Use of social connections for item exploration

Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity associated with one or more contacts of a user having a user account with an electronic commerce system. In one embodiment, a determination is made as to whether each contact is associated with a different user account with the electronic commerce system. If so, network content comprising such relevant browsing and/or purchasing history may be presented to the user.

BACKGROUND

A user may browse various items they wish to purchase via online commerce. Many times, friends of the user may have previously explored and/or researched such items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to obtaining relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity associated with one or more contacts of a user. In one embodiment, a user having a user account with an electronic commerce system may have developed one or more relationships with various contacts and/or friends through a social networking account. As such, the user's social networking account may be accessed in order to obtain information about each of the user's contacts and/or friends. In some cases, one or more contacts and/or friends may also have a user account with the electronic commerce system. To this end, the user may consult or view a relevant browsing history and/or purchasing history associated with such contacts relating to items being browsed by the user in order to make an informed purchasing decision. In the following discussion, a general description of the system and its components is provided, followed by a discussion of the operation of the same.

With reference toFIG. 1, shown is a networked environment100according to various embodiments. The networked environment100includes a computing device103, clients106, and a network109. The network109includes, for example, the Internet, intranets, extranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wired networks, wireless networks, or other suitable networks, etc., or any combination of two or more such networks.

The computing device103may comprise, for example, a server computer or any other system providing computing capability. Alternatively, a plurality of computing devices103may be employed that are arranged, for example, in one or more server banks or computer banks or other arrangements. For example, a plurality of computing devices103together may comprise a cloud computing resource, a grid computing resource, and/or any other distributed computing arrangement. Such computing devices103may be located in a single installation or may be distributed among many different geographical locations. For purposes of convenience, the computing device103is referred to herein in the singular. Even though the computing device is referred to in the singular, it is understood that a plurality of computing devices103may be employed in the various arrangements as described above.

Various applications and/or other functionality may be executed in the computing device103according to various embodiments. Also, various data is stored in a data store112that is accessible to the computing device103. The data store112may be representative of a plurality of data stores as can be appreciated. The data stored in the data store112, for example, is associated with the operation of the various applications and/or functional entities described below.

The components executed on the computing device103, for example, include an electronic commerce system115and other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functionality not discussed in detail herein. The electronic commerce system115may include various components such as, for instance, a social network interface application118, a network page encoder124, and other applications and/or processes as can be appreciated.

The electronic commerce system115is executed in order to facilitate the online purchase of items over the network109. The electronic commerce system115also performs various back-end functions associated with the online presence of a merchant in order to facilitate the online purchase of items133. For example, the electronic commerce system115may generate various network pages using the network page encoder124, such as web pages, or other types of network content that are provided to clients106for the purposes of selecting items133for purchase, rental, download, lease, or any other forms of consumption as can be appreciated. Alternatively, a mobile application may be executed in a client106to generate and render user interfaces using data served up by the computing device103and/or other servers. To this end, when rendered, network pages157generate a user interface as can be appreciated.

The social network interface application118may be configured to access a user's social networking account registered through a social networking platform application, such as, for instance, Facebook®, Twitter®, LinkedIn®, Myspace®, and potentially other social networking platform applications. Further, the social query application118may obtain data about one or more contacts/friends of the user by gathering data from the user's social networking account and identify if such contacts/friends are associated with a different user account140through the electronic commerce system115. If so, the social network interface application118may identify and present to the user relevant browsing and/or purchasing associated with each of the user's contacts/friends as will be described.

The data stored in the data store112includes, for example, a catalog130of items133, user accounts140, and potentially other data. Associated with each of the items133is item data137, and potentially other data. The item data137may comprise information about each of the items133, such as, for instance, item descriptions, item prices, item reviews, item images, and potentially other data.

Associated with each user account140are user account data143, a browsing history145, a purchase history147, social network data149, and potentially other data. The user account data143may comprise information about a particular user, such as, for example, name, address, payment instruments, billing information, account settings, passwords, and potentially other data.

The browsing history145may comprise information associated with a user's browsing activity, such as, for instance, a listing of the items133viewed by the user, an amount of time the user spent looking at one or more network pages157associated with one or more items133and potentially other data. The purchase history147may comprise information associated with a user's purchasing activity, such as, for instance, a listing of the items133the user has purchased and potentially other data.

Lastly, each user account140may comprise social network data149. In one embodiment, the social network data149may comprise information about one or more friends or contacts of the user, such as, for instance, names, usernames, a description of networks, and potentially other data as will be described.

The client106is representative of a plurality of client devices that may be coupled to the network109. The client106may comprise, for example, a processor-based system such as a computer system. Such a computer system may be embodied in the form of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a set-top box, a music player, a web pad, a tablet computer system, a game console, an electronic book reader, or other devices with like capability.

