U.S. patent application number 13/602094 was filed with the patent office on 2014-03-06 for personalized curation and customized social interaction.
This patent application is currently assigned to eBay Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Hsin-Yi Chien, Jai Dandekar, Matthew Bret MacLaurin, James Ross Skorupski, Jesse Wolfe. Invention is credited to Hsin-Yi Chien, Jai Dandekar, Matthew Bret MacLaurin, James Ross Skorupski, Jesse Wolfe.
Application Number | 20140068450 13/602094 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50189264 |
Filed Date | 2014-03-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140068450 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wolfe; Jesse ; et
al. |
March 6, 2014 |
Personalized Curation and Customized Social Interaction
Abstract
A method of enhancing a network-based publication system with
curator lists is disclosed. Information pertaining to an item is
received from a submitter of a listing of the item on a
network-based publication system. Metadata pertaining to the
information about the item is received from a curator of the
information pertaining to the item. A presentation of the
information on a curator list is controlled based on the
metadata.
Inventors: |
Wolfe; Jesse; (Sammamish,
WA) ; MacLaurin; Matthew Bret; (Santa Cruz, CA)
; Chien; Hsin-Yi; (Cupertino, CA) ; Dandekar;
Jai; (San Jose, CA) ; Skorupski; James Ross;
(San Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wolfe; Jesse
MacLaurin; Matthew Bret
Chien; Hsin-Yi
Dandekar; Jai
Skorupski; James Ross |
Sammamish
Santa Cruz
Cupertino
San Jose
San Jose |
WA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
eBay Inc.
San Jose
CA
|
Family ID: |
50189264 |
Appl. No.: |
13/602094 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/738 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04842 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/738 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0484 20060101
G06F003/0484 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving information pertaining to an item
from a submitter of the item for a listing of the item on a
network-based publication system; receiving metadata pertaining to
the information about the item from a curator of the information
pertaining to the item; and controlling a presentation of the
information on a curator list based on the metadata.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing the metadata
pertaining to the information about the item to control a
presentation of the information on an additional curator list.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the
submitter of the item with an option to incorporate the metadata
into the listing on the network-based publication based on a
popularity of the presentation of the item in the curator list.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the
presentation of the information on the curator list includes
customizing an image associated with the item.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an option
for the user to add a note to an image associated with the item
based on the user hovering a cursor over the image.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an option
for the user to resize an image associated with the item based on a
selection of the item by the user.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a value of
the curator list based on a monitoring of activities of the user
after the presentation of the information on the curator list.
8. A system comprising: a processor-implemented module configured
to: receive information pertaining to the item from a submitter of
the item for the listing; receive metadata pertaining to the
information about the item from the curator; and control a
presentation of the information on the curator list based on the
metadata.
9. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further
configured to share the metadata pertaining to the information
about the item to control a presentation of the information on an
additional curator list.
10. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further
configured to provide the submitter of the item with an option to
incorporate the metadata into the listing on the network-based
publication based on a popularity of the presentation of the item
in the curator list.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the controlling of the
presentation of the information on the curator list includes
customizing an image associated with the item.
12. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further
configured to present an option for the user to add a note to an
image associated with the item based on the user hovering a cursor
over the image.
13. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further
configured to present an option for the user to resin an image
associated with the item based on a selection of the item by the
user.
14. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further
configured to determine a value of the curator list based on a
monitoring of activities of the user after the presentation of the
information on the curator list.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of
instructions that when executed by a processor, causes the
processor to perform a method comprising: receiving information
pertaining to the item from a submitter of the item for the
listing; receiving metadata pertaining to the information about the
item from the curator; and controlling a presentation of the
information on the curator list based on the metadata.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the
method further comprising sharing the metadata pertaining to the
information about the item to control a presentation of the
information on an additional curator list.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the
method further comprising providing the submitter of the item with
an option to incorporate the metadata into the listing on the
network-based publication based on a popularity of the presentation
of the item in the curator list.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the controlling of the presentation of the information on the
curator list includes customizing an image associated with the
item.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the
further comprising presenting an option for the user to add a note
to an image associated with the item based on the user hovering a
cursor over the image.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the
further comprising presenting an option for the user to resize an
image associated with the item based on a selection of the item by
the user.
