MULTI-QUANTITY FIXED PRICE REFERRAL SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110213679A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Didi, Wong, Jean Qing, Metz, Steve, Petkov, Tsvetan, Delvecchio, Anthony, Conradt, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US13/032,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213679A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Multi-quantity fixed price referral systems and methods are described. A “multi-quantity fixed price” listing is a listing published by an online publication system where a seller is selling a number of identical items for a fixed price for each of the items. The methods may include selecting a category from a catalogue hierarchy used by an online publication system. The selected category may be one of a plurality of categories assigned to listings each describing an item for sale. The listings within the selected category are filtered to select a set of filtered listings. A decay formula may be applied to each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings. One or more of the filtered listings are selected based on a ranking of the filtered listings. A graphical user interface to display the selected filtered listings to the user is provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a category from a catalogue hierarchy used by an online publication system, the selected category being one of a plurality of categories assigned to listings each describing an item for sale;

filtering listings within the selected category to select a set of filtered listings;

applying a decay formula to each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings;

selecting one or more of the filtered listings based on a ranking of the filtered listings; and

providing a graphical user interface to a user of an online publication system, the interface to display the selected filtered listings to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the selected category further comprises:

identifying a level one category within the catalogue hierarchy;

identifying a level two category that is a child category of the level one category;

determining if sales within the level two category meet a predefined threshold; and

if the predefined threshold is met, preserving the level two category.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting of the selected category further comprises:

if the predefined threshold is not met, combining the level two category into the level one category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on an average price in the selected category, a distribution of prices within the selected category, and a number of items in the selected category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on information in seller profiles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on a format of each of the listings in the selected category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on an expiration time of each of the listings in the selected category.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on an available quantity of items for sale described by each of the listings in the selected category.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on a number of items sold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on a sales threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on a total number of impressions of each of the listings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering of the listings is based on a country from which each of the listings was received.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the decay formula is applied to the number of sales of each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the decay formula is applied to the number of impressions of each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking of the filtered listings is based on a number of sales per impression of each of the filtered listings.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking of the filtered listings is based on a characteristic of a buyer or a characteristic of a seller.

17. A system comprising:

a category module to select a category from a catalogue hierarchy used by an online publication system, the selected category being one of a plurality of categories assigned to listings each describing an item for sale;

a filter module to filter listings within the selected category to select a set of filtered listings;

a decay module to apply a decay formula to each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings;

a ranking module to select one or more of the filtered listings based on a ranking of the filtered listings; and

an interface module to provide a graphical user interface to a user of an online publication system, the interface to display the selected filtered listings to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the category module is further to identify a level one category within the catalogue hierarchy, identify a level two category that is a child category of the level one category, determine if sales within the level two category meet a predefined threshold, and, if the predefined threshold is met, preserve the level two category.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the category module is further to, if the predefined threshold is not met, combine the level two category into the level one category.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a referral method, the referral method comprising:

selecting a category from a catalogue hierarchy used by an online publication system, the selected category being one of a plurality of categories assigned to listings each describing an item for sale;

filtering listings within the selected category to select a set of filtered listings;

applying a decay formula to each filtered listing of the set of filtered listings;

selecting one or more of the filtered listings based on a ranking of the filtered listings; and

providing a graphical user interface to a user of an online publication system, the interface to display the selected filtered listings to the user.