The client106may be configured to execute various applications, such as, a browser151, and/or other applications. The browser151may be executed in a client106, for example, to access and render one or more network pages157, such as web pages or other network content served up by the computing device103and/or other servers. Alternatively, a mobile application may be executed in a client106to generate and render user interfaces using data served up by the computing device103and/or other servers. To this end, when rendered, network pages157generate a user interface as can be appreciated.

Next, a general description of the operation of the various components of the networked environment100is provided. As briefly discussed above, one or more users having a user account140through the electronic commerce system115may also have one or more social networking accounts. That is, a user may have created a social networking account by registering with a social networking platform application, such as, for instance, Facebook®, Twitter®, LinkedIn®, Myspace®, and the like. In some cases, the user may have established a number of relationships with various friends or contacts on the same networking platform. As such, the social networking account may comprise information about various friends or contacts of the user. For instance, a user having a Facebook® account may have hundreds of friends by submitting friend requests to other users having a Facebook® account.

To this end, a user may wish to link their user account140to their social networking account. To do so, a user may submit a request to the electronic commerce system115through network109. In one embodiment, the user may provide security information in the request that may be used in order to access their social networking account, such as, for instance, a username, passwords, and so on. In another embodiment, such security information may have been previously provided and stored in association with a user's user account140.

Upon receiving the request, the electronic commerce system115may execute the social network interface application118. In one embodiment, the social network interface application118may be configured to access a user's social networking account by providing the user's security information to the social networking platform application operating the social networking account.

After successfully accessing a user's social networking account, the social network interface application118may then identify information associated with each social networking relationship with the user, such as friends of the user. For instance, a user's social networking account may comprise information about each friend of the user, such as, for instance, a username, a first and last name, one or more networks, a place they are living, and the like. As such, the social network interface application118may extract such information for each of the user's friends. In another embodiment, the social network interface application118may identify information associated each friend of the user by searching the user's social networking activity, such as, for example, identifying each instance the user submitted a friend request that was accepted by another user on the platform.

Thereafter, the social network interface application118may determine whether any of the user's friends or contacts are associated with other user accounts140in the electronic commerce system115. To do so, the social network interface application118may use various techniques. In one embodiment, the social network interface application118may generate keywords from the information associated with each friend obtained from the user's social networking account. Thereafter, the social networking application118may execute a search of one or more different user accounts140in order to identify one or more associations between the keywords and user account data143.

For instance, suppose the social network interface application118has identified that one friend of the user is associated with the name, John Smith, lives in Seattle, Wash., and belongs to the network entitled “I love photography!” To this end, the social network interface application118may search user account data143, a browsing history145and/or purchasing history147in order to determine a different user account140that is associated with a user having a name of John Smith, in Seattle and/or a purchase history147of various items133related to photography.

In another embodiment, the social network interface application118may determine if each friend or contact is associated with a user account140by identifying a friend's social networking account. That is, the social networking application118may search different user accounts140of the electronic commerce system115in order to identify a particular user account140that links to the same social networking account of the user's friend.

For instance, suppose the social network interface application118has accessed a user's social networking that is associated with a second social networking account. Further assume that the second social networking account is associated with a Sarah Brown that lives in Seattle, Wash. As such, the social network interface application118may have searched various user accounts140and identified six user accounts140associated with the name Sarah Brown living in Seattle. To this end, the social network interface application118may access each of the six user accounts140in order to identify a particular user account140that is linked to the same social networking account associated with the user's friend named Sarah Brown.

After identifying one or more friends of the user having a user account140, the social network interface application118may store a listing of each of the friend's user accounts140in social network data149. For those users who have also linked to their social networking account on the same platform of the user, the social network interface application118may facilitate the user consulting a browsing and/or purchasing activity for each friend.

In one embodiment, the browsing and/or purchasing activity for each friend may comprise, for example, a listing and/or description of one or more items133being browsed and/or purchased by the friend, a time and/or date the friend spent viewing each item133, and potentially other information. Additionally, the browsing and/or purchasing activity for each friend may comprise, a listing of one or more items133associated with a review submitted by the friend, added to the friend's wish list, added to the friend's shopping cart, and the like.

For instance, in some cases, a user may want to purchase an item133within an item category, but may not know much about the item category. For instance, a user may wish to purchase a digital camera within the electronics category, but doesn't know which digital camera within that category is easy to use, reasonably priced, and so on. As such, the user may generate a request to view a friend's history of browsing and/or purchasing items133that relate to a digital camera.

To do so, a user may select a control in order to generate a request to view a friend's relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity. That is, a user may be viewing one or more network pages157generated by the electronic commerce system115comprising information about various digital cameras. If the user is unfamiliar with digital cameras, then the user may select a control or button in order to generate the request to the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history relating to digital cameras for other users having a social networking relationship with the user, such as, friends of the user. Additionally, in one embodiment, the user may select a range of temporal values in order to view only the browsing and/or purchasing activity occurring within a predefined period of time.

