DESIRABILITY VALUE USING SALE FORMAT RELATED FACTORS

• US 20090319511A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Sundaresan, Neelakantan
• Granted Patent: US 9,323,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

Some example embodiments illustrate a system and method to sort a search result using sale format information. The system and method include providing a desirability index including multiple desirability values. Each desirability value may be associated with a keyword and indicate an accumulative frequency of the keyword being in an item listing selected throughout multiple user transactions. The system and method include identifying a search result including item listings in response to a query from a user device. The system and method include accessing, for each item listing, the desirability index and getting a desirability value for each keyword included in the item listing. The system and method include calculating a relevancy value using the desirability values for the keywords of a given item listing. The system and method further include sorting the item listings according their relevancy values and returning the sorted item listings to the user device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, said computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a user device with a first search result including one or more item listings in response to a first query received from the user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords and being associated with a sale format;

tracking a plurality of transactions performed on the item listings via the user device;

assigning, for each transaction, a first numerical value to the keywords included in a selected item listing and a second numerical value to the keywords included in non-selected item listings, the first numerical value being determined based upon the sale format associated with the selected item listing; and

building a desirability index using the numerical values assigned to the keywords for use in sorting item listings in a second search result identified in response to a second query, the desirability index including a desirability value for each of the keywords, the desirability value indicating an accumulative frequency of a corresponding keyword being selected throughout the transactions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the sale format being an auction sale.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the sale format being a fixed price sale.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each item listing is further associated with a remaining listing period and wherein the first numerical value is determined based upon the remaining listing period associated with the selected item listing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the remaining listing period being equal to or shorter than a specified period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the remaining listing period being longer than a specified period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each item listing is further associated with a number of bids and wherein the first numerical value is determined based upon the number of bids associated with the selected item listing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the number of bids being equal to or larger than a specified number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the number of bids being less than a specified number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is not assigned to the keywords upon determination of the keywords being included in the first query.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the sale format being an auction sale.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the sale format being a fixed price sale.

13. A computer-implemented method, said computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a desirability index including a plurality of desirability values, each desirability value being associated with a keyword, being determined based upon a sale format associated with the keyword and indicating an accumulative frequency of the keyword being included in an item listing selected throughout a number of user transactions;

identifying a search result including one or more item listings in response to a query from a user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords;

accessing, for each item listing, the desirability index and getting a desirability value for each keyword included in the item listing;

calculating a relevancy value for each item listing, the relevancy value being an accumulation of the desirability values for the keywords included in the item listing; and

sorting the item listings in the search result according to the relevancy values for the item listings and returning the sorted item listings to the user device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the desirability values for the keywords are not accumulated to calculate the relevancy value upon determination of the keywords being included in the query.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the desirability values for the keywords are not accumulated to calculate the relevancy value upon determination of the desirability values being modified prior to a specified temporal range.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specified temporal range is received from the user device.

17. A computer system, said computer system comprising:

a search engine to provide a user device with a first search result including one or more item listings in response to a first query received from the user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords and being associated with a sale format; and

a tracking engine to track a plurality of transactions performed on the item listings via the user device, to assign, for each transaction, a first numerical value to the keywords included in a selected item listing and a second numerical value to the keywords included in non-selected item listings, the first numerical value being determined based upon the sale format associated with the selected item listing, and to build a desirability index using the numerical values assigned to the keyword, the desirability index including a desirability value for each of the keywords, the desirability value indicating an accumulative frequency of a corresponding keyword being selected throughout the transactions;

wherein the desirability index is accessed to sort item listings in a second search result identified in response to a second query.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the sale format being an auction sale.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the sale format being a fixed price sale.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein each item listing is further associated with a remaining listing period and wherein the tracking engine determines the first numerical value based upon the remaining listing period associated with the selected item listing.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each item listing is further associated with a number of bids and wherein the tracking engine determines the first numerical value based upon the number of bids associated with the selected item listing.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the first numerical value is zero or a negative value upon determination of the sale format being an auction sale.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the first numerical value is a positive value upon determination of the sale format being a fixed price sale.

24. A computer system, said computer system comprising:

a desirability index including a plurality of desirability values, each desirability value being associated with a keyword, being determined based upon a sale format associated with the keyword and indicating an accumulative frequency of the keyword being included in an item listing selected throughout a number of user transactions;

a search engine to identify a search result including one or more item listings in response to a query from a user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords; and

a lookup engine to access, for each item listing, the desirability index and getting a desirability value for each keyword included in the item listing and to calculate a relevancy value for each item listing, the relevancy value being an accumulation of the desirability values for the keywords included in the item listing;

wherein the search engine is configured to sort the item listings in the search result according to the relevancy values for the item listings and return the sorted item listings to the user device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the lookup engine does not accumulate the desirability values for the keywords to calculate the relevancy value upon determination of the desirability values being modified prior to a specified temporal range.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the lookup ending receives the specified temporal range from the user device.

27. An apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

means for providing a user device with a first search result including one or more item listings in response to a first query received from the user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords and being associated with a sale format;

means for tracking a plurality of transactions performed on the item listings via the user device;

means for assigning, for each transaction, a first numerical value to the keywords included in a selected item listing and a second numerical value to the keywords included in non-selected item listings, the first numerical value being determined based upon the sale format associated with the selected item listing; and

means for building a desirability index using the numerical values assigned to the keywords for use in sorting item listings in a second search result identified in response to a second query, the desirability index including a desirability value for each of the keywords, the desirability value indicating an accumulative frequency of a corresponding keyword being selected throughout the transactions.

28. An apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

means for providing a desirability index including a plurality of desirability values, each desirability value being associated with a keyword, being determined based upon a sale format associated with the keyword and indicating an accumulative frequency of the keyword being included in an item listing selected throughout a number of user transactions;

means for identifying a search result including one or more item listings in response to a query from a user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords;

means for accessing, for each item listing, the desirability index and getting a desirability value for each keyword included in the item listing;

means for calculating a relevancy value for each item listing, the relevancy value being an accumulation of the desirability values for the keywords included in the item listing; and

means for sorting the item listings in the search result according to the relevancy values for the item listings and returning the sorted item listings to the user device.

29. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that,

when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

provide a user device with a first search result including one or more item listings in response to a first query received from the user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords and being associated with a sale format;

track a plurality of transactions performed on the item listings via the user device;

assign, for each transaction, a first numerical value to the keywords included in a selected item listing and a second numerical value to the keywords included in non-selected item listings, the first numerical value being determined based upon the sale format associated with the selected item listing; and

build a desirability index using the numerical values assigned to the keywords for use in sorting item listings in a second search result identified in response to a second query, the desirability index including a desirability value for each of the keywords, the desirability value indicating an accumulative frequency of a corresponding keyword being selected throughout the transactions.

30. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

provide a desirability index including a plurality of desirability values, each desirability value being associated with a keyword, being determined based upon a sale format associated with the keyword and indicating an accumulative frequency of the keyword being included in an item listing selected throughout a number of user transactions;

identify a search result including one or more item listings in response to a query from a user device, each item listing including a plurality of keywords;

access, for each item listing, the desirability index and get a desirability value for each keyword included in the item listing;

calculate a relevancy value for each item listing, the relevancy value being an accumulation of the desirability values for the keywords included in the item listing; and

sort the item listings in the search result according to the relevancy values for the item listings and returning the sorted item listings to the user device.