Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for administering a live, online, interactive shopping event. The method may comprise providing a web page on an interface of a host device through which at least one potential buyer and an event host may interact, representing the at least one potential buyer by an avatar displayed within the web page, displaying an image of an item being sold within the web page, displaying a live video stream provided by the event host within the web page, wherein the live video stream is displayed to the at least one potential buyer, and providing for the at least one potential buyer to at least one of view, discuss, and purchase the item being sold within the web page, the purchasing process being initiated by an action taken by the at least one potential buyer on the web page.

Abstract: Once a product in an auction has been purchased, a message relay (101) relays messages about sale and purchase of the product exchanged between a seller of the product and a bidder who is the winning bidder of the product, between a seller terminal used by the seller and a bidder terminal used by the winning bidder. A history storage (102) stores a history of the relayed messages. An information generator (103) uses the history to (1) estimate a seller's time that is required by the seller, in a period from when a not-yet purchased product is purchased until the product will be dispatched (2) estimates a bidder's time that is required by the bidder in the period from when the not-yet purchased product is purchased until the product will be dispatched and (3) calculates a sum of the seller's time and bidder's time, and employs the calculated sum as the expected period that is required from when the not-yet purchased product is purchased until the product will be dispatched.

Abstract: Producing, by a digital media production hub from users' digital expressions of preferences, information describing a user community's preference for replacing the modifiable part of the digital media product with a replacement part; receiving, in the digital media production hub from a media product owner, the digital media product and a digital grant of rights to modify and distribute the digital media product; receiving, by the digital media production hub from a media parts provider, at least one replacement part, a digital grant of rights to use the replacement part to modify the digital media product, and a digital grant of rights to distribute the replacement part with the digital media product; and replacing, by the digital media production hub in accordance with the information describing the user community preference and the digital grants of rights, the modifiable part with the replacement part.

Abstract: A method of enabling adaptable demonstrations of products provides products with an internal communications network among at least two components, and includes distributing the products to vendors in different markets, providing to each vendor at least one smart device capable of assuming control of a component in the products, and distributing demonstration software to the vendors having smart devices. The demonstration software is unique to the vendor and/or the market so that the smart devices in different markets or among different vendors can be uniquely adapted to cause demonstration of the components in the products.

Abstract: A shopping system and method for assisting consumers with budgeting and taking advantage of time-sensitive pricing offers. The system comprises a handheld wireless device capable of capturing images of quick response (QR) codes and scanning linear image indicia; a remote pricing information provider; and a personal computer. Pricing information about specific products or a category of products is downloaded from a pricing information provider either directly to the wireless device or to a personal computer and then transferred to the wireless device. The consumer then scans a QR code associated with a time-sensitive offer to update the pricing information stored in the wireless device. When the consumer goes shopping, he scans the barcodes of products for purchase and the associated pricing information is accessed by the device to create a summed total of scanned products. Consumers can use the system to maintain their budget and take advantage of store discounts.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based e-commerce environment includes a merchant site to receive a voice call associated with a purchase transaction from a consumer, generate a payment request corresponding to the consumer purchase transaction in response to receiving the voice call, send the payment request to a payment site, and receive confirmation from the payment site that payment for the consumer purchase transaction has been received.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a digital content distributor may transmit an unsigned license associated with a protected digital object to a digital rights management provider. The digital rights management provider may digitally sign the license and may transmit the signed license to the digital content distributor.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a detecting unit for detecting a commercial message contained in a broadcast television program, a feature quantity calculating unit for calculating a feature quantity of the detected commercial message, a recording unit for recording incidental information relating to the commercial message and the feature quantity of the commercial message, a searching unit for searching for a commercial message satisfying an identification condition, from among commercial messages detected, the identification condition identifying the commercial message and containing a period within which the commercial message has been broadcast and a communication unit for receiving a transmitted transmission request requesting transmission of the feature quantity and the incidental information of the broadcast commercial message satisfying the identification condition, and for transmitting the feature quantity and the incidental information of all commercial messages satisfying the identific

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for conducting an online auction via a social networking forum for a cohort of users that have a pre-established association with an experience scheduled to occur at a predetermined time, a predetermined date and a predetermined location. The system may provide a social networking forum that facilitates social networking communications amongst members of the forum combined with auction capabilities that provide items that may be relevant to its members. Users in the cohort may join the social networking forum as members. The social networking forum may provide a supplier of an item for auction with a target audience that may be interested in the item by virtue of their pre-established association with an experience. Similarly, from the perspective of a member of the forum, the system may provide an auction that includes items that may be of interest to the member.

