Search Patents
  • Patent number: 8239287
    Abstract: A computer system for detecting associations between items may include a probabilistic analysis component that accesses user data having information about item selections by a plurality of users. The probabilistic analysis component may programmatically generate associations between certain items by determining a first number of users who selected the items and by estimating a probability that a second number of users would have selected the items due to random chance. The probabilistic analysis component may estimate this probability based at least partly on a number of item selections made by one or more of the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent R. Smith, Ronald Whitman, Gaurav Chanda
  • Patent number: 11393253
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to, in part, a processing pipeline for detecting predefined activity using image data, identifying an item-of-interest and a location of the item-of-interest across frames of the image data, determining a trajectory of the item-of-interest, and determining an identifier of the item-of-interest and an action taken with respect to the item-of-interest. The processing pipeline may utilize one or more trained classifiers and, in some instances, additional data to identify items that are placed into or removed from a tote (e.g., basket, cart, or other receptacle) by users in material handling facilities as the users move around the material handling facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Oded Maron, Jeremy Samuel De Bonet, Mirko Ristivojevic, Ejaz Ahmed, Kilho Son
  • Patent number: 8977305
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing wireless service for a wireless device. In a representative embodiment, a service initiation system is executed in a computing device that communicates with a service provider system over a network to activate a wireless service associated with a newly purchased wireless device. The service initiation system also generates a network page to send to a client over the network, where the network page has a component that initiates a porting of a contact designation associated with a prior wireless device to the newly purchased wireless device separate from the activation of the wireless service for the newly purchased wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Ta Peng, Andrei V. Vilkotski, Siddhartha Singh, Yan Zhang
  • Patent number: 11038808
    Abstract: A system and method for capacity management based on location and status of flexible (e.g., non-scheduled) service resources. Features are included to determine if the system can accept a request for a pick-up point (e.g., a restaurant, a quick order fulfillment center, grocery store, network location) based on the density, type and characteristics of the delivery resources in proximity (e.g., time and/or distance) to the pick-up point. The system also leverages historic delivery performance of the resources to assess whether to offer service or a service level for a given request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajeev Damani, Damon Alexander, Al Ashkar, Yenchao Chua, Prashanth Paramanandan, Saurabh Roongta, John Schroder, Jaymin Chinubhai Shah
  • Patent number: 8364551
    Abstract: Described herein are predictions of consolidation between previously placed orders and potential orders in, for example, an e-commerce system. A consolidation prediction may include a determination of a cost differential between consolidating the potential order(s) with previously placed order(s) and refraining from consolidating the potential order(s). The cost differential may comprise a savings in shipping costs, taxes, handling fees, and so forth. In addition, this cost differential may be presented to the user. When the user desires to complete the potential orders, the previously placed order(s) and potential order(s) may be consolidated to a single order, merchant, payment type, destination, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajendra Kumar Vippagunta
  • Patent number: 11238512
    Abstract: A system manages the customization of content for three-dimensional physical artifacts. The three-dimensional physical artifacts represent digital content items such as electronic books. The systems receives as input requests for physical artifacts and customization instructions. The customization instructions may define an arrangement of content on a back side of the digital content item. The content may include barcode(s) relating to the electronic content item (e.g., a link to a location where the electronic content item may be obtained). The system uses the input to generate sets of machine-readable instructions that are used by a production apparatus to produce the content of the physical artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohamed-Usama H. Baioumy, Venkata Sirisha Reddy Ginni
  • Patent number: 8364146
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing wireless service for a wireless device. In a representative embodiment, a service initiation system is executed in a computing device that communicates with a service provider system over a network to activate a wireless service associated with a newly purchased wireless device. The service initiation system also generates a network page to send to a client over the network, where the network page has a component that initiates a porting of a contact designation associated with a prior wireless device to the newly purchased wireless device separate from the activation of the wireless service for the newly purchased wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Ta Peng, Andrei Vilkotski, Siddhartha Singh, Yan Zhang
  • Patent number: 8620774
    Abstract: Techniques described herein provide a self-service, run-time configuration store for interaction between a business owner and a Web service. For instance, the techniques may receive entity-specific configuration data from a business entity, may validate and store the entity-specific configuration data in a central location, and may receive a service-specific schema definition from a Web service. In response to a command to push the validated configuration data, or in response to a request to pull the validated configuration data, the techniques serve the entity-specific configuration data to configure the Web service for use with customers of the business entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Michael Li, Morgan K. Akers, Jacob S. Carr, Brandon W. Porter
  • Patent number: 8626609
    Abstract: Described herein are predictions of consolidation between previously placed orders and potential orders in, for example, an e-commerce system. A consolidation prediction may include a determination of a cost differential between consolidating the potential order(s) with previously placed order(s) and refraining from consolidating the potential order(s). The cost differential may comprise a savings in shipping costs, taxes, handling fees, and so forth. In addition, this cost differential may be presented to the user. When the user desires to complete the potential orders, the previously placed order(s) and potential order(s) may be consolidated to a single order, merchant, payment type, destination, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajendra Kumar Vippagunta
  • Patent number: 10181146
    Abstract: This disclosure describes various processes for collecting information about users from sources other than catalog activity data. This information can be used to generate recommendations for users with activity data deficiencies. Some example sources for this supplemental data include collaborative content sites, such as social networking sites. Social networking sites typically allow users to engage in conversations with other users through text, audio, and/or video. Conversation data collected from these sites or from other sources can be analyzed to infer user interests. A recommendation process (or other application) can use the inferred interests to supplement or take the place of catalog activity data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jinesh U. Vora
