System to provide buyer wanted request listings

• US 7,937,293 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Speiser, Leonard Robert, Raccah, David, Garcia, Edward O'Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Amee A
• Application Number:
  US12/758,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system comprises a buyer request creation module to receive a buyer request listing, the buyer request creation module automatically to determine a listing category for the buyer request listing. A buyer request searching module locates a buyer request listing corresponding to a search criteria. A buyer request response module adds a response to the buyer request listing, the response comprising a reference to a listing for an item offered for sale on the system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a buyer request creation module executable by the one or more processors to receive a buyer request listing, the buyer request creation module automatically to determine a listing category for the buyer request listing using an item description included in the buyer request listing, the buyer request creation module configured to;

generate a frequency distribution for a plurality of categories of existing buyer request listings containing description information matching at least in part the item description; and

select the listing category based on a category having a highest frequency in the frequency distribution for the plurality of categories;

a buyer request searching module executable by the one or more processors to locate the buyer request listing corresponding to a search criteria; and

a buyer request response module executable by the one or more processors to add a response to the buyer request listing, the response comprising a reference to a listing for an item offered for sale on the system.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a buyer request category module to recommend the listing category based on information contained within the buyer request listing.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a buyer request posting module to post the buyer request listing created by the buyer request creation module; and

a buyer request deletion module to delete the buyer request listing.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the buyer request listing includes:

a title;

an item description; and

buyer identification information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the buyer request listing further comprises one or more responses generated by the buyer request response module.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the buyer request listing further comprises photographs and attribute information for a wanted item.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the buyer request category module is to generate a frequency distribution for categories of existing buyer request listings containing description information matching the item description.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the buyer request listing is automatically posted to the listing category.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the listing category is presented to the buyer as a proposed listing category for the buyer request listing.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the item offered for sale on the system comprises a listing for an on-line auction.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a buyer request listing for a wanted item to be purchased using the server;

automatically determining a listing category for the buyer request listing using a title and an item description thereof, by;

generating a frequency distribution for a plurality of listing categories, maintained by the server, of existing buyer request listings containing description information matching the item description information;

selecting the listing category based on the listing category having a highest frequency in the frequency distribution for the plurality of listing categories; and

posting, at the server, the buyer request listing into the listing category.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving responses to the buyer request listing, where each of the responses references an item that is already offered for sale on the server; and

at the server, facilitating a purchase of an item that was provided in one of the responses to the buyer request listing.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the item that is already offered for sale on the server is available as part of an on-line auction.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the item that is already offered for sale on the server is available at a fixed price.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

automatically deleting the buyer request listing from a database accessible by the server after a predetermined period time.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the buyer request listing further comprises one or more responses.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the buyer request listing further comprises photographs and attribute information for the wanted item.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause of the machine to perform a method for providing buyer request listings within a server, the method including:

creating a buyer request listing for a wanted item to be purchased using the server;

automatically determining a listing category for the buyer request listing using a title and an item description thereof, by;

generating a frequency distribution for a plurality of listing categories of existing buyer request listings containing description information matching the item description information and

identifying the listing category as having a highest frequency in the frequency distribution for the plurality of listing categories; and

posting the buyer request listing to the listing category.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the method further includes:

receiving responses to the buyer request listing, where each of the responses references an item that is already offered for sale on the server; and

facilitating a purchase by a buyer of an item that identified in one of the responses to the buyer request listing.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the method further includes:

automatically deleting the buyer request listing from a database after a predetermined period time.