Wish lists based on images, references, or third party beneficiaries

• US 8,051,079 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Flake, Gary W., Gounares, Alexander G., Connolly, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby; Frantz
• Application Number:
  US11/960,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 707/708
• US Class Current: 707/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can create a wish list based upon a variety of inputs and criteria. In one aspect the architecture can generate a wish list based upon one or more images of an item desired by a user. Accordingly, the architecture can examine the image to identify the desired item and to extract relevant features from the item in order to, e.g., match the imaged item to a catalog item for sale by a vendor. In another aspect, the architecture can access information associated with a third party to build a wish list for a user. Appreciably, according to the particular aspect, the wish list can include items that are designated to a particular beneficiary.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that generates a wish list for a shopper based upon one or more images, the system comprising:

a computing device having a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute;

an interface component that receives an image that includes a representation of an item desired by a shopper and receives contextual input comprising at least a portion of user-generated text, the image being received from an image capture device;

an entity component that identifies the representation of the item desired by the shopper included in the image based at least in part on the contextual input;

a feature extraction component that extracts features of the item discernible in the representation in order to match the representation to a catalog item for sale by a vendor, the catalog item comprising a service-based catalog item; and

a list creation component that populates a wish list with the catalog item and accesses a profile associated with the shopper in order to tailor the catalog item to the shopper.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual input is utilized to distinguish the representation from one or more other representations included in the image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the list creation component accesses a profile associated with a third party beneficiary in order to tailor the catalog item to the third party beneficiary.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the list creation component examines the wish list and suggests a suitable additional item to add to the wish list.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component transmits a portion of the wish list to the vendor and receives an incentive from the vendor.

6. A computer-implemented system that accesses information associated with a second shopper to create a wish list for a first shopper, the system comprising:

a computing device having a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute;

a communication component that requests and receives information that relates to a second shopper, the information including one or more of a portion of a second wish list of the second shopper and a portion of a transaction history of the second shopper;

an authentication component that verifies that a first shopper is authorized to request and receive the information; and

a list generation component that populates a first wish list for the first shopper with one or more items indicated in the received information, the first wish list for the first shopper including a plurality of items in which the first shopper is interested in purchasing or receiving.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the list generation component populates the first wish list with an item included in the second wish list.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the list generation component populates the first wish list with an item previously purchased by the second shopper.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the information is specific to a particular domain of items.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the authentication component verifies the first shopper is authorized based upon access rights that are granted when the second shopper adds the first shopper to a friend list.

11. A method implemented by one or more computing devices having a processor and a memory for accessing information associated with a second shopper for creating a wish list, comprising:

receiving a request from a first shopper to automatically populate a wish list of the first shopper with items in a selected domain that are purchased by a second shopper, the wish list of the first shopper indicating a plurality of items the first shopper is interested in purchasing or receiving;

requesting profile information associated with the second shopper;

receiving the profile information that includes a transaction history of the second shopper with respect to the selected domain of items;

verifying, by a computing device having a processor and a memory, that the first shopper is authorized to request and receive the profile information associated with the second shopper; and

populating the wish list of the first shopper based upon the profile information received, wherein at least one item that is listed in the second shopper transaction history information is populated in the wish list, the at least one item being in the domain and being previously purchased by the second shopper.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

receiving profile information associated with a second wish list associated with the second shopper;

populating the wish list for the first shopper based upon an item listed in the second wish list of the second shopper;

or

verifying a shopper is authorized to request or receive the profile information based upon access rights that are created when the second shopper adds the first shopper to a friend list.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

receiving an image of an item desired by the first shopper;

examining the image to identify the item desired by the first shopper;

examining the image to identify specific features of the item;

or

employing the features for selecting the item from an inventory list associated with a vendor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

receiving contextual input in connection with the act of receiving an image;

utilizing the contextual input in connection with the act of identifying the item desired by the first shopper;

or

utilizing the contextual input for identifying a service-based item.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

referencing a profile associated with the first shopper for tailoring the item selected from the inventory list to the first shopper;

referencing a profile associated with the second shopper for tailoring the item selected from the inventory list to the second shopper;

examining the wish list for suggesting suitable related items for the wish list;

or

receiving an incentive from a vendor for at least one item on the wish list.