Patents by Inventor eBay, Inc.

eBay, Inc. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130332298
    Abstract: A method and system for deploying high volume listings in a network based commerce system are described. The system uploads listing data that includes a first listing. Next, the system creates a first profile and a second profile based on the listing data. Finally, the system automatically generates a second listing based on the first and second profiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130226793
    Abstract: A method of and system for authorizing a transaction remotely is disclosed. A customer uses a computer to browse for a product displayed on the internet. The customer may enter a unique number into the computer. The unique number is authorized and an authorization code is sent to the customer's communication device. The customer enters the authorization code into the computer to complete the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130226732
    Abstract: A system for viewing shopping information on a social networking platform is disclosed. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a user device corresponding to a first user of the social networking platform to view a list of a second user of the social networking platform. The list may include items offered for transaction on a network-based commerce server. In response to receiving the request from the user device, the system forwards the request to the network-based commerce server, and then receives updated information for at least one item on the list from the network-based corner server. Then, the system communicates the updated information received from the network-based commerce server to the user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130226776
    Abstract: First business process data obtained from a first trading participant includes a set of transaction messages having a first data format in accordance with a first protocol for conducting business transactions used by the first trading participant. A virtual trading participant receives fictitious business process data from the first trading participant and acknowledging the fictitious business process data and replying to the first trading participant that the fictitious business process data has been acknowledged. Operational characteristics and a connectivity of a currently trading participant connected to a process management platform accessible via an interconnection fabric are tested, by utilizing the virtual trading participant to determine if the data defining individual business processes is in a uniform format understood by a process management platform. The virtual trading participant is utilized to ensure compatibility with an identified version of the uniform format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130198043
    Abstract: A user communicates, such as through text, a phrase or word to quickly place and pay for an order. The phrase corresponds to details of the order and one phrase can contain orders with multiple merchants. Once the phrase is communicated, a service provider or merchant determines the order from the phrase and processes the order, which may include transmitting order details to the merchant(s) and processing the payment(s) to the merchant(s) on behalf of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: Ebay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130198086
    Abstract: A client device comprises a first secure element and a second secure element. The first secure element comprises a first computer-readable medium having a payment application comprising instructions for causing the client device to initiate a financial transaction. The second secure element comprises a second computer-readable medium having a security key, a payment instrument, stored authentication data and instructions for generating a secure payment information message responsive to the payment application. The secure payment information message comprises the payment instrument and is encrypted in accordance with the security key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130191500
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a synchronous communication layer between a capability and an asynchronous message bus are presented. A method may receive, over a protocol connection, an initial event message from the first capability. The method may then update the initial event message to include a correlation identifier that is associated with the protocol connection. The updated initial event message is then sent through the asynchronous message bus, which may route the event message to a second capability. Then, the method may receive, through the asynchronous message bus, a response event message from the second capability. The method may then send the response event message to the first capability over the protocol connection. Sending the response event to the first capability may be based at least in part on the response event message including the correlation identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130185652
    Abstract: A host Web page includes an evolving interactive dialog box wherein an Internet user may enter user data to be processed. When the user completes entering user data in a first revolution of the interactive dialog box, the first revolution is replaced with a second revolution of the evolving interactive dialog box without disturbing or affecting any other part of the host Web page being displayed. Beneficially, the first and second revolutions may be communicated to a user computer together with and at a same time as the host Web page. Also, the second revolution may include a variety of data which is selected or customized to match the user data submitted in the first revolution. Each revolution of the evolving interactive dialog box may be comprised of any combination of general textual data entry fields, category (pull-down) menus, contact information data entry fields, and opt-in/opt-out buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130138559
    Abstract: A method and system to automate payment for a commerce transaction is provided. Payment information related in part to a first electronic payment account associated with a first party and including information related to a second electronic payment account associated with a second party is received at a network-based commerce system. A request to complete a network-based commerce transaction upon occurrence of a termination event at the network-based commerce system is received. Payment information is automatically sent to the network-based payment system upon the occurrence of the termination event based on the first party being a registered and approved buyer with the network-based payment system, the sending of the payment information causing transfer of funds at the network-based payment system from the first electronic payment account to the second electronic payment account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130138587
