Patent Application
20070150403
The embodiments herein relate generally to methods and systems for wireless communications, and more particularly mobile networking.
For many mobile device users, Internet connectivity is an important aspect of life. Users can go on line to chat, check email, send messages, and exchange information. A user can be on line and always connected with a mobile device supporting Internet connectivity. One exciting aspect of being fully connected is having immediate access to news and information. Such information can include products for sale or purchase, and services being offered. Users can shop for products on-line, buying and selling, at their own convenience within the vicinity of their own home. Users can compare products on-line while looking at purchase factors such as price, quality, and service. Understandably, mobile devices have incorporated Internet application services for extending the purchasing power of the consumer.
In particular, EBay has redefined Internet commerce as a global interconnected market allowing users to actively engage in the mass exchange of market goods and services on-line. Using a computer or laptop, Internet users can list products for sale, buy products for sale, and comparison shop for goods on-line. With the large volume of goods traded on EBay, it can be a daunting task to keep track of which products are bought and sold, and under what categories those products fall. Internet users do not always know the name of the product they are looking to purchase, or necessarily the genre or class of the product. Finding a particular product can be a challenge for users not intimately familiar with the buying and selling process. Additionally, the majority of mobile devices do not provide an easy interface for entering large amounts of text for searching of items on the Internet. However, most mobile devices do incorporate a camera or other imaging capabilities that allows the user to easily capture items of interest. Therefore, what is needed is a way to leverage the simple image capture input through a mobile device to provide availability of items of interest on-line.
The embodiments of the invention concern a method and system for providing an auction concierge service using a mobile communication device. The auction concierge service facilitates search and monitoring of items posted for auction through the use of a camera equipped communication device. A user, having an interest in purchasing or selling a particular item, can take a picture of an item and upload an image of the item to a server hosting an image recognition service. The image recognition service can recognize the image and identify other objects available for sale or purchase on-line. The auction concierge service can interface with the image recognition service for communicating search results to a user. The auction concierge can include a broker service for conducting buy and sell activity on behalf of the user in a “live” auction environment. The auction concierge can identify a location of the mobile device and inform the user of entities within the area that have the item of interest available. The auction concierge service can activate a push-to-talk connection for placing a buyer and seller in immediate contact.
Embodiments of the invention also concern a method of auctioning an item using a mobile device. The method can include capturing an image of an item of interest, entering the image into a database, comparing the image to other images within the database for producing a list of comparable items, and presenting at least a portion of the list of comparable items at the mobile device for auctioning. The method can further include providing an auction concierge service for posting a sale or purchase of the item of interest. The method can further include adding descriptive content for association with the image and identifying at least one attribute within the image of the item of interest. The attribute can be a price, a quality, an age, a location or a model. For example, the item of intended purchase can be within a predetermined distance of a user. The auction concierge service can also provide relevant consumer reporting on uploaded images.
In another aspect, the method can include conducting a live auction wherein a broker acquires at least one image at auction and searches for buyers on-line. The auction concierge service can place a broker and a buyer in direct contact for bidding on an item of interest. For example, a user takes a picture of an item of interest on a mobile communication device, and a list of comparable items are presented to the user on the mobile communication device. The list of comparable items can include images of comparable objects for sale, prices, a quality, and a location of a place of entity for purchasing the objects. The auctioning service can identify at least one party to contact, and establishing communication between at least two parties for transacting a sale of an item. For example, the buyer and the seller can be placed in immediate contact for transacting a sale using a push-to-talk feature.
In yet another aspect, the method can include determining a location of the mobile device, and identifying a entity within a predetermined distance of the mobile device in view of the location. The entity can have access to at least one comparable item that is available for purchase or sale. The auction concierge service can provide an authentication process for ensuring secure transactions. The auction concierge service can provide a monetary brokerage for closing finances of the auction transaction.
The method further includes cataloging an image in a database, identifying a party having interest in the item as a buyer or a seller, and sending a message to the party for informing the party of comparable items within the database that are available for purchase or sale. For example, a server can host a database and match a buyer's image with one or more seller's images for bringing together the buyer and a seller.
