Methods and systems to facilitate a purchase of an item on a network-based marketplace

• US 8,438,069 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Chong, Choon, Okubo, Trisha Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Will
• Application Number:
  US12/104,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 26- 272, 705/319
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method and system to facilitate a purchase of an item on a network-based marketplace. The system receives a request from a first user on a network-based social platform. The request identifies a virtual gift. Next, the system associates the virtual gift to an item for sale on the network-based marketplace. Finally, the system communicates interface information that enables the first user to purchase the item on the network-based marketplace.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate a purchase of an item on a network-based marketplace, the method comprising:

generating, at the network-based marketplace, a virtual gift based on an item for sale on the network-based marketplace;

receiving, at a network-based marketplace server, a request from a first user at a network-based social platform that received the virtual gift from a second user at the network-based social platform, the request identifying the virtual gift, the receiving done at least in part through the use of one or more processors;

associating the virtual gift to the item for sale on the network-based marketplace, the associating done at least in part through the use of one or more processors; and

communicating item interface information to the network-based social platform responsive to receiving the request, the item interface information to enable the first user that received the virtual gift from the second user to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the request includes receiving a selection from the first user via an interface provided by the network-based social platform to the first user.

3. The method of claim 2, further including generating interface information that includes the virtual gift.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating the interface information further comprises including the virtual gift as part of the interface information, wherein generating the interface information further comprises generating an image of the item, a message from the second user to the first user and a name of the second user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating the interface information further including the virtual gift as part of the interface information, wherein generating the interface information further comprises suppressing display of a name of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the item interface information that enables the first user to purchase the item on the network-based marketplace for a predetermined price.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the item interface information that enables the first user to purchase the item on the network-based marketplace by entering on a winning bid.

8. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a request to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace, wherein the receiving the request includes receiving a request to purchase the item for a predetermined price.

9. The method of claim 1, further including communicating predetermined search results that include a plurality of items for sale on the network-based marketplace.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an initial request from a network-based social platform that identifies a plurality of virtual gifts associated with the first user and communicating interface information to the network-based social platform responsive to receiving the initial request, the interface information including the plurality of virtual gifts associated with the first user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the virtual gift is responsive to receiving a request from the second user at the network-based social platform.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request received from the first user includes an item identifier that identifies the item from the plurality of items that are offered for sale on the network-based marketplace.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request received from the second user includes a virtual gift identifier that identifies the virtual gift.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the associating the virtual gift to the item for sale on the network-based marketplace includes associating the virtual gift to the item for sale on the network-based marketplace based on the virtual gift identifier that is received in the request that is received from the second user and the item identifier that is received in the request from the first user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual gift includes an image of the item for sale on the network-based marketplace, the name of the first user, a personal note from the first use to the second user.

16. A system to facilitate a purchase of an item on a network-based marketplace, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a processing module that is executable by the at least one processor to generate, at the network-based marketplace, a virtual gift based on an item for sale on the network-based marketplace; and

a receiving module that is executable by the at least one processor to receive, at a network-based marketplace server, a request from a second user at a network-based social platform that received the virtual gift from a first user at the network-based social platform server, the request to identify the virtual gift, the processing module is further to associate the virtual gift to the item for sale on the network-based marketplace and to communicate item interface information to the network-based social platform responsive to receipt of the request, the item interface information to enable the first user that received the virtual gift from the second user to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the receiving module receives a selection from the first user via an interface provided by the network-based social platform to the first user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing module generates interface information that includes the virtual gift.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing module generates interface information that includes an image of the item, a message from the second user to the first user and a name of the second user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing module generates interface information that suppresses display of the name of the second user that sent the virtual gift to the first user.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing module generates the item interface information that enables the first user to purchase the item on the network- based marketplace for a predetermined price.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing module generates the item interface information that enables the first user to purchase the item on the network- based marketplace by entering on a winning bid.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein receiving module receives a request to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace and wherein the receiving module receives a request to purchase the item for a predetermined price.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing module communicates predetermined search results that include a plurality of items for sale on the network-based marketplace.

25. A non-transitory machine readable medium, storing instructions, that when executed by a machine cause the machine to:

generate, at a network-based marketplace, a virtual gift based on an item for sale on the network-based marketplace;

receive a request, at the network-based marketplace server, from a first user at a network-based social platform that received the virtual gift from a second user at the network-based social platform, the request to identify the virtual gift;

associate the virtual gift to the item for sale on a network-based marketplace; and

communicate item interface information to the network-based social platform responsive to receiving the request, the item interface information to enable the first user that received the virtual gift from the second user to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace.

26. A system to facilitate a purchase of an item on a network-based marketplace, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a means, executable by the at least one processor, for generating, at the network-based marketplace, a virtual gift based on an item for sale on the network-based marketplace; and

a receiving module that is executable by the at least one processor to receive, at a network-based marketplace server, a request from a first user at the a network-based social platform that received the virtual gift from a second user at the network-based social platform, the request to identify the virtual gift, the means further for associating the virtual gift to the item for sale on the network-based marketplace and for communicating item interface information to the network-based social platform responsive to receipt of the request, the item interface information to enable the first user that received the virtual gift from the second user to purchase the item for sale on the network-based marketplace.