System for recommending item bundles

• US 8,290,818 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levitan, Avi A., Yi, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US12/622,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for recommending bundles of items to users. A bundle can include an item that is substitutable for an item selected by a user and one or more related items that complement the substitutable item. For example, if a user has selected a wireless device on a page of a network application, a bundle recommendation can be provided that includes a similar wireless device and related accessories, a compatible service plan, and the like. Recommending bundles of items can be beneficial for providing users with access to items that they might like to purchase together, without requiring users to separately find each item.

Claims

1. A method of recommending a wireless device bundle to a user, the method comprising:

creating a bundle recommendation for an end user of an electronic catalog system from a plurality of items represented in an electronic catalog of the electronic catalog system, said creating the bundle recommendation comprising;

identifying an item of the electronic catalog that was selected by the end user, the item comprising a first wireless device or a first wireless service plan;

accessing an associations dataset to identify a second wireless device related to the item selected by the end user;

identifying a second wireless service plan that is compatible with the second wireless device; and

outputting a representation of the second wireless device and the second wireless service plan together as the bundle recommendation, the bundle recommendation configured to be selectable by the end user for purchase;

wherein said identifying the item, said accessing the associations dataset, said identifying the second wireless service plan, and said outputting are implemented by a computer system comprising computer hardware.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second wireless service plan that is compatible with the second wireless device comprises determining whether the second wireless service plan can be purchased with the second wireless device according to a rule of a wireless carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the associations dataset by at least comparing attributes of the plurality of items in the electronic catalog.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the second wireless device available for purchase by the user further comprises determining whether the second wireless device is available in a ZIP code of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associations dataset is generated based on an analysis of behavioral data of a plurality of end users.

6. A system for recommending a wireless device bundle to a user, the system comprising:

a bundle mining system configured to generate an associations dataset based on an analysis of behavioral data of a plurality of end users with respect to a plurality of items in an electronic catalog; and

a bundle recommender comprising computer hardware, the bundle recommender configured to;

identify an item of the electronic catalog selected by the end user, the item comprising a first wireless device or a first wireless service plan;

access the associations dataset to identify a second wireless device related to the item selected by the end user;

identify a second wireless service plan that is compatible with the second wireless device;

create a bundle recommendation for the end user, the bundle recommendation comprising a representation of the second wireless device and the second wireless service plan; and

output the bundle recommendation for selection by the end user for purchase.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the bundle recommender is further configured to identify the second wireless service plan that is compatible with the second wireless device by at least determining whether the second wireless service plan can be purchased with the second wireless device according to a rule of a wireless carrier.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the bundle recommender is further configured to identify the second wireless service plan that is compatible with the second wireless device by at least determining whether the second wireless service plan can be purchased with the second wireless device according to a rule of a wireless carrier.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the bundle mining system is further configured to generate the associations dataset by at least comparing attributes of the plurality of items in the electronic catalog.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the bundle recommend is further configured to identify the second wireless device available for purchase by the user further by at least determining whether the second wireless device is available in a ZIP code of the user.