System and method of shopping by color

• US 8,560,402 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etsy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Etsy Incorporated
• Inventors: Tarbell, Jared, Kalin, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat, Bradley B.
• Application Number:
  US11/834,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

System and method for shopping for products based on color of the product, time of product listing, and/or location of the seller of the product. Seller submits a representation of the product to be listed with an Internet-based shopping site that may include an image of the product. The site may determine one or more color of the product based on a submitted image by examining image pixels. The pixels examined may be chosen to accurately reflect the color of the product rather than the color of an image background or other image element. The color may include a set of the significant colors of the product or a single most significant or average color of the product. Shoppers may then search for products based on a color selected from a color search interface, a time selected from a time search interface, and/or a location selected from a location search interface.

Claims

1. A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:

receiving, by at least one computer system, at least one representation of the product, the at least one representation including at least one image of the product, the at least one image including a plurality of pixels;

selecting, by the at least one computer system, a subset of pixels within the plurality of pixels, the subset of pixels being less than all of the plurality of pixels and more concentrated in at least one focal portion of the at least one image in which the product is disposed than in at least one secondary portion of the at least one image;

determining, by the at least one computer system, at least one color of the product based on at least one color of the selected subset of pixels;

associating, by the at least one computer system, the product with the at least one color of the product;

receiving a search request from a potential buyer, the search request including the at least one color; and

providing, to the potential buyer, the at least one representation of the product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one color of the product is based, at least in part, on an average color of the subset of pixels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image includes at least one product portion that includes the subset of pixels, and at least one background portion that is different than the at least one product portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the focal portion includes a center of the at least one image and the at least one secondary portion includes a periphery of the at least one image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one color of the product includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one of a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes an indication of the at least one color of the product.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a user submits the at least one representation of the product through at least one submission interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of responding to a search request, which includes at least one representation of a desired color, by transmitting at least one representation of at least one second product that is associated with a matching color of the desired color.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the matching color is within a color range of the desired color.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the search request includes an indication of the matching color range.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a user submits the search request through at least one search interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one search interface includes at least one color selector that includes a representation of a plurality of selectable colors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selectable colors are arranged in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a range in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a range in saturation.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one color selector includes at least one SWF file.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one search interface includes a web-based interface.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising an act of receiving at least one purchase request that includes at least one representation of the at least one second product.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user submits the search request and the at least one purchase request through at least one search interface.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the search request includes at least one additional search parameter and the act of responding to the search request comprises responding to the search request by transmitting the at least one representation of the at least one second product that is associated with the matching color of the desired color and matches the at least one additional search parameter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating the product with the at least one color of the product includes storing at least a portion of the at least one representation with at the at least one color in at least one database table.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting the subset of pixels includes selecting pixels from the plurality of pixels using a Fibonacci sequence.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting the subset of pixels includes selecting pixels from the plurality of pixels using a grid pattern.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting the subset of pixels further includes selecting pixels within only the focal portion of the image.

25. A system for selling a product, the system comprising:

at least one processor operatively connected to a memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute system components stored in the memory, the system components comprising;

a submission component configured to accept submission of at least one representation of the product and associate the product with at least one first color, the at least one representation including at least one image of the product, the at least one image including a plurality of pixels;

a search component configured to select a subset of pixels within the plurality of pixels, the subset of pixels being less than all of the plurality of pixels and more concentrated in at least one focal portion of the at least one image in which the product is disposed than in at least one secondary portion of the at least one image, and determine at least one color of the selected subset of pixels;

a color component configured to determine the at least one first color based, at least in part, on the at least one color of the selected subset of pixels;

a request component configured to receive a search request from a potential buyer, the search request including the at least one color; and

a product component configured to provide, to the potential buyer, the at least one representation of the product.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one first color of the product is based, at least in part, on an average color of the subset of pixels.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one image includes at least one product portion that includes the subset of pixels, and at least one background portion that is different than the at least one product portion.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the focal portion includes a center of the at least one image and the at least one secondary portion includes a periphery of the at least one image.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one first color includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value;

a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and

a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes at least one of a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one representation of the product includes an indication of the at least one first color of the product.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein a user submits the at least one representation of the product to the submission component through at least one submission interface.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the search component is further configured to respond to a search request, which includes at least one representation of a desired color, by transmitting at least one representation of at least one second product that is associated with a matching color of the desired color.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the matching color is within a color range of the desired color.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the search request includes an indication of the matching color range.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein a user submits the search request to the search component through at least one search interface.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the at least one search interface includes at least one color selector that includes a representation of a plurality of selectable colors.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the selectable colors are arranged in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a range in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a range in saturation.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the at least one color selector includes at least one SWF file.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the at least one search interface includes a web-based interface.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the search request includes at least one additional search parameter, and wherein the search component is further configured to respond to the search request by transmitting the at least one representation of the at least one second product that is associated with the matching color of the desired color and matches the at least one additional search parameter.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name.

43. The system of claim 25, wherein the system components further comprise at least one storage component configured to store at least a portion of the at least one representation and the at least one first color in at least one database.

44. The system of claim 25, wherein the search component is further configured to select pixels from the plurality of pixels using a Fibonacci sequence.

45. The system of claim 25, wherein the search component is further configured to select pixels from the plurality of pixels using a grid pattern.

46. The system of claim 25, wherein the search component is further configured to select pixels within only the focal portion of the image.