Online recommendations based on off-site activity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016180442-A1
Application number	US-201414579970-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method of determining online recommendations based on off-site activity are disclosed. In some example embodiments, user input identifying at least one account of a first user is received, with each one of the account(s) being hosted by a corresponding online service independent of a first website. A link with the account(s) is established. Purchase history information of the first user is accessed from the account(s). A first pattern of purchasing activity for the first user is determined based on the purchase history information. A first recommendation is generated based on the determined first pattern. The first recommendation comprises a first content of the first website. A presentation time for the first recommendation is determined based on the determined first pattern. The first recommendation is caused to be presented to the first user on a first computing device at the determined presentation time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a machine having a memory and at least one processor; an activity access module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to:
receive user input identifying at least one account of a first user, each one of the at least one account being hosted by a corresponding online service independent of a first website;
establish a link with the at least one account of the first user based on a user-generated interrupt corresponding to the user input; and
access purchase history information of the first user from the at least one account of the first user;
a pattern determination module configured to determine a first pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information; a timing determination module configured to determine a presentation time for a first recommendation based on the determined first pattern of purchasing activity; and a recommendation generation module configured to:
generate a first recommendation for the first user based on the determined first pattern of purchasing activity, the first recommendation comprising a first content of the first website; and
cause the first recommendation to be presented to the first user on a first computing device at the determined presentation time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one account comprises at least one of an e-mail account of the first user, a credit card account of the first user, and an e-commerce account with an e-commerce website.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern determination module is further configured to:
identify repeated purchases of a same type of product based on the purchase history information; calculate a frequency of the repeated purchases; determine that the frequency of the repeated purchases satisfies a predetermined threshold value; and determine that the first pattern of purchasing activity comprises the repeated purchase of the same type of product.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first recommendation comprises a product recommendation of the same type of product on the first website, and the presentation time for the first recommendation is based on the frequency of the repeated purchases.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the pattern determination module is further configured to determine a second pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information, the determining of the second pattern comprising identifying repeated purchases of a same type of product based on the purchase history information; and the recommendation generation module is further configured to:
determine a category for the same type of product;
generate a second recommendation for the first user based on the determined second pattern of purchasing activity, the second recommendation comprising a product recommendation for a product of the category on the first website; and
cause the second recommendation to be presented to the first user on the first computing device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the pattern determination module is further configured to determine a second pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information, the second pattern comprising a lack of use of a specified payment mechanism; and the recommendation generation module is further configured to:
generate a second recommendation for the first user based on the determined second pattern of purchasing activity, the second recommendation comprising a payment recommendation for the specified payment mechanism; and
cause the second recommendation to be presented to the first user on the first computing device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the payment recommendation is configured to enable the first user to create an electronic payment account for the specified payment mechanism.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recommendation generation module is further configured to generate a second recommendation based on the purchase history information, the second recommendation comprising a compliment product recommendation corresponding to at least one product that is configured to be used in conjunction with at least one previously-purchased product identified in the purchase history information.

9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving user input identifying at least one account of a first user, each one of the at least one account being hosted by a corresponding online service independent of a first website; establishing a link with the at least one account of the first user based on a user-generated interrupt corresponding to the user input; accessing purchase history information of the first user from the at least one account of the first user; determining, by at least one processor, a first pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information; generating a first recommendation for the first user based on the determined first pattern of purchasing activity, the first recommendation comprising a first content of the first website; determining a presentation time for the first recommendation based on the determined first pattern of purchasing activity; and causing the first recommendation to be presented to the first user on a first computing device at the determined presentation time.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one account comprises at least one of an e-mail account of the first user, a credit card account of the first user, and an e-commerce account with an e-commerce website.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the pattern of purchasing activity comprises:
identifying repeated purchases of a same type of product based on the purchase history information; calculating a frequency of the repeated purchases; determining that the frequency of the repeated purchases satisfies a predetermined threshold value; and determining that the first pattern of purchasing activity comprises the repeated purchase of the same type of product.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first recommendation comprises a product recommendation of the same type of product on the first website, and the presentation time for the first recommendation is based on the frequency of the repeated purchases.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a second pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information, the determining comprising identifying repeated purchases of a same type of product based on the purchase history information; determining a category for the same type of product; generating a second recommendation for the first user based on the determined second pattern of purchasing activity, the second recommendation comprising a product recommendation for a product of the category on the first website; and causing the second recommendation to be presented to the first user on the first computing device.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a second pattern of purchasing activity for the first user based on the purchase history information, the second pattern comprising a lack of use of a specified payment mechanism; generating a second recommendation for the first user based on the determined second pattern of purchasing activity, the second recommendation comprising a payment recommendation for the specified payment mechanism; and causing the second recommendation to be presented to the first user on the first computing device.

15 . The met

Assignees

• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Bar Matanya
• Sundaresan Neelakantan

Classifications

• G06Q30/0631 Primary

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title