Granted Patent B1

US 12,632,459 · App. 16/673,779 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Ben Silbermann (Palo Alto, CA); Evan Howell Sharp (San Francisco, CA); Paul Sciarra (San Francisco, CA); Jon Jenkins (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: Pinterest, Inc.

G06F16/248

Abstract

Claims (121)

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving, via a network and at an object management service, from a first device associated with a first user, a first representation of a physical object;

receiving a request from the first user to add an object identifier associated with the first representation of the physical object to a set of object identifiers, wherein the set is associated with a context identifying a semantic meaning to the first user of objects represented by the one or more object identifiers in the set;

determining, by one or more processors, contextual information for the first representation of the physical object, the contextual information comprising information associated with the first representation of the physical object and information associated with the first user, the context information including the context associated with the set;

receiving, from one or more external sources different from the first user, a respective request to add one or more items of supplemental information associated with the first representation, wherein the one or more items of supplemental information are distinct from the determined contextual information;

determining, by one or more processors, that at least one item of the one or more items of supplemental information includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

selecting for inclusion with the object identifier the at least one item of supplemental information that includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

creating the object identifier associated with the first representation, the object identifier including the contextual information, the at least one item of supplemental information, and an identifier or the set of object identifiers;

determining, via the object management service and based at least in part on the object identifier, a first item that is related to the first representation of the physical object and available for purchase from the external source using a first control;

storing, by the object management service, a first association between at least the first control and the first representation, wherein the first control includes a link including a network address to the external source;

receiving, by the object management service, a second request from the first device for the first representation; and

sending, by the object management service and for presentation to the first device, at least the first representation and the first control, such that the first control is selectable by the first user to purchase the first item via the external source.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a second device associated with a second user, a first textual description for the first representation;

determining a second item based at least in part on the first textual description, the second item available for purchase from the external source using a second control;

storing a second association between at least the second control and the first representation;

receiving a third request for the first representation from the second device; and

sending, for presentation to the second device, the first representation and the second control, such that the second user may select the second control to purchase the second item via the external source.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

including, using the object identifier, the first representation in the set of object identifiers;

receiving, from the second device, a fourth request to associate the first representation with a second set of object identifiers;

receiving, from the second device, a second textual description for the second set;

determining, based at least in part on the second textual description for the second set, a third control to enable purchase of a third item;

storing a fourth association between at least the first representation and the third control;

receiving, from the second device, a fifth request for the first representation; and

sending the third control to the second device, such that the second user may select to purchase the third item from the external source.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the external source based at least in part on first location information that is indicative of a first geographic location where the first representation was captured;

sending a request to the external source; and

receiving the first control from the external source.

5 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a search query from a second device that is associated with a second user, the search query directed to at least content associated with the first user;

receiving, from the second device, a third request for the first representation;

identifying the first control based at least in part on the first association, the search query, and the third request; and

sending the first control for presentation on the second device, such that the second user may select the first control to purchase the first item.

6 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a collection of representations to a second device that is associated with a second user, wherein the collection of representations includes the first representation;

receiving, from the first device, a first textual description for the first representation;

receiving, from the second device, a second textual description for the first representation;

determining a context for the first representation based at least in part on the first textual description and the second textual description for the first representation; and

wherein the determining the request for the first control is further based at least in part on the context.

7 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first control is updated by the external source prior to sending, for presentation to the first device, at least the first representation and the first control.

8 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the physical object at least in part by analyzing content of the first representation;

storing a second association between at least the physical object and the first representation; and

wherein the determining the request for the first control is further based at least in part by identifying the external source as a seller of the physical object.

9 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the first device associated with the first user, additional information about the first representation including location information about the first representation, wherein the additional information is distinct from the contextual information and the supplemental information; and

associating the additional information with the object identifier.

10 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental information includes variable information associated with the physical object that is periodically updated by one or more external sources for presentation to the first device in response to a request for the first representation.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to at least:

receive, from a device associated with a user and at an object management service, a representation of a physical object;

receive a request from the user to add an object identifier associated with the first representation of the physical object to a set of object identifiers, wherein the set is associated with a context identifying a semantic meaning to the user of objects represented by the one or more object identifiers in the set;

determine contextual information for the first representation of the physical object, the contextual information comprising information associated with the first representation of the physical object and information associated with the user, the context information including the context associated with the set;

receive, from one or more external sources different from the user, a respective request to add one or more items of supplemental information associated with the representation, wherein the one or more items of supplemental information are distinct from the determined contextual information;

determine that at least one item of the one or more items of supplemental information includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

select for inclusion with the object identifier the at least one item of supplemental information that includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

create the object identifier associated with the first representation, the object identifier including the contextual information the at least one item of supplemental information, and an identifier for the set of object identifiers;

determine, via the object management service and based at least in part on the object identifier, an item related to the representation of the physical object and available for purchase from the external source using a control, wherein the control includes a link including a network address to the external source;

store, by the object management service, an association between at least the control and the representation;

receive, by the object management service, a second request from the device for the representation; and

send, by the object management service and for presentation on the device, the control, such that the control is selectable by the user to purchase the item via the external source.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causing the one or more processors to at least:

send to the device the representation for presentation with the control.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, from the device associated with the user, additional information about the first representation including location information about the first representation; and

associating the additional information with the object identifier.

