IP Library Granted Patent US 9,298,785
Granted Patent B2
US 9,298,785 · App. 13/946,174 · Granted Mar 29, 2016

Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating search results

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,298,785
App. No.
13/946,174
Granted
Mar 29, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus to constrain a search are described. A selection of one or more items of a search result set by a user may be obtained. One or more attributes of the one or more selected items may be evaluated. One or more filters are identified based on the evaluated attributes.

Claims (32)

1. A system for generating a search result set, the system comprising:

a user interface module configured to obtain one or more user item selections of a search result set;

a result analysis module configured to perform an analysis of the search result set based at least in part on one or more attributes of the one or more user item selections of the search result items, wherein the analysis analyzes one or more attributes of one or more items of the search result set that are not selected by the user; and

a search parameter module configured to identify, based on the analysis of the search result set, one or more additional search terms, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an exclusionary filter that excludes items from a search result set, the identification based on the one or more user item selections having an attribute that is an alternative to an attribute corresponding to the exclusionary filter.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a candidate filter is identified based on the one or more user item selections having an attribute that matches an attribute corresponding to the candidate filter.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identified one or more additional search terms are used to constrain a search.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identification is based on a profile of the user.

5. The system of claim 1 , the search parameter module further configured to provide an identification of one or more attribute search parameters.

6. The system of claim 1 , the search parameter module further configured to automatically select one or more filters.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the automatic selection is based on an auto-filter enablement mechanism.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the automatic selection is based on one or more of a size of the search result set, a relevance of one or more items in the search result set, a propensity of a user to execute a transaction, a user profile, and a user enablement of an auto-filter mechanism.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identification is based on one or more of a listing category, an item attribute, a category characteristic, a title, a character description, an item review, a listing format, and a condition.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identification is based on a numerical representation of each of one or more of the user item selections being within a predefined variance.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein filters that are automatically selected are identified by a mark indicating a type of selection.

12. A method for generating a search result set, the method comprising:

obtaining one or more user item selections of a search result set;

performing a computer-implemented analysis of the search result set based at least in part on one or more attributes of the one or more user item selections of the search result items, the one or more attributes obtained from a data structure associated with the one or more user item selections of the search result items, wherein the analysis analyzes one or more attributes of one or more items of the search result set that are not selected by the user; and

identifying, based on the computer-implemented analysis of the search result set, one or more additional search terms, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an exclusionary filter that excludes items from a search result set, the identification based on the one or more user item selections having an attribute that is an alternative to an attribute corresponding to the exclusionary filter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a candidate filter is identified based on the one or more user item selections having an attribute that matches an attribute corresponding to the candidate filter.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identified one or more additional search terms are used to constrain a search.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identification is based on a profile of the user.

16. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising providing an identification of one or more attribute search parameters.

17. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising automatically selecting one or more filters.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the automatic selection is based on an auto-filter enablement mechanism.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the automatic selection is based on one or more of a size of the search result set, a relevance of one or more items in the search result set, a propensity of a user to execute a transaction, a user profile, and a user enablement of an auto-filter mechanism.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identification is based on one or more of a listing category, an item attribute, a category characteristic, a title, a character description, an item review, a listing format, and a condition.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identification is based on a numerical representation of each of one or more of the user item selections being within a predefined variance.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein filters that are automatically selected are identified by a mark indicating a type of selection.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

obtaining one or more user item selections of a search result set;

performing an analysis of the search result set based at least in part on one or more attributes of the one or more user item selections of the search result items, wherein the analysis analyzes one or more attributes of one or more items of the search result set that are not selected by the user; and

identifying, based on the analysis of the search result set, one or more additional search terms, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an exclusionary filter that excludes items from a search result set, the identification based on the one or more user item selections having an attribute that is an alternative to an attribute corresponding to the exclusionary filter.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2015
From: EBAY INC.
To: PAYPAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 036170/0248 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2013
From: MARTIN, TODD
To: EBAY INC.
Reel/Frame 030837/0602 →