Embodiments of the invention also concern a mobile device for providing auction concierge services. The system can include a camera for capturing an image of an item of interest, a processor connected to the camera for entering the image into at least one database, an image recognition unit communicatively coupled to the processor, and a display for presenting a list of comparable items available for sale or purchase. The image recognition unit can compare the image to other images within a database for providing the list of comparable items. The mobile device can further include a positioning system communicatively coupled to the processor. The positioning system can determine a location of the mobile device, and the processor can identify a entity within a predetermined distance of the mobile device based on the location. The mobile device can include a timer that can establish a time limit for honoring a purchase or sale of an item. In one arrangement, at least one database can be on a remote server.
Embodiments of the invention also concern a system for supporting auction concierge services. The system can include a processor for receiving and entering an image into at least one database, an image recognition unit communicatively coupled to the processor, and a publisher for publishing a list of comparable items available for auctioning.
The features of the system, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The embodiments herein, can be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the embodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the method, system, and other embodiments will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present method and system are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments of the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the embodiments herein.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “processor” can be defined as any number of suitable components that carry out a pre-programmed or programmed set of instructions.
The terms “program,” “software application,” and the like as used herein, are defined as a sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer system. A program, computer program, or software application may include a subroutine, a function, a procedure, an item method, an item implementation, an executable application, an applet, a servlet, a source code, an item code, a shared library/dynamic load library and/or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer system. The term “auction” is defined as any type of financial transaction.
Embodiments of the invention concern a system and method for auctioning an item in a mobile communication environment. The system can receive an image of the item of interest, enter the image into a database, compare the image to other images within the database, produce a list of comparable items, and present the list of comparable items for auctioning. Auctioning can include placing an item up for sale or purchasing an item. The mobile device provides auction concierge services that inform a user of one or more items for sale or purchase. The auction concierge service can include a broker to bid and accept offers on behalf of a buyer or seller that cannot timely participate in an auction. The auction concierge service can include the buying and selling of items available through conventional purchasing systems such as e-retailers or standard store order retailers. The auction concierge service applies to items available through normal purchasing and buying channels. In one arrangement, the mobile device can identify a entity having access to the item for sale, wherein the entity is located within a predetermined distance of the mobile device. In yet another arrangement, the auction concierge service provides an authentication process for ensuring secure transactions. The auction concierge service can also provide a monetary brokerage for closing finances of an auction transaction.
Referring to
The mobile device 102 can also connect to the Internet over a WLAN 104. Wireless Local Access Networks (WLANs) provide wireless access to the mobile communication environment 100 within a local geographical area 105. WLANs can also complement loading on a cellular system, so as to increase capacity. WLANs are typically composed of a cluster of Access Points (APs) 104 also known as base stations. The mobile communication device 102 can communicate with other WLAN stations such as a laptop 103 within the base station area 105. In typical WLAN implementations, the physical layer uses a variety of technologies such as 802.11b or 802.11g WLAN technologies. The physical layer may use infrared, frequency hopping spread spectrum in the 2.4 GHz Band, or direct sequence spread spectrum in the 2.4 GHz Band. The mobile device 102 can send and receive data to the server 130 or other remote servers on the mobile communication environment 100. In one example, the mobile device 102 can send and receive images from the database 140 through the server 130.
Referring to
Briefly, the mobile device 102 can be a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a laptop, or the like. A user can identify an item of interest, and take a picture of the item, i.e. the user has an interest in buying or selling the item. The camera 202 can be used to take a picture of the item and the processor 204 converts the picture to a requested image. The processor 204 can store the requested image to a database in an uncompressed format such as PCM, or compressed format such as JPEG, TIF, or GIF. The database can be on the mobile device 102, or on a server on the network. The image recognition unit 206 can compare the requested image to other images within the database thereby identifying items of similar physical characteristics. The image recognition unit 206 may preferably reside on the server, and is shown for the purpose of enablement in the illustration of
In one arrangement, the processor 204 can host software applications for posting the item at auction, thereby providing auction concierge services. For example, the mobile device 102 can support Java 2 MicroEdition (J2ME) graphical user interface applications. The J2ME application can include options to enter in textual information for describing the item. For example, the J2ME application can accept descriptive content such as the price range of the item, the quality of the item, the age of the item, the history of the item, and a preferred location of the item. For example, the user may be willing to travel up to a certain distance or city limit to purchase the item. The J2ME application can include and associate the descriptive content with the item image. The J2ME application can also provide an image identification option for pointing out features which accurately identify and particularly point the important attributes of the item. For example, the J2ME application can support a zoom option or a stylus option to zoom in on certain features within the image. This may clearly distinguish the item from other items of similar form or from background clutter. The J2ME application allows the user to isolate the features considered important by the user in making their purchase decision. Notably, particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the identifying features within the image improves the pattern recognition performance.
