IP Library Granted Patent US 11,397,977
Granted Patent B1
US 11,397,977 · App. 16/453,800 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Integration of image capturing mechanism into ecommerce application

Inventors: Katherine Swett (Long Island City, NY); Bo Han (San Francisco, CA); Drew Richards (Brooklyn, NY); John O'Brien-Carelli (Brooklyn, NY)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q30/0625G06Q30/0643G06T7/0002H04N5/23222G06F3/0482G06Q30/0641G06T2207/30168
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,397,977
App. No.
16/453,800
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

Integrating an image capturing mechanism into an ecommerce application is described. Images of items offered for sale via ecommerce channels associated with an ecommerce service provider and performance metrics associated with the images and/or content items with which the images are presented via the ecommerce channels can be analyzed. Based partly on the analyzing, a characteristic associated with the images that are associated with a performance metric that satisfies a threshold or that are presented by the content items that are associated with the performance metric that satisfies the threshold can be determined. A new image of an item to be offered for sale by a merchant via an ecommerce channel can be received and, based at least partly on the characteristic, it can be determined whether to integrate the new image into a content item for the merchant, wherein the content item to be presented via the ecommerce channel.

Claims (84)

1. A method, implemented by a computing device associated with an ecommerce service provider, comprising:

analyzing images of items offered for sale via ecommerce web pages hosted by the ecommerce service provider and performance metrics associated with (i) the images or (ii) the ecommerce web pages, each ecommerce web page presenting an image of the images;

identifying, based partly on the analyzing, a characteristic of images (i) that have a performance metric that satisfies a threshold or (ii) that are presented by the ecommerce web pages that have the performance metric that satisfies the threshold;

receiving a new image of an item to be offered for sale by a merchant via an ecommerce web page of the merchant;

evaluating, responsive to receiving the new image and based partly on the characteristic, the new image; and

determining whether to integrate the new image into the ecommerce web page of the merchant based at least partly on the evaluating of the new image.

2. The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, not to integrate the new image into the ecommerce web page of the merchant;

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, instructions to guide the merchant through capturing another image of the item;

causing the instructions to be presented via an ecommerce application executable by a device of the merchant, wherein the instructions are presented in near real-time to enable the merchant to capture the other image via a camera mechanism integrated with the ecommerce application;

receiving the other image of the item for integration into the ecommerce web page of the merchant; and

integrating the other image into the ecommerce web page of the merchant.

3. The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, not to integrate the new image into the ecommerce web page of the merchant;

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating and the new image, instructions to guide a robotic camera through capturing another image of the item;

receiving, from the robotic camera, the other image of the item; and

integrating the other image into the ecommerce web page of the merchant.

4. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

analyzing images of items offered for sale via ecommerce channels associated with an ecommerce service provider and performance metrics associated with at least one of (i) the images or (ii) content items with which the images are presented via the ecommerce channels, each content item presenting at least one image of the images;

identifying, based partly on the analyzing, a characteristic associated with one or more of the images that are (i) associated with a performance metric that satisfies a threshold or (ii) presented by one or more of the content items that are associated with the performance metric that satisfies the threshold;

receiving a new image of an item associated with a merchant; and

determining, based at least in part on the characteristic, whether to integrate the new image into a content item for the merchant, the content item to be presented via at least one ecommerce channel of the ecommerce channels.

5. The system as claim 4 recites, wherein the operations further comprise evaluating, responsive to receiving the new image and based at least in part on the characteristic, the new image, wherein the new image is received from an image capturing device associated with a merchant device of the merchant, a data store storing one or more images of the merchant, or an existing ecommerce content item.

6. The system as claim 5 recites, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, one or more instructions to guide the merchant through capturing another image of the item;

causing the one or more instructions to be presented via an ecommerce user interface presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant;

receiving the other image of the item via the ecommerce user interface; and

integrating the other image into the content item.

7. The system as claim 5 recites, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, that the new image satisfies at least one of a quality threshold or a performance threshold; and

integrating the new image into the content item.

8. The system as claim 5 recites, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, that the new image does not satisfy a performance threshold; and

prompting, via an ecommerce user interface presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant, the merchant to access another image, the new image being temporarily integrated into the content item until the other image is received.

9. The system as claim 5 recites, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, that the new image does not satisfy a quality threshold;

sending a request for another image to a merchant device operable by the merchant; and

causing the request to be presented via an ecommerce user interface presented via the merchant device, the new image being withheld from being integrated into the content item.