Description
TECHNICAL FIE LD
[0001] The present application relates generally to the technical
field of information sharing, and, in one specific example, to
allowing users of an online publication system to serve as curators
and customizers of content on the online publication system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Various online marketplace systems or network-based
publication systems (e.g., EBAY.RTM., AMAZON.RTM., or
CRAIGSLIST.RTM.) facilitate transactions pertaining to items (e.g.,
goods or services) that users list on the online marketplace
systems. Users may be able to find related listings within the
online marketplace by entering a search query that includes
keywords that match keywords included in the listings, such as in
the titles or descriptions of the listings. However, the results of
such keyword-matching may include many listings having a low
relevancy to the user's search, requiring the user to manually
filter through the results to find the closest matches.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0004] FIG. 1 is a network diagram depicting a system within which
various example embodiments may be deployed.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example modules of
the applications of FIG. 1.
[0006] FIG. 25 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of
a computer system within which instructions for causing the machine
to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein
may be executed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] In the following description, for purposes of explanation,
numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an
understanding of various embodiments of the present subject matter.
It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art that
various embodiments may be practiced without these specific
details.
[0008] Consistent with various embodiments, a method of enhancing a
network-based publication system with curator lists is disclosed.
Information pertaining to an item is received from a submitter of a
listing of the item on a network-based publication system. Metadata
pertaining to the information about the item is received from a
curator of the information pertaining to the item. A presentation
of the information on a curator list is controlled based on the
metadata.
[0009] This method and the various embodiments disclosed herein may
be implemented as a computer system having one or more modules
(e.g., hardware modules or software modules). This method and the
various embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied as
instructions stored on a machine-readable medium that, when
executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the
method.
[0010] As used herein, a curator list is a list of information
(e.g., images, descriptions, and so on) pertaining to items capable
of being listed on a network-based publication system that is
assembled, filtered, formatted, or otherwise customized or
personalized by a curator for presentation to a user.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a network diagram depicting a system 100 within
which various example embodiments may be deployed. A networked
system 102, in the example forms of a network-based marketplace or
other publication system, provides server-side functionality, via a
network 104 (e.g., the Internet or Wide Area Network (WAN)) to one
or more clients. FIG. 1 illustrates, for example, a web client 106
(e.g., a browser, such as the Internet Explorer browser developed
by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.) and a programmatic
client 108 executing on respective client machines 110 and 112.
Each of the one or more clients may include a software application
module (e.g., a plug-in, add-in, or macro) that adds a specific
service or feature to a larger system.
[0012] An API server 114 and a web server 116 are coupled to, and
provide programmatic and web interfaces respectively to, one or
more application servers 118. The application servers 118 host one
or more applications. The application servers 118 are, in turn,
shown to be coupled to one or more database servers 124 that
facilitate access to one or more databases 126 or "not only SQL"
(NoSQL) or non-relational data stores.
[0013] The marketplace applications 120 may provide a number of
marketplace functions and services to users that access the
networked system 102. While the applications 120 are shown in FIG.
1 to form part of the networked system 102, in alternative
embodiments, the applications 120 may form part of a service that
is separate and distinct from the networked system 102.
[0014] Further, while the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 employs a
client-server architecture, various embodiments are, of course, not
limited to such an architecture, and could equally well find
application in a distributed, or peer-to-peer, architecture system,
for example. The various marketplace and applications 120 could
also be implemented as standalone software programs, which do not
necessarily have networking capabilities. Additionally, although
FIG. 1 depicts machines 130, 110, and 112 as being coupled to a
single networked system 102, it will be readily apparent to one
skilled in the art that machines 130, 110, and 112, as well as
applications 128, 106, and 108, may be coupled to multiple
networked systems. For example, the application 128, 106, and 108
may be coupled to multiple payment applications, such as payment
applications associated with multiple payment processors (e.g.,
Visa, MasterCard, and American Express).
[0015] The web client 106 accesses the various applications 120 via
the web interface supported by the web server 116. Similarly, the
programmatic client 108 accesses the various services and functions
provided by the applications 120 via the programmatic interface
provided by the API server 114. The programmatic client 108 may,
for example, be a seller application (e.g., the TurboLister
application developed by eBay Inc., of San Jose, Calif.) to allow
sellers to author and manage listings on the networked system 102
in an off-line manner, and to perform batch-mode communications
between the programmatic client 108 and the networked system
102.
