Discovery of items added to wish lists

• US 9,817,539 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Hsiao-Tser K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US12/698,637
• Time in Patent Office: 2,842 Days
• Field of Search: 715841, 705 261, 705 269, 705 271, 705 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for facilitating discovery of items added to electronic wish lists. Real-time messages that identify items that have been recently added to wish lists are received from a wish list service. A stream of real-time data is generated from the messages that identifies the items added to the wish lists. A network application programming interface (API) is exposed for providing the stream to clients. A client may obtain the stream from the network API and utilize the stream to generate a visualization of the items added to the wish lists in real-time. Through functionality provided by the API, the stream may also be filtered and searched. Trend data may also be obtained through the API that identifies items that have been added to the wish lists most frequently over a period of time.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a memory connected to the CPU and having computer-executable instructions stored therein which, when executed by the CPU, cause the CPU to execute at least;

a data aggregator process configured to at least;

receive a message from a wish list service each time an item is added to one of a plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service for users of an e-commerce site, the message being generated by the wish list service in response to the item having been added to the one of the plurality of wish lists and the message identifying the item added to the one of the plurality of wish lists, wherein the wish list service is external to the system and configured to provide wish list functionality to the users of the e-commerce site by allowing the users to add and delete items in their respective wish lists, and

store the message received from the wish list service in a first queue,

a maintenance process configured to move messages from the first queue to a second queue, and

a network service application programming interface (API) process configured to at least;

generate a stream of data from the messages in the second queue, the stream of data identifying the items added to the plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service, and

expose the stream of data to another computing device that is external to the system through a network service API.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance process is further configured to at least periodically delete stale messages from the second queue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance process is further configured to at least generate trend data from the messages in the second queue, the trend data identifying items that have been added to the plurality of wish lists most frequently over a period of time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network service API process is further configured to at least expose the trend data to the another computing device through the network service API.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network service API process is further configured to at least filter the stream of data exposed to the other computing device through the network service API.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network service API process is further configured to at least search the stream of data exposed to the other computing device through the network service API.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of a computer system,

communicating with a wish list stream service via a network service application programming interface (API) configured to provide a stream of data identifying items added to a plurality of wish lists by a plurality of users, the plurality of wish lists being maintained by a wish list service that is external to the wish list stream service and configured to provide wish list functionality to the plurality of users by allowing the plurality of users to add and delete items in their respective wish lists, wherein the stream of data is generated as individual items are added to individual wish lists of the plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service;

receiving the stream of data from the wish list stream service via the API;

generating, from the stream of data received via the API, a visualization of the items added to the plurality of wish lists; and

causing the visualization to be displayed.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the visualization comprises a list of items added to the plurality of wish lists.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the visualization is updated as items are added to the plurality of wish lists.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the visualization comprises a collage of images corresponding to items added to the plurality of wish lists, wherein the collage of images is dynamically updated as items are added to the plurality of wish lists.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the visualization comprises a map having at least one visual indicator corresponding to at least one item added to an individual wish list of the plurality of wish lists, the at least one visual indicator being displayed at a location on the map corresponding to a geographic location of a user that added the at least one item to the individual wish list.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one of an item image, an item name, an item price, an item rating, a date and time the at least one item was added to the individual wish list, or the geographic location of the user that added the at least one item to the individual wish list.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of a computer system,

receiving, by a data aggregator process, a message from a wish list service each time an item is added to one of a plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service for a plurality of users, the message being generated by the wish list service in response to the item having been added to the one of the plurality of wish lists and the message identifying the item added to the one of the plurality of wish lists, wherein the wish list service is external to the computer system and configured to provide wish list functionality to the plurality of users by allowing the users to add and delete items in their respective wish lists;

generating, by a network service application programming interface (API) process, a stream of data from the messages received by the data aggregator process, the stream of data identifying the items added to the plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service;

exposing the stream of data to a plurality of clients that are external to the computer system through a network service API;

receiving requests on the API for the stream of data; and

providing the stream of data in response to the requests.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the API is further configured to provide functionality to at least filter the stream of data exposed to the plurality of clients.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the API is further configured to provide functionality to at least search the stream of data exposed to the plurality of clients.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising generating trend data from the messages that identify items that have been added to the plurality of wish lists most frequently over a period of time.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising exposing the trend data to the plurality of clients through the network service API.

18. A computer system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive, via a network service application programming interface (API) exposed by a wish list stream service, a stream of data identifying items added to a plurality of wish lists by a plurality of users, the plurality of wish lists being maintained by a wish list service that is external to the computer system and configured to provide wish list functionality to the plurality of users by allowing the plurality of users to add and delete items in their respective wish lists, wherein the stream of data is generated as individual items are added to individual wish lists of the plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service; and

generating a visualization of the stream of data.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the visualization of the stream comprises at least data identifying one or more of the items added to the plurality of wish lists.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the data identifying one or more of the items added to the plurality of wish lists comprises at least one of an item image, an item name, an item description, and a link to a product page.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

receive a selection of the data identifying one or more of the items added to the plurality of wish lists; and

in response to the selection of the data, generate a visual display of a product page for the item corresponding to the selected data.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the visualization comprises a list of items added to the plurality of wish lists and wherein the list is dynamically updated as items are added to the plurality of wish lists.

23. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the visualization comprises a collage of images corresponding to items added to the plurality of wish lists, wherein the collage of images is dynamically updated as items are added to the plurality of wish lists.

24. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the visualization comprises a map having at least one visual indicator corresponding to at least one item added to an individual wish list of the plurality of wish lists, the at least one visual indicator being displayed at a location on the map corresponding to a geographic location of a user that added the at least one item to the individual wish list.

25. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of wish lists comprise wish lists for users of an e-commerce site, and wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to provide the e-commerce site.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to execute at least:

a data aggregator process configured to at least;

receive a message from a wish list service each time at least one item is added to one of a plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service for a plurality of users, the message being generated by the wish list service in response to the item having been added to the one of the plurality of wish lists and the message identifying the at least one item added to the one of the plurality of wish lists, wherein the wish list service is external to the computer and configured to provide wish list functionality to the plurality of users by allowing the plurality of users to add and delete items in their respective wish lists, and

store the message received from the wish list service in a queue; and

a network service application programming interface (API) process configured to at least;

generate a stream of data from the messages in the queue, the stream of data identifying the items added to the plurality of wish lists maintained by the wish list service,

expose the stream of data to another computing device that is external to the computer through a network service API,

receive requests on the network service API for the stream of data, and

provide the stream of data in response to the requests.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the API is further configured to at least provide trend data identifying items that have been added to the plurality of wish lists most frequently over a period of time.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the API is further configured to provide functionality to at least filter the stream of data exposed to the other computing device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the API is further configured to provide functionality to at least search the stream of data exposed to the other computing device.