BUSINESS RULES FOR AFFECTING THE ORDER IN WHICH ITEM LISTINGS ARE PRESENTED

• US 20100262495A1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Dumon, Olivier G., McDonald, Ryan, Sun, Ken, Rehman, Muhammad Faisal, Netzloff, Julie
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.540
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

Methods and systems for evaluating business rules for the purpose of promoting or demoting an item listing are presented. Consistent with an example embodiment, a conditional statement of a business rule that includes one or more expressions involving an item attribute and/or a seller attribute for an item listing is evaluated. If the conditional statement evaluates true, an adjustment factor set forth in the business rule is applied to a ranking score assigned to the item listing. The item listing is then presented in a search results page in a position relative to other item listings based upon the adjusted ranking score.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

evaluating a conditional statement of a business rule;

if the conditional statement is satisfied, adjusting a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule; and

presenting the item listing in a search results page positioned relative to other item listings based on the adjusted ranking score.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule includes increasing the ranking score to reflect a promotion for the item listing.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule includes decreasing the ranking score to reflect a demotion for the item listing.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business rule provides for a promotion for the item listing when the item listing has an item attribute indicating an item offered via the item listing will be shipped to a buyer free of charge.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business rule provides for a demotion for the item listing when the item listing has an item attribute indicating an item offered via the item listing will be shipped to a buyer at a cost that exceeds a median, mean, or mode cost of shipping for item listings determined to be similar.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business rule provides for a promotion of an item listing when the item listing is associated with a seller having a seller trust score that exceeds a threshold score.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business rule provides for a demotion of an item listing when the item listing is associated with a seller having a seller trust score that is less than a threshold score.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule includes multiplying the ranking score by the adjustment factor.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the item listing in a search results page positioned relative to other item listings based on the adjusted ranking score includes presenting the item listing in a list ordered based on each item listing'"'"'s corresponding ranking score.

10. A system comprising:

a business rules module to evaluate a conditional statement of a business rule, and if the conditional statement is satisfied, to adjust a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule; and

a presentation module to present the item listing in a search results page positioned relative to other item listings based on the adjusted ranking score.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rules module is to increase the ranking score of the item listing to reflect a promotion for the item listing.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rules module is to decrease the ranking score of the item listing to reflect a demotion for the item listing.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rule provides for a promotion for the item listing when the item listing has an item attribute indicating an item offered via the item listing will be shipped to a buyer free of charge.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rule provides for a demotion for the item listing when the item listing has an item attribute indicating an item offered via the item listing will be shipped to a buyer at a cost that exceeds a median, mean, or mode cost for shipping for item listings determined to be similar.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rule provides for a promotion of an item listing when the item listing is associated with a seller having a seller trust score that exceeds a threshold score.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the business rule provides for a demotion of an item listing when the item listing is associated with a seller having a seller trust score that is less than a threshold score.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein adjusting a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule includes multiplying the ranking score by the adjustment factor.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein presenting the item listing in a search results page positioned relative to other item listings based on the adjusted ranking score includes presenting the item listing in a list ordered based on each item listing'"'"'s corresponding ranking score.

19. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

evaluate a conditional statement of a business rule;

if the conditional statement is satisfied, adjust a ranking score assigned to an item listing by an adjustment factor specified in the business rule; and

present the item listing in a search results page positioned relative to other item listings based on the adjusted ranking score.