Method and system to determine area on a user interface

• US 20060224954A1
• 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: Chandler, Corey, Smalley, Preston Grant
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• 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

A method and system to determine the size of a first area on a user interface that is utilized to display data items. The system receives a request for a user interface that includes a first area and a second area that are complementary in size. The system utilizes the first area utilized to display data items and the second area to display other information. The system determines a size of the first area by computing a number of data items that are to be displayed in the first area and generates the user interface to include the first area in the second area, the first area being of the determined size.

Claims

1. A method to determine the size of a first area on a user interface that is utilized to display data items, the method including:

receiving a request for a user interface that includes a first area and a second area that are complementary in size, the first area utilized to display data items and the second area utilized to display other information;

determining a size of the first area by computing a number of data items that are to be displayed in the first area; and

generating the user interface to include the first area in the second area, the first area being of the determined size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes comparing the number of data items that are computed to be displayed in the first area with a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is a configurable value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayable area of the first area is increased and the displayable area of the second area is decreased if the number of data items that are computed to be displayed is less than the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the first area is decreased and the size of the second area is increased if the number of data items is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second area is utilized to present browsing options that are utilized by the user to identify the data items.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the browsing options presented to the user are selected based on a keyword query that is entered by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second area includes a button that is selectable by the user to display a browsing option.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a buyer and the data items are listings on a network-based marketplace.

10. A system to determine the size of a first area on a user interface that is utilized to display data items, the system including:

a search application to receive a request for a user interface that includes a first area and a second area that are complementary in size, the first area utilized to display data items and the second area utilized to display other information; and

a determining module to determine a size of the first area responsive to the computation of a number of data items that are to be displayed in the first area, the search application to generate the user interface to include the first area in the second area, the first area of the determined size.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining module compares the number of data items that are computed to be displayed in the first area with a predetermined threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein predetermined threshold is a configurable value.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the displayable area of the first area is increased and the displayable area of the second area is decreased if the number of data items that are computed to be displayed is less than the predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the size of the first area is decreased and the size of the second area is increased if the number of data items is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the second area is utilized to present browsing options that are utilized by the user to identify the data items.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the browsing options presented to the user are selected based on a keyword query that is entered by the user.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the second area is decreased based on the number of data items and includes a button that is selectable by the user to display a browsing option.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the user is a buyer and the data items are listings on a network-based marketplace.

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

receive a request for a user interface that includes a first area and a second area that are complementary in size, the first area utilized to display data items and the second area utilized to display other information;

determine a size of the first area by computing a number of data items that are to be displayed in the first area; and

generate the user interface to include the first area in the second area, the first area being of the determined size.

20. A system including:

a first means to receive a request for a user interface that includes a first area and a second area that are complementary in size, the first area utilized to display data items and the second area utilized to display other information; and

a second means to determine a size of the first area responsive to the computation of a number of data items that are to be displayed in the first area, the search application to generate the user interface to include the first area in the second area, the first area of the determined size.