Metadata service that supports user-to-user sales via third party web pages
First Claim
1. A system for supporting user-to-user sales of products, comprising:
- a metadata client that runs in association with a browser on user computers; and
a metadata server that communicates with the metadata client over a computer network to provide users with metadata for viewed web pages;
wherein the metadata client and server are responsive to a first user accessing a first web page that displays a description of a first product by providing to the first user an option to create a listing for selling a unit of the first product;
and wherein the metadata client and server are further responsive to a second user accessing a second web page that displays a description of the first product by notifying the second user of the product listing created by the first user and providing an option for the second user to make an associated purchase from the first user.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An online marketplace system provides various features for assisting users in listing products for sale, locating the listings for a product, and performing related actions. A user wishing to sell a product can browse to an existing description of the product in an electronic catalog and then select an option to create a corresponding listing. To create the listing for the selected product, the user preferably specifies the product'"'"'s condition and a selling price. Others may view and make purchases from such listings while browsing the catalog. In one embodiment which is part of a web page metadata service, the World Wide Web serves as the electronic catalog such that users may create, view and make purchases from product listings during viewing of third party web pages that describe the associated products. The system may also provide an option for buyers to preorder products from unspecified sellers.
329 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A system for supporting user-to-user sales of products, comprising:
-
a metadata client that runs in association with a browser on user computers; and
a metadata server that communicates with the metadata client over a computer network to provide users with metadata for viewed web pages;
wherein the metadata client and server are responsive to a first user accessing a first web page that displays a description of a first product by providing to the first user an option to create a listing for selling a unit of the first product;
and wherein the metadata client and server are further responsive to a second user accessing a second web page that displays a description of the first product by notifying the second user of the product listing created by the first user and providing an option for the second user to make an associated purchase from the first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A system for facilitating user-to-user sales of products, comprising:
-
a metadata client component that runs on user computers in conjunction with a web browser to provide web page metadata to users during browsing of web pages;
a metadata server component that servers the metadata to the metadata client component;
wherein the metadata client and server components collectively implement a user-to-user sales service in which (a) when a first user accesses a first web page that describes a first product, the first user is provided an option to create a sales listing for selling the first product; and
(b) following generation of the sales listing by the first user, when a second user accesses a second web page that describes the first product, the second user is notified of the listing and is given an option to purchase the first product from the first user. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for facilitating user-to-user sales of products via web pages describing such products, the method comprising:
-
monitoring actions of a first user during web browsing to detect an access by the first user to a first web page that describes a recognized product;
in response to detection of said access by the first user, presenting to the first user an option to create a listing for selling the recognized product;
in response to selection by the first user of said option, receiving and storing input from the first user that specifies the listing;
subsequently, monitoring actions of at least one second user during web browsing to detect an access by the second user to a second web page that describes the recognized product; and
in response to detection of said access by the second user to the second web page, notifying the second user of the listing to permit the second user to purchase the recognized product from the first user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for facilitating user-to-user sales of products via third party web pages describing such products, the method comprising:
-
monitoring actions of a user during browsing of web sites to detect an access by the user to a third party web page that describes a recognized product;
in response to detection of said access by the user to the third party web page, presenting to the user at least (a) an option to create a listing for selling a unit of the recognized product, and (b) a display of pending listings for the recognized product, including pending listings created by other users in conjunction with other third party web pages; and
transacting user-to-user sales of units of the recognized product in fulfillment of said listings. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
Specification