Method and system for scheduling transaction listings at a network-based transaction facility

• US 7,941,348 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Veres, Robert Dean, Liang, Ching-Jye
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/252,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,154 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a method to facilitate propagating a plurality of transaction listings to a network-based transaction facility. An input interface is presented at a seller application to receive from a user, a plurality of transaction listings, each transaction listing including an associated start time. Also, a data file is composed at the seller application to include the plurality of transaction listings. Moreover, the data file is propagated, using the seller application, from the client computer to the network-based transaction facility.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting configuration information to a seller application in response to reception of a selection that corresponds to a targeted site, the configuration information corresponding to the targeted site,

wherein the seller application is configured using the configuration information, in response to the transmitting of the configuration information, to propagate at least one of a plurality of transaction listings to the targeted site,

the transmitting being performed by a processor of a machine;

receiving a data file at a network-based transaction facility from the configured seller application,

the data file including the plurality of transaction listings,

the at least one of the plurality of transaction listings being propagated to the targeted site by the configured seller application,

at least some of the plurality of transaction listings each respectively including an associated start time;

scheduling, at the network-based transaction facility, publication of at least some of the plurality of transaction listings respectively according to the associated start time of each transaction listing; and

publishing the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings at the network-based transaction facility respectively according to the respective associated start time of each transaction listing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data file at the network-based transaction facility includes the network-based transaction facility verifying user login information supplied by the configured seller application before receiving the data file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

each of the associated start times in the data file is specific to a respective transaction listing among the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

each of the associated start times includes a starting date and time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

each of the associated start times in the data file is different.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the associated start times define a staggered publication schedule for the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the staggered publication schedule is based on a staggered time;

and

the staggered time is a user selectable amount of time included in the data file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the associated start times are staggered according to a user selectable amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

updating the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings and their respective associated start times after the receiving of the data file at the network-based transaction facility and prior to the publishing of the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings at the network-based transaction facility.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies the targeted site and includes at least one of:

a software module update of the seller application,

a category update of the seller application,

an attribute update of the seller application, or

a language update of the seller application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies a geographical region of the targeted site,

the geographical region of the targeted site being distinguished from a geographical region of the network-based transaction facility.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the configuration information identifies the geographical region of the targeted site based on at least one of:

a country of the targeted site,

a state of the targeted site,

a territory of the targeted site, or

a province of the targeted site.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies a currency of the targeted site,

the currency of the targeted site being distinguished from a currency of the network-based transaction facility.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies a format of the targeted site with which to represent a currency of the targeted site,

the format of the targeted site being distinguished from a format of the network-based transaction facility with which to represent a currency of the network-based transaction facility.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the format identified by the configuration information specifies that an amount of the currency of the targeted site be represented with a whole number.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein

the format identified by the configuration information specifies that an amount of the currency of the targeted site be represented using a particular punctuation mark.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies subject matter of the targeted site,

the subject matter of the targeted site being distinguished from subject matter of the network-based transaction facility.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies a purpose of the targeted site,

the purpose of the targeted site being distinguished from a purpose of the network-based transaction facility.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein

the configuration information identifies a language of the targeted site,

the language of the targeted site being distinguished from a language of the network-based transaction facility.

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

transmitting configuration information to a seller application in response to reception of a selection that corresponds to a targeted site, the configuration information corresponding to the targeted site,

wherein the seller application is configured using the configuration information, in response to the transmitting of the configuration information, to propagate at least one of a plurality of transaction listings to the targeted site,

the transmitting being performed by a processor of a machine;

receiving a data file at a network-based transaction facility from the configured seller application,

the data file including the plurality of transaction listings,

the at least one of the plurality of transaction listings being propagated to the targeted site by the configured seller application,

at least some of the plurality of transaction listings each respectively including an associated start time;

scheduling, at the network-based transaction facility, publication of at least some of the plurality of transaction listings respectively according to the associated start time of each transaction listing; and

publishing the at least some of the plurality of transaction listings at the network- based transaction facility respectively according to the respective associated start time of each transaction listing.