IP Library Granted Patent US 8,700,493
Granted Patent B2
US 8,700,493 · App. 12/873,863 · Granted Apr 15, 2014

Methods and apparatus for freshness and completeness of information

Inventor: Yu Cao (Monterey Park, CA)
Assignee: Namul Applications LLC
G06Q30/0603G06Q30/0641G06Q30/00G06Q30/06G06Q30/0601G06Q30/0605G06Q30/0607G06Q30/0611G06Q30/0613G06Q30/0625G06Q30/08G06Q10/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,700,493
App. No.
12/873,863
Granted
Apr 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system that facilitates publishing and consuming information that is of time sensitivity, for example, price information. Methods are employed to achieve completeness and freshness in information for a given domain. A preferred embodiment is a shopping site that is capable of comparing prices, purchasing bundled products and dealing with coupons.

Claims (47)

1. A method, comprising:

extracting, by a server, information from a plurality of data providers via a communication link into at least one of a plurality of predetermined categories;

normalizing, by the server, the extracted information into a searchable internal format;

providing, by the server, a consumer interface configured to receive a search query relating to purchasing of goods;

receiving, by the server, the search query;

discerning, by the server, an item from the received search query, the discerning including searching for the item from a plurality of merchants using the searchable internal format and returning search result;

determining, by the server, a purchasable bundle corresponding to the discerned item, wherein the purchasable bundle includes purchasable products that originate from at least two merchants of the plurality of merchants;

ranking, by the server, the purchasable bundle based on a weighted vote that includes at least one of:

a first weight representative of number of times the purchasable bundle is forwarded by a consumer, and

a second weight representative of a purchase of the forwarded purchasable bundle;

retrieving, by the server, the purchasable bundle; and

presenting, by the server, the purchasable bundle for sale via the consumer interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the server, an intention to purchase the purchasable bundle at a later time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the consumer interface with a presentation of the purchasable bundle in response to:

receiving a payment from least vendor that supplies at least one of the purchasable products, and

receiving an update associated with the purchasable bundle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the receiving the payment is in exchange for additional updates.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the receiving the payment is in exchange for exposure to a larger audience.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving the payment in exchange for full access of information associated a purchase of the purchasable bundle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purchasable products are available from at least two different vendors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting the purchasable bundle includes presenting the purchasable bundle according to the ranking via the consumer interface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving includes creating a second purchasable.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising conducting, by the server, an auction among a plurality of vendors of the purchasable products determine which vendor of the plurality of vendors is allowed to offer the second purchasable bundle for sale.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second purchasable bundle comprises products known to a search engine.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting, by the server, an auction among plurality of vendors of the purchasable products to determine which vendor of the plurality of vendors is allowed to offer the purchasable bundle for sale.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the server, a payment from one of the plurality of vendors in exchange for participating in the auction.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising auctioning, by the server, the purchasable bundle as separate products from different vendors.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the server, alerting a consumer of a better deal for the purchasable bundle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the alerting includes sending an email to the consumer.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;

discerning promotional information applicable to the purchasable products from the search query; and

applying the promotional information upon purchase of the purchasable bundle.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purchasable products comprise a service.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discerning further comprises ranking the search results.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second weight is weighted higher than the first weight.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

extracting information from a plurality of data providers via a communication link into at least one of a plurality of predetermined categories;

normalizing the extracted information into a searchable internal format;

providing a consumer interface configured to receive a search query relating to purchasing of goods;

receiving the search query;

discerning an from the received search query; the discerning including searching for the item from a plurality of merchants using the searchable internal format and returning a search result;

determining a purchasable bundle corresponding to the discerned item, wherein the purchasable bundle includes purchasable products that originate from at least two merchants of the plurality of merchant;

ranking the purchasable bundle based on a weighted vote that includes at least one of:

a number of times the purchasable bundle is forwarded by a consumer, and

a purchase of the forwarded purchasable bundle;

retrieving the purchasable bundle; and

presenting the purchasable bundle for sale via the consumer interface.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Nov 4, 2015
From: NAMUL APPLICATIONS LLC
To: TAMIRAS PER PTE. LTD., LLC
Reel/Frame 036959/0164 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2013
From: PLATFORMATION, INC.
To: NAMUL APPLICATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 029605/0590 →
Continuity (3)
Division 11751522 · May 21, 2007
Provisional Application 60910800 · Apr 9, 2007
Related Publication 20100332348A1 · Dec 30, 2010