Recommended systems

• US 20080082565A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Pardehpoosh, Pedraum R., Chang, Kenneth N., Koski, David A., Zazula, Ralph E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Providing a recommendation of one or more items is disclosed. In some embodiments, a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in a recommendation is received from a first member of an online community, and the recommendation is stored so that the recommendation can be presented to a second member of the online community when an indication is received that the recommendation is of interest to the second member.

Claims

1. A method for providing a recommendation, comprising:

receiving from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in the recommendation;

storing the recommendation; and

presenting the recommendation to a second member of the online community based at least in part on an indication that the recommendation is of interest to the second member.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is a user of an online store.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more items included in the set have a thematic relationship.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recommendation is associated with one or more topics.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in a recommendation includes receiving from the first member one or more specifications of options associated with the set of one or more items.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in a recommendation includes receiving from the first member information about the recommendation.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein information about the recommendation comprises one or more of the following:

one or more reasons for selecting one or more items included in the set, one or more reasons for selecting one or more options associated with one or more items included in the set, one or more reasons why one or more items included in the set are useful for a topic associated with the recommendation, one or more manners in which to configure one or more items included in the set, one or more ways to use one or more items included in the set, one or more examples of how one or more items included in the set have been used for a topic associated with the recommendation, information about the first member, information to support the recommendation, and one or more tags to be associated with the recommendation.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing the recommendation comprises determining one or more tags to be associated with the recommendation.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein determining one or more tags to be associated with the recommendation comprises one or more of the following:

receiving one or more tags from the first member, prompting the first member for one or more tags, parsing the recommendation to determine one or more tags, and determining one or more tags associated with one or more items included in the set.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recommendation is stored in a searchable database.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication is based at least in part on one or more of the following:

current activity of the second member with respect to the online community and past activity of the second member with respect to the online community.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication comprises one or more of the following:

an indication of interest in a topic associated with the recommendation, an indication of interest in a tag associated with the recommendation, an indication of interest in an item included in the set, an indication of interest in a type of item included in the set, and an indication of interest in a tag associated with an item included in the set.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication is received in response to one or more of the following:

the second member viewing or navigating to a page associated with an item included in the set, the second member viewing or navigating to a page associated with an item that is similar to an item included in the set, the second member viewing or navigating to a page associated with a topic associated with the recommendation, the second member conducting a search using one or more search terms associated with one or more items included in the set, the second member conducting a search using one or more search terms associated with a topic associated with the recommendation, the second member adding an item included in the set to an online cart, and the second member adding an item similar to an item included in the set to an online cart.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting the recommendation to a second member of the online community includes presenting to the second member an option to vote on a usefulness of the recommendation.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating a usefulness score with the recommendation.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the second member is part of a set of members to whom the recommendation has been presented and wherein the usefulness score is based at least in part on votes by one or more members included in the set of members to whom the recommendation has been presented.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the usefulness score is based at least in part on a reputation of the first member.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting the recommendation to a second member of the online community includes presenting to the second member one or more of the following:

options to select one or more items in the set for purchase, options to specify one or more product options associated with one or more items included in the set, options to specify one or more quantities associated with one or more items included in the set, options to view other items that are similar to one or more items included in the set, options to add one or more items not included in the set, options to remove one or more items included in the set, an option to see reviews of the recommendation, an option to review the recommendation, options to see reviews of one or more items in the set, options to review one or more items in the set, options to vote for one or more tags associated with the recommendation, and an option to add one or more tags to the recommendation.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a link to the recommendation.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first member is not an employee of an online store.

21. A system for providing a recommendation, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in the recommendation;

store the recommendation; and

present the recommendation to a second member of the online community based at least in part on an indication that the recommendation is of interest to the second member; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is a user of an online store.

23. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein one or more items included in the set have a thematic relationship.

24. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein to receive from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in a recommendation includes to receive from the first member one or more specifications of options associated with the set of one or more items.

25. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein to receive from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in a recommendation includes to receive from the first member information about the recommendation.

26. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein to store the recommendation comprises to determine one or more tags to be associated with the recommendation.

27. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the indication is based at least in part on one or more of the following:

current activity of the second member with respect to the online community and past activity of the second member with respect to the online community.

28. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the indication comprises one or more of the following:

an indication of interest in a topic associated with the recommendation, an indication of interest in a tag associated with the recommendation, an indication of interest in an item included in the set, an indication of interest in a type of item included in the set, and an indication of interest in a tag associated with an item included in the set.

29. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to associate a usefulness score with the recommendation.

30. A computer program product for providing a recommendation, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from a first member of an online community a selection of a set of one or more items to be included in the recommendation;

storing the recommendation; and

presenting the recommendation to a second member of the online community based at least in part on an indication that the recommendation is of interest to the second member.