The mobile device 102 can further include a positioning system 210 to determine a location of the mobile device 102. Such positioning system can use satellite position system (SPS) satellite receivers, base station identifiers, access point identifiers, time of arrival techniques or other known location identifying methods. Understandably, the mobile device 102 can locate an entity having the item for sale or purchase. The processor 204 can identify an entity having the item within a predetermined distance of the mobile device 102. An entity can list contact information when placing an item for auction or when soliciting interest for an item. For example, the list of comparable items can include descriptive content that identifies physical attributes of the item such as size, weight, height and/or purchase attributes such as price, item location, quality, and age. The descriptive content can include buyer and seller reviews, consumer reporting information, item purchase history, reserve information, and support items. In one example, the attributes can be included in a meta data format with the list of comparables.
The mobile device 102 can further include an auction timer 212. The auction timer 212 can establish a time limit for honoring a purchase or sale of the item. The auction timer 212 can access a calendar or clock on the device, or it can receive timing information over the network. Briefly, a user using the mobile device can take a picture of an item, enter descriptive content, and post the item for auction. The auction timer can set a start time for bidding and an end date for final bids. The auction timer can countdown the time limit until the item is bought, sold, or removed. The timer 212 can log the number of attempts and responses made during a bid of an item at auction.
Referring to
Referring to
At step 401, the method can start. At step 402, an image of an item of interest (e.g. item) can be captured. For example, a potential buyer visually identifies an item that the buyer is interested in purchasing. The buyer could be in a store shopping or outside wherein an item of interest captures the buyer's attention. The buyer may be curious to the cost of the item or to particular attributes of the item. For example, the item can be a bicycle, and the buyer is interested in learning about the price, quality, or mechanics of the bicycle. Referring to
At step 404, the image is registered with a database. For example, referring to
At step 406, the item image is compared to other images within the database and a list of comparable items is produced. The server 130 can perform the image recognition task or the mobile device 102 can receive images from the server 130 for comparison. For example, referring to
At step 408, at least a portion of the list of comparable items can be published for auction. For example, referring to
In one arrangement, item location data can be included with the search request to narrow the search. For example, a user may be interested in buying a standard commodity item that can be available at local outlet stores or local businesses. Accordingly, the buyer is interested in identifying business entities within a local geographic region. The buyer can enter a relative distance into the mobile device 102 specifying acceptable locations for purchase. The server 130 can present a list of comparables that satisfy the relative distance requirements of the buyer. Alternatively, the mobile device 102 can screen a list of comparable objects and present only those which satisfy the buyer distance criteria.
Referring to
At step 501, the auction can start. At step 502, a received image can be catalogued. For example, referring to
At steps 504 and 506, a determination is made as to whether the user is a buyer or seller. Referring to
In one aspect, the auction is a “live” real-time process where other participants can join. For example, a broker can sign up to receive live auction service. The auction server 130 sends auction messages to the broker informing the broker of items at auction that are available for sale or purchase. The broker can also search through buyer lists or seller lists to bring together buyers and sellers in the market. The broker can search through the items currently at auction within the image database 140. The broker can be a software application or a person. For example, a seller creates a software broker that searches for items of interest on behalf of the seller. For example, the seller may not be able to timely join an auction scheduled at a certain date. Understandably, the seller enters purchase information into a mobile bid and the broker participates in the auction using the mobile bid. The broker is a proxy for the seller to post bids on the item. In another aspect, a buyer searches a broker database looking for images that satisfy descriptive content for an item of interest.
At step 512, a communication between the buyer and seller can be established before completing the process at step 513. For example, referring back to
Notably, steps 508-513 present auction steps for a seller, whereas steps 514-50 present auction steps for a buyer. Referring back to
Where applicable, the present embodiments can be realized in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein are suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can be a mobile communications device with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, can control the mobile communications device such that it carries out the methods described herein. Portions of the present method and system may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein and which when loaded in a computer system, is able to carry out these methods.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the embodiments of the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present embodiments of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