[0016] FIG. 1 also illustrates a third-party application 128,
executing on a third-party server machine 130, as having
programmatic access to the networked system 102 via the
programmatic interface provided by the API server 114. For example,
the third-party application 128 may, utilizing information
retrieved from the networked system 102, support one or more
features or functions on a website hosted by the third party. The
third-party website may, for example, provide one or more
promotional, marketplace or payment functions that are supported by
the relevant applications of the networked system 102.
[0017] The applications 120, described in more detail below, may
allow users of the network-based publication system to become
curators of information about items capable of being listed on the
network-based publication system. For example, the applications 120
may enable users to generate a curator list of multiple items
listed in a network-based publication system, customize a
presentation of related items, including their images, and publish
the curator list for other users to access, as described in more
detail below.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example modules of
the applications 120. An repository-management module 202 stores
information and metadata about items described in listings
published by the network-based publication system in central or
user-specific databases. A querying module 204 receives queries
from users pertaining to items that may be listed on the
network-based publication system. A curation module 206 allows
users to curate information, including images, related to the
various items. Additionally, the curation module 206 allows users
to customize a presentation of the curated information. A
publication module 206 allows a user-curator to publish the curated
and customized information to other users of the network-based
publication system. A user-monitoring module 208 monitors
activities of the other users with respect to the curated and
customized information about the item. A value-determination module
210 determines a value of the curated and customized information
based on various factors, such as a popularity of a curated and
customized image associated with the item.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 300 of
creating a curator list. At operation 302, the query module 202
receives a search query from a user. The search query may specify
one or more keywords associated with an item for which the user
seeks information. The query module 202 may determine one or more
matches for the query based on a correspondence between the
keywords and information about items (e.g., titles or descriptions
of items) maintained by the network-based publication system in a
database. For example, the network-based publication system may
maintain such information for items that are currently or were
recently published by the network-based publication system.
[0020] At operation 304, the curation module 206 generates a
default curator list as a starting point for further curation by
the user. For example, the curation module 206 selects a number of
the results based on their relevance, identifies one or more items
associated with each of the items included in the results, and
presents an image associated with each of the results in a list
having a grid form. For example, FIG. 11 is an example of a default
curator list that may be generated by the curation module 206 for a
query that includes the keywords "mens shoes size 12." The curation
module 206 may further generate default information to associate
with the curator list, such as a default title, a default
description, default highlighting or filtering options (e.g., for
highlighting or filtering items in the curator list by categories
or sellers), default statistics for the curator list (e.g., a
number of items in the curator list, a number of categories with
which the items are associated, or a number of "likes" users have
expressed with regard to the items in the curator list).
[0021] At operation 306, the curation module 206 customizes the
curator list based on input for the user. For example, the curation
module 206 may receive instructions from the user to reorder or
resize a frame for an image corresponding to an item in the curator
list. In some instances, the curation module 206 may receive
instructions from the user to resize, reposition, or crop an image
of an item within the frame for the image. In other instances, the
curation module 206 may receive instructions from the user to apply
a particular photographic style or formatting to an image (e.g.,
sepia-tone, blur, black-white, or monotone formatting). The
curation module 206 may receive instructions from the user to apply
a particular formatting to a font associated with a description of
the item. The curation module 206 may receive instructions from the
user to change the title or description associated with the list,
remove highlighting or filtering options associated with the list,
and so on. The curation module 206 may receive instructions from
the user to reorder or remove an image of a stack of images
associated with an item in the curator list. Additionally, the user
may be able to add images to the stack of images associated with
the item. The user may be able to add back-of-photo information as
a last image in a stack of images associated with an item. The
back-of-photo information may include price, title, description, a
dynamic auction countdown, or any other data about the item that is
maintained by the network-based publication with respect to
listings of the item. The curator may be able to change frame sizes
of particular images such that some images have larger frames than
other images. The curator may be able to control a layout of the
image frames on a page as well as the layout of images within a
frame (e.g., Whether they are stacked, scattered, or arranged
according to a template). The curator may be able to overlay text
over images. The curator may allow a user interface element on an
image to allow a viewer of the image to navigate directly to a
listing of the item on the network-based publication system, buy
the item, or place a bid on the item.
