Methods and systems to communicate information

• US 20070200850A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Leon, Jean-Michel, Gupta, Raghav, Ansari, Suhail, Arora, Aditya, Shah, Seema, Raman, Vijay, Nash, Adam, Stonestreet, Xavier, Subramaniam, Srikanth, Foster, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

There is provided a method and system to communicate information. The system receives a first query that contains a first constraint and retrieves a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query. Next, the system generates a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution utilizing a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items. Next the system generates a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items. Next the system generates a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution. Finally, the system generates distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.

Claims

1. A system including:

a communication module to receive a first query that contains a first constraint;

a search index engine to retrieve a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query and to generate a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution to utilize a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items;

a demand data engine to generate a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items;

a coverage module to generate a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution; and

a domain sort module to generate distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a user interface and wherein the at least one interface element includes at least one user interface element.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the third distribution includes a plurality of total coverage information respectively associated with the first plurality of domains.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first distribution includes a plurality of supply information and the second distribution includes a plurality of demand information.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the domain sort module positions the at least one user interface element on the user interface based on a descending order of the total coverage information.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the domain sort module adds the plurality of total coverage information to generate a cumulative coverage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the domain sort module determines whether the cumulative coverage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the domain sort module counts the at least one user interface element and determines whether a predetermined threshold is exceeded.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the demand data module identifies a second query that contains a second constraint that corresponds to the first constraint contained by the first query.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the demand data module respectively associates the plurality of requests to view data items with the first plurality of domains.

11. A method including:

receiving a first query that contains a first constraint;

retrieving a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query;

generating a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution utilizing a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items;

generating a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items;

generating a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution; and

generating distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface includes a user interface and wherein the at least one interface element includes at least one user interface element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third distribution includes a plurality of total coverage information respectively associated with the first plurality of domains.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first distribution includes a plurality of supply information and the second distribution includes a plurality of demand information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one user interface element is positioned on the user interface based on a descending order of the total coverage information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating the distribution data includes adding the plurality of total coverage information to generate a cumulative coverage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating the distribution data includes determining whether the cumulative coverage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the distribution data includes counting the at least one user interface element and determining whether a predetermined threshold is exceeded.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the second distribution includes identifying a second query that contains a second constraint that corresponds to the first constraint in the first query.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the second distribution includes respectively associating the plurality of requests to view data items with the first plurality of domains.

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

receive a first query that contains at least one constraint;

retrieve a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query and to generate a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution to utilize a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items;

generate a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items;

generate a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution; and

generate distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.

22. A system including:

a first means for receiving a first query that contains at least one constraint;

a second means for retrieving a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query and to generate a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution utilizing a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items;

a third means for generating a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items;

a fourth means for generating a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution; and

a fifth means for generating distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.