Network-based sales system with customizable and categorization user interface

• US 9,390,449 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ackley, Matthew, Aparo, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/027,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,212 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/747, 715/751, 715/765, 715/783, 715/784, 715/866, 715/962
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A sales system for coupling to a communications network. The sales system includes a sales interface at a first network address that includes a set of categorized interface elements. In addition the sales system includes another sales interface at a different network address that includes a second set of categorized interface elements. Finally the system includes a sales server at a third network address that may be used to operate both sales interfaces to provide an impression that the first and second sales interfaces are being operated by different entities. The sales server includes a categorization interface that responds to user input to define both sets of categorized interface elements. The categorized interface elements respectively include a plurality of specification elements.

Claims

1. A sales system for coupling to a communications network, the sales system including:

a first sales interface at a first network address;

a second sales interface at a second network address;

a sales server at a third network address that operates the first and second sales interfaces to present the first and second sales interfaces as operated by different entities;

a first customization interface, included in the sales server, that receives a first user input to edit a first script included in a first token included in a first template that is used to generate the first sales interface, the first token defines a first set of display attributes that are used to present the first sales interface; and

a second customization interface, included in the sales server, that receives a second user input to edit a second script included in a second token included in the first template that is used to generate the second sales interface, a second token defines a second set of display attributes that are used to present the second sales interface, and wherein

the first sales interface is to cause the first script to execute in real time in accordance with the first set of display attributes,

the second sales interface is to cause the second script to execute in real time in accordance with the second set of display attributes, the first and second tokens representing parts of the first and second sales interfaces that are customizable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second token represent parts of the first and second sales interfaces that are moveable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first token corresponds to a search function, and wherein the second user input edits the scripting language in the first token to position the search function at the bottom of the first sales interface.

4. A method including:

receiving a first user input via a first customization interface being included in a sales server, the first user input for editing a first script being included in a first token being included in a first template for generating a first sales interface, the first token defining a first set of display attributes that are used for the presenting the first sales interface; and

receiving a second user input via a second customization interface being included in the sales server, the second user input for editing a second script being included in a second token being included in the first template for generating a second sales interface, the first token defining a second set of display attributes that are used for the presenting the second sales interface;

presenting the first sales interface, the first sales interface being located at a first network address, the presenting the first sales interface to cause the first script to execute in real time in accordance with the first set of display attributes and being performed with a sales server at a third network address to present the first sales interface as operated by a first entity; and

presenting the second sales interface, the second sales interface being located at a second network address, the presenting the second sales interface to cause the second script to execute in real time in accordance with the second set of display attributes and being performed with the sales server at the third network address to present the second sales interface as operated by a second entity, the first and second tokens representing parts of the first and second sales interfaces that are customizable.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second tokens represent displayable parts of the first and second sales interfaces, wherein the displayable parts are moveable.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein first token corresponds to a search function, and further including receiving a third user input via the first customization interface to edit the first token to position the search function at the bottom of the first sales interface.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second scripts include hypertext markup language.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first customization interface enables editing a first command that is included in the first script that controls system functionality.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first token includes a reference to a third token.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the first token includes a reference to a third token.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the first script executes in realtime responsive to loading of the first sales interface and wherein the first script executes in realtime to prompt a user for input.