Methods and systems for searching for and identifying data repository deficits

• US 9,633,388 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, James G., Nightingale, Terrence R., Mongrain, Scott Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrahamson, Amanda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US14/052,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A computing system for searching for and identifying data repository deficits includes an interactive database of items, a data repository that stores a first type of information related to items, a search engine configured to identify items that do not have an amount of the first type of information that meets a first threshold, a candidate selection interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from recommended candidate items needing the first type of information, a user interface via which the user can provide the first type of information for an item selected by the user, a game system configured to calculate for a game scores and rankings based at least in part on data stored in the data repository.

Claims

1. A computing system configured to identify data repository deficits, comprising:

a server system, comprising a computing device, that hosts an interactive catalog of items arranged using a hierarchical browse structure;

a data repository that stores;

an item-to-item mapping that indicates similarities of items based at least in part on;

(a) user viewing histories,

(b) user purchase histories,

(c) user tagging histories,

(d) user review histories,

(e) content,

(f) or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e);

a first type of information, comprising user feedback including text feedback and video feedback, submitted by users for items in the interactive catalog of items, an identification as to which user submitted a given feedback, and an identification of a corresponding item in the interactive catalog of items for which the given feedback was submitted;

a system comprising a search engine configured to identify catalog items in the interactive catalog of items that do not have an amount of feedback that meets a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one;

a recommendation system configured to;

use similar items data stored in the data repository as a B-tree data structure, replicated across multiple machines to accommodate heavy loads, to determine, for a user, user item affinity based at least in part on a similarity of at least one item, for which the user previously provided feedback, with at least one of the identified catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one, the similarity determined based at least in part on the item-to-item mapping,

based at least in part on the determined user item affinity, recommend to the user candidate items, identified as not having the amount of feedback that meets the first threshold wherein the first threshold is eater than one for the user to provide feedback for; and

the computing system configured to selectively provide over a network, at least partly in response to a recommendation from the recommendation system recommending candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one, for display on a user system;

a user interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from the recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one; and

a user interface via which the user can provide feedback for an item selected by the user from the recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one

wherein the system is configured to generate and provide for display on a device of a second user an item detail page for a first item in the interactive catalog of items, the item detail page comprising user-submitted feedback for the first item.

2. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of information that meets the first threshold regarding at least one of:

accessories for respective catalog items, substitute identification items for respective catalog items, manuals for respective catalog items, or item photographs for respective catalog items.

3. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of user provided descriptive tags that meets the first threshold.

4. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of indications of usefulness with respect to user submissions that meets the first threshold.

5. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of indications of accuracy with respect to user submissions that meets the first threshold.

6. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of online discussion content that meets the first threshold.

7. The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of lists of related items that meets the first threshold.

8. The computing system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a search engine system configured to provide functionality for users to conduct searches to locate items in the interactive catalog that do not have the amount of feedback that meets the first threshold.

9. A computer-implemented method of obtaining information for data store information deficits, the method comprising:

accessing by a computing system a data store storing;

an item-to-item mapping that indicates similarities of items based at least in part on;

(a) user viewing histories,

(b) user purchase histories,

(c) user tagging histories,

(d) user review histories,

(e) content,

(f) or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e);

a first type of information, comprising user feedback including text feedback and video feedback, submitted by users for items in an interactive catalog of items arranged using a hierarchical browse structure, wherein the interactive catalog of items is hosted on a server system, and

an identification as to which user submitted a given feedback, and an identification of a corresponding item in the interactive catalog of items for which the given feedback was submitted;

identifying, by a search engine of the computing system, catalog items in the interactive catalog of items that do not have an amount of feedback that meets a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one;

determining using similar items data stored in a data repository as a B-tree data structure, replicated across multiple machines, by a recommendation system of the computing system, user item affinity with respect to a user based at least in part on a similarity of at least one item, for which the user previously provided feedback, with at least one of the identified catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, the similarity determined based at least in part on the item-to-item mapping;

recommending by the recommendation system to the user one or more candidate items, identified as not having the amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, for the user to provide for based at least in part on the determined user item affinity; and

providing, over a network, for display on a user system;

a user interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from the one or more recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold; and

a user interface via which the user can provide feedback for an item selected by the user from the one or more recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold selected by the user.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of the first type of information further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of information that meets the first threshold regarding at least one of:

accessories for respective catalog items, substitute identification items for respective catalog items, manuals for respective catalog items, or item photographs for respective catalog items.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of user provided descriptive tags that meets the first threshold.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of indications of usefulness with respect to user submissions that meets the first threshold.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of indications of accuracy with respect to user submissions that meets the first threshold.

14. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of online discussion content that meets the first threshold.

15. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of lists of related items that meets the first threshold.

16. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising a search engine system configured to provide functionality for users to conduct searches to locate items in the interactive catalog that do not have the amount of feedback that meets the first threshold.

17. Non-transitory computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed by a computer system are configured to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

accessing a data store storing;

an item-to-item mapping that indicates similarities of items based at least in part on;

(a) user viewing histories,

(b) user purchase histories,

(c) user tagging histories,

(d) user review histories,

(e) content,

(f) or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e);

a first type of information, comprising user feedback including text feedback and video feedback, submitted by users for items in an interactive catalog of items arranged using a hierarchical browse structure and hosted on a server system, and

an identification as to which user submitted a given feedback, and an identification of a corresponding item in the interactive catalog of items for which the given feedback was submitted;

identifying catalog items in the interactive catalog of items that do not have an amount of feedback that meets a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than one;

determining, using similar items data stored in a data repository as a B-tree data structure, replicated across multiple machines, user item affinity with respect to a user based at least in part on a similarity of at least one item, for which the user previously provided feedback, with at least one of the identified catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, the similarity determined based at least in part on the item-to-item mapping;

recommending to the user one or more candidate items, identified as not having the amount of feedback that meets the first threshold, for the user to provide feedback for based at least in part on the determined user item affinity; and

providing, over a network, for display on a user system;

a user interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from the one or more recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold; and

a user interface via which the user can provide feedback for an item selected by the user from the recommended candidate items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback that meets the first threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of information that meets the first threshold regarding at least one of:

accessories for respective catalog items, substitute identification items for respective catalog items, manuals for respective catalog items, user submitted tags describing respective catalog items, or item photographs for respective catalog items.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of indications of usefulness with respect to user submissions that meets the first threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification of catalog items that do not have a sufficient amount of feedback further comprises identifying catalog items that do not have an amount of lists of related items that meets the first threshold.