ACQUISITION OF ITEMS OFFERED FOR PURCHASE ONLINE THROUGH A MOBILE COMPUTING APPRATUS

• US 20100217688A1
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Pandurangan, Senthil K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• 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 item identifier from a mobile computing apparatus, such as a mobile telephone or global positioning system (GPS) device. Data associated with the item identifier is accessed and transmitted to a initiate a purchase of the item. In some embodiments, a voice portal may be used to facilitate the purchase.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus, an identifier of an item offered for purchase;

accessing first data associated with the identifier of the item offered for purchase; and

transmitting the first data to a communication portal server, the communication portal server makes a call based on a communication identifier, and in the call from the communication portal server, providing an option to purchase the item offered for purchase based on the option provided.

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

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the communication portal server to purchase the item offered for purchase.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for second 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 item offered for purchase based on the search query and the zip code;

retrieving the second data that includes a location of the item offered for purchase; and

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

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to purchase the item offered for purchase is an HTTP request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS apparatus is a mobile telephone.

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

receiving a request for first data, the request including a search query for items offered for purchase and a location of a mobile computing apparatus;

searching for items offered for purchase based on the search query and the location of the mobile computing apparatus;

accessing the first data associated with items offered for purchase, the first data including a location of an item offered for purchase and an item identifier of the item offered for purchase;

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

receiving the item identifier from the mobile computing apparatus;

accessing second data associated with the item identifier; and

transmitting the second data to a communication portal server, the second data including a user identifier, the communication portal server establishes a communication session according to a communication identifier associated with the user identifier, and in the communication portal server, providing an option via the communication session to purchase the item offered for purchase.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request within the communication session to purchase the item offered for purchase.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, further performing the operation of receiving a request from the communication portal server to purchase the item offered for purchase.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the request to purchase the item offered for purchase is an HTTP request.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein transmitting the response to the request including the first data includes transmitting a rendering of the first data.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein searching for items offered for purchase based on the search query and location of the mobile computing apparatus includes:

converting the location of the mobile computing apparatus to a zip code;

searching for the items offered for purchase based on the search query and the zip code.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the mobile computing apparatus includes a global positioning system (GPS) device from which the location of the mobile computing apparatus is obtained.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the mobile computing apparatus is a global positioning system (GPS) device from which the location of the mobile computing apparatus is obtained.

16. A method comprising:

receiving an item identifier of an item offered for purchase from a mobile computing apparatus, the item identifier establishing an identity of a selected item;

accessing data associated with the item identifier, the data including a user identifier that identifies a user associated with a transaction;

transmitting the accessed data to a communication portal server, the communication portal server locates a communication identifier based on the user identifier, and in a communication session from the communication portal server established with the user based on the communication identifier, providing a rendering of the accessed data, and the rendering providing an option to purchase the selected item; and

receiving a request from the communication portal server after the transmission of the accessed data to purchase the selected item.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an additional request for additional data with regard to the selected item, the additional request including a search query and a location of the mobile computing apparatus;

converting the location of the mobile computing apparatus to a zip code;

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

retrieving the additional data that includes a location of the selected item; and

transmitting a response to the additional request for the additional data, the response including the additional data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing apparatus includes a global positioning system (GPS) device from which the location of the mobile computing apparatus is obtained.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing apparatus is a global positioning system (GPS) device from which the location of the mobile computing apparatus is obtained.