Use of extensible markup language in a system and method for influencing a position on a search result list generated by a computer network search engine

• US 20060212437A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Overture Services Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Peng, Molinaro, Anthony, Cunningham, Stephan, Conrad, Nick, Maritato, Frank Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A database search apparatus and method for generating a search result list which responds to Extensible Markup Language (XML) requests from a client to a server of an on-line marketplace. A bid management tool is operable on a client computer to manage search listings and account information of one or more advertisers. The client application communicates with the server via an XML-based application program interface. The bid management tool provides functions for reporting account activity, modifying accounts and manual, timed or event-driven changes to search listings including listings of several advertisers.

Claims

1. A method for managing search listings of an on-line marketplace, the method comprising:

defining a group of search listings;

formatting an extensible markup language (XML) request to operate on the group of search listings; and

communicating the XML request to an account management server of the on-line marketplace.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a group name with the group of search listings; and

formatting the XML request with the group name and an action indicator specifying an operation involving search listings of the group of search listings.

3. A method for managing search listings of an on-line marketplace, the method comprising:

formatting an extensible markup language (XML) request to set a bid amount of a search listing; and

communicating the XML request to an account management server of the on-line marketplace.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein formatting the XML request comprises:

formatting an XML message with an account identifier associated with the search listing, a listing identifier corresponding to the search listing and a desired bid behavior.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving an XML response indicating successful completion of the request to set a bid amount.

6. A method for managing search listings of an advertiser of an on-line marketplace, the method comprising:

formatting an extensible markup language (XML) request to receive a set of account identifiers corresponding to accounts associated with the advertiser; and

communicating the XML request to an account management server of the on-line marketplace.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein formatting the XML request comprises:

formatting an XML message with a username associated with the advertiser and an XML tag requesting the set of account identifiers associated with the username.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving an XML response including the account identifiers associated with the advertiser.

9. A method for managing search listings of an on-line marketplace, the method comprising:

formatting an extensible markup language (XML) request to retrieve market state of the on-line marketplace; and

communicating the XML request to an account management server of the on-line marketplace.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein formatting the XML request comprises:

formatting an XML message with a marketplace identifier and a search term.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving an XML response including search listing information for one or more search listings associated with the search term in the marketplace associated with the identifier.

12. A method for managing search listings of an on-line marketplace, the method comprising:

formatting an extensible markup language (XML) request to retrieve search listings associated with an advertiser of the on-line marketplace; and

communicating the XML request to an account management server of the on-line marketplace.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein formatting the XML request comprises:

formatting an XML message with an account identifier associated with the advertiser.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein formatting the XML request comprises:

formatting an XML message with an account identifier associated with the advertiser and one or more of

a search term,

a specified bid amount,

a uniform resource locator,

a title, and

a description.

15. A client computer operable in conjunction with an account management server of an on-line marketplace, the account management server storing search listings associated with advertisers;

the client computer comprising;

a bid management tool; and

an extensible markup language (XML) interface configured to communicate XML requests to the account management server.

16. The client computer of claim 15 wherein the bid management tool comprises:

a menu system; and

a search listing management function cooperating with the menu system to manage one or more search listings on the account management server according to user requirements specified through the menu system.

17. The client computer of claim 15 further comprising:

an XML schema matching an XML schema of the account management server and accessible by the XML interface for communicating the XML requests to the account management server.

18. A computer readable storage medium comprising:

first program code implementing a bid management tool for managing search listings on an account management server of an on-line marketplace; and

second program code implementing an extensible markup language (XML) interface for communicating with a complementary XML interface of the on-line marketplace.

19. The computer readable storage medium 18 further comprising:

an XML schema matching an XML schema of the account management server and usable in conjunction with the second program code for communicating the XML requests to the account management server.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising:

program code implementing an extensible markup language (XML) schema for reference when communicating XML requests from a client computer operable in an on-line marketplace to an account management server of the-line marketplace.