ACQUISITION OF ONLINE AUCTION ITEMS THROUGH A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20090099951A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Pandurangan, Senthil K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method is provided. The method may comprise receiving an auction item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus. Auction data associated with the auction item identifier is accessed and transmitted to a voice portal server. The voice portal server may call a telephone number and receive a request to acquire the auction item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an auction item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus;

accessing first auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and

transmitting the first auction data to a voice portal server, the voice portal server to call a telephone number and to receive a request to acquire the auction item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice portal server provides a voice rendering of the first auction data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the voice portal server to acquire the auction item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for second auction data, the request including a search query and a location of the GPS apparatus;

converting the location of the GPS apparatus to a zip code;

searching for the auction item based on the search query and the zip code;

retrieving the second auction data that includes a location of the auction item; and

transmitting a response to the request for the second auction data, the response including the second auction data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first auction data includes a user identifier, the telephone number being associated with the user identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to acquire the auction item is a voice request.

7. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

receiving a request for first auction data, the request including a search query and a location of a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus;

searching for an auction item based on the search query and the location of the GPS apparatus;

accessing the first auction data associated with the auction item, the first auction data including a location of the auction item and an auction item identifier;

transmitting a response to the request, the response including the first auction data;

receiving the auction item identifier;

accessing second auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and

transmitting the second auction data to a voice portal server, the second auction data including a user identifier, the voice portal server to call a telephone number associated with the user identifier and to receive a voice request to acquire the auction item.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further performing the operation of receiving a request from the voice portal server to acquire the auction item.

9. A global positioning system (GPS) apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store an auction mapping application programming interface (API) module; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor being configured to execute the auction mapping API module, the auction mapping API module comprising;

a GPS interface module to receive a location of the GPS apparatus;

an API services module to;

receive a search query associated with an online auction;

transmit a request for auction data, the request including the search query and the location of the GPS apparatus; and

receive the auction data that includes a location of an auction item; and

a location plotter module to display the location of the auction item on a map.

10. The GPS apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location of the GPS apparatus is defined by a longitude and a latitude.

11. The GPS apparatus of claim 9, wherein the API services module to further:

receive a selection of the auction item, the auction item being identified by an auction item identifier; and

transmit the auction item identifier to an online auction server.

12. A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

a map;

a first region identifying an auction item, a position of the first region relative to the map identifying a location of the auction item; and

a second region displaying auction data associated with the auction item, a portion of the second region enabling a selection of the auction item to acquire.

13. The GUI of claim 12, wherein the portion of the second region enables initialization of a call to a telephone number through a single input command.

14. The GUI of claim 12, wherein the second region is generated in response to a selection of the first region.

15. A system comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus configured to;

receive a selection of an auction item, the auction item being identified by an auction item identifier; and

transmit the auction item identifier to an online auction server; and

the online auction server in communication with the GPS apparatus, the online auction server being configured to;

receive the auction item identifier from the GPS apparatus;

access auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and

transmit the auction data to a voice portal server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the GPS apparatus is further configured to:

receive a search query associated with an online auction;

transmit a request for the auction data to the online auction server, the request including the search query and a location of the GPS apparatus;

receive the auction data that includes a location of the auction item; and

display the location of the auction item on a map.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising the voice portal server in communication with the online auction server, the voice portal server being configured to call a telephone number and to receive a request to acquire the auction item.