USER INTERFACE FOR SMART COMPARISON

• US 20130311335A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Howard, Dane, Abraham, Jack Phillip, Vosseller, Shannon B., Lenahan, Michael, Mitchell, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,448,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

After marketplace listings are returned via a search, an indication of two or more of the marketplace results to pin and compare is received. A travel cost for any pinned local marketplace result to compare is calculated by determining a travel distance between the electronic device and the location in the pinned local marketplace result to compare and estimating a cost associated with traveling the travel distance. A true purchase price is calculated for each pinned local marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the travel cost. A true purchase price for each pinned online marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the shipping cost, these true purchase prices are then displayed side-by-side in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method of presenting marketplace listings, the method comprising:

receiving search parameters from a user interface on an electronic device;

performing a search on a plurality of marketplace listings using the search parameters and returning marketplace results, the marketplace results each including a retailer identification and a price for a product, the marketplace results each being either a local marketplace result or an online marketplace result, each local marketplace result further including a location, and each online marketplace result including a shipping cost;

receiving an indication from the user interface of two or more of the marketplace results to pin and compare;

calculating a travel cost for any pinned local marketplace result to compare by determining a travel distance between the electronic device and the location in the pinned local marketplace result to compare and estimating a cost associated with traveling the travel distance;

determining sales tax, if any, for each pinned marketplace result to compare;

calculating a true purchase price for each pinned local marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the travel cost;

calculating a true purchase price for each pinned online marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the shipping cost; and

presenting the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare by displaying the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare side-by-side in the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost associated with traveling the travel distance includes fuel cost.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fuel cost takes into account a type of vehicle operated by a user of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost associated with traveling the travel distance includes toll fees.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost associated with traveling the travel distance includes public transportation costs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the search includes passing the search parameters to a server which conducts a query on a marketplace database using the search parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting includes presenting the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare side-by-side by forming a single web page having each of the calculated true purchase prices listed side-by-side.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting includes presenting the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare side-by-side by forming a plurality of pages, each page having one of the calculated true purchase prices, and presenting the plurality of pages side-by-side in a manner that allows a user to navigate between the plurality of pages by swiping left or right on the user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

calculating a total cost to return for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare; and

adding the total cost to return to each of the true purchase prices for the pinned marketplace results to compare.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the calculating the total cost to return includes, for a pinned local marketplace result to compare, adding any restocking fee to the travel cost.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the calculating the total cost to return includes, for a pinned online marketplace result to compare, adding any restocking fee to a cost to ship a return parcel.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication to show distinctions between pinned marketplace listings; and

in response to the receiving an indication to show distinctions, highlighting any differences in attributes between the pinned marketplace listings.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a pinch to zoom command from the user interface, breaking down the true purchase price into individual constituent costs and displaying the individual constituent costs for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare side-by-side.

14. A system comprising:

a marketplace database containing a plurality of marketplace listings, the marketplace listings each including a retailer identification and a price for a product, the marketplace listings each being either a local marketplace listing or an online marketplace listing, each local marketplace listing further including a location and each online marketplace listing including a shipping cost;

a web server configured to;

receive search parameters from an electronic device;

perform a query on the marketplace database using the search parameters;

receive a plurality of marketplace listings as marketplace results from the marketplace database;

receive an indication from the electronic device of two or more of the marketplace results to pin and compare;

calculate a travel cost for any pinned local marketplace result to compare by determining a travel distance between the electronic device and the location in the pinned local marketplace result to compare and estimating a cost associated with traveling the travel distance;

determine sales tax, if any, for each pinned marketplace result to compare;

calculate a true purchase price for each pinned local marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the travel cost;

calculate a true purchase price for each pinned online marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the shipping cost;

form one or more web pages presenting the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare; and

transmit the one or more web pages to the electronic device for display to a user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the forming includes forming a single web page having each of the calculated true purchase prices listed side-by-side.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the forming includes forming a plurality of web pages, each of the plurality of web pages presenting the true purchase price for one of the pinned marketplace results.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a map database and wherein the calculating a travel cost includes accessing the map database to determine a quickest route between the electronic device and the location in the pinned local marketplace result.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a traffic database and wherein the calculating a travel cost includes utilizing the traffic database in estimating a cost associated with traveling the travel distance.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations of presenting marketplace listings, the operations comprising:

receiving search parameters from an electronic device;

performing a search on a plurality of marketplace listings using the search parameters and returning marketplace results, the marketplace results each including a retailer identification and a price for a product, the marketplace results each being either a local marketplace result or an online marketplace result, each local marketplace result further including a location, and each online marketplace result including a shipping cost;

receiving an indication from the electronic device of two or more of the marketplace results to pin and compare;

calculating a travel cost for any pinned local marketplace result to compare by determining a travel distance between the electronic device and the location in the pinned local marketplace result to compare and estimating a cost associated with traveling the travel distance;

determining sales tax, if any, for each pinned marketplace result to compare;

calculating a true purchase price for each pinned local marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the travel cost;

calculating a true purchase price for each pinned online marketplace result to compare by adding the price for the product, the sales tax, and the shipping cost; and

presenting the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare by forming one or more web pages displaying the true purchase price for each of the pinned marketplace results to compare side-by-side in the user interface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the electronic device is a non-mobile device.