive a request from a third party application via said network at said network based commerce facility, said request to perform an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by said network-based commerce facility; and

a responding process to perform said action pertaining to said electronic commerce in response to said request, and communicate from said network-based commerce facility to said third party application a result of said action in a programmatically accessible format.

25. A system to detect fraudulent activities at a network-based commerce facility, the system including:

a first means for receiving a request from a third party application via said network at said network based commerce facility, said request to perform an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by said network-based commerce facility; and

a second means for performing said action pertaining to said electronic commerce in response to said request, and communicating from said network-based commerce facility to said third party application a result of said action in a programmatically accessible format.