14 . A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least:

receive, from a device that is associated with a user and at an object management service, a first representation of a physical object;

receive a request from the user to add an object identifier associated with the first representation of the physical object to a set of object identifiers, wherein the set is associated with a context identifying a semantic meaning to the user of objects represented by the one or more object identifiers in the set;

determine contextual information for the first representation of the physical object, the contextual information comprising information associated with the first representation of the physical object and information associated with the use, the context information including the context associated with the set r;

receive, from one or more external sources different from the user, a respective request to add one or more items of supplemental information associated with the first representation, wherein the one or more items of supplemental information are distinct from the determined contextual information;

determine that at least one item of the one or more items of supplemental information includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

select for inclusion with the object identifier the at least one item of supplemental information that includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

create the object identifier associated with the first representation, the object identifier including the contextual information the at least one item of supplemental information, and an identifier for the set of object identifiers;

determine, via the object management service and based at least in part on the object identifier, an item that is related to the first representation of the physical object and available for purchase from the external source using a control;

store, by the object management service, an association between the control and the first representation;

receive, from the device and at the object management service, a second request for the first representation;

update, by the object management service, an attribute of the control from the external source; and

send, by the object management service, the first representation and the control with the attribute to the device for presentation, such that the control with the attribute is selectable by the user to purchase the item via the external source.

15 . The computing system of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, from the device associated with the user, additional information about the first representation including location information about the first representation wherein the additional information is distinct from the contextual information and the supplemental information; and

associating the additional information with the object identifier.

16 . The computing system of claim 14 , wherein:

the control is associated with a price of the item; and

updating the attribute of the control includes updating the price of the item.

17 . The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine the physical object at least in part by analyzing content of the first representation;

store a second association between at least the physical object and the first representation; and

wherein determination of the request for the control is further based at least in part by identifying the external source as a seller of the physical object.

18 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving, from a device that is associated with a user and at an object management service, a first representation of a physical object, wherein the physical object is determined by analyzing content of the first representation;

receiving a request from the user to add an object identifier associated with the first representation of the physical object to a set of object identifiers, wherein the set is associated with a context identifying a semantic meaning to the user of objects represented by the one or more object identifiers in the set;

determining contextual information for the first representation of the physical object, the contextual information comprising information associated with the first representation of the physical object an information associate with the user, the context information including the context associated with the set;

receiving, from one or more external sources different from the user, a respective request to add one or more items of supplemental information with the first representation, wherein the one or more items of supplemental information are distinct from the determined contextual information;

determining that at least one item of the one or more items of supplemental information includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

selecting for inclusion with the object identifier the at least one item of supplemental information that includes one or more characteristics that correspond to the contextual information;

creating the object identifier associated with the first representation, the object identifier including the contextual information the at least one item of supplemental information, and an identifier for the set of object identifiers;

including, using the object identifier and by the object management service, the first representation in a set, wherein the set further includes a second representation;

determining, by the object management service and based at least in part on the object identifier, an item that is related to the physical object and available for purchase from the external source using a control;

storing, by the object management service, an association between at least the control and the set;

receiving, from the device and at the object management service, a request for the second representation; and

sending, by the object management service and for presentation on the device, the control, such that the control is selectable by the user to purchase the item via the external source.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable as recited in claim 18 , the acts further comprising:

subsequent to the request being received, updating the control.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, from the device associated with the user, additional information about the first representation including location information about the first representation; and

associating the additional information with the object identifier.

21 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 18 , the acts further comprising:

receiving, from the device, a first textual description for the set;

sending for presentation on a second device that is associated with a second user, a plurality of representations, wherein the plurality of representations includes the second representation;

determining a context for the set based at least in part on the first textual description;

storing a second association between at least the second representation and the context;

receiving, from the second device, a second textual description for the second representation;

identifying the context based at least in part on the second representation and the second association;

determining, based at least in part on the context and the second textual description, a second item that is related to the second representation and available for purchase from the external source via a second control;

receiving, from the second device, a second request for the second representation; and

in response to receiving the second request, sending for presentation on the second device, the second control, such that the second user may select the second control to initiate purchase of the second item via the external source.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (105)