Content personalization based on actions performed during a current browsing session

A method of recommending items to a user, comprising:

• providing a table that maps each of multiple items to a corresponding set of related items;
• monitoring a browsing session of a user to identify a plurality of items accessed by the user during the session, wherein an item is treated as accessed at least if the user accesses a detail page of the item;
• for each of the plurality of items accessed by the user, identifying within the table a corresponding set of related items, to thereby identify a plurality of sets of related items;
• combining the plurality of sets of related items to form a ranked set of related items, in which a ranking of a related item reflects whether the ranked item is included within more than one of the plurality of sets of related items;
• during the browsing session, generating and providing to the user a customized page that includes representations of recommended items selected from the ranked set, wherein the customized page further includes a representation of the plurality of items accessed by the user during the browsing session together with an option for the user to de-select each such accessed item;
• detecting de-selection of one or more of the plurality of accessed items;
• and
• generating and outputting to the user a refined set of recommended items that reflects said de-selection of one or more of the accessed items.

A method of recommending items to a user, comprising:

• monitoring a browsing session of the user to identify a plurality of items accessed by the user during the session (“accessed items”), wherein accesses to item detail pages are counted as accesses to corresponding items;
• during the browsing session, outputting a link to the user to a customized page that includes representations of a set of recommended items selected based on the plurality of accessed items, the recommended items being different from the accessed items;
• generating and outputting the customized page in response to selection of the link by the user;
• and
• providing an option for the user to de-select each of the plurality of accessed items to substantially eliminate an effect of an accessed item on the set of recommended items represented within the customized web page, whereby the user may initiate generation of a refined set of recommended items.

A system for recommending items to a user, comprising:

• a monitoring component configured to monitor a browsing session of the user and to maintain a real time session record reflecting items accessed by the user during the browsing session, wherein the monitoring component treats an access by the user to an item's detail page as an access to the item;
• a non-user-specific table that maps each of a plurality of items to a corresponding set of related items;
• and
• a recommendations component that uses the real time session record and the table to provide personalized recommendations of items to the user during the browsing session, wherein the recommendations component displays a listing of the accessed items and provides an option for the user to de-select an accessed item to cause the accessed item to be substantially eliminated from consideration in generating the personalized recommendations, said option to de-select an accessed item provided concurrently with a display of personalized recommendations.

A method of assisting a user in locating products while browsing an online catalog of products in which products are arranged a browse tree that comprises a plurality of browse nodes, each of which represents a product category or subcategory, the method comprising, during a browsing session:

• maintaining a history of browse nodes accessed by the user during the browsing session (“accessed browse nodes”);
• selecting a set of products to present to the user, wherein a product is selected to be included in the set of products based at least in part on whether that product is a member of more than one of the accessed browse nodes;
• presenting the set of products to the user during the browsing session;
• and
• presenting to the user an option to individually de-select the accessed browse nodes and to thereafter view a refined set of products which reflects de-selection of one or more of the accessed browse nodes.

A method of assisting a user in locating products while browsing an online catalog of products, the method comprising, during a browsing session:

• maintaining a history of searches performed by the user during the browsing session;
• selecting a set of products to present to the user, wherein a product is selected to be included in the set of products based at least in part on whether that product is included within results of more than one of the searches;
• presenting the set of products to the user during the browsing session;
• and
• presenting to the user an option to individually de-select the searches and to thereafter view refined set of products which reflects de-selection of one or more of the searches.