[0022] The curation module 206 may provide the user with the tools
by which the user can provide instructions for personalizing the
curator list. For example, the curation module 206 may detect that
a user has selected an item in the curator list (e.g., based on a
determination that the user has hovered a mouse cursor over an
image associated with the item). Based on this detection, the
curation module 206 may present the user with options for editing
metadata associated with the item that controls how the item is
presented in the curator list. For example, the curation module 206
may provide the user with a sliding zoom control when the user
hovers a mouse cursor within a frame containing an image associated
with an item. The user may then be able to adjust the zoom control
to control the size of the image. In this way, the user may, for
example, be able to make the sizes of the images displayed in the
curator list more consistent with each other. As another example,
the curation module 206 may provide the user with a text box into
which the user may enter comments pertaining to the user's opinion
of the item listed in the curator list. In various embodiments, the
tools allow the user to customize the curator list "inline" (e.g.,
without requiring a refreshing of the page on which the curator
list is presented). In various embodiments, the curator may be able
to rotate the image in as a three-dimensional object to a preferred
angle for viewing of the item contained in the image.
[0023] In various embodiments, the curation module 206 generates
metadata corresponding to the instructions received from the user.
Thus, the curation module 206 need not modify the underlying
information maintained by the network-based publication system with
respect to each item based on changes requested by the user to
customize the presentation of each item in the curator list.
Instead, the curation module 206 may merely generate metadata
corresponding to the changes and save the metadata (e.g., in a
user-specific portion of a database via the repository-management
module 202). In various embodiments, the curation module 206 may
enable other user to share or copy this metadata. Thus, other users
may present an item in their own curated lists in the same manner
as the user presents the item in his list.
[0024] At operation 308, the publication module 308 publishes the
curator list for access by other users (e.g., based upon on an
instruction from the user). The publication module 308 may publish
the curator list for access by all of the other users or a subset
of the other users, such the user's friends (e.g., based on a
preference or permission settings specified by the user).
[0025] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 400 of
allowing a curator to customize a presentation of an item within a
curator list. At operation 402, the curation module 206 detects
that the curator has selected an item in the curator list (e.g.,
the user has hovered a mouse cursor over a frame containing an
image of the item). At operation 404, the curation module 404
provides the curator with access to various tools for in-line
customizing of a presentation of the item. For example, the
curation module 404 displays images representing the tools around
the perimeter of the frame of an image that the user may select to
modify the size of the image or a position of the image within a
frame.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 500 of
allowing a curator to publish a curator list for access by other
users. At operation 500, the publication module 208 receives an
instruction from a curator to allow other users to access the
curator list. The curator may specify that the curator list is to
be published to the public at large, all users of the network-based
publication system, or a subset of those users. For example, the
curator may specify the user identification numbers of specific
users that are to be provided access to the curator list. Or the
curator may specify a group of users (e.g., friends of the user)
that are to be provided with the access. At operation 504, the
publication module 208 publishes the curator list in accordance
with the instructions received from the user.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 600 of
determining a value of a curator list. At operation 602, the
query-reception module 204 determines that a user is seeking
information about an item (e.g., the query-reception module 204
receives a query from the user).
[0028] At operation 604, the publication module 208 presents a
curator list to the user. The curator list may have been created by
a curator based on associations that the curator identified between
the items. As such, the relatedness between the items as perceived
by the curator may not have been identified by a simple keyword
search of information pertaining to the items. Furthermore, the
curator list may present the items in a format or style that is
personalized by the curator thus the curator list may be more
appealing to the user than a list generated by a search engine that
simply includes information about the items as it was provided in a
disparate fashion by each of different sellers of the items. The
publication module 208 may select a particular curator list from a
plurality of curator lists for presentation to the user based on a
strength of a correlation between keywords entered by the user and
information maintained by the network-based publication system with
respect to each item in the curator list or information maintained
by the curator in metadata (e.g., tags) associated with each item
in the curator list.
