System, program product, and methods for online image handling

• US 20060069623A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Samuel Jacob, MacDonald Korth, Holly C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system to facilitate electronic commerce associated with an online marketplace, program product, and methods are provided. Electronic commerce over a computer network is facilitated by a computer system that forms a community of computers that enable the users to buy and sell items in an online marketplace. To list the item on an online marketplace website, for example, the selling user posts an item with the marketplace website by completing an online-item creation form. The form requires input related to the item, such as a description, sale price or minimum bid, shipping instructions, and the like. The selling user uploads an image file of the item to the marketplace website'"'"'s server. The server contains a random image size generator that generates at least two additional images of the item that are presented to the selling user for selection of the image that the selling user wants to include on the selling website to advertise the item.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate electronic commerce associated with an online marketplace between a plurality of selling users and a plurality of potential buyers over a computer network, the system comprising:

a host computer accessible to the computer network to host the online marketplace to thereby define a marketplace administrator server, the marketplace administrator server having memory coupled to a processor to store operating instructions therein;

a marketplace administrator server database accessible to the processor of the marketplace administrator server and having database records related to a plurality of items to be sold by the plurality of selling users;

a marketplace administrator image file server accessible to the processor of the marketplace administrator server and having image files related to the plurality of items to be sold by the plurality of selling users;

a plurality of selling user computers each positioned at one or more selling user sites remote from the marketplace administrator server, accessible to the computer network, and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to send data related to items for sale to the marketplace administrator server, and a display in communication with the processor to display items to be sold using an associated selling user web browser stored in the memory;

a plurality of potential buyer computers each positioned at a separate potential buyer user site remote from the marketplace administrator server, accessible to the computer network, and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to receive data related to items for sale, and a display in communication with the processor to display seller item web pages accessed through the computer network using an associated potential buyer web browser stored in the memory; and

online e-commerce program product stored in the memory of the marketplace administrator server and including instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to selectively perform the operations of;

presenting an item-creation form to a selling user web browser over the computer network,

receiving an original item image file from the selling user web browser over the network, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item for sale,

forming a first and a second set of scaled item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image,

storing the first and the second sets of scaled item image files on a remote server,

providing the first and the second set of scaled item image files to the selling user web browser over the network to enable the respective selling user to select a first chosen item image file having a first chosen item image from the first set of scaled item image files and to select a second chosen item image file having a second chosen item image from the second set of scaled item image files to thereby represent the item for sale, the second chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than the first chosen item image,

receiving a completed item-creation form for the item for sale over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item title, item description, and data identifying the first and the second chosen item images,

adding an item image location of each of the first and the second chosen item images to a seller item web page, and

presenting the seller web page to the potential buyer computer.

2. A system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the online e-commerce program product includes a random image size generator positioned to randomly size the original item image file uploaded by the selling user to form the first and the second set of scaled item image files;

and

wherein the selling user computer includes a user interface coupled to the processor of the selling user computer so that the seller user can select from the first set of scaled item images files a first randomly sized image file generated by the random image size generator defining the first chosen item image and so that the seller user can select from the second set of scaled item image files a second randomly sized image file generated by the random image size generator defining the second chosen item image.

3. A system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the item for sale is a marketplace item;

wherein each item image file in the first set of scaled item image files is randomly sized within a first preselected size range having an upper and a lower limit;

wherein each item image file in the second set of scaled item image files is randomly sized within a second preselected size range having an upper and a lower limit; and

wherein the lower limit of the first preselected size range is substantially larger than the upper limit of the second preselected size range.

9. A system as defined in claim 1,

wherein each item image file in the at least one set of scaled item image files is randomly sized within a preselected size range having an upper and a lower limit.

10. A system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the at least one set of scaled item image files is a first and a second set of scaled item image files;

wherein each item image file in the first set of scaled item image files is randomly sized within a first preselected size range having an upper and a lower limit;

wherein each item image file in the second set of scaled item image files is randomly sized within a second preselected size range having an upper and a lower limit; and

wherein the lower limit of the first preselected size range is substantially larger than the upper limit of the second preselected size range.

