System and method for handling item listings with generic attributes

• US 8,140,510 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Hsiaozhang Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Application Number:
  US12/416,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.101, 707/102, 707/3, 707/706, 707/802
• US Class Current: 707/706
• 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 system for storing a plurality of items across different categories in a database including a database that stores a data structure that has item entries for items of different categories. Each item entry includes one or more associated attributes. The attributes may be shared by multiple items across more than one category.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for storing and retrieving item listings, said computer-implemented system comprising:

a database component for storing a plurality of item listings, each of said item listings having associated attributes, each of said item listings assigned a category from a plurality of categories, at least one attribute being shared by at least two item listings having mutually exclusive categories;

a search server, said search server receiving a set of requested attributes for a requested item in a requested category; and

a database engine server coupled to said search server and said database component, said database engine server returning a set of item listings from said database component having said requested category and said set of requested attributes.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the database component includes a data structure that associates an identifier of an attribute with an entry selected from a group of entries comprising an attribute name, attribute type and a site identifier.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the database component includes a data structure that stores the items, and associated attributes, represented in the plurality of categories.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the database component includes a data structure that translates attributes associated with an item listing dependent on a category assigned to said item listing.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the database component includes a data structure that defines allowable values for each attribute.

6. A method for searching a database of item listings implemented by a processor executing instructions, said method comprising:

receiving a set of search parameters in a search server, said search parameters including at least a first requested attribute and a requested category of item listings to be searched;

accessing a said database of item listings with a database engine server, said database engine server selectively removing from consideration item listings having assigned categories that do not match said requested category to determine a set of item listings that include an attribute matching the requested attribute; and

presenting the set of item listings to a user.

7. The method for searching said database of item listings as set forth in claim 6, including:

validating the first requested attribute against valid attribute values stored within a data structure.

8. The method for searching said database of item listings as set forth in claim 6, including:

utilizing a translation data structure to determine category specific display characteristics of the attribute selected from a group comprising display position, display length, and attribute position.

9. The method for searching said database of item listings as set forth in claim 6, wherein the item listings searched include item listings from a plurality of different sites.

10. The method for searching said database of item listings as set forth in claim 9, wherein said database engine server further selectively removes from consideration item listings from a different site not associated with said search server.

11. A computer-implemented system for storing item listings in a database, computer-implemented system comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory;

an interface module to receive, using the at least one processor, data for said database, said data comprising item listings; and

a database component, said database component including;

a data structure that stores a plurality of item listings, each item listing having one or more attributes and an assigned category from a plurality of categories, and at least one attribute being shared by item listings having different assigned categories of the plurality of categories; and

a data structure that translates attributes being shared by the plurality of categories into category specific attributes.

12. The system for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 11, wherein said database component further includes a data structure that defines valid values for each attribute.

13. The system for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 12, wherein the valid values for each attribute are represented by a minimum and maximum value.

14. The system for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 12, wherein a valid value of each attribute is represented by one or more specific values.

15. The system for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 11, wherein said database component further includes a data structure that associates an identifier of an attribute with a name and a type of the attribute.

16. A method for storing item listings in a database, the method comprising:

receiving a data entry for a first item with a first attribute, said first item associated with a first category of a plurality of categories;

validating the first attribute, using one or more processors, of the item against a first data structure containing valid values for the first attribute; and

storing the first attribute and first category for said first item in a second data structure containing item listings from a plurality of different categories, said first attribute being shared by said first category and at least one other category in said plurality of categories.

17. The method for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 16, wherein the valid values for the first attribute include a minimum and maximum value.

18. The method for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 16, wherein the valid values for the first attribute include a plurality of specific values.

19. The method for storing item listings in said database as set forth in claim 16, including storing attribute mapping information in a third data structure, wherein the third data structure includes a plurality of elements selected from a group comprising:

attribute position;

attribute display length;

attribute display position;

attribute identification; and

a search flag.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the mapping information is used to determine how an attribute will be displayed when used within a particular category of said plurality of categories.