    Abstract: In some example embodiments, a system and method are provided for graph pattern analysis. In example embodiments, pattern data of a primary network that includes data relating to relationships between entities are received. A secondary network based on the pattern data of the primary network is generated by using an algorithm that processes pattern characteristics extracted from the pattern data. The generated secondary network is provided for further analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130124415
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for authenticating a user using a watermark are provided. A device for authenticating a user includes one or more processors configured to prepare information including a watermark and a request for user credentials in response to a request for service requiring authentication, wherein the watermark comprises at least one of an image, text, a sound, a photo, and a combination thereof that is chosen by the user, and match received user credentials to stored user credential information. The device also includes a network interface component coupled to a network, the network interface component configured to receive the request for the service requiring authentication, and transmit the information including the watermark and the request for user credentials. The device further includes a memory, the memory storing the user credential information for matching to received user credentials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130125214
    Abstract: A PIN is automatically generated based on at least one rule when the user enters a password through a user device. In one example, the PIN is a truncated version of the password where each character in the truncated version is mapped onto a number. The mapping can be a truncation at the beginning or end of the password, or the mapping can be with any pattern or sequence of characters in the password. This PIN generation may be transparent to the user, such that the user may not even know the PIN was generated when the password was entered. When the user attempts to access restricted content, the user may enter the PIN instead of the password, where the user may be notified of the rule used to generate the PIN so that the user will know the PIN by knowing the password.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: Ebay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130117180
    Abstract: Some described embodiments provide for selecting (e.g., by a server computer from a plurality of transaction records), a transaction record associated with a financial account of an account holder. In one example, the transaction record includes an indication of an amount due, by the account holder, for a previous purchase completed by the account holder with a first merchant. Some embodiments provide further for generating a billing statement for the account holder, the billing statement including an indication of the amount due by the account holder for the previous completed purchase and an indication of an acquisition offer, in which the acquisition offer comprises a promise from a second merchant to pay at least a portion of the amount due by the account holder, and transmitting the billing statement to the account holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130117145
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130110673
    Abstract: Various embodiments include systems and methods for providing communication among a plurality of users with complementary requirements in an electronic network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130110663
    Abstract: A method and a system segmenting a user viewing listings in online publications to render the listing according to a rule received from a seller. For example, the system receives one or more listings submitted by a seller. The listing comprises one or more modifiable parameters. The system also receives a rule from the seller, the rule associated with a first listing of the one or more listings. A profile is associated with a user based on data collected about the user. The first listing is rendered to the user based on the profile associated with the user and the rule by modifying the one or more parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc
    Inventor: eBay Inc
  • Publication number: 20130103565
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system and machine-readable medium are provided for declining auctions with interest bidding. According to one embodiment, offers are received from respective bidders in a bid receiving process to transact a financial instrument, the offers being expressed as offered interest rates at which the corresponding respective bidders are willing to transact the financial instrument. The bid receiving process is utilized in a declining auction characterized by a reducing a published interest rate at which the financial instrument is offered for sale. The declining auction is terminated based on a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130097071
    Abstract: A system, according to one embodiment, includes a hybrid account provided by an issuer to a user, the hybrid account having a balance, the balance being either positive, zero, or negative; and a financial instrument including a hybrid card, the hybrid card providing access to the hybrid account, in which transactions using the hybrid card provide interchange income to the issuer, the issuer charges interest to the hybrid account when the balance is negative, and the issuer pays interest to the hybrid account when the balance is positive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: eBay Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130097133
    Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method is illustrated as retrieving a plurality of search queries and defining relationships between search queries in the plurality of search queries based on semantic data associated with the search queries. A visual representation of the of the plurality of search queries may be generated and the visual representation may be partitioned into a plurality of tiles, each title representing a predefined portion of the visual representation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.
  • Publication number: 20130091030
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for generating marketplace listings using a camera enabled mobile device are described in which a request is received via a camera enabled mobile device to list one or more sale items. An image taken by the camera enable mobile device and depicting the one or more sale items is received. Image recognition is performed on the received image to identify the one or more sale items. Based on the identification of the one or more sale items depicted in the image, a set of descriptive data is automatically generated. The one or more sale items are listed on a marketplace using the image and the automatically generated set of descriptive data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: EBAY INC.