Systems and methods for marketplace listings using a camera enabled mobile device

• US 8,321,293 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Lewis, Alan, Sun, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/175,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/26.1, 705/26.3, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods for generating marketplace listings using a camera enabled mobile device are described in which a request is received via a camera enabled mobile device to list one or more sale items. An image taken by the camera enable mobile device and depicting the one or more sale items is received. Image recognition is performed on the received image to identify the one or more sale items. Based on the identification of the one or more sale items depicted in the image, a set of descriptive data is automatically generated. The one or more sale items are listed on a marketplace using the image and the automatically generated set of descriptive data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request via a camera enabled mobile device to list one or more sale items;

receiving an image depicting a plurality of potential sale items, the image being taken by the camera enabled mobile device;

performing image recognition, by at least one processor, on the received image to identify the one or more sale items from the plurality of potential sale items within the received image;

automatically generating, by the at least one processor, a set of descriptive data for the one or more sale items based on the identification of the one or more sale items depicted in the image; and

listing the one or more sale items on a marketplace using the image and the automatically generated set of descriptive data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received image includes at least one barcode for the one or more sale items.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein performing image recognition on the received image includes decoding the at least one bar code for the one or more sale items.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein automatically generating a set of descriptive data includes using the at least one decoded bar code for the one or more sale items to provide descriptive data for each of the corresponding one or more items.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing image recognition on the received image includes:

extracting from the image the one or more sale items; and

classifying the one or more sale items.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein listing the one or more sale items includes:

associating the one or more sale items with corresponding descriptive data from the set of descriptive data; and

listing the one or more sale items accompanied with the corresponding descriptive data on the marketplace.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising querying a user via a user interface of the camera enabled mobile device for additional descriptive data for the one or more items depicted in the image.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein querying the user for the additional descriptive data includes querying the user to confirm that an item shown in the image is a certain product.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

generating a draft listing for each sale item of the one or more sale items identified within the received image, the draft listing including the corresponding set of descriptive data describing the sale item of the one or more sale items.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further including:

sending, to the mobile device, a list of draft listings;

receiving, from the mobile device, a selection of draft listings from the list of draft listings; and

wherein the listing of the one or more sale items includes publishing at least a portion of the draft listings based on the selection received from the mobile device.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication module, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to receive a request via a camera enabled mobile device to list one or more sale items; and

a multiple listing engine, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to;

receive an image depicting a plurality of potential sale items, the image being taken by the camera enabled mobile device;

perform image recognition on the received image to identify the one or more sale items from the plurality of potential sale items within the received image;

automatically generate a set of descriptive data for the one or more sale items based on the identification of the one or more sale items depicted in the image; and

list the one or more sale items on a marketplace using the image and the automatically generated set of descriptive data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the image received includes at least one barcode for the one or more sale items.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multiple listing engine is further configured to decode the at least one bar code for the one or more sale items.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the multiple listing engine is further configured to use the at least one decoded bar code for the one or more sale items to provide descriptive data for each of the corresponding one or more items.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple listing engine is configured to perform image recognition on the received image by:

extracting from the image the one or more sale items; and

classifying the one or more sale items.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple listing engine is configured to list the one or more sale items by:

associating the one or more sale items with corresponding descriptive data from the set of descriptive data; and

listing the one or more sale items accompanied with the corresponding descriptive data on the marketplace.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple listing engine is further configured to query a user via a user interface of the camera enabled mobile device for additional descriptive data for the one or more items depicted in the image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multiple listing engine is further configured to query the user to confirm that an item shown in the image is a certain product.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the following operations comprising:

receiving a request via a camera enabled mobile device to list one or more sale items;

receiving an image depicting a plurality of potential sale items, the image being taken by the camera enabled mobile device;

performing image recognition on the received image to identify the one or more sale items from the plurality of potential sale items within the received image;

automatically generating a set of descriptive data for the one or more sale items based on the identification of the one or more sale items depicted in the image; and

listing the one or more sale items on a marketplace using the image and the automatically generated set of descriptive data.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the received image includes at least one barcode for the one or more sale items.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein performing image recognition on the received image includes decoding the at least one bar code for the one or more sale items.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein automatically generating the set of descriptive data includes using the at least one decoded bar code for the one or more sale items to provide descriptive data for each of the corresponding one or more items.