10. The system as claim 4 recites, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating, responsive to receiving the new image, one or more instructions based at least in part on the new image;

sending the one or more instructions to a robotic camera to capture another image of the item based at least in part on the one or more instructions; and

integrating the other image into the content item instead of the new image.

11. The system as claim 4 recites, wherein the operations further comprise, prior to receiving the new image:

receiving a request to capture the new image of the item;

determining, based at least in part on the characteristic, one or more instructions to guide the merchant through capturing the new image of the item;

causing the one or more instructions to be presented via an ecommerce user interface presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant; and

integrating the new image into the content item responsive to receiving the new image via the user interface.

12. The system as claim 11 recites, wherein:

the one or more instructions are presented in near real-time to enable the merchant to capture the new image via a camera mechanism accessible via an ecommerce user interface presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant; or

the one or more instructions are presented via an ecommerce user interface presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant to enable the merchant to capture one or more instruction images to be used for cueing a robotic camera to capture the new image of the item.

13. The system as claim 11 recites, the operations further comprising determining the one or more instructions based at least in part on at least one of the item or a vertical associated with the merchant.

14. The system as claim 4 recites, wherein the content item is a web page, a social media post, a marketplace post, or a message.

15. A method, implemented by one or more computing devices associated with an ecommerce service provider, the method comprising:

analyzing images of items offered for sale via ecommerce channels associated with an ecommerce service provider and performance metrics associated with at least one of (i) the images or (ii) content items with which the images are presented via the ecommerce channels, each content item presenting at least one image of the images;

identifying, based partly on the analyzing, a characteristic associated with one or more of the images that are (i) associated with a performance metric that satisfies a threshold or (ii) presented by one or more of the content items that are associated with the performance metric that satisfies the threshold;

receiving a new image of an item associated with a merchant; and

determining, based at least in part on the characteristic, whether to integrate the new image into a content item for the merchant, the content item to be presented via at least one ecommerce channel of the ecommerce channels.

16. The method as claim 15 recites, further comprising:

evaluating, responsive to receiving the new image and based at least in part on the characteristic, the new image; and

causing results associated with the evaluating to be presented via an ecommerce user interface associated with a merchant device operable by the merchant.

17. The method as claim 16 recites, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, one or more instructions to guide the merchant through capturing another image of the item;

causing the one or more instructions to be presented via the ecommerce user interface;

receiving the other image of the item via the ecommerce user interface; and

integrating the other image into the content item of the merchant.

18. The method as claim 16 recites, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, that the new image satisfies at least one of a quality threshold or a performance threshold, and integrating the new image into the content item of the merchant; or

determining, based at least in part on the evaluating, that the new image does not satisfy at least one of the quality threshold or the performance threshold, and integrating another image into the content item of the merchant instead of the new image.

19. The method as claim 15 recites, further comprising, prior to receiving the new image:

receiving a request to capture the new image of the item;

determining, based at least in part on the characteristic, one or more instructions to guide the merchant through capturing the new image of the item; and

causing the one or more instructions to be presented via an ecommerce user interface associated with a merchant device operable by the merchant; and

integrating the new image into the content item of the merchant responsive to receiving the new image via the content item.

20. The method as claim 15 recites, further comprising, prior to receiving the new image of the item:

receiving a request for image capturing services available via the ecommerce service provider;

determining photographer courier information associated with one or more photographer couriers that perform image capturing services on behalf of the ecommerce service provider;

determining, based at least in part on the request and the photographer courier information, (i) a first option for requesting one of the one or more photographer couriers to be dispatched to a merchant location of the merchant or (ii) a second option for providing the item to a physical location associated with the ecommerce service provider;

causing the first option and the second option to be presented via a merchant device operable by the merchant;

receiving, from the merchant device, a subsequent request indicating a selection of the first option;

selecting, responsive to receiving the subsequent request and based on the merchant, the item, and the photographer courier information, a photographer courier of the one or more photographer couriers;

sending, to a courier user interface presented via a courier device of the photographer courier, a dispatch instruction to travel to the merchant location of the merchant to perform image capturing services on behalf of the ecommerce service provider; and

receiving the new image from the courier user interface.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 5, 2022
From: SQUARE, INC.
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 058646/0154 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2019
From: SWETT, KATHERINE; HAN, BO; RICHARDS, DREW; O'BRIEN-CARELLI, JOHN
To: SQUARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 049672/0213 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,316,957