Abstract: A method of determining a service provider to perform a service. A request for the service and requirements pertaining to performance of the service is received. Identification of providers of service capable of performing the service in conformity with the requirements is received. The request and the requirements are broadcasted to the providers of service. An indication of willingness, by service providers selected from the providers of service, to perform the service in conformity with the requirements is received. An indication of performance of the service by each service provider and statistical data indicative of an extent to which performance of the service by each service provider matches each requirement are received. A preferred service provider is ascertained from analysis of the statistical data, based on performance of the service by the preferred service provider most closely matching the requirements. An identification of the preferred service provider is stored.

Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and methods for generating matching customized product designs and preparing images of matching customized products in a montage for displaying to a user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for collecting, selecting, and displaying an image or image set in a network based environment are described. The systems and methods can collect multiple images for any given item from multiple sources, select a desired image (or set of images) that best depicts that item, and then display that selected image (or image set) in the network based environment. The desired image (or image set) that best depicts the item can be selected using any number or combination of pre-selected criteria. By using the pre-selected criteria, the process needs no manual intervention, and can therefore be automated or semi-automated to save both time and cost.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an effective, user-friendly approach to help a buyer of a car, truck, boat, or other vehicle to get a firm quote from a dealer on a vehicle that the buyer wants, and is financially qualified for, without the hassle and time expense involved in traditional vehicle sales. Embodiments of the present disclosure also help link dealers with buyers who are pre-qualified and motivated to purchase a vehicle, thus helping to eliminate the wasted time, money, and opportunity costs dealers often devote to customers who are not interested in purchasing, and/or who do not financially qualify to purchase, a vehicle.

Abstract: A method of presenting n offer of an image-bearing product to a user provides access to a plurality of user image files. User image files are analyzed to obtain semantic information about the content of the plurality of image files. An offer for the image-bearing product based on the semantic information obtained, wherein the product uses at least one image from the plurality of image files. The offer is transmitted to the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and computer systems for ordering customized furniture pieces to be upholstered and an upholstery covering. In particular, the methods of the present invention relate to calculating the amount of a covering needed based on the fabric repeat size in the case of a fabric covering, or based on hide inconsistencies in the case of a leather covering.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for authorization of independent agents for processing calls and distribution of calls to authorized agents are provided. An independent agent may purchase or otherwise acquire credits for leads related to commerce transactions. The credits may be maintained by a call center and accessed by a device responsible for routing calls to agents. Calls or other transactions leads may then be directed to the independent agent, and the independent agents credits may be deducted accordingly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for transitioning between views in a network page. An application that is executed in at least one computing device encodes a network page for rendering in a client, the network page including a region, and the region being configured for the rendering of at least two views. The network page is encoded to depict a transition between the two views. A first one of the views depicts at least one mechanism to add a depicted item in the network page to a list, and a second one of the views depicts at least a portion of the list. Once encoded, the network page is sent to the client.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that use social networking profiles of users to generate personalized content of display pages. The personalized content may be generated using profile data retrieved via an application program interface of a social networking system, and may be presented on the display pages of a distinct system, such as a site that hosts an electronic catalog of items. The personalized content may include features that allow a user to indicate a like or preference for an item and that can be customized based on, e.g., the extent of the user's social network or the influence the user has over other potential users of the catalog system. Systems and methods are also disclosed that use the social networking profiles to generate personalized messages that can be posted to social network contacts of the user to provide information about items for which the contacts may be interested.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting a user interface that shows a consolidated representation for an item available from multiple sources are described. The multiple offerings of the same items offered for sale by multiple sellers are combined into a simple user interface that is transparent to the consumer, but where the consumer can find an item and all of its attributes as though it was offered for sale by a single seller. The user interface can be created when a consumer selects an item, a list is generated of the sellers offering that item for sale, a list is generated of the various attributes of the item, a representation for each attribute is gathered, and an optimal representation for each attribute can be generated for display to the consumer when that attributed is selected by the consumer. The process for creating and modifying such a user interface can be automated or semi-automated, decreasing the manual intervention needed.

Abstract: Technologies for providing suggestions of images for items without images in listings data are described herein. Item details regarding a number of items to be listed in online marketplace are received from a seller, validated, and processed before being merged in an item catalog. Those items submitted without image data specifying one or more images for the item are identified. An image index maintained in the online marketplace system and indexing images for popular items by keyword is searched to locate a number of images related to the items with missing image data. The items with missing image data are presented to the seller along with suggested images for the item. The seller selects one or more of the suggested images and the images are added to the listings data for the item before being merged into the item catalog.