Comparative shopping tool
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsDarko Kirovski, Deepak Vijaywargiay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The claimed subject matter relates to a computer-implemented architecture that can provide a non-invasive comparative shopping tool, such as a browser plug-in. For example, the plug-in can determine whether a web user is currently visiting a purchase page, thus indicating that the web user is likely to be interested in purchasing items online. Upon making this determination, the plug-in can display a non-invasive listing (that can be quickly and conveniently dismissed) of comparable items at favorable prices (or with favorable features, etc.) that are available for purchase at other web sites. In addition, the plug-in can communicate with a data store, e.g., by way of the web, in order to help make various determination as well as to receive the listing of comparable items.
Claims20
A system that provides a non-invasive comparative shopping tool, comprising:
- one or more processing devices;
- a browser component, operable using the one or more processing devices, configured to receive information that relates to a web document;
- and
- a comparison component that interfaces to the browser component, the comparison component configured to identify whether the web document is a purchase page or a transaction page by scanning source code of the web document for inclusion of price, purchase indicators, sale information or confirmation of purchase information included in the web document, wherein the comparison component scans the source code for one or more buttons and hyperlinks to identify that the web document is the purchase page to a degree of certainty, the degree of certainty that the web document is the purchase page being determined by detecting a click through of the one or more buttons and hyperlinks to the transaction page.
A method comprising:
- employing a processor that executes instructions retained in a computer-memory, the instructions, when executed by the processor, implement at least the following operations:
- receiving information that relates to a web document;
- and
- identifying whether the web document is a purchase page or a transaction page by scanning source code of the web document for inclusion of price, purchase indicators, sale information or confirmation of purchase information included in the web document, wherein the source code is scanned for the purchase indicators comprising one or more hyperlinks with anchor text to identify to a degree of certainty that the web document is the purchase page by detecting a click through of the one or more hyperlinks to the transaction page.
A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that directs one or more computers to perform operations including:
- receiving information that relates to a web document;
- identifying whether the web document is a purchase page or a transaction page with a comparative shopping service that scans source code of the web document for inclusion of price, purchase indicators, sale information or confirmation of purchase information included in the web document, wherein the comparative shopping service identifies that the web document is the purchase page based at least in part on the purchase indicators comprising one or more buttons with anchor text, wherein the web document is the purchase page is determined with a degree of certainty by detecting a click through of the one or more buttons to the transaction page;
- and
- generating a list including at least one item corresponding to one or more of the price, purchase indicators, sale information or confirmation of purchase information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.