Social network-based inventory management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12340403-B2
Application number	US-202418618240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2024
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An example embodiment includes a system server configured for social network-based inventory management. The system server includes processors and non-transitory computer-readable storage media communicatively coupled to the processors. The media store instructions that, in response to execution by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving category specifications and access category definitions for access categories. The access category definitions include relationship criteria for the access categories. The operations include identifying a relationship between a second user and a first user, comparing an identified relationship with the relationship criteria, and determining which of the access categories the second user is included based on the comparison. In response to a received product request for a product offered by the first user, the operations include providing a product listing to the second user that is consistent with the category specification of the access category of the second user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a system server from a first user device of a first user via a communication network, electronic data defining a first access category and a second access category;
receiving, by the system server from the first user device via the communication network, electronic data comprising category specifications for the first access category and the second access category;
accessing, by the system server from a social network hosted on a server, a data element associated with a first connection between the first user and a second user in the social network;
based on the data element, identifying, by the system server, the first connection between the first user and the second user within a social structure of the social network;
constructing, by the system server, a social graph based on the social structure of the social network;
based on the social graph, determining, by the system server, an access category of the second user in relation to the first user, the access category of the second user being the first access category;
based on the determined access category, identifying, by the system server, first category specifications associated with the first access category;
generating, by the system server, a graphic representing the first access category and including one or more transaction terms consistent with the first category specifications; and
causing, by the system server via the communication network, display of the graphic on a second user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic data defining the first access category comprises relationship criteria based on a location, a relationship type, previous transactions, a group membership, or a number of connections in one or more social graphs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first discount available upon satisfying the first access category and a second discount available upon satisfying the second access category.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first product available upon satisfying the first access category and a second product available upon satisfying the second access category.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies one or more first transaction terms upon satisfying the first access category and one or more second transaction terms available upon satisfying the second access category.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first transaction type available upon satisfying the first access category and a second transaction type available upon satisfying the second access category.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system server hosts the social network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the social network is a third party social network; and
the accessing the data element comprises transmitting, by the system server via an API call to a third party server associated with the third party social network, a request for the data element.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a notification from the second user device that the one or more transaction terms are accepted for a transaction between the first user device and the second user device; and
completing the transaction based on the transaction terms.

10. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-storage media communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a system server from a first user device of a first user via a communication network, electronic data defining a first access category and a second access category;
receiving, by the system server from the first user device via the communication network, electronic data comprising category specifications for the first access category and the second access category;
accessing, by the system server from a social network hosted on a server, a data element associated with a first connection between the first user and a second user in the social network;
based on the data element, identifying, by the system server, the first connection between the first user and the second user within a social structure of the social network;
constructing, by the system server, a social graph based on the social structure of the social network;
based on the social graph, determining, by the system server, an access category of the second user in relation to the first user, the access category of the second user being the first access category;
based on the determined access category, identifying, by the system server, first category specifications associated with the first access category;
generating, by the system server, a graphic representing the first access category and including one or more transaction terms consistent with the first category specifications; and
causing, by the system server via the communication network, display of the graphic on a second user device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic data defining the first access category comprises relationship criteria based on a location, a relationship type, previous transactions, a group membership, or a number of connections in one or more social graphs.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first discount available upon satisfying the first access category and a second discount available upon satisfying the second access category.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first product available upon satisfying the first access category and a second product available upon satisfying the second access category.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies one or more first transaction terms upon satisfying the first access category and one or more second transaction terms available upon satisfying the second access category.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of category specifications identifies a first transaction type available upon satisfying the first access category and a second transaction type available upon satisfying the second access category.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the system server hosts the social network.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the social network is a third party social network; and
the accessing the data element comprises transmitting, by the system server via an API call to a third party server associated with the third party social network, a request for a data element.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a notification from the second user device that the one or more transaction terms are accepted for a transaction between the first user device and the second user device; and
completing the transaction based on the transaction terms.

19. A non-transitory computer-storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a system server from a first user device of a first user via a communication network, electronic data defining a first access category and a second access category;
receiving, by the system server from the first user device via the communication network, electronic

Assignees

• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Glasgow Dane
• VanWinkle Justin

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q30/0627

  by specifying product or service characteristics, e.g. product dimensions · CPC title

• G06Q30/0613 Primary

  using intermediate agents · CPC title

• G06Q50/01

  Physics · mapped topic