[0029] At operation 606, the value-determination module 212
determines a value of the curator list based on a response from the
user after the presentation of the curator list to the user. For
example, the user-monitoring module 210 may monitor behavior of the
use with respect to the curator list after a presentation of the
curator list to the user. Then, the value-determination module may
determine a value of the curator list (e.g., on a scale of 1 to 10)
based on a level of engagement by the user, such as how long the
user browses the curator list, feedback provided by the user with
respect to the curator list, comments that the user makes with
respect to items contained in the curator list, "likes" that the
user expresses with respect to items on the curator list, whether
the user proceeds to purchase an item on the curator list, how much
money the user spends on the network-based publication system on
items contained in the curator list, and so on. In various
embodiments, the value-determination module may determine the value
of the curator list based primarily on a determination of increased
revenues earned by an operator of the network-based publication
system (e.g., via sales commissions) that are directly tied to the
curator list.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 700 of
controlling a visibility of user comments on a curator list. At
operation 702, the curation module 206 detects that a user has
selected an item on a curator list. At operation 704, the curation
module 206 enables the user to provide feedback on the item. In
various embodiments, the feedback provided by the user on the item
is visible to an additional user that does not have access to the
curator list. For example, in various embodiments, the
repository-management module 202 stores the user feedback on the
item in a central repository that is accessible to users of the
system independently of whether they have access to the curator
list that the user was accessing when the user provided the
feedback. In other embodiments, the feedback that the user provides
is visible only to those who the user specifically designates
(e.g., friends of the user). In other embodiments, the feedback
that the user provides is visible to users that have access to the
same curator list that the user was accessing when the user posted
the feedback on the item. In various embodiments, the visibility of
the posting is based on a specification of the user of the context
of the feedback (e.g., whether the feedback is made in the context
of the curator list or in the context of the listings of the item
on the network-based publication system generally).
[0031] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 800 of
updating a central image repository based on a popularity of a
curated image. At operation, the repository-management module 202
retrieves an image from the repository (e.g., as part of a
generation of a default curator list containing an item
corresponding to the image). At operation 804, the curation module
206 allows a curator to modify a copy of the image. Alternatively,
the curation module 206 generates metadata describing alterations
that are to be made to the image when it is displayed on a curator
list maintained by the curator. At operation 806, the
user-monitoring module 210 determines a popularity of the copy of
the image. The user-monitoring module 210 may determine the
popularity of the image based on various factors, such as the
factors discussed above with respect to operation 605 of FIG. 6. At
operation 808, based on the popularity of the copy of the image
exceeding a popularity of the image stored in the central
repository, the repository-management module 202 replaces the image
in the repository with the copy of the image.
[0032] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 900 of
sharing curated and customized content of a curated list. At
operation 902, information about an item on a curated list is
retrieved from a central repository. At operation 904, metadata
pertaining to the information about the item is received from the
curator. The metadata may control a presentation of the information
about the item on a curator list, such as a style of the image or
any customizable attribute of a curator list as described above. At
operation 906, the curation module 206 allows an additional curator
to copy the metadata to an additional curator list, thus causing
the information about the item to appear on the additional curator
list just as it appears on the curator list. In various
embodiments, an actual copy of the metadata is not made. Instead,
the metadata on the additional curated page is linked to (or shared
with) the metadata on the curated page. Thus, a change to the
metadata stored with respect to the curated page is reflected on
the additional curated page. In various embodiments, the user
intending to reuse metadata may specify whether to make a copy of
the metadata or link to existing metadata.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 1000
of providing a user with an option to incorporate mated content
into a listing of an item on the network-based publication system.
At operation 1002, the repository management module 202 receives
information about an item that is to be listed on the network-based
publication system from a user. At operation 1004, the curation
module 206 allows a curator to create a copy of the information
about the item. Furthermore, the curation module 206 allows the
user to customize or personalize the copy of the information about
the item. At operation 1006, the publication module 208 allows the
curator to present the copy of the information on a curator list to
other users. At operation 1008, the user-monitoring module 210
determines a popularity of the presentation of to copy of the
information on the curator list. At operation 1010, the
respository-management module 202 provides the user with the option
to incorporate the copy of the information into the listing based
on the popularity of the copy of the information. Thus, original
content submitted by a user to facilitate a transaction of an item
may be enhanced by a curator, identified as an improvement over the
original content, and incorporated into a listing pertaining to the
item.
