Visual database for online transactions
A system of searching an image database. An image database is associated with an on-line merchant, and each of the images in the database are associated with items which can be purchased. Image information is entered, and that image to information is used to search the items in the database.
1 . A system, comprising:
a client which allows entry of image information; and
a server, including a database associated with the server, said server connected to said client to receive said image information and using said image information to search said database associated with the server for items to be purchased which meet criteria specified in said image information and forming search results based on said image information.
2 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein said client allows forming forming initial image information, and subsequently setting parameters associated with said initial image information using a user interface.
3 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein one of said parameters associated with said image information includes exclusion information to exclude from said search results, and said server forms said search results which do not include said exclusion information.
4 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein one of said parameters includes a selection of a more important image portion, which is more important than other image portions, and said client forms search results which are weighted according to said more important image portion.
5 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein one of said parameters includes an image size, and said client forms search results which only include results having said specified image size.
6 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein said client includes a scanner to allow entry of said initial image information.
7 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein said client includes a tablet to allow entry of said initial image information.
8 . A system as in claim 2 , wherein one of said parameters associated with said image information includes a color, and said server operates to find items based on said color information in addition to said image information.
9 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein said server is associated with an electronic commerce site, and said search results include price information for items associated with said search results.
10 . A method, comprising:
entering image information to a client on the network; and
sending said image information to a server on said network and using said image information to search database information on said server on said network; and
returning search results from said server to said client including price information associated with items in said search results.
11 . A method as in claim 10 , wherein said entering image information comprises entering an initial image, and entering parameters associated with the search of the initial image.
12 . A method as in claim 10 , wherein said entering image information comprises entering an initial image to be searched, and selecting a part of the initial image information which represents a more important part of the image information.
13 . A method as in claim 1 0 , wherein said entering image information comprises entering an initial image to be searched, and entering exclusion information to be excluded from said search.
14 . A method as in claim 13 , wherein said exclusion information includes image information.
15 . A method as in claim 1 0 , wherein said entering image information includes entering an initial image , and entering size information associated with said initial image, wherein said search results are based on said size information.
16 . A method as in claim 10 , further comprising displaying said image information as part of a graphical user interface, and using said graphical user interface to enter said parameters.
17 . A system, comprising:
a computer, connected to a publicly available network, and including a database associated therewith, said database including image information for each of a plurality of items to be sold over said publicly available network, and price information for each of said items, said computer accepting searching image information over said publicly available network, using said image information to search said image information in said database, to return search results including items from said database which match said searching image information and price information for each of said items from said database which match said searching information.
18 . A system as in claim 17 , wherein said searching image information includes an image, and additional information about the searching, in addition to said image.
19 . A system as in claim 1 8 , wherein said additional information includes exclusion information indicative of excluded items to be excluded from said searching.
20 . A system as in claim 1 8 , wherein said additional information includes color information indicative of the desired colors to be included in the searching.