IP Library Granted Patent US 8,862,690
Granted Patent B2
US 8,862,690 · App. 11/961,030 · Granted Oct 14, 2014

System and method for creating topic neighborhood visualizations in a networked system

Inventors: Nathan Sacco (San Jose, CA); Ryan Melcher (Ben Lomond, CA)
Assignee: eBay Inc.
G06F17/3089G06Q30/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,862,690
App. No.
11/961,030
Granted
Oct 14, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for creating topic neighborhoods and a visualization for related topic neighborhoods in a networked system are disclosed. The apparatus in an example embodiment includes a neighborhood generator configured to receive an explicit identification of a topic for association with a neighborhood; create a neighborhood in association with the explicitly identified topic; gather neighborhood information related to the neighborhood from sources related to the topic; and provide access to the neighborhood via a neighborhood visualization on a webpage.

Claims (18)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining user behavior or interest information based on automatically detected patterns of user behavior, the user behavior including prior user search queries; correlating, by use of a hardware processor, the user behavior or interest information with a dynamically detected topic;

creating a neighborhood implicitly in association with the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood defining a group of users who share an interest or behavior; gathering neighborhood information by using the dynamically detected topic as a search term to search from sources including information related to the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood information including information from a related neighborhood determined based on participation of the group of users in the related neighborhood; automatically inviting users to join the implicitly created neighborhood; and providing access to the neighborhood via a neighborhood visualization on a webpage.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neighborhood information sources include at least one item of the group: merchandising, blogs, guides, reviews, people, and photos.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 including inviting users to suggest additional neighborhood content sources for the neighborhood.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 including inviting users to vote for a favored neighborhood.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neighborhood visualization includes displaying the neighborhood as a large flower-shaped image with leaves that show data elements related to the neighborhood.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a neighborhood generator, stored in the memory, and that, executed by the processor, is configured to:

obtain user behavior or interest information based on automatically detected patterns of user behavior, the user behavior including prior user search queries; correlate the user behavior or interest information with a dynamically detected topic; create a neighborhood implicitly in association with the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood defining a group of users who share an interest or behavior; gather neighborhood information by using the dynamically detected topic as a search term to search from sources including information related to the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood information including information from a related neighborhood determined based on participation of the group of users in the related neighborhood; automatically invite users to join the implicitly created neighborhood; and provide access to the neighborhood via a neighborhood visualization on a webpage.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the neighborhood information sources include at least one item of the group: merchandising, blogs, guides, reviews, people, and photos.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 being further configured to invite users to suggest additional neighborhood content sources for the neighborhood.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 being further configured to invite users to vote for a favored neighborhood.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the neighborhood visualization being further configured to display the neighborhood as a large flower-shaped image with leaves that show data elements related to the neighborhood.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

obtain user behavior or interest information based on automatically detected patterns of user behavior, the user behavior including prior user search queries; correlate the user behavior or interest information with a dynamically detected topic; create a neighborhood implicitly in association with the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood defining a group of users who share an interest or behavior; gather neighborhood information by using the dynamically detected topic as a search term to search from sources including information related to the dynamically detected topic, the neighborhood information including information from a related neighborhood determined based on participation of the group of users in the related neighborhood; automatically invite users to join the implicitly created neighborhood; and provide access to the neighborhood via a neighborhood visualization on a webpage.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2008
From: SACCO, NATHAN; MELCHER, RYAN
To: EBAY INC.
Reel/Frame 021247/0072 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 60976062 · Sep 28, 2007
Provisional Application 60978331 · Oct 8, 2007
Related Publication 20090089678A1 · Apr 2, 2009