System and method of providing recommendations

• US 8,271,352 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lifson, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/169,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.4, 705 1449- 1467, 705/319
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

A method of providing recommendations is disclosed and includes receiving a selection of an offering via an online site. The method also includes outputting a detail page related to the offering via the online site. The detail page includes a first selectable indicator corresponding to a social network of a visitor and a second selectable indicator corresponding to unfiltered content. The method also includes outputting at least one recommendation via the detail page. Each recommendation is associated with a member of the social network when input received via the online site indicates a selection of the first selectable indicator.

Claims

1. A method of providing recommendations, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of an offering via an online site;

generating, by a server, a detail page related to the offering;

outputting the detail page related to the offering via the online site, the detail page including a first selectable indicator corresponding to an extended social network of a visitor and a second selectable indicator corresponding to unfiltered content, wherein the extended social network includes a set of members of a first social network of the visitor and a set of members of a second social network, and wherein the set of members of the second social network includes at least one member from the set of members of the first social network of the visitor; and

in response to selection of the first selectable indicator, causing the display of at least one recommendation via the detail page, wherein each recommendation is associated with a member of the extended social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended social network is one of a plurality of social networks associated with a visitor with whom the selection of the offering is associated and wherein the detail page includes a plurality of selectable indicators corresponding to the plurality of social networks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one recommendation indicates that at least one member of the extended social network at least one of purchased the offering, viewed the offering, reviewed the offering, purchased a related offering, viewed a related offering, purchased a similar offering, and viewed a similar offering.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one recommendation includes at least one aggregated recommendation based on aggregated data associated with a plurality of members of the extended social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detail page includes a third selectable indicator, the method further comprising, in response to selection of the third selectable indicator, excluding from the detail page recommendations by users outside the set of members of first social network of the visitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one recommendation indicates that the associated member of the extended social network is a member of the at least one social network of the visitor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one member of the extended social network is associated with a trust level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the trust level is pre-designated by the visitor.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving input from the visitor that indicates a helpfulness of a previous recommendation associated with the at least one member; and

updating the trust level associated with the at least one member based on the input.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each trust level indicates a confidence in a member with respect to a product category.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an option to edit the trust level associated with at least one member of the extended social network; and

causing the generation of a graphical user interface via the online site, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to receive inputs to edit each trust level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface includes at least one graphical slider bar, wherein each graphical slider bar is adjustable to indicate a trust level associated with a member of the social network.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the trust level comprises at least one of one of complete trust, general trust, low trust, moderate trust, and no trust.

14. A system to provide recommendations, the system comprising:

a server system including processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to cause the server system to;

provide an online site;

receive input indicating a selection of an offering via the online site;

cause the generation of a detail page via the online site, the detail page including a first selectable indicator corresponding to an extended social network of a visitor and a second selectable indicator corresponding to unfiltered content, wherein the extended social network includes a set of members of a first social network of the visitor and a set of members of a second social network, and wherein the set of members of the second social network includes at least one member from the set of members of the first social network of the visitor; and

in response to selection of the first selectable indicator, cause the display of at least one recommendation via the detail page, wherein each recommendation is associated with a member of the extended social network.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a data store adapted to store an electronic catalog of products, services, or any combination thereof, to be offered for sale via the online site, the electronic catalog including the selected offering.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the extended social network is one of a plurality of social networks associated with a visitor with whom the selection of the offering is associated and wherein the detail page includes a plurality of selectable indicators corresponding to the plurality of social networks.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the server system is further operable to receive contact information related to members of the extended social network prior to the request and to store the contact information at a social network database of the server system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server system is further operable to prompt a visitor for the contact information during a social network setup process provided via the online site.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the server system is further operable to receive the contact information from a second online site.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the server system is further operable to receive the contact information from a communication device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the communication device comprises a web-enabled mobile phone device.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-readable instructions that are executable by processing logic to perform a method, the method comprising:

providing an online site to a visitor;

receiving input indicating a selection of an offering via the online site;

causing the generation of a detail page via the online site, the detail page including a first selectable indicator corresponding to an extended social network of a visitor and a second selectable indicator corresponding to unfiltered content, wherein the extended social network includes a set of members of a first social network of the visitor and a set of members of a second social network, and wherein the set of members of the second social network includes at least one member from the set of members of the first social network of the visitor; and

in response to selection of the first selectable indicator, outputting at least one recommendation via the detail page, wherein each recommendation is associated with a member of the extended social network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the detail page includes a third selectable indicator, the method further comprising, in response to selection of the third selectable indicator, excluding from the detail page recommendations by users outside the set of members of first social network of the visitor.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one recommendation indicates that the associated member of the extended social network is a member of the at least one social network of the visitor.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the offering comprises a product, service, or subscription.