Acquisition of online auction items through a global positioning system

• US 7,729,953 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Pandurangan, Senthil K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunham; Jason B
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/870,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method is provided. The method may comprise receiving an auction item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus. Auction data associated with the auction item identifier is accessed and transmitted to a voice portal server. The voice portal server may call a telephone number and receive a request to acquire the auction item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an auction item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus;

accessing first auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and

transmitting the first auction data to a voice portal server, the voice portal server calls a telephone number, and in the call from the voice portal server, providing an option to acquire the auction item and receiving a request to acquire the auction item based on the option provided.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice portal server provides a voice rendering of the first auction data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the voice portal server to acquire the auction item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for second auction data, the request including a search query and a location of the GPS apparatus;

converting the location of the GPS apparatus to a zip code;

searching for the auction item based on the search query and the zip code;

retrieving the second auction data that includes a location of the auction item; and

transmitting a response to the request for the second auction data, the response including the second auction data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first auction data includes a user identifier, the telephone number being associated with the user identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to acquire the auction item is a voice request.

7. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

receiving a request for first auction data, the request including a search query and a location of a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus;

searching for an auction item based on the search query and the location of the GPS apparatus;

accessing the first auction data associated with the auction item, the first auction data including a location of the auction item and an auction item identifier;

transmitting a response to the request, the response including the first auction data;

receiving the auction item identifier from the GPS apparatus;

accessing second auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and

transmitting the second auction data to a voice portal server, the second auction data including a user identifier, the voice portal server calls a telephone number associated with the user identifier, and in the call from the voice portal server, providing an option to acquire the auction item and receiving a voice request to acquire the auction item based on the option provided.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further performing the operation of receiving a request from the voice portal server to acquire the auction item.

9. A method comprising:

receiving an auction item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus, the auction item identifier establishing an identity of a selected auction item;

accessing auction data associated with the auction item identifier, the auction data including a user identifier that identifies a user associated with a transaction; and

transmitting the auction data to a voice portal server, the voice portal server locates a telephone number based on the user identifier and calls a telephone with the telephone number, and in the call from the voice portal server, providing a voice rendering of the auction data to the telephone, the voice rendering providing an option to acquire the auction item, and receiving a voice request from the telephone to acquire the selected auction item based on the option; and

receiving a request from the voice portal server after the transmission of the auction data to acquire the selected auction item.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an additional request for additional auction data, the additional request including a search query and a location of the GPS apparatus;

converting the location of the GPS apparatus to a zip code;

searching for the selected auction item based on the search query and the zip code;

retrieving the additional auction data that includes a location of the selected auction item; and

transmitting a response to the additional request for the additional auction data, the response including the additional auction data.