Generic attribute database system

• US 7,136,863 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Hsiaozhang Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/600,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-102, 707/3, 707/1, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/104.1, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 345/581
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/962 Entity-attribute-value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus store multiple items across different categories in a database. A database includes an attribute value table that has item entries for items of different categories. Each item entry has attribute values for attributes of the items. The database also includes an attribute map table that has attribute map entries. The attribute map entries have attribute map values. Additionally, an attribute value is associated with an attribute map entry, such that the attribute values are translated based on the attribute map values of the associated attribute map entry. In one embodiment, the translating of an attribute value includes determining an attribute type associated with the attribute value.

Claims

1. A system for providing a network-based marketplace, the system including:

an information server to present listings to users, each listing belonging to a category and having one or more associated attributes; and

,

a database component having an attribute value table, the attribute value table to store attribute values for a plurality of the listings independent of the category to which each listing of the plurality of the listings belongs.

2. The system of claim 1, including an attribute map table to store attribute map values, each attribute map value to determine how a particular attribute value is displayed with an associated listing.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each attribute map value is to determine a position of the attribute value within an output display.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each attribute map value is to determine a display length of the attribute value within an output display.

5. The system of claim 1, including an attribute validity table having attribute validity values, the attribute validity values to determine validity of the attribute values associated with a particular listing.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the attribute validity table includes maximum range values and minimum range values, the maximum range values and minimum range values to determine a valid numerical range of an attribute value associated with a particular listing.

7. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon one or more database data structures for a system providing a network-based marketplace, the database data structures including:

one or more database tables to store listings, each listing belonging to a category and having one or more associated attributes; and

,

an attribute value table to store attribute values for a plurality of the listings independent of the category to which each listing of the plurality of the listings belongs.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the one or more database data structures further include an attribute map table to store attribute map values, each attribute map value to determine how a particular attribute value is displayed with an associated listing.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein each attribute map value is to determine the position of the attribute value within an output display.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein each attribute map value is to determine the display length of the attribute value within an output display.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the one or more database data structures further include an attribute validity table having attribute validity values, the attribute validity values to determine validity of the attribute values associated with a particular listing.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the attribute validity table includes maximum range values and minimum range values, the maximum range values and minimum range values to determine a valid numerical range of an attribute value associated with a particular listing.

13. A computer-implemented method including:

receiving a request for a listing, the listing belonging to a category and having one or more associated attributes;

retrieving the requested listing from a database table;

retrieving attribute values for the associated attributes of the listing from an attribute value table, the attribute value table storing attribute values for a plurality of listings independent of the category to which each listing of the plurality of listings belongs; and

,

displaying the listing and the associated attribute values.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, including:

retrieving one or more attribute map values from an attribute map table, the attribute map values to determine how a particular attribute value is displayed with an associated listing.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the attribute map values determine a position of the attribute value within an output display.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the attribute map values determine a display length of the attribute value within an output display.

17. A computer-implemented method including:

storing a listing in a database table, the listing belonging to one of a plurality of categories and having one or more associated attributes; and

storing an attribute value for the listing in an attribute value table, wherein the attribute value table is to store attribute values for a plurality of listings independent of a respective category to which any single listing belongs.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, including:

storing an attribute map value in an attribute map table, the attribute map value to determine how the attribute value is displayed with an associated listing.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, including:

storing an attribute validity value in an attribute validity table, the attribute validity value to determine validity of the attribute value associated with the listing.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, including:

storing maximum range values and minimum range values in the attribute validity table, the maximum range values and minimum range values to determine a valid numerical range of the attribute value associated with the listing.