SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SHOPPING BY COLOR

• US 20080154747A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etsy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Etsy Incorporated
• Inventors: KALIN, ROBERT, TARBELL, JARED
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

System and method for shopping for products based on color of the product, time of product listing, and/or location of the seller of the product. Seller submits a representation of the product to be listed with an Internet-based shopping site that may include an image of the product. The site may determine one or more color of the product based on a submitted image by examining image pixels. The pixels examined may be chosen to accurately reflect the color of the product rather than the color of an image background or other image element. The color may include a set of the significant colors of the product or a single most significant or average color of the product. Shoppers may then search for products based on a color selected from a color search interface, a time selected from a time search interface, and/or a location selected from a location search interface.

Claims

1. A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:

A) receiving at least one representation of the product;

B) determining at least one color of the product based, at least in part, on the at least one representation; and

C) associating the product with the at least one color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one image of the product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act B includes determining the at least one color of the product based, at least in part, on at least one pixel of the at least one image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one color of the product is based, at least in part, on an average color of the at least one pixel.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the image includes at least one product portion that includes the at least one pixel and at least one background portion.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one pixel includes a plurality of pixels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of pixels are more concentrated in at least one focal portion of the image than in at least one secondary portion of the image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the focal portion includes the center of the image and the secondary portion includes the periphery of the image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one color includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one of a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes an indication of the at least one color of the product.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a user submits the at least one representation of the product through at least one submission interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of D) responding to a search request, which includes at least one representation of a desired color, by transmitting at least one representation of at least one second product that is associated with a matching color of the desired color.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the matching color is within a color range of the desired color.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the search request includes an indication of the matching color range.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a user submits the at least one search request through at least one search interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one search interface includes at least one color selector that includes a representation of a plurality of selectable colors.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selectable colors are arrange in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the color selector includes at least one SWF file.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the search interface includes a web-based interface.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising an act of E) receiving at least one purchase request that includes at least one representation of the at least one second product.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user submits the at least search request and the at least one purchase request through at least one search interface.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the search request includes at least one additional search parameter and the act D) comprises responding to the search request by transmitting the at least one representation of the at least one second product that is associated with the matching color of the desired color and matches the at least one additional search parameter.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the act C) includes storing at least a portion of the at least one representation with at the at least one color in at least one database table.

26. A system for selling a product, the system comprising:

a submission component configure to accept submission of at least one representation of the product and associate the product with at least one first color; and

a color component configured to determine the at least one first color based, at least in part, on the at least one representation.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one image of the product.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the color component is configured to determine the at least one first color of the product based, at least in part, on at least one pixel of the at least one image.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one first color of the product is based, at least in part, on an average color of the at least one pixel.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the image includes at least one product portion that includes the at least one pixel and at least one background portion.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one pixel includes a plurality of pixels.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of pixels are more concentrated in at least one focal portion of the image than in at least one secondary portion of the image.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the focal portion includes the center of the image and the secondary portion includes the periphery of the image.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one first color includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one of a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes an indication of the at least one first color of the product.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein a user submits the at least one representation of the product to the submission component through at least one submission interface.

39. The system of claim 26, further comprising a search component configured to respond to a search request, which includes at least one representation of a desired color, by transmitting at least one representation of at least one second product that is associated with a matching color of the desired color.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the matching color is within a color range of the desired color.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the search request includes an indication of the matching color range.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein a user submits the at least one search request to the search component through at least one search interface.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one search interface includes at least one color selector that includes a representation of a plurality of selectable colors.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the selectable colors are arrange in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the color selector includes at least one SWF file.

46. The system of claim 39, wherein the search interface includes a web-based interface.

47. The system of claim 39, wherein the search request includes at least one additional search parameter and the search component is configured to respond to the search request by transmitting the at least one representation of the at least one second product that is associated with the matching color of the desired color and matches the at least one additional search parameter.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

49. The system of claim 26, further comprising at least one storage component configured to store at least a portion of the at least one representation and the at least one first color in at least one database.