[0034] FIG. 11 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1100 for presenting a curator list. In various
embodiments, the user interface 1100 is presented or updated by the
curation module 206. The user interface 1100 includes a default
title for the curator list that corresponds to keywords entered by
a user in a search query. For example, the title "Awesome mens
shoes size 12 items" is generated for query that includes the
keywords "mens shoes size 12." The user interface 1100 includes a
default description for the curator list (e.g., a placeholder
requesting that the curator enter a description). The user
interface 1100 includes information about the curator list, such as
the number of items in the list, the number of categories to which
the items belong, the number of notes added to the list, and the
number of "likes" indicated by users with access to the curator
list. In various embodiments, the number of items in the default
curator list is limited to a predefined top number of items (e.g.,
10) for which information is stored in a central repository that
matches the query. In various embodiments, the user interface 1100
presents the items in the default curator list using only their
images. For items having multiple images, the top image includes a
user interface element (e.g., a page flip) that gives a hint about
the next image in the stack of images. Additionally, a numerical
indicator may be overlaid over the image to indicate which image of
how many images in the stack is currently displayed.
[0035] FIG. 12 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1200 for inline editing of a title of a curator list. In
various embodiments, the user interface 1200 is presented or
updated by the curation module 206. The user interface 1200 enables
a curator to click on the title to access an edit box containing
the title overlaid over the title. Upon submission of the text in
the edit box, the text in the edit box replaces the old title.
Thus, the editing is done inline without a need for the curator to
refresh the page containing the curator list.
[0036] FIG. 13 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1300 for inline editing of description of a curator list.
In various embodiments, the user interface 1300 is presented or
updated by the curation module 206. The user interface 1300
includes an edit box that appears in place of the description when
the user clicks on the description. In various embodiments, editing
of text that is associated with the curator list is performed
inline as described and shown with respect to FIGS. 12 and 13. In
various embodiments, the example user interface 1200 enables the
user to control which information about the curator list (e.g.,
title, description, categories, sellers, item count, category
count, note count, like count), if any, are shown on the page
containing the curator list. In various embodiments, a date of a
last change to a date item (e.g., the description) is shown next to
the data item.
[0037] FIG. 14 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1400 for inline customizing of an image associated with
an item. In various embodiments, the user interface 1400 is
presented or updated by the curation module 206. The user interface
1400 provides various tools to a curator to customize or
personalize an item on the curator list. In various embodiments,
embodiments, the tools include a pencil tool for associating a note
with the item, a deletion tool for deleting the item from the
curator list, a panning tool for repositioning an image associated
with the item within a frame for the image, and a zooming tool for
specifying a size of the image as a percentage of its maximum size.
In various embodiments, the tools appear as representative icons
when the user selects the item (e.g., hovers a mouse cursor over an
image associated with the item). In various embodiments, when an
item is selected, it becomes highlighted (e.g., with shadowing or
other effects) to distinguish it from other items in the curator
list.
[0038] FIG. 15 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1500 depicting the results of an inline customization of
the image of FIG. 14. Here, the curation module 206 has reduced the
size of the image to 50% of its maximum size, making it more
consistent with the sizes of the other images included on the
curator list. Additionally, the curation module 206 has moved the
image to the top part of the frame containing the image. The tools
remain visible for further customizations because the image is
still selected.
[0039] FIG. 16 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1600 for submitting a note pertaining to an image of an
item. In various embodiments, the user interface 1400 is presented
or updated by the curation module 206. In various embodiments, the
curation module allows the curator or another user to access or
provide additional information pertaining to an image of an item.
For example, upon clicking a pencil tool, a user may be presented
with options for viewing details associated with the item
(described below), add a note to the image, or specify a liking of
the image. Upon selecting the option to add a note to the image,
the user may be presented with a text box into which the user may
submit the note. In various embodiments, the note submission
process is performed inline, not requiring a refreshing of the page
containing the curator list.
[0040] FIG. 17 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1700 depicting the result of a submission of two notes
pertaining to images presented on the curator list of FIG. 16.
Here, the curator has added a note "Go USC!") to an image of a pair
of sandals bearing an insignia of the University of Southern
California. Additionally, the curator has added a note to an image
of a pair of shoes that is included in the curator list. In various
embodiments, these notes are added as metadata that is linked to
the image and stored in a user-specific repository, as described
above.
[0041] FIG. 18 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1800 for submitting a curator list for publication to
other users. In various embodiments, when the curator indicates an
intention to publish a curator list, the publication module 210
displays a submission form in which the user may specify various
additional metadata to associate with the curator list, including
the name of the curator, the names of users that the curator
intends to which the curator intends to provide access to the
curator list, email addresses of the users to which the curator
intends to provide access, additional notes that the curator
intends to provide to the users, and so on. Upon submission of the
form, the publication module 210 may publish the curator list.
