Methods and systems to browse data items

• US 20060224406A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Leon, Jean-Michel, Monier, Louis Marcel Gino, Baird-Smith, Anselm Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Methods and Systems to browse data items. There is provided a method and system to enable a buyer to browse listings that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace and stored in a data resource. There is further provided a method to cancel characteristics used to identify listings that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace.

Claims

1. A method to enable a buyer to browse listings that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace and stored in a data resource, the method including:

generating a user interface, the user interface displaying a concept and at least two values that are associated with the concept; and

receiving at least two selections from a buyer that correspond to the at least two values, the two selections utilized to identify at least one listing that is stored in the data resource and is associated with the at least two values based on an evaluation of information that is entered by the seller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item information is associated with the at least two values based on at least two rules selected from a group of rules that are utilized to classify the information and infer additional information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one from a group including a title, a description, a listing category, an item specific, a price, a selling format, a selling duration, an auction duration, a payment method, shipping information, an item location, and buyer requirements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selling format includes any one of a group of formats including a fixed-price format and an auction format.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the item specific describes a condition of an item that is described by the listing.

6. The method of claim 3, further including adding catalog information to the item information responsive to identifying item information that includes at least one from a group including an USBN number, a Universal Product Number, a Universal Product Code and a proper noun.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one listing is associated with a plurality of concepts respectively associated with a plurality of values.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the concept is determined based on a query received from the buyer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least two selections are combined with the query to identify the at least one listing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface enables the buyer to request a second user interface that includes additional values associated with the concept.

11. A system to enable a buyer to browse listings of items that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace and stored in a data resource, the system including:

a search application to generate a user interface, the user interface to display a concept and at least two values that are associated with the concept; and

a determining module to receive at least two selections from the buyer that correspond to the at least two values, the two selections utilized to identify at least one listing that is stored in the data resource and is associated with the at least two values based on an evaluation of information that is entered by the seller.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information is characterized with the at least two values based on at least two rules from a group of rules that are utilized to classify the information and to infer additional information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the information includes at least one from a group including a title, a description, a listing category, an item specific, (NOT INTERNATIONAL), a price, a selling format, a selling duration, an auction duration, a payment method, shipping information, an item location, and buyer requirements.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selling format includes any one of a group of formats including a fixed-price format and an auction format.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the item specific describes a condition of an item that is described by the listing.

16. The system of claim 13, further including a receiving module to search the information and identify at least one from a group of including an USBN number, a Universal Product Number, a Universal Product Code and a proper noun to add catalog information to the item information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one listing is associated with a plurality of concepts respectively associated with a plurality of values.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the concept is determined based on a query received from the buyer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least two selections are combined with the query to identify the at least one listing.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface enables the buyer to request a second user interface that includes additional values associated with the concept.

21. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

generate a user interface, the user interface to display a concept and at least two values that are associated with the concept; and

receive at least two selections from a buyer that correspond to the at least two values, the two selections utilized to identify at least one listing that is stored in a data resource and is associated with the at least two values based on an evaluation of information that is entered by the seller.

22. A system including:

a first means to generate a user interface, the user interface to display a concept and at least two values that are associated with the concept; and

a second means to receive at least two selections from a buyer that corresponds to the at least two values, the two selections utilized to identify at least one listing stored in the data resource that is associated with the at least two values based on an evaluation of information that is entered by the seller.

23. A method to cancel characteristics used to identify listings that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace, the method including:

communicating a plurality of characteristics, utilized to identify listings, to a user;

receiving a selection from the user that cancels a characteristic other than a most recently selected characteristic;

based on the selection, identifying a plurality of remaining characteristics that includes the most recently selected characteristic to identify at least one listing that is determined to exhibit the remaining characteristics based on an evaluation of information that is entered by a seller; and

communicating the plurality of remaining characteristics and the at least one listing to the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the remaining characteristics are associated with the information based on rules that are utilized to classify the information and rules to infer additional information.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the information includes at least one from a group including a title, a description, a listing category, an item specific, a price, a selling format, a selling duration, an auction duration, a payment method, shipping information, an item location, and buyer requirements.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the selling format includes any one of a group of formats including a fixed-price format and an auction format.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes a characteristic that includes a concept-value pair.

28. A system to cancel characteristics used to identify listings that are listed by sellers on a network-based marketplace, the system including:

a search application to communicate a plurality of characteristics, utilized to identify listings, to a user;

a determining module to receive a selection from the user that cancels a characteristic other than a most recently selected characteristic and to identify, based on the selection, a plurality of characteristics that remain and that includes the most recently selected characteristic, the determining module to utilize the plurality of remaining characteristics to identify at least one listing that is determined to exhibit the remaining characteristics based on an evaluation of information entered by a seller, the search application to communicate the plurality of characteristics that remain and the at least one listing to the user,.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes a characteristic that includes a concept-value pair.

30. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

communicate a plurality of characteristics, utilized to identify listings, to a user;

receive a selection from the user that cancels a characteristic other than a most recently selected characteristic;

based on the selection, identify a plurality of characteristics that remain and include the most recently selected characteristic to identify at least one listing that is determined to exhibit the remaining characteristics based on an evaluation of information that is entered by a seller; and

communicate the plurality of characteristics that remain and the at least one listing to the user.