IP Library Granted Patent US 9,037,531
Granted Patent B2
US 9,037,531 · App. 13/945,274 · Granted May 19, 2015

Inferring user preferences from an internet based social interactive construct

Inventors: Thomas Pinckney (New York, NY); Christopher Dixon (New York, NY); Matthew Ryan Gattis (New York, NY)
Assignee: eBay
G06N5/048G06N99/005G06Q30/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,037,531
App. No.
13/945,274
Granted
May 19, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, helps determine an unknown user's preferences through the use of internet based social interactive graphical representations on a computer facility by performing the steps of (1) ascertaining preferences of a plurality of users who are part of an internet based social interactive construct, wherein the plurality of users become a plurality of known users; (2) determining the internet based social interactive graphical representation for the plurality of known users; and (3) inferring the preferences of an unknown user present in the internet based social interactive graphical representation of the plurality of known users based on the interrelationships between the unknown user and the plurality of known users within the graphical representation.

Claims (41)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving one or more search query terms submitted by a particular user;

retrieving a list of search results based on the search query terms;

accessing user preference profile information identifying one or more preferences of the particular user;

ranking the list of search results, based on the user preference profile information, wherein a first search result describing a product matching the preferences of the particular user is ranked higher in the ranked list in comparison to a second search result describing a second product that does not match the preferences of the particular user; and

providing the ranked list of search results to the particular user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the preferences of the particular user; and

generating the user preference profile information identifying the preferences of the particular user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified based on previous search result selections of the particular user.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified by analyzing user actions of the particular user on an online social network.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified by crawling, from a third party website, information describing the preferences of the particular user.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified from online sources indicating location-based behavior of the particular user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search results describe at least one product.

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

receiving one or more search query terms submitted by a particular user;

retrieving a list of search results based on the search query terms;

identifying one or more preferences of the particular user;

generating user preference profile information identifying the preferences of the particular user;

accessing the user preference profile information identifying the preferences of the particular user;

ranking the list of search results, based on the user preference profile information; and

providing the ranked list of search results to the particular user.

9. The storage medium of claim 8 , wherein a first search result describing a product matching the preferences of the particular user is ranked higher in the ranked list in comparison to a second search result describing a second product that does not match the preferences of the particular user.

10. The storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified based on previous search result selections of the particular user.

11. The storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified by analyzing user actions of the particular user on an online social network.

12. The storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified by crawling, from a third party website, information describing the preferences of the particular user.

13. The storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified from online sources indicating location-based behavior of the particular user.

14. A system comprising:

a machine including a memory and at least one processor; and

a recommendation module, executable by the machine, configured to:

receive one or more search query terms submitted by a particular user;

retrieve a list of search results based on the search query terms, wherein the search results describe at least one product;

access user preference profile information identifying one or more preferences of the particular user;

rank the list of search results, based on the user preference profile information; and

provide the ranked list of search results to the particular user.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein a first search result describing a product matching the preferences of the particular user is ranked higher in the ranked list in comparison to a second search result describing a second product that does not match the preferences of the particular user.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the recommendation module is further configured to:

identify the preferences of the particular user; and

generate the user preference profile information identifying the preferences of the particular user.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified based on previous search result selections of the particular user.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the preferences of the particular user are identified by analyzing user actions of the particular user on an online social network.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Jul 23, 2014
From: HUNCH INC.
To: EBAY INC.
Reel/Frame 033369/0594 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 12813715 · Jun 11, 2010
Continuation In Part 12483768 · Jun 12, 2009
Continuation In Part 12262862 · Oct 31, 2008
Provisional Application 61233326 · Aug 12, 2009
Provisional Application 61300511 · Feb 2, 2010
Provisional Application 61097394 · Sep 16, 2008
Provisional Application 60984948 · Nov 2, 2007
Provisional Application 61060226 · Jun 10, 2008
Related Publication 20130304691A1 · Nov 14, 2013