[0042] FIG. 19 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 1900 for navigating multiple images associated with an
item in a curator list. The user interface 1900 may be presented or
updated by the curation module 206. In various embodiments, a user
interface element is used to convey that at least one image is
hidden under the current image for the item and is accessible by
the user performing an action (e.g., clicking on a
turned-page-style corner of the image). Additionally, a numerical
indicator may indicate to the user which image of how many images
is currently displayed in an image frame corresponding to the item.
In various embodiments, a curator may use the flip-through user
interface to access and then remove one or more particular images
from the image stack or edit one or more particular images in the
image stack that is associated with an item. In various
embodiments, the user may be able to select an icon to rotate an
image in three dimensions.
[0043] FIG. 20 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 2000 for specifying a liking of an image of an item in a
curator list. The user interface 2000 may be presented or updated
by the curation module 206. The user interface 2000 displays a user
interface element (e.g., a "Like" button) when the user selects an
item in a curated list. In various embodiments, the user interface
may update a number of "likes" for the image or a total number
"likes" associated with the curated list the first time a user
activates the user interface element with respect to an image. In
various embodiments, the user interface element may serve as a
toggle for adding and removing a liking of an image.
[0044] FIG. 21 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 2100 for adding comments to an image associated with an
item. The user interface 2100 may be presented or updated by the
curation module 206. The user interface may present a text box into
which a user may submit a note to associate with the item. In
various embodiments, as described above, the user may maintain
control over any content that the user submits with respect to an
item in a curated list, including controlling a visibility of the
content to other users. For example, the user interface 2100 may
allow the user to specify a context in which the note may be made
visible to other users, as described above. FIG. 22 is a screenshot
of a portion of an example user interface 2200 for viewing details
pertaining to an image of an item. The user interface 2200 may be
presented or updated by the curation module 206. The user interface
2200 may be overlaid over the curator list. It may include a higher
resolution image than the image presented in the curator list. It
may include additional details pertaining to the image, including a
title of the item corresponding to the image as it is listed on the
network-based publication system, tags associated with the image
(e.g., by the curator or other users), user names of users who
added metadata to the image, the curator who made the image
available to the user, and so on. Additionally, the user interface
2200 may include user interface elements through which the user may
specify a liking for the image, add tags to the image, or add
comments to the image. Additionally, the user interface 2200 may
include listings of similar items (e.g., as determined by the
curator or as determined by data maintained with respect to the
items by the network-based publication system).
[0045] FIG. 23 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 2300 for viewing details pertaining to an image of an
item. The user interface 2200 may be presented or updated by the
curation module 206. The user interface 2200 may automatically
highlight images in the curator list that correspond to categories
or sellers that a user selects. For example, the user interface
2200 highlights a green shoe based on a selection of a seller of
the shoe by the user.
[0046] FIG. 24 is a screenshot of a portion of an example user
interface 2400 for logging into the applications 120 via a
third-party application (e.g., Facebook). In various embodiments,
upon logging into the applications 120 via the third-party
application, actions that the user performs with respect to the
applications 120 may be reflected in the third-party application.
For example, upon publishing a curator list, a user may be prompted
to post a notification on his wall announcing the publication.
[0047] Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic
or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may
constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied on a
machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware
modules. A hardware module is a tangible unit capable of performing
certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain
manner, in example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g.,
a standalone, client or server computer system) or one or more
hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group
of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application
or application portion) as a hardware module that operates to
perform certain operations as described herein.
[0048] In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented
mechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module may
comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently
configured (e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field
programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC)) to perform certain operations. A
hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry
(e.g., as encompassed within a general-purpose processor or other
programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software
to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that the
decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in dedicated
and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured
circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and
time considerations.
[0049] Accordingly, the term "hardware module" should be understood
to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is
physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired) or
temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain
manner and/or to perform certain operations described herein.
Considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily
configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need
not he configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For
example, where the hardware modules comprise a general-purpose
processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor
may be configured as respective different hardware modules at
different times. Software may accordingly configure a processor,
for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one
instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a
different instance of time.
[0050] Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive
information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the
described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively
coupled. Where multiple of such hardware modules exist
contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal
transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that
connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in which multiple
hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times,
communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for
example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory
structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For
example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the
output of that operation in a memory device to which it is
communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a
later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the
stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications
with input or output devices and can operate on a resource (e.g., a
collection of information).