50. A method of selling a plurality of products, the method comprising acts of:

A) displaying an interface by which at least one user may select at least one desired color from a plurality of selectable colors; and

B) responding to at least one request from the user, the request identifying the at least one desired color, by providing a representation of at least one first product of the plurality of products, wherein the at least one product is associated with at least one first color that matches the desired color.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the interface includes a web-based interface.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the web-based interface includes at least one SWF to display the plurality of selectable colors.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the plurality of selectable colors are arrange in the interface in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the act B) includes displaying the representation through the interface in a location based, at least in part, on the at least one first color.

55. The method of claim 50, further comprising an act of C) receiving at least one purchase request identifying the at least one first product.

56. The method of claim 50, further comprising an act of C) determining at least one second color for each product of the plurality of products.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the act C includes determining at least one second color based, at least in part, on an image associated with the respective product of the plurality of products.

58. The method of claim 50, wherein the at least one first color matches the desired color if the at least one first color is within a color range of the desired color.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the request from the user includes at least one indication of the color range.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the interface includes at least one color range selector.

61. The method of claim 50, wherein each of the first color, the desired color, and the selectable colors includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

62. The method of claim 50, wherein the representation of the at least one first product includes at least one of an image of the product, a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

63. The method of claim 50, wherein the at least one request includes an indication of at least one additional search parameter and wherein the at least one first product matches the at least one additional search parameter.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein the interface includes at least one additional search parameter selector.

66. A system for selling a plurality of products, the system comprising

a search component configured to provide a user with an interface through which the user may select at least one desired color from a plurality of selectable colors, and further configured to respond to a selection by the user of the desired color by displaying a representation of at least one first product of the plurality of products, wherein the at least one product is associated with at least one first color that matches the desired color.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the interface includes a web-based interface.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the web-based interface includes at least one SWF to display the plurality of selectable colors.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of selectable colors are arrange in the interface in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation.

70. The system of claim 66, wherein the representation is displayed through the interface in a location based, at least in part, on the at least one first color.

71. The system of claim 66, further comprising a color component configured to determining at least one second color for each product of the plurality of products.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the color component is further configured to determine at least one second color based, at least in part, on an image associated with the respective product of the plurality of products.

73. The system of claim 66, wherein the at least one first color matches the desired color if the at least one first color is within a color range of the desired color.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the request from the user includes at least one indication of the color range.

75. The system of claim 66, wherein the interface includes at least one color range selector.

76. The system of claim 66, wherein each of the first color, the desired color, and the selectable colors includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

77. The system of claim 66, wherein the representation of the at least one first product includes at least one of an image of the product, a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

78. The system of claim 66, wherein the at least one request includes an indication of at least one additional search parameter and wherein the at least one product also matches the at least one additional search parameter.

79. The system of claim 78, wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

80. The system of claim 78, wherein the interface includes at least one additional search parameter selector.

81. A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:

A) receiving at least one first representation of the product;

B) determining at least one first time associated with the act A;

C) associating the product with the at least one first time; and

D) responding to are least one search request identifying at least one first time range with at least one second representation of the product when the at least one first time range includes the at least one first time.

82. A system for selling a product, the system comprising:

a submission component configure to accept submission of at least one first representation of the product and configured to associate the product with at least one first time associated with the submission of the at least one representation of the product; and

a search component configured to respond to at least one search request identifying at least one first time range with at least one second representation of the product when the at least one time range includes the at least one first time.

83. A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:

A) receiving at least one first representation of the product, including a first location of a seller of the product;

B) associating the product with the first location and the seller; and

C) responding to at least one search request identifying at least one geographic area with at least one of a second representation of the product and a representation of the seller when the at least one geographic area includes the first location.

84. A system for selling a product, the system comprising:

a submission component configured to accept submission of at least one first representation of the product, including a first location of a seller of the product, and associate the product with the first location and the seller; and

a search component configured to respond to at least one search request identifying at least one first geographic area with at least one of a second representation of the product and a representation of the seller when the at least one geographic area includes the first location.