System, program product, and methods for online image handling

• US 8,452,691 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Samuel Jacob, MacDonald Korth, Holly C
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPEN, KELLY SCAGGS
• Application Number:
  US13/181,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/27, 705/3, 705/36.R, 705/26.5, 705/26.7, 705/26.1, 705/1.1, 705/7.11, 705/7.29, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Electronic commerce over a computer network is facilitated by a computer system that forms a community of computers that enable the users to buy and sell items in an online marketplace. To list the item on an online marketplace website, for example, the selling user posts an item with a seller marketplace item management website by completing an online-item marketplace item creation form. The form requires input related to the item, such as a description, sale price or minimum bid, shipping instructions, and the like, and an image file or image file location illustrating the marketplace item. The seller marketplace item management server provides a marketplace administrator server the marketplace item data including original image file or image file location. The server contains a random image size generator that generates at least two additional images of the marketplace item for display in a seller marketplace item web page to advertise the marketplace item.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating electronic commerce associated with an online marketplace between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an original item image file of a marketplace item through a computer network;

forming a set of at least two item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image to represent the marketplace item, the set of at least two item image files including a first item image file providing a first image and a second item image file providing a second image sized substantially larger than the first image; and

storing the first and the second item image files for use on the online marketplace;

wherein the step of forming a set of at least two item image files from the original item image file further comprises the steps of;

randomly sizing the first image based on a first preselected size range using a random image size generator; and

randomly sizing the second image based on a second preselected size range using a random image size generator.

2. A method of claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

discarding the original image file responsive to forming the set of at least two item image files to reduce storage requirements.

3. A method of claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing the first and second item image files in a marketplace administrator image file server;

receiving an item identification number identifying the marketplace item;

accessing an item database record for the marketplace item responsive to receiving the item identification number to thereby determine an associated title and description of the marketplace item and to thereby determine an item image file name for each of the first and the second images associated with the marketplace item; and

determining a location of the first image associated with the marketplace item and a location of the second image associated with the marketplace item responsive to the accessing using a look-up table organized by image file name.