SHARING ITEM IMAGES USING A SIMILARITY SCORE

• US 20100042609A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Xiaoyuan, Wang, Qiang, Bolivar, Alvaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

In some example embodiments, a system and method are illustrated to associate an item listing with one or more corresponding images. The system and method include receiving an item listing for an item from a user device. The system and method include generating a similarity score for a respective existing image associated with one or more existing item listings. The generating may be done by comparing the item listing with the existing item listings received from the user device. The similarity score may indicate a degree of similarity between the item listing and the existing item listings associated with the respective existing image. The system and method include proposing a specified number of existing images with the highest similarity scores to the user device. The system and method further include associating the item listing with one or more of the specified number of existing images accepted by the user device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an item listing for an item from a user device, the item listing including a title, a category and one or more tags for the item, each tag including a pair of an attribute of the item and a value for the attribute;

generating a similarity score for a respective existing image associated with one or more existing item listings by comparing the item listing with the existing item listings, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and the existing item listings associated with the respective existing image;

proposing a specified number of existing images having the highest similarity scores to the user device; and

associating the item listing with one or more of the specified number of existing images accepted by the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the similarity score further comprises:

calculating one or more of a title similarity score, a category similarity score and a tag similarity score for the respective existing image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating of the title similarity score further comprises counting the number of terms in titles of the one or more existing item listings matching a term in the title of the item listing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating of the category similarity score further comprises assigning a specified numerical value indicating whether a category of the one or more existing item listings matches the category of the item listing.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating of the tag similarity score further comprises counting the number of tags of the one or more existing item listings matching the tag of the item listing.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating of the similarity score further comprises giving a weight to one or more of the title similarity score, the category similarity score and the tag similarity score.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposing of the specified number of the existing images further comprises receiving a designation of the specified number from the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposing of the specified number of the existing images further comprises checking whether a respective similarity score for the specified number of the existing images satisfies a predefined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the checking further comprises:

if none of the similarity scores for the specified number of the existing images satisfies the predefined threshold, then sending a corresponding notification to the user device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating of the item listing further comprises:

if none of the specified number of existing images is accepted by the user device, then receiving one or more images from the user device and associating the item listing with the one or more images received from the user device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating a fee for the item listing based on the number of images associated with the item listing.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transferring an item listing provided by a user to a host device;

downloading a specified number of existing images proposed by the host device in response to a receipt of the item listing;

presenting the specified number of existing images to the user, the presenting including displaying a similarity score for a respective existing image, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and one or more existing item listings in the host device associated with the respective existing image;

receiving an acceptance of one or more of the specified number of existing images from the user; and

communicating the acceptance to the host device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the downloading of the specified number of existing images further comprises receiving a designation of the specified number from the user.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

if none of the specified number of existing images is accepted by the user device, then uploading one or more images provided by the user to the host device to be associated with the item listing.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a receiving engine to receive an item listing for an item from a user device, the item listing including a title, a category and one or more tags for the item, each tag including a pair of an attribute of the item and a value for the attribute;

a generating engine to generate a similarity score for a respective existing image associated with one or more existing item listings by comparing the item listing with the existing item listings, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and the existing item listings associated with the respective existing image;

a proposing engine to propose a specified number of existing images having the highest similarity scores to the user device; and

an associating engine to associate the item listing with one or more of the specified number of existing images accepted by the user device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the generating engine is configured to:

calculate one or more of a title similarity score, a category similarity score and a tag similarity score for the respective existing image.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating engine is further configured to, in calculating the title similarity score, count the number of terms in titles of the one or more existing item listings matching a respective term in the title of the item listing.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating engine is further configured to, in calculating the category similarity score, assign a specified numerical value depending upon whether a category of the one or more existing item listings matches the category of the item listing.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating engine is further configured to, in calculating the tag similarity score, count the number of tags of the one or more existing item listings matching the tag of the item listing.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating engine is further configured to give a weight to one or more of the title similarity score, the category similarity score and the tag similarity score.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the proposing engine is further configured to receive a designation of the specified number of existing images from the user device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the proposing engine is further configured to check whether a respective similarity score for the specified number of the existing images satisfies a predefined threshold.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the proposing engine is further configured to, if none of the similarity scores for the specified number of the existing images satisfies the predefined threshold, then send a corresponding notification to the user device.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the associating engine is further configured to, if none of the specified number of existing images is accepted by the user device, then receive one or more images from the user device and associate the item listing with the one or more images received from the user device.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a calculating engine to calculate a fee for the item listing based on the number of images associated with the item listing.

26. A computer system, comprising:

a transferring engine to transfer an item listing provided by a user to a host device;

a downloading engine to download a specified number of existing images proposed by the host device in response to a receipt of the item listing;

a presenting engine to present the specified number of existing images to the user, the presenting including displaying a similarity score for a respective existing image, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and one or more existing item listings in the host device associated with the respective existing image;

a receiving engine to receive an acceptance of one or more of the specified number of existing images from the user; and

a communicating engine to communicate the acceptance to the host device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the downloading engine is further configured to receive a designation of the specified number from the user.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising an uploading engine configured to, if none of the specified number of existing images is accepted by the user, then upload one or more images provided by the user to the host device to be associated with the item listing.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an item listing for an item from a user device, the item listing including a title, a category and one or more tags for the item, each tag including a pair of an attribute of the item and a value for the attribute;

means for generating a similarity score for a respective existing image associated with one or more existing item listings by comparing the item listing with the existing item listings, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and the existing item listings associated with the respective existing image;

means for proposing a specified number of existing images having the highest similarity scores to the user device; and

means for associating the item listing with one or more of the specified number of existing images accepted by the user device.

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

receive an item listing for an item from a user device, the item listing including a title, a category and one or more tags for the item, each tag including a pair of an attribute of the item and a value for the attribute;

generate a similarity score for a respective existing image associated with one or more existing item listings by comparing the item listing with the existing item listings, the similarity score indicating a degree of similarity between the item listing and the existing item listings associated with the respective existing image;

propose a specified number of existing images having the highest similarity scores to the user device; and

associate the item listing with one or more of the specified number of existing images accepted by the user device.