Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RECURRING FEATURE SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
FIELD
[0001] The present application relates generally to the technical field of
data
processing and, in one specific example, to a method and system of processing
recurring subscription services.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Online services such as online marketplaces display information in
their web pages in certain orders. Typically, the information toward the top
of the
web page or the information that is highlighted gets the most attention from
their
users. Some services use different resource locators with different valid time
periods to identify the same information. In some instances this may result in
an
invalid link, incorrectly conveying to a user that the information is no
longer valid.
Also, the longer a resource locator remains valid the older it is perceived to
be by
search engines that rank search results based on how current is each of the
entries in
the search results. Consequently the resource locator may be bumped down in
search results in preference to newer or "fresher" resource locators.
Consequently it
is desirable to provide a service that eliminates or minimizes invalid links
and a lack
of freshness of resource locators.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a network diagram depicting a system,
according
to an example embodiment, having a client-server architecture.
[0005] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram showing a network-based
marketplace and payment application(s) in an example embodiment.
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[0006] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one example of operations
that
may be performed by the recurring-feature subscription service application(s),
in
accordance with some example embodiments.
[0007] FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating one example a recurring
service application, in accordance with some example embodiments.
[0008] Figure 4B is a flow diagram illustrating one example of operations
that may be performed by the recurring-feature subscription service
application(s),
in accordance with some example embodiments.
[0009] Figures 5A and 5B are a screen shot examples of an advertisement
associated with a first resource locator during a first time period and a
second
resource locator during a second time period, in accordance with some example
embodiments.
[0010] Figure 6 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in
the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions, for causing
the
machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may
be
executed, according to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] For some example embodiments, methods and systems to process
recurring features based on subscriptions are disclosed. The recurring
features may
be applied to a service. The service may expire after a period of time. When
the
subscription is activated, the service will be prevented from expiring while
the
subscription remains valid. When the service is associated with a
subscription, the
service retains at least some of the characteristics that enable the service
to be more
visible to users and to search engines.
[0012] In the following description, for purposes of explanation,
numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of
the
present application. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art
that the
present application may be practiced without these specific details.
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Architecture
[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a network diagram depicting a system 100
having
a client-server architecture, according to an example embodiment of the
present
invention. A system, in the example form of a network-based system 112,
provides
server-side functionality, via a network 114 (e.g., the Internet, a public or
private
telephone network (wireline or wireless), a private wireless network using
technologies such as Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11x or other networks) to one or
more
clients. Figure 1 illustrates, for example, a programmatic/web client 122 may
include a browser (e.g., the Internet Explorer browser developed by
Microsoft 0),
a device application, and/or a programmatic client executing on client system
120,
e.g., on a network-based device. Further, while the system 100 shown in Figure
1
employs a client-server architecture, embodiments are of course not limited to
such
an architecture, and could equally well find applications in a distributed, or
peer-to-
peer, architecture system.
[0014] The network 114 may include a mobile telephone network, a wireless
wide area network (WWAN), a wireline telephone network, a wireless local area
network (wireless LAN or WLAN), a wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN),
and/or a wireless personal area network (PAN) (e.g., a Bluetooth network).
Other
network-based technologies that may be used to connect include PON, VSAT
satellite, Micro-impulse Radar, Radio Frequency identification (RFID),
UltraWide
Band, and/or Infrared. The network-based device may connect to the web using
mobile internet exchange, e.g. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and/or
Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP).
[0015] The client system (or network-based device(s)) 120, may include a
mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a
personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a communications device, a
wireless
telephone, a land-line telephone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a
television,
television cable, a telephone with a web browser, a facsimile machine, a
printer, a
pager, and/or a personal trusted device. There may be one or more client
systems
120.
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[0016] The client system 120 may include a card, such as a smart card, a
magnetic card, and/or a key card. The device may include a telephone or any
device
capable of Short Messaging Service (SMS) messaging, instant messaging (IM),
text
messaging, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging and/or generating
audio tones, such as dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones. The device may be
browser-enabled. The client system 120 may enable mobile videophone
communications, digital television signals, and/or digital radio signals. The
device
may include a receiver to receive near field communications. The scanner
device
may include a bar code reader/scanner, a Radio Frequency Interface System
(RFIS)
reader, and/or a symbol reader/scanner.