[0051] The various operations of example methods described herein
may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors
that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently
configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily
or permanently configured, such processors may constitute
processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more
operations or functions. The modules referred to herein may, in
some example embodiments, comprise processor-implemented
modules.
[0052] Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least
partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the
operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors
or processor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of the
operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not
only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number
of machines. In some example embodiments, the processor or
processors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a home
environment, an office environment or as a server farm), while in
other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number
of locations.
[0053] The one or more processors may also operate to support
performance of the relevant operations in a "cloud computing"
environment or as a "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at
least some of the operations may be performed by a group of
computers (as examples of machines including processors), these
operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the network 104 of
FIG. 1) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g.,
APIs).
[0054] Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in
combinations of them. Example embodiments may be implemented using
a computer program product, e.g., a computer program tangibly
embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable
medium for execution by, or to control the operation of data
processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer,
or multiple computers.
[0055] A computer program can be written in any form of programming
language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can
be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a
module, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing
environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on
one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
[0056] In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one
or more programmable processors executing a computer program to
perform functions by operating on input data and generating output.
Method operations can also be performed by, and apparatus of
example embodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic
circuitry (e.g., a FPGA or an ASIC).
[0057] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other. In embodiments deploying
a programmable computing system, it will be appreciated that both
hardware and software architectures should be considered.
Specifically, it will be appreciated that the choice of whether to
implement certain functionality in permanently con inured hardware
(e.g., an ASIC), in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., a
combination of software and a programmable processor), or a
combination of permanently and temporarily configured hardware may
be a design choice. Below are set out hardware (e.g., machine) and
software architectures that may be deployed, in various example
embodiments.
[0058] FIG. 25 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of
a computer system 5000 within which instructions for causing the
machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed
herein may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine
operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,
networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the
machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine
in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a
peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may
be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web
appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine
capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that
specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a
single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be
taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform
any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0059] The example computer system 5000 includes a processor 5002
(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) a graphics processing unit
(GPU) or both), a main memory 5004 and a static memory 5006, which
communicate with each other via a bus 5008. The computer system
5000 may further include a video display unit 5010 (e.g., a liquid
crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer
system 5000 also includes an alphanumeric input device 5012 (e.g.,
a keyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation (or cursor control)
device 5014 (e.g., a mouse), a storage unit 5016, a signal
generation device 5018 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface
device 5020.
[0060] The storage unit 5016 includes a machine-readable medium
5022 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures and
instructions 5024 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any
cone or more of the methodologies or functions described herein.
The instructions 5024 may also reside, completely or at least
partially, within the main memory 5004 and/or within the processor
5002 during execution thereof by the computer system 5000, the main
memory 5004 and the processor 5002 also constituting
machine-readable media. The instructions 5024 may also reside,
completely or at least partially, within the static memory
5006.
[0061] While the machine-readable medium 5022 is shown in an
example embodiment to be a single medium, the term
"machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more
instructions 5024 or data structures. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is
capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution
by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or
more of the methodologies of the present embodiments, or that is
capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized
by or associated with such instructions. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited
to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific
examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory
devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and compact disc-read-only memory
(CD-ROM) and digital versatile disc (or digital video disc)
read-only memory (DVD-ROM) disks.
[0062] The instructions 5024 may further be transmitted or received
over a communications network 5026 using a transmission medium. The
instructions 5024 may be transmitted using the network interface
device 5020 and any one of a number of well-known transfer
protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networks include,
a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, mobile telephone networks, POTS
networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi and WiMax
networks). The term "transmission medium" shall be taken to include
any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding or carrying
instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digital or
analog communications signals or other intangible media to
facilitate communication of such software. The network 5026 may be
the same as network 104 of FIG. 1.
[0063] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various
modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present
disclosure. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be
regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The
accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of
illustration, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which
the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated
are described in sufficient detail to allow those skilled in the
art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments
may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and
logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing
from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description,
therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of
various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along
with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are
entitled.
[0064] Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be
referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term
"invention" merely for convenience and without intending to
voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single
invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact
disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been
illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any
arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be
substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is
intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various
embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other
embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to
those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
* * * * *