Determining use of a display characteristic

• US 8,725,583 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Yankovich, Steve, Yuan, Han-Shen
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US12/637,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A display characteristic determination machine receives a request to display seller-related content that references an item available for sale. The display characteristic determination machine identifies a display characteristic available from a web server, determines that the seller-related content is to be displayed using the display characteristic, and communicates to the web server that the seller-related content is to be displayed using the display characteristic and with primary content. The display characteristic determination machine may function as an allocation device to allocate use of the display characteristic. This functionality may be scaled, for example, to include determining use of multiple display characteristics, available from multiple web servers, by multiple instances of seller-related content requested for display by multiple sellers of multiple items. The display characteristic determination machine, therefore, may function as a “broker” for display characteristics available from multiple web servers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a seller-generated request to display seller-related content referencing an item available for sale, the seller-related content to be displayed with primary content available from a web server, wherein the seller-related content is mentioned in the primary content;

identifying a layout position available to display the seller-related content, the layout position being offered by the web server from which the primary content is available;

allocating the layout position to the seller-related content by determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position offered by the web server, the determining being performed using a processor of a machine; and

communicating to the web server that the layout position is allocated to the seller-related content and that the seller-related content is to be displayed in the allocated layout position and with the primary content.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating at least some of the seller-related content to include a storefront operable by a buyer to initiate a purchase transaction of the item available for sale.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating at least some of the seller-related content to include an advertisement of the item available for sale.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the layout position is a visual differentiator.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the layout position is relative to the primary content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a seller-generated bid for the layout position;

receiving price information of the layout position from the web server; and

wherein;

the determining includes comparing the seller-generated bid to the price information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the item available for sale is a first item available from a first seller;

the method further comprising;

generating at least some of the seller-related content to include first and second representations of items, the first representation being of the first item and representing the first item as available from the first seller, the second representation being of a second item and representing the second item as available from a second seller.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein:

the seller-generated request is a first request;

the method further comprising;

receiving a second request that the seller-related content include the first and second representations, the second request including merchandising data that associates the first item with at least one of the second item or the second seller.

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

receiving a display characteristic profile from the web server, the display characteristic profile corresponding to the layout position and including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a web traffic metric, a buyer conversion rate, a topic tag, and sales commission information; and

wherein;

the determining is based on the display characteristic profile.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a seller preference profile from a seller machine, the seller preference profile corresponding to the seller-generated request and including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a size, a time, a typeface, a layout position, a maximum bid, a web traffic metric, a buyer conversion rate, a topic tag, and sales commission information; and

wherein;

the determining is based on the seller preference profile.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a product profile corresponding to the seller-generator request including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a product name, a quantity, a unit price, a topic tag, and a maximum sales cost; and

wherein;

the determining is based on the product profile.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the seller-generated request includes an identifier of at least one of the web server or the layout position; and

the identifying of the layout position is based on the identifier.

13. A system comprising:

a reception module configured to receive a seller-generated request to display seller-related content referencing an item available for sale, the seller-related content to be displayed with primary content available from a web server, wherein the seller-related content is mentioned in the primary content;

an identification module configured to identify a layout position available to display the seller-related content, the layout position being offered by the web server from which the primary content is available;

a processor configured by a determination module to allocate the layout position to the seller-related content by determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position offered by the web server; and

a transmission module configured to communicate to the web server that the layout position is allocated to the seller-related content and that the seller-related content is to be displayed in the allocated layout position and with the primary content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the reception module is to receive a seller-generated bid for the layout position and to receive price information of the layout position from the web server; and

the determination module configures the processor to compare the seller-generated bid to the price information.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the item available for sale is a first item available from a first seller; and

the system further comprises;

a generation module configured to generate at least some of the seller-related content to include first and second representations of items, the first representation being of the first item and representing the first item as available from the first seller, the second representation being of a second item and representing the second item as available from a second seller.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the seller-generated request is a first request; and

the reception module is configured to receive a second request that the seller-related content include the first and second representations, the second request including merchandising data that associates the first item with at least one of the second item or the second seller.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the reception module is configured to receive a display characteristic profile from the web server, the display characteristic profile corresponding to the layout position and including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a web traffic metric, a buyer conversion rate, a topic tag, and sales commission information; and

the determination module configures the processor to use the display characteristic profile in determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the reception module is configured to receive a seller preference profile from a seller machine, the seller preference profile corresponding to the seller-generated request and including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a size, a time, a typeface, a layout location, a maximum bid, a web traffic metric, a buyer conversion rate, a topic tag, and sales commission information; and

the determination module configures the processor to use the seller preference profile in determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the reception module is configured to receive a product profile corresponding to the seller-generator request including a parameter selected from a group consisting of a product name, a quantity, a unit price, a topic tag, and a maximum sales cost; and

the determination module configures the processor to use the product profile in determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a seller-generated request to display seller-related content referencing an item available for sale, the seller-related content to be displayed with primary content available from a web server, wherein the seller-related content is mentioned in the primary content;

identifying a layout position available to display the seller-related content, the layout position being offered by the web server from which the primary content is available;

allocating the layout position to the seller-related content by determining that the seller-related content is to occupy the layout position offered by the web server, the determining being performed using a processor of a machine; and

communicating to the web server that the layout position is allocated to the seller-related content and that the seller-related content is to be displayed in the allocated layout position and with the primary content.