4. A system to facilitate electronic commerce associated with an online marketplace between a plurality of selling users and a plurality of potential buyers over a computer network, the system comprising:

a host computer accessible to the computer network to host a selected marketplace website to thereby define a marketplace administrator server, the marketplace administrator server having memory coupled to a processor to store operating instructions therein;

a plurality of selling user computers each positioned at one or more selling user sites remote from the marketplace administrator server, accessible to the computer network, and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to send data related to an item for sale to the marketplace administrator server, and a display in communication with the processor to display items for sale using an associated selling user web browser stored in the memory;

a plurality of potential buyer computers each positioned at a separate potential buyer user site remote from the marketplace administrator server, accessible to the computer network, and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to receive database records, and a display in communication with the processor to display seller web pages accessed through the computer network using an associated potential buyer web browser stored in the memory; and

online e-commerce program product stored in the memory of the marketplace administrator server and including instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to selectively perform the operations of;

receiving an original item image file from a selling user web browser over the network, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item for sale, and

forming at least one set of seller user selectable scaled item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein the online e-commerce program product further includes instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to selectively perform the operation of:

providing the at least one set of scaled item images files to the selling user web browser over the network to enable the respective selling user to select a chosen item image file having a chosen item image from the at least one set of scaled item image files to thereby represent the item.

6. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the item for sale is an auction item, and wherein the online e-commerce program product further includes instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to selectively perform the operations of:

presenting an auction-item-creation form to the selling user web browser over the computer network; and

receiving a completed auction-item-creation form for the auction item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed auction-item-creation form including an auction item title, auction item description, and data identifying the chosen auction item image.

7. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the item for sale is a marketplace item, and wherein the online e-commerce program product further includes instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to selectively perform the operations of:

presenting an item-creation form to the selling user web browser over the computer network; and

receiving a completed item-creation form for the marketplace item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item title, item description, and data identifying the chosen item image.

8. A system as defined in claim 5,

wherein the online e-commerce program product includes a random image size generator positioned to randomly size the original item image file uploaded by the selling user to form the at least one set of scaled item image files;

and

wherein the selling user computer includes a user interface coupled to the processor of the selling user computer so that the seller user can select from the at least one set of scaled item image files a randomly sized image file generated by the random image size generator to represent the item defining the chosen item image.

11. A system to facilitate electronic commerce associated with an online marketplace website between a plurality of selling user computers and a plurality of potential buyer computers over a computer network, the system comprising:

a host computer accessible to the computer network to host the online marketplace website to thereby define a marketplace administrator server, the marketplace administrator server having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein;

a plurality of selling user computers positioned at one or more selling user sites remote from the marketplace administrator server and accessible to the computer network, and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to send data related to an item for sale and a display coupled to the processor for displaying images;

a plurality of potential buyer computers each positioned at a separate potential buyer user site remote from the marketplace administrator server, accessible to the computer network and having a processor, memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to receive data related to an item for sale, and a display coupled to the processor for displaying data and images; and

online e-commerce program product stored in the memory of the marketplace administrator server to form a community of electronically interconnected users of the computer network to facilitate e-commerce, the online e-commerce program product including a random image size generator adapted to randomly size item images uploaded to the marketplace administrator server by each of the plurality of selling users for use with the online marketplace website.

12. A system as defined in claim 11,

wherein the random image size generator randomly resizes images uploaded by each respective selling user within a predefined range to provide at least one set of scaled item images;

and

wherein each selling user computer includes a user interface coupled to the processor of the selling user computer so that each respective seller user can select from the at least one set of scaled item images a chosen item image to represent a respective item for sale.

13. A system according to claim 11,

wherein the online e-commerce program product further comprises an information processor positioned to process item data uploaded by each of the plurality of selling users for use with the online marketplace website;

wherein each of the plurality of selling user computers and the plurality of potential buyer computers are interconnected through the marketplace administrator server to the computer network to establish the community of electronically interconnected users based on electronic commerce transactions through the marketplace administrator server; and

wherein each of the plurality of seller user computers includes a user interface coupled to the processor of the respective selling user computer so that a respective seller user can select a randomly sized image of a respective item for sale generated by the random image size generator to thereby represent the respective item for sale.

