Search system utilizing purchase history

• US 9,105,029 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Nuzzi, Frank Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hershley, Mark E
• Application Number:
  US13/236,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 707/725, 705/26.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method for providing a purchase history context search includes receiving at least one search term from a user through an input device. A purchase history for the user is then accessed from at least one purchase history database over a network. A web index that is located on at least one storage device is then accessed. A plurality of search results, each associated with a web page indexed by the web index, are then determined using the at least one search term and the purchase history, each search result including a link to an associated web page. The plurality of search results are then provided for display on a display device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a purchase history context search, comprising:

receiving at least one search term from a user through an input device;

accessing a purchase history for the user from at least one purchase history database over a network;

accessing a web index that is located on at least one storage device;

determining a plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term;

accessing a calendar of the user from at least one calendar database;

using a plurality of purchases in the purchase history to determine a plurality of purchase history search results that include at least some of the plurality of web pages that are each related to at least one of the plurality of purchases, wherein each of the plurality of purchase history search results includes a link to one of the plurality of web pages that is related to the at least one of the plurality of purchases, and wherein the determining the plurality of purchase history search results includes using the at least one search term, the purchase history, and a location included in the calendar; and

providing the plurality of purchase history search results for display on a display device, wherein links to web pages that are related to more recent purchases in the plurality of purchases are provided a prioritized display position relative to links to web pages that are related to less recent purchases in the plurality of purchases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein more recent purchases in the plurality of purchases are provided more weight in the determining the plurality of purchase history search results relative to less recent purchases in the plurality of purchases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase history is accessed over the network from a plurality of different purchase history databases through a plurality of different devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of search term search results for display on the display device adjacent the plurality of purchase history search results, wherein the plurality of search term search results include the plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase history includes a first purchase and the determining the plurality of purchase history search results further comprises:

determining a superset of search term search results, each associated with a web page indexed by the web index, using the at least one search term; and

determining the plurality of purchase history search results using the first purchase, wherein the plurality of purchase history search results comprise a subset of the superset of search term search results that are related to the first purchase.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase history includes a first purchase associated with an item, and the determining the plurality of purchase history search results further comprises:

accessing a search database over the network;

determining a plurality of previous searches associated with the item;

determining the plurality of purchase history search results through the association of the item with the plurality of previous searches.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the location included in the calendar is associated in the calendar with a time period that is prior to a current time period.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving at least one search term from a user through an input device;

accessing a purchase history for the user from at least one purchase history database over a network, wherein the purchase history includes a plurality of purchases that are each associated with at least one item;

accessing a web index that is located on at least one storage device;

accessing a calendar of the user from at least one calendar database;

determining a plurality of purchase history search results by determining a plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term, and using the plurality of items associated with the plurality of purchases in the purchase history to determine which of the plurality of web pages are related to at least one of the plurality of items, wherein each of the plurality of purchase history search result includes one of the plurality of web pages that is related to at least one of the plurality of items, and wherein the determining the plurality of purchase history search results includes using the at least one search term, the purchase history, and a location included in the calendar; and

providing the plurality of purchase history search results for display on a display device, wherein web pages in the purchase history search results that are related to more recently purchased items are provided a prioritized display position relative to web pages that are related to less recently purchased items.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein more recent purchases in the plurality of purchases are provided more weight in the determining the plurality of purchase history search results relative to less recent purchases in the plurality of purchases.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the purchase history is accessed over the network from a plurality of different purchase history databases through a plurality of different devices.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a plurality of search term search results for display on the display device adjacent the plurality of purchase history search results, wherein the plurality of search term search results include the plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determining the plurality of purchase history search results further comprises:

determining a superset of search term search results, each associated with a web page indexed by the web index, using the at least one search term; and

determining the plurality of purchase history search results using the pluraslity of items, wherein the plurality of purchase history search results comprise a subset of the superset of search term search results that are each related to at least one of the plurality of items.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a search database over the network;

determining a plurality of previous searches associated with the plurality of items;

determining the plurality of purchase history search results through the association of the plurality of items with the plurality of previous searches.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the

location included in the calendar is associated in the calendar with a time period that is subsequent to a current time period.

15. A secure payment instruction system, comprising:

means for receiving at least one search term from a user;

means for accessing a purchase history for the user, wherein the purchase history is associated with a plurality of items;

means for accessing a web index;

means for accessing a calendar of the user;

means for determining a plurality of purchase history search results by determining a plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term, and using the plurality of items associated with the purchase history to determine which of the plurality of web pages are related to the plurality of items, wherein each of the plurality of purchase history search results includes one of the plurality of web pages that is related to at least one of the plurality of items, and wherein the determining the plurality of purchase history search results includes using the at least one search term, the purchase history, and a location included in the calendar; and

means for providing the plurality of purchase history search results for display, wherein web pages that are related to more recently purchased items are provided a prioritized display position relative to web pages that are related to less recently purchased items.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein more recent purchases in the plurality of purchases are provided more weight in the determining the plurality of purchase history search results relative to less recent purchases in the plurality of purchases.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the purchase history is accessed over a network from a plurality of different purchase history databases through a plurality of different devices.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of search term search results for display on the display device adjacent the plurality of purchase history search results, wherein the plurality of search term search results include the plurality of web pages that are indexed by the web index and related to the at least one search term.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the plurality of purchase history search results further comprises:

means for determining a superset of search term search results, each associated with a web page indexed by the web index, using the at least one search term; and

means for determining the plurality of purchase history search results using the plurality of items, wherein the plurality of purchase history search results comprise a subset of the superset of search term search results that are each related to the plurality of items.

20. The system of claim 15,

wherein the location included in the calendar is associated in the calendar with a time period that is prior to a current time period.