In another embodiment, the social network interface application118may be configured to automatically generate a request to view friends' browsing and/or purchasing activity if the user is browsing various items133. That is, the social network interface application118may be configured to detect that the user is browsing based upon, for instance, the user hovering a mouse around one or more items133related to a particular category and/or repeatedly viewing various items133associated with one category.

In response to such request, the social network interface application118may identify whether one or more friends of the user has browsed and/or purchased items133associated with the user's browsing activity. To do so, in one embodiment, the social network interface application118may generate one or more keywords associated with the items133the user is browsing. The keywords may be based upon, for instance, a user's search query, a description of the items133or a category associated with the user's browsing activity.

To this end, the social network interface application118may then use such keywords to execute a search of each friend's browsing history145and/or the purchase history147. For instance, in the example above, the social network interface application118may have generated the keywords “digital camera” and searched each friend's user account140in order to identify all browsing and/or purchasing histories associated with digital cameras.

Upon identifying all relevant browsing and/or purchase activity, the social network interface application118may generate one or more network pages157comprising the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity for rendering for display on a client106of the user. For each friend, the network page157may comprise a browsing history145, a purchase history147, the time the friend spent browsing, whether the friend's browsing activity resulted in a purchase, and potentially other information.

In one embodiment, the user or one or more of the user's friends may not wish to share their browsing and/or purchasing history with others. To this end, the user and/or friends of the user may select a control in order to identify whether a browsing and/or purchasing history is private or public to other users.

In another embodiment, the social network interface application118may first analyze and/or rank the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activities and then generate one or more network pages157based upon such rankings. For instance, the social network interface application118may rank the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity based upon, characteristics of the items133browsed and/or purchased, such as item prices, item reviews, items133that are new, and the like.

As another non-limiting example, the social network interface application118may rank the relevant browsing and purchasing activity based upon, for instance, how long a friend spent browsing, whether the relevant browsing history appears to be deliberate, and the like. For instance, assume that a first user browsed similar items133for two hours and fifty minuets and a second user browsed similar items133for five minutes in one day. In this example, the social networking application118may only display the browsing activity of the first user.

In another non-limiting example, the social network interface application118may rank the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity based upon similarity between the user and each of the user's friends in background, interests, and the like. For instance, if the user is a computer analyst, then social networking application118may rank and display the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity associated with friend's that work with computers.

In another embodiment, the social network interface application118may identify a listing of items133included in the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activities and select one or more items133to recommend to the user. For instance, suppose the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history of other user accounts140includes ten different items133. To this end, the social network interface application118may generate recommendations for one or more items133based upon a variety of factors, such as, for instance, the similarity in background, interests between the user and each of the user's friends.

In still other embodiments, the social network interface application118may generate one or more network pages157comprising the relevant browsing and/or purchasing that is associated with one or more factors identified by the user. For instance, a user may identify that they only wish to view the relevant browsing history that resulted in a purchase, exceeded two hours, and the like. To this end, the social network interface application118may display to the user only the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity meeting the user's objective.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the one or more network pages157may comprise contact information for each friend associated with a relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity. That is, the social network interface application118may identify an email address, a phone number, and potentially other contact information that the user may use in order to contact one or more friends. To this end, the user may contact and ask specific questions about the item133that one or more of their friends have browsed or purchased.

In another embodiment, the user may use a messaging system in order to ask a friend about one or more items133browsed and/or purchased by the friend. To do so, the user may select a control to in order to generate a message to the friend, such as, for instance, an email, a text message, an instant message, a telephone message, and so on. The message may then be transmitted to the friend, either synchronously or asynchronously. For instance, the browsing and/or purchasing activity of a friend may indicate the friend purchased a book to read on an electronic reading device. To this end, the user may generate and transmit an email message to the friend inquiring if the user may borrow the book.

Referring next toFIG. 2, shown is a flowchart that provides one example of the operation of a portion of the social network interface application118according to various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 2provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operation of the portion of the social network interface application118as described herein. As an alternative, the flowchart ofFIG. 2may be viewed as depicting an example of steps of a method implemented in the computing device103(FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.

Beginning with box201, in response to a request from a user to link their user account140(FIG. 1) to their social networking account, the social network interface application118may access the user's social networking account. As described above, a user may provide security information such as, usernames, passwords, etc. to the social network interface application118in order to access their social networking account, such as usernames, passwords, and the like. Thereafter, in box203, the social network interface application118may extract information about each friend or contact of the user, such as a name, an address, a description of interests, and so on.

