Service for enabling users to share information regarding products represented on web pages

• US 8,145,542 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexa Internet (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alexa Internet (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Der Merve Sauer, Paul, Kahle, Brewster P., O'Driscoll, Niall P., Tanenbaum, Ronna C., Bartolotta, Jeffrey M., Cholach, Sondra L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/048,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system is disclosed that enables users to share product-related information across web pages. The system includes a client that executes on a user computer. The client interacts with a data server to provide user access to product-related information associated with products represented on web pages accessed by the user. The product-related information may include information submitted by other users via other instances of the client.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating sharing of information between web users, the method comprising:

monitoring a first user'"'"'s web browsing activities to detect that a web page accessed by the first user includes a description of a first product, wherein the monitoring is performed using a client program that runs on a first user computer and communicates over a computer network with a data server;

while the first user is accessing the web page on the first user computer, causing the first computer to display a form that prompts the first user to supply at least one specific type of data associated with the first product, wherein the form is separate from the web page, and is presented to the first user under control of the client program running on the first user computer;

in response to submission of the form by the first user, causing data entered by the first user into said form to be stored on the data server; and

subsequently, causing the data entered by the first user to be presented to a second user who is accessing said web page on a second user computer, wherein the data is presented to the second user under control of a client program that runs on the second user computer and communicates with the data server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the first user'"'"'s browsing activities comprises the computer-implemented step of analyzing content of the web page to evaluate whether the web page includes a description of the product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of analyzing the web page is performed by the first user computer under control of the client program.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of analyzing the web page is performed by the data server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the second user, via a toolbar generated by the client program that runs on the second user computer, that the web page includes a description of a product for which information is available.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the form includes fields for user entry and submission of a recommendation associated with the first product, and wherein the data entered by the first user and presented to the second user comprises data elements of a recommendation supplied by the first user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the recommendation is of an online store for purchasing the first product.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the recommendation is of a second product that is related to the first product.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an option to the second user, via the client program that runs on the second user computer, to vote on a quality of the recommendation supplied by the first user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the form includes a field for user entry of a web address associated with a recommendation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the form includes a field for specifying an identifier of a related product that is related to the first product, and the method comprises presenting to the second user a product identifier entered into said field by the first user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the form additionally includes a field for specifying a web address associated with the related product.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the form additionally includes a field for specifying why the related product is being recommended.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the form additionally prompts users to specify whether they have an interest in an associated recommendation of a related product.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the form includes a field for specifying a web address associated with an online store from which the first product can be purchased, and the method comprises causing the second user computer to presenting to the second user a web address entered into said field by the first user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the form additionally includes a field that requests information about why the online store is being recommended.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the form additionally prompts users to specify whether they have an interest in an associated recommendation of an online store.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting to the first user, under control of the client program running on the first user computer, an option to add the first product to a virtual shopping cart, said option not being provided on the web page.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the client program that runs on the first user computer is separate from, and runs in conjunction with, a web browser that runs on the first user computer.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the data server is separate from a web server system that serves the web page.

21. Non-transitory computer storage that stores executable instructions that direct a computing system to perform a process that comprises:

monitoring a first user'"'"'s web browsing activities to detect that a web page accessed by the first user includes a description of a first product, wherein the monitoring is performed using a client program that runs on a first user computer and communicates over a computer network with a data server;

while the first user is accessing the web page on the first user computer, causing the first computer to display a form that prompts the first user to supply at least one specific type of data associated with the first product, wherein the form is separate from the web page, and is presented to the first user under control of the client program running on the first user computer;

in response to submission of the form by the first user, causing data entered by the first user into said form to be stored on the data server; and

subsequently, causing the data entered by the first user to be presented to a second user who is accessing said web page on a second user computer, wherein the data is presented to the second user under control of a client program that runs on the second user computer and communicates with the data server.

22. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 21, wherein monitoring the first user'"'"'s web browsing activities comprises analyzing content of the web page to evaluate whether the web page includes a description of the product.

23. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 21, wherein the form includes fields for user entry and submission of a recommendation associated with the first product, and wherein the data entered by the first user and presented to the second user comprises data elements of a recommendation supplied by the first user.

24. Non-transitory computer storage that stores a computer program that provides functionality for users to share information about products represented on web pages, said computer program comprising executable instructions that direct a computing system to perform a process that comprises:

monitoring web browsing activities of a first user of a first user computing device;

detecting that a web page accessed by the first user on the first user computing device includes a description of a first product, said detecting comprising communicating over a computer network with a data server;

while the first user is accessing the web page on the first user computing device, causing the first user computing device to display a form that prompts the first user to supply at least one specific type of data associated with the first product, wherein the form is separate from the web page, and is presented to the first user under control of said computer program;

sending data entered into the form by the first user to said data server for storage thereon;

retrieving, from the data server, information submitted by a second user regarding the first product, said information submitted by the second user from a second user computing device; and

causing the first user computing device to display said information in conjunction with the web page.

25. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 24, wherein monitoring the first user'"'"'s web browsing activities comprises analyzing content of the web page and, based on said content, determining that the web page includes a description of the first product.

26. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 24, wherein the form includes fields for user entry and submission of a recommendation associated with the first product.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the form includes a field for specifying an identifier of a related product that is related to the first product.

28. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 24, wherein the computer program runs on the first user computing device.

29. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 24, wherein the computer program is a browser toolbar program runs on the first user computing device in conjunction with a browser.