14. A method of facilitating electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting an item-creation form to a selling user web browser over the computer network;

receiving an original item image file from the selling user web browser over the network, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item;

randomly generating a first and a second set of scaled item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image;

storing the first and the second sets of scaled item image files on a remote server;

presenting the first and the second set of scaled item image files to the selling user web browser over the network to enable the respective selling user to select a first chosen item image file having a first chosen item image from the first set of scaled item image files and to select a second chosen item image file having a second chosen item image from the second set of scaled item image files to thereby represent the item, the second chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than the first chosen item image;

receiving a completed item-creation form for the item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item title, item description, and data identifying the first and the second chosen item image;

adding an item image location of each of the first and the second chosen item images to a seller item web page; and

presenting the seller item web page to the potential buyer computer.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, the method further including the step of:

resizing the first chosen item image for use in different sizes in different locations on the seller item web page.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of resizing is performed by use of a potential buyer web browser.

17. A method of facilitating electronic commerce on an internet marketplace website between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an original image of an item using a selling user web browser to a marketplace administrator server remotely positioned from the selling user web browser;

randomly generating at least two different size images to be returned to the selling user for selection by the selling user to represent the item;

selecting a chosen item image from the at least two different size images;

storing the chosen item image for use on the internet marketplace website; and

resizing the stored chosen item image for use in different sizes in different locations on the internet marketplace website.

18. A method of facilitating electronic commerce over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an original image of an item using a selling user web browser of a selling user computer to a website server remotely positioned from the selling user web browser;

randomly generating at least two different size images to be returned to the selling user for selection by the selling user to represent the item;

selecting a chosen item image from the at least two different size images;

storing the chosen item image on a server for use on a website hosted by the website server to be accessed by potential buyers; and

resizing the stored chosen item image for use in different sizes in different locations on the website hosted by the website server.

19. A method of facilitating electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an original item image file over the network from the selling user computer, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item for sale; and

forming at least one set of scaled seller user selectable item image files from the original item image file to provide the seller user a choice of selectable image size variations of the item image.

20. A method of claim 19, the method further comprising the step of:

presenting the at least one set of scaled item image files to the selling user computer so that the selling user can select a chosen item image to represent the item for sale.

21. A method of claim 20, wherein the item for sale is an auction item, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

presenting an auction-item-creation form over the network to the selling user computer through the selling user web browser; and

receiving a completed auction-item-creation form for the auction item from the selling user computer over the network, the completed auction-item-creation form including an item description and data identifying the chosen auction item image.

22. A method of claim 20, wherein the item for sale is a marketplace item, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

presenting an item-creation form over the computer network to the selling user web browser; and

receiving a completed item-creation form for the marketplace item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item title, item description, and data identifying the chosen item image.

23. A method of claim 19,

wherein the at least one set of scaled item image files is a first set and a second set of scaled item image files presented to provide categorical image size variations of the item image;

wherein the first set of scaled item image files provides a selection of relatively large item images to thereby provide selling user selection of a selling user determined best representation of the item for sale defining a first chosen item image; and

wherein the second set of scaled item image files provides a selection of relatively small item images to thereby provide selling user selection of an item image to define a second chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than the first chosen item image to be used as an icon selectable by a potential buyer viewing a selling user web page to command display of the first chosen item image.

24. A method of facilitating electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first original item image file over the network from the selling user computer, the first original item image file displaying a first item image of a first item for sale;

forming a first and a second scaled item image file from the first original item image file, the first scaled item image file providing a relatively large item image of a first item for sale defining a first chosen item image, the second scaled item image file providing a relatively small item image defining a second chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than the first chosen item image to be used as an icon selectable by a potential buyer viewing a selling user web page to command display of the first chosen item image;

receiving a second original item image file over the network from the selling user computer, the second original item image file displaying a second item image of a second item for sale;

forming a third and a fourth scaled item image file from the second original item image file, the third scaled item image file providing a relatively large item image of a second item for sale defining a third chosen item image, the fourth scaled item image file providing a relatively small item image defining a fourth chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than the fourth chosen item image to be used as an icon selectable by the potential buyer viewing the selling user web page to command display of the third chosen item image;

forming the seller web page to display the first and the third chosen item images, the seller web page including a first display field for alternatively displaying the first and the third chosen item images, a second display field for displaying the second chosen item image, and a third display field for displaying the fourth chosen item image; and

alternatively displaying the first and the third chosen item images in the first display field responsive to user selection of the second and the fourth chosen item image, respectively.

25. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to facilitate electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

receiving an original item image file from a selling user web browser over the network, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item for sale;

randomly generating a first and a second set of scaled item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image;

storing the first and the second sets of scaled item image files on a remote server;

presenting the first and the second set of scaled item image files to the selling user web browser over the network to enable the respective selling user to select a first chosen item image file having a first chosen item image from the first set of scaled item image files and to select a second chosen item image file having a second chosen item image from the second set of scaled item image files to thereby represent the item for sale, the second chosen item image having a size substantially smaller than that of the first chosen item image;

receiving a completed item-creation form for the item for sale over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item title, item description, and data identifying the first and the second chosen item images;

adding an item image location of each of the first and the second chosen item images to a seller item web page; and

presenting the seller item web page to the potential buyer computer.

26. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 25, wherein the computer is a marketplace administrator server, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the marketplace administrator server, cause the marketplace administrator server to perform the following operation:

discarding the original image file, responsive to forming the respective set of the first and the second sets of scaled item image files, to reduce storage requirements for the remote server.

27. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to facilitate electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

presenting an item-creation form to a selling user web browser over the computer network;

receiving an original item image file from the selling user computer over the network, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item;

randomly generating within a predetermined size range at least two scaled item image files that maintain an image scale of the original item image file;

storing the at least two scaled item image files on a remote server;

presenting the at least two scaled item image files to the selling user web browser over the network to enable a selling user to select a chosen item image to represent the item;

receiving a completed item-creation form for the item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item description and data identifying the chosen item image;

adding an image location of the chosen item image to a seller web page; and

presenting the seller web page to the potential buyer computer.

28. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 27, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operation:

discarding the original image file, responsive to generating the at least two scaled item image files, to reduce memory requirements.

29. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to facilitate electronic commerce between a selling user computer and a potential buyer computer over a computer network, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

receiving an original item image file over the network from a selling user computer, the original item image file displaying an item image of an item for sale; and

forming at least one set of scaled item image files from the original item image file to provide image size variations of the item image.

30. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operation:

presenting the at least one set of scaled item image files to the selling user computer so that the selling user can select a chosen item image to represent the item for sale.

31. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29, wherein the at least one set of scaled item image files is a first and a second set of scaled item image files, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform the following operation:

presenting the first and the second set of scaled item image files to the selling user computer over the network to enable the respective selling user to select, a first chosen item image file having a first chosen item image from the first set of scaled item image files and to select a second chosen item image file having a second chosen item image from the second set of scaled item image files to thereby represent the item for sale, the second chosen item image having a size substantially larger than the first chosen item image.

32. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the item for sale is an auction item, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

presenting an auction-item-creation form for the auction item to the selling user computer over the network;

storing the first and the second sets of scaled item image files on a server remote from both the selling user computer and a potential buyer computer; and

receiving a completed auction-item-creation form for the auction item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed auction-item-creation form including an item description and data identifying the first and the second chosen item images.

33. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the item for sale is a marketplace item, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

presenting an item-creation form for the marketplace item to the selling user computer over the network;

storing the first and the second sets of scaled item image files on a server remote from both the selling user computer and a potential buyer computer; and

receiving a completed item-creation form for the marketplace item over the network from the selling user computer, the completed item-creation form including an item description and data identifying the first and the second chosen item images.

34. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 29, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operation:

discarding the original image file responsive to forming the at least two sets of scaled item image files to thereby reduce memory requirements.

35. A computer memory element containing, stored in signal bearing media, a database, the database containing the following data in computer readable format:

data indicating a community of electronically interconnected users of a publicly accessible computer network; and

data indicating a description of a marketplace item, including a location of at least two scaled images of the item generated from an original graphical image of the item supplied by a selling user.

36. A computer memory element in accordance with claim 35,

wherein the at least two scaled images generated from the original graphical image of the item are each randomly sized within a respective predetermined size range;

and

wherein the at least two scaled images generated from the original graphical image of the item are selling user chosen images selected from a plurality of scaled images generated from the original graphical image of the item to be used on a selling user web page to describe the item.

37. A computer memory element containing, stored in signal bearing media, a database, the database containing the following data in computer readable format:

data indicating a community of electronically interconnected users of a publicly accessible computer network; and

data indicating a description of an item for sale, including at least two randomly sized scaled images of the item for sale randomly generated from an original graphical image of the item for sale.