Network-based sales system with customizable and categorization user interface

• US 20050114229A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ackley, Matthew, Aparo, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A sales system for coupling to a communications network. The sales system includes a sales interface at a first network address that includes a set of categorized interface elements. In addition the sales system includes another sales interface at a different network address that includes a second set of categorized interface elements. Finally the system includes a sales server at a third network address that may be used to operate both sales interfaces to provide an impression that the first and second sales interfaces are being operated by different entities. The sales server includes a categorization interface that responds to user input to define both sets of categorized interface elements. The categorized interface elements respectively include a plurality of specification elements.

Claims

1. A sales system for coupling to a communications network, the sales system including:

a first sales interface at a first network address, the first sales interface including a first set of categorized interface elements;

a second sales interface at a second network address, the second sales interface including a second set of categorized interface elements; and

a sales server at a third network address that operates the first and second sales interfaces to provide an impression that the first and second sales interfaces are being operated by different entities, wherein the sales server includes a categorization interface that is responsive to user input to define the first and second sets of categorized interface elements, and wherein the categorized interface elements each include a plurality of specification elements.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the categorization interface is responsive to user input to select categorization interface elements from a base categorization set.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the categorization interface is responsive to user input to add categorized elements that are custom and not included in the base categorization set.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the categorization interface is responsive to user input to map a categorization interface element from at least one of the first set of categorization elements and the second set of categorization elements to a categorization interface element that is selected from the base categorization set.

5. A sales system for coupling to a communications network, the sales system including:

a first sales interface at a first network address, the first sales interface including a first set of categorized interface elements;

a second sales interface at a second network address, the second sales interface including a second set of categorized interface elements; and

a sales server at a third network address that operates the first and second sales interfaces to provide an impression that the first and second sales interfaces are being operated by different entities, wherein the sales server includes a categorization interface that is responsive to user input to define the first and second sets of categorized interface elements, and wherein the categorized interface elements each include an unused attribute.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the categorization interface includes a categorization interface element tree.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the interface element tree is collapsible.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first set of categorized interface elements include parent level categories and product level categories.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the product level categories includes a product listing.