Next, in box205, the social network interface application118determines if one or more friends of the user is associated with a user account140. To do so, the social network interface application118may compare the information associated with each of the user's friends data stored in association with each user account. Alternatively, the social network interface application118may find user accounts140of users that have given access to the same social network page as the user's friend. If none of the friends of the user are associated with a user account, then the social networking application118ends as shown. If, however, one or more friends are associated with a user account140, then in box207, the social network interface application118stores a listing of each of the friend's user accounts140. Thereafter, the social network interface application118ends as shown.

Referring next toFIG. 3, shown is a flowchart that provides another example of the operation of a portion of the social network interface application118according to various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 3provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operation of the portion of the social network interface application118as described herein. As an alternative, the flowchart ofFIG. 3may be viewed as depicting an example of steps of a method implemented in the computing device103(FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.

Beginning with box301, the social network interface application118receives a request from the user to view the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity of one or more friends. Thereafter, in box303, the social network interface application118identifies one or more keywords associated with the browsing activity of the user.

Thereafter, in box305, the social network interface application118determines if one or more friends of the user has generated a browsing history145(FIG. 1) and/or purchase history147(FIG. 1) relating to one or more keywords associated with the browsing activity of the user. If none of the user's friends have browsed and/or purchased one or more items133(FIG. 1) associated with the user's browsing activity, then the social network interface application118ends as shown. If, however, one or more friends have browsed and/or purchased one or more items133associated with the user's browsing activity, then the social network interface application118proceeds to box307.

In box307, the social network interface application118then generates one or more network pages157(FIG. 1) or other network content that presents the relevant browsing and/or purchasing activity of the user's friends. Lastly, in box309, the social network interface application118then transmits the network page157to the user. Thereafter, the social networking application118ends as shown.

Turning now toFIG. 4, shown is a drawing of an example of a user interface rendered by a client in the networked environment ofFIG. 1according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, the network page157may comprise a relevant browsing history and/or purchasing history401a,401bassociated with two friends of the user, namely Art and Sarah. For each friend, the browsing and/or purchasing history may comprise an image of the item133viewed and/or purchased by the friend, a description of the item133, and a time and date the friend viewed and/or purchased the item133. That is, the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history401aof Art indicates that Art browsed a Sanon digital camera on November 2ndfor 23 minutes, a Dixon digital camera for 23 minutes and 52 minutes on November 1stand 2ndrespectively, and another Sanon digital camera for 11 minutes on November 3rd.

Additionally, for each item133, the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history for each friend may also include a description of other actions taken by the friend, such as, for instance, if the friend purchased the item133, added the item to a wish list or shopping cart, submitted a review of the item133, and potentially other actions. That is, the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history401aof Art indicates that Art added the Dixon digital camera to his wish list on November 2nd. Similarly, the relevant browsing and/or purchasing history401bof Sarah indicates Sarah purchased an Emilio digital camera on October 30th.

Further, for each item133associated with a friends' browsing and/or purchase history401a control is provided that the user may select in order to facilitate a communication with the friend. For instance, the control may be selected in order to generate a message to the friend such as, for example, an email, a text message, an instant message, and the like. The user may then transmit the message to the friend either synchronously or asynchronously.

For instance, the user may wish to ask Sarah why she purchased the Emilio camera. To do so, in one embodiment, the user may select the “Ask Sarah about this Item” button in order to be directed to another network page157showing one or more methods that may be used to contact Sarah, such as, an email address, a phone number, and so on. Additionally, in one embodiment, if the friend is logged into their social networking account and/or user account, the user may select the “Ask Sarah about this item” button in order to synchronously communicate with the friend via, for instance, instant message.

With reference toFIG. 5, shown is a schematic block diagram of the computing device103according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computing device103includes at least one processor circuit, for example, having a processor503and a memory506, both of which are coupled to a local interface509. To this end, the computing device103may comprise, for example, at least one server computer or like device. The local interface509may comprise, for example, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or other bus structure as can be appreciated.

Stored in the memory506are both data and several other components that are executable by the processor503. In particular, stored in the memory506and executed by the processor503are an electronic commerce system115, a social network interface application118, a network page encoder124, a server op system513, and potentially other applications. Also stored in the memory506may be a data store112and other data. In addition, an operating system may be stored in the memory506and executable by the processor503.

It is understood that there may be other applications that are stored in the memory506and are executable by the processors503as can be appreciated. Where any component discussed herein is implemented in the form of software, any one of a number of programming languages may be employed such as, for example, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Visual Basic, Python, Ruby, Delphi, Flash, or other programming languages.

Also, the processor503may represent multiple processors503and the memory506may represent multiple memories506that operate in parallel processing circuits, respectively. In such a case, the local interface509may be an appropriate network109(FIG. 1) that facilitates communication between any two of the multiple processors503, between any processor503and any of the memories506, or between any two of the memories506, etc. The local interface509may comprise additional systems designed to coordinate this communication, including, for example, performing load balancing. The processor503may be of electrical or of some other available construction.