METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING THE CATEGORIZATION OF ITEMS FOR WHICH ITEM LISTINGS ARE MADE BY A USER OF AN ECOMMERCE SYSTEM

• US 20110238534A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Yakkala, Ramanjaneyulu
• Application Number:
  US12/749,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems for improving the classification of items that are listed for sale on an ecommerce system. In one example embodiment a seller of an item provides the ecommerce system a listing of the item for sale, the listing including key data such as item category in textual format. The ecommerce system, in response to the textual category, presents to the seller images of types of the item in the category in silhouette form. The seller selects the silhouette delineating the type of item, causing the type of item to be entered as key data in the listing. The seller may send her own image of the item to the system, which then compares the seller-provided image to a system image of known category and/or type. If the system detects a possible mismatch between the images, the system provides feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorization of the listed item.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for improving the categorizing of an item in a listing of the item for sale on an ecommerce system, the method comprising:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item;

in response to the information, presenting the seller with a plurality of possible images that illustrate the type of the item in the delineated category;

receiving from the seller a selection of one of the plurality of possible images; and

responsive to receiving the selection, populating the listing with an image of an item of the type offered for sale by the seller.

2. The method of claim 1 further including providing the plurality of possible images in silhouette form.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program, when executed, instructs one or more computer processors to generate an item listing by performing the following method:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item;

in response to the information, presenting the seller with a plurality of possible images that illustrate the type of the item in the delineated category;

receiving from the seller a selection of one of the plurality of possible images; and

responsive to receiving the selection, populating the listing with an image of an item of the type offered for sale by the seller.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3 including providing the plurality of possible images in silhouette format.

5. A system for improving the categorization of an item in a listing of the item for sale on an ecommerce system, the system comprising:

a listing server for receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item;

an item listing presentation management module coupled to the listing server to present to the seller, in response to the information, a plurality of possible images that illustrate the type of the item of the delineated category; and

a listing management module for receiving from the seller a selection of one of the plurality of possible images and, in response to the selection, populating the listing with an image of an item of the type offered for sale by the seller.

6. A computer implemented method for improving the categorizing of an item in a listing of the item for sale on an ecommerce system, the method comprising:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item, the item including an image of the item;

making an image comparison of the image of the item against an image of an item known to be of the delineated category;

detecting whether there is a mismatch between the image of the listed item and the image of the item known to be of the delineated category; and

responsive to the detection of a mismatch, providing feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorizing the listed item.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the images is in silhouette form.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the included image of the item is used in accessing the image of the item known to be of the delineated category.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the image of the item known to be of the delineated category is stored in a database within the ecommerce system.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program, when executed, instructs one or more computer processors to list an item for sale on an ecommerce system, by performing the following method:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item, the information including an image of the item;

making an image comparison of the image of the item against an image of an item known to be of the delineated category;

detecting whether there is a mismatch between the image of the listed item and the image of the item known to be of the delineated category; and

responsive to the detection of a mismatch, providing feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorizing the listed item.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein at least one of the images is in silhouette form.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, including using the included image of the item to access the image of the item known to be of the delineated category.

13. A system for improving the categorizing of an item in a listing of the item for sale on an ecommerce system comprising:

a listing server for receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item, the item including an image of the item;

an accessing circuit coupled to the listing server for making an image comparison of the image of the item against an image of an item known to be of the delineated category, and detecting whether there is a mismatch between the image of the listed item and the image of the item known to be of the delineated category; and

an item listing presentation management module responsive to the detection of a mismatch, for providing feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorizing the listed item.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the images is in silhouette form.

15. A computer implemented method for improving the categorizing of an item in a listing of the item for sale on an ecommerce system, the method comprising:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item;

responsive to the information, presenting to the seller a plurality of images of types of items of the delineated category;

receiving from the seller a selected one of the plurality of images;

detecting whether the information received from the seller matches the selected one of the plurality of images; and

responsive to detecting that there is a mismatch between the information and the selected one of the plurality of images, providing feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorizing the listed item.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of types of items is in silhouette form.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16 wherein the silhouette visually depicts one or more attributes possessed by the item.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, the attributes including one of shape, form, style, color, and the like.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program, when executed, instructs one or more computer processors to list an item for sale on an ecommerce system, by performing the following method:

receiving from a seller information delineating the category of the item;

responsive to the information, presenting to the seller a plurality of images of types of items of the delineated category;

receiving from the seller a selected one of the plurality of images;

detecting whether the information received from the seller matches the selected one of the plurality of images; and

responsive to detecting that there is a mismatch between the information and the selected one of the plurality of images, providing feedback to the seller indicating a possible error in categorizing the listed item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the plurality of images of types of items is in silhouette form.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the silhouette visually depicts one or more attributes possessed by the item.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the attributes including one of shape, form, style, color, and the like.