Sending Category Information

• US 20120323846A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Bai, Zhenguo, Guan, Li Kun, Shen, Luo Dong
• Application Number:
  US13/522,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present disclosure introduces a method, a system and an apparatus of sending category information. Category information at central data storage media is stored at a category server in the form of one or more files. When the category server receives a category identification from a terminal to request corresponding category attribute information for publishing product information, the category server may inquire and return the requested category information without submitting an inquiry to the central storage media, thereby reducing operational pressure on the central data storage media and improving efficiency of publishing product information.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors configured with computer-executable instructions, the method comprising:

converting one or more category identifications and one or more category attribute information stored in one or more central data storage media into a form of one or more files;

synchronizing the one or more category identifications and category attribute information in the form of one or more files with a category server;

receiving a product identification of a product sent by a terminal;

instructing the category server to determine one or more categories of the product corresponding to the product identification; and

returning, to the terminal, category identifications and category attribute information of the determined one or more categories in the form of one or more files.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the product identification of the product corresponds to the one or more categories and each category identification corresponds to respective category attribute information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the converting comprises generating a category identification file according to the one or more category identifications stored in the central data storage media, the category identification file including the one or more category identifications.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the converting comprises generating one or more category attribute information files according to the one or more category attribute information stored in the central data storage media, a respective category attribute information file including category attribute information corresponding to a respective category identification of the one or more category identifications.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

determining that at least one of the category attribute information stored in the central date memory is updated;

converting the updated category attribute information in the central data storage media into the form of one or more files; and

synchronizing the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files with the category server;

receiving from the terminal a synchronization request; and

instructing the category server to determine whether to send category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal after receiving the synchronization request.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the receiving comprises:

installing a publication plug-in at the terminal;

sending a notification from a publication server to the publication plug-in that at least one of the category attribute information is updated without considering category identifications already stored at the terminal; and

requesting the terminal to send the synchronization request to the category server.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the synchronizing the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files with the category server comprises:

determining whether a respective updated category attribute information file at the central data storage media is stored at the category server;

if the respective updated category attribute information file at the central data storage media is not stored at the category server, synchronizing the respective category attribute information file from the central storage media to the category server.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the synchronization request includes time information and a category identification that the terminal requests to synchronize with the category server, the time information indicating a time when category attribute information, corresponding to the category identification, stored in the terminal is generated and wherein the instructing comprises:

comparing the time information in the synchronization request and a locally stored time at the category server when category attribute information corresponding to the category identification in the synchronization request is generated,

if the time information in the synchronization request is earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is out-of-date and sending updated category attribute information at the category server in the form of one or more files to the terminal; and

if the time information in the synchronization request is not earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is not out-of-date without sending the category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the synchronization request includes an identification of the terminal and wherein the instructing comprises:

determining one or more category identifications that have been sent to the terminal; and

determining whether the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have been updated at the category server;

if the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have been updated, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is out-of-date and sending the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal; and

if the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have not been updated, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is not out-of-date without sending the category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the sending the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal comprises authorizing the terminal to download the category attribute information in the form of one or more files from the category server through a breakpoint continuous transmission.

11. A category server comprising:

one or more processors; and

computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform actions comprising;

synchronizing one or more category identifications and category attribute information in a form of one or more files;

determining one or more categories of a product corresponding to a product identification sent by a terminal; and

returning, to the terminal, category identifications and category attribute information of the determined one or more categories in the form of one or more files.

12. The category server as recited in claim 11, wherein the product identification of the product corresponds to the one or more categories and each category identification corresponds to respective category attribute information.

13. The category server as recited in claim 11, wherein the synchronizing comprises generating a category identification file according to the one or more category identification stored in one or more central data storage media, the category identification file including the one or more category identifications.

14. The category server as recited in claim 13, wherein the synchronizing comprises generating one or more category attribute information files according to the one or more category attribute information stored in the central data storage media, a respective category attribute information file including category attribute information corresponding to a respective category identification of the one or more category identifications.

15. The category server as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

determining that at least one of the category attribute information stored in the central date memory is updated;

converting the updated category attribute information in the one or more central data storage media into the form of one or more files; and

synchronizing the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files from the one or more central data storage media to the category server;

receiving from the terminal a synchronization request;

determining whether to send category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal after receiving the synchronization request.

16. The category server as recited in claim 15, wherein the receiving comprises:

sending a notification to the terminal that at least one category attribute information is updated without considering category identifications already stored at the terminal; and

requesting the terminal to send the synchronization request to the category server.

17. The category server as recited in claim 15, wherein the synchronizing the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files with the category server comprises:

determining whether a respective updated category attribute information file at the central data storage media is stored at the category server;

if the respective updated category attribute information file at the central data storage media is not stored at the category server, synchronizing the respective category attribute information file from the central storage media to the category server.

18. The category server as recited in claim 15, wherein the synchronization request includes time information and a category identification that the terminal requests to synchronize with the category server, the time information indicating a time when category attribute information, corresponding to the category identification, stored in the terminal is generated and wherein the instructing comprises:

comparing the time information in the synchronization request and a locally stored time at the category server when category attribute information corresponding to the category identification in the synchronization request is generated,

if the time information in the synchronization request is earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is out-of-date and sending updated category attribute information at the category server in the form of one or more files to the terminal; and

if the time information in the synchronization request is not earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is not out-of-date without sending the category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal.

19. The category server as recited in claim 15, wherein the synchronization request includes an identification of the terminal and wherein the instructing comprises:

determining one or more category identifications that have been sent to the terminal; and

determining whether the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have been updated at the category server;

if the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have been updated, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is out-of-date and sending the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal; and

if the category attribute information corresponding to the one or more category identifications have not been updated, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is not out-of-date without sending the category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal.

20. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:

determining that at least one of the category attribute information stored in the central date memory is updated;

converting the updated category attribute information in the central data storage media into a form of one or more files; and

synchronizing the updated category attribute information in the form of one or more files with the category server;

receiving from the terminal a synchronization request without considering category identifications already stored at the terminal, the synchronization request includes time information and a category identification that the terminal requests to synchronize with the category server, the time information indicating a time when category attribute information, corresponding to the category identification, stored in the terminal is generated; and

determining whether to send category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal after receiving the synchronization request, the determining including;

comparing the time information in the synchronization request and a locally stored time at the category server when category attribute information corresponding to the category identification in the synchronization request is generated,

if the time information in the synchronization request is earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is out-of-date and sending updated category attribute information at the category server in the form of one or more files to the terminal, the sending including authorizing the terminal to download the category attribute information in the form of one or more files from the category server through a breakpoint continuous transmission; and

if the time information in the synchronization request is not earlier than the locally stored time at the category server, determining that category attribute information stored at the terminal is not out-of-date without sending the category attribute information in the form of one or more files to the terminal.