  • Patent number: 8407105
    Abstract: Various processes are disclosed for discovering item relationships between particular items, such as products represented in an electronic catalog, based on monitored user behaviors (e.g., item viewing activities, item purchases, shopping cart activities, etc.). The discovered item relationships may, for example, be used to generate personalized item recommendations for users, and/or to supplement item detail pages of an electronic catalog with lists of related items. Also disclosed are processes for generating personalized item recommendations based on users' search activities and browse node visits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory D. Linden, Brent R. Smith, Nida K. Zada
  • Patent number: 8423061
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing wireless service for a wireless device. In a representative embodiment, a service initiation system is executed in a computing device that communicates with a service provider system over a network to activate a wireless service associated with a newly purchased wireless device. The service initiation system also generates a network page to send to a client over the network, where the network page has a component that initiates a porting of a contact designation associated with a prior wireless device to the newly purchased wireless device separate from the activation of the wireless service for the newly purchased wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Ta Peng, Andrei V. Vilkotski, Siddhartha Singh, Yan Zhang
  • Patent number: 7970781
    Abstract: Creation, association, and/or placement of search forums for searches strings enable users to discuss aspects of both searches and elements associated with the searches, and further enable the users to view discussions from other users. The search forum may be generated from variations of the search string. In addition or alternatively, search strings may be associated with existing item forums, category forums, and tag forums. Search forums may be placed with, for example, search results or with items, categories, and/or tags, among other possibilities, to provide user access to the search forums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc,
    Inventors: Joseph King, Waqas Ahmed, Russell A. Dicker
  • Patent number: 7970665
    Abstract: A method of providing recommendations is disclosed and includes receiving a selection of an offering via an online site. The method also includes outputting a detail page related to the offering via the online site. The detail page includes a first selectable indicator corresponding to a social network of a visitor and a second selectable indicator corresponding to unfiltered content. The method also includes outputting at least one recommendation via the detail page. Each recommendation is associated with a member of the social network when input received via the online site indicates a selection of the first selectable indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David M. Lifson
  • Patent number: 8433626
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. McDaniel, Jeffrey T. Brownell, Homer G. Morgan, III, Brent Russell Smith, Wesley M. Turner, Michael C. Day
  • Patent number: 8971925
    Abstract: A method for processing a product identifying code. The product identifying code that identifies a product is received from a wireless device. A location of the wireless device is received. An item that comprises information pertaining to the product is obtained. The obtained item is transmitted to the wireless device. The information pertaining to the product includes a name of each establishment of a plurality of establishments from which the product is available and informational selected from the group consisting of a contact address for each establishment, driving instructions to each establishment, a price of the product at each establishment, a geocoded location of one establishment of the plurality of establishments relative to the location of the wireless device, descriptive information specific to the product, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Julian Van Erlach
  • Patent number: 8285602
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods for recommending bundles of items to users. A bundle can include an item that is substitutable for an item selected by a user and one or more related items that complement the substitutable item. For example, if a user has selected a wireless device on a page of a network application, a bundle recommendation can be provided that includes a similar wireless device and related accessories, a compatible service plan, and the like. Recommending bundles of items can be beneficial for providing users with access to items that they might like to purchase together, without requiring users to separately find each item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Yi, Avi A. Levitan
  • Patent number: 9996535
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating organization data for an efficient presentation and/or organization of a collection of items. In some embodiments, the organization data may be based on metadata associated with items, such as keywords. The metadata may be generated from natural language processing of the items. Organization data and/or a hierarchical data organization may be a tree data structure that can be efficiently navigated to reach and/or locate an item. In some embodiments, organization data may be automatically updated in response to a document removal, addition, and/or a user selection. For example, as items are removed and/or added to the collection, keywords, counts, directories, nodes, and/or levels of the organization data may update and/or change to reflect the updated collection of items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Paul Skidmore, Kai Di Chen
  • Patent number: 8112324
    Abstract: Collaborative structured tagging enables a community of users to define different types of tags for online content. The diverse tag types provide a non-flat or dimensional tagging data structure that supports navigation and search for content, as well as comparison of the content. In one implementation, the collaborative structured tagging is employed in an item encyclopedia that offers community-authored information on various items in one or more electronic catalogs. In this context, the collaborative structured tagging facilitates comprehensive cross-product comparison and dimensional product navigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin R. Frank, Walter Manching Tseng, Charles E. Groom, Fred Farhad Sadaghiani
  • Patent number: 8538836
    Abstract: Methods and systems for causing the display of items for the review and selection thereof by a potential purchaser has a plurality of search tools whereby a customer can select certain search criteria for displaying items corresponding to the search criteria for review and selection thereof and comparison therebetween. In one embodiment, the system provides a brand menu whereby a customer can select one or more brands of products for displaying the same in a common display window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean M. Scott, Douglas J. Gradt, Doug Irvine, Nimrod Hoofien, Eva Manolis, Amy Bates, Max L. Kanter, Todd A. Heimes, J. Nathaniel Sloan, Michael Paul Touloumtzis, Michael L. Weiss, Maren Marie Costa, Gianna Lise Puerini