[0017] For some example embodiments, the client system 120 may be used
by a consumer to authorize a payment facilitator to pay a portion of an
electronic
invoice.
The client system 120 may engage in an interactive message and/or open
communication session, such as SMS, IM, electronic mail, xHTML, XML, Wireless
Application Protocol (WAP), web, interactive voice response (IVR) and/or other
mobile interfaces. The interactive messaging or open communication session may
involve multiple technology modalities, e.g., the client user may engage the
system
via instant messaging (IM) and receive a responsive communication from the
network-based system 112 via e-mail with an embedded hyperlinked Uniform
Resource Locator (URL) directing the client user's device to a WAP or web page
or
via a telephone call. A hyperlinked URL may be delivered directly to the
device
from one or more application server(s) 128 of network-based system 112 and may
be used to access a web site or a microbrowser, such as a WAP site.
[0018] Turning specifically to the network-based system 112, the one or
more application servers 128 may host one or more marketplace application(s)
130
and one or more payment application(s) 132.
[0019] The marketplace application(s) 130 may provide a number of
marketplace functions and services to client users, such as a buyer, and/or to
third
parties, such as sellers, vendors, or any user, who access the network-based
system
112. The marketplace applications 130 may provide a number of offering
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mechanisms and price-setting mechanisms; whereby a seller may list goods or
services for sale, a seller may promote their offers, a buyer can express
interest in or
indicate a desire to purchase such goods or services or to donate, and a price
can be
set for a transaction pertaining to the goods or services.
[0020] Payment applications 132 may provide a number of payment
services and functions to users. While the marketplace and payment
applications
130 and 132 are shown in Figure 1 to both form part of the network-based
system
112, it will be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, the payment
applications 132 may form part of a payment service that is separate and
distinct
from the network-based system 112.
[0021] In the instance where the client system 120 accesses the
marketplace
applications 130 and payment applications132 via the MS Interface, the client
system 120 may use an "instant messaging" service via an IM Host server 116
for
substantially instant messaging. In example embodiments, the IM host server
116
may be selected from a group including Skype , Yahoo IM, AIM of AOL ,
MSN Messenger of Microsoft , and ICQ of the ICQ Network. The IM Host
server 116 may be included within the network-based system 112 and therefore
enable secure transactions with the application server(s) 128, and may
specifically
be included within the payment application(s) 132.
[0022] The client system 120 may access the application servers 128,
such
as the various marketplace applications 130 and payment applications 132, via
a
Webbot 118, and via a system interface. The Webbot 118 may be a dynamic Web
= page object evaluated when the webpage is opened in a Web browser or
saved. In
example embodiments, the Webbot 118 includes a Jabber host or server
interface.
The Webbot 118 may be a streaming XML technology that may be used for instant
messaging. The Webbot 118 may be open-source, neutral, and universal to enable
communications between the network-based system 112 and any server, such as
the
IM host server 116. Further, the Webbot 118 may be decentralized (i.e.,
located
within the network-based system 112) and therefore enable secure transactions
between the client system 120 and the network-based system 112.
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
[0023] Decentralizing the Webbot may enable secure transactions. In
particular, the information may be encrypted because an application may be on
the
client's machine, where information may be encrypted without network exposure.
[0024] The system interface between the client system 120 and the
applications 130 and 132 may include a programmatic interface supported by an
Application Program Interface (API) server 124, a Messaging Service (MS)
Interface supported by an MS Gateway Server 125, and/or a web interface
supported by a web server 126. The web interface may include a web browser or
any microbrowser, such as xHTML or WAP. Similarly, the programmatic/web
client 122 accesses the various services and functions provided by the
application
server(s) 128, via the programmatic interface provided by the API server 124
and/or
the web server 126. The programmatic/web client 122 may, for example, be a
seller
application (e.g., TurboLister application) to enable sellers to author and
manage
listings on the network-based system 112 in an off-line manner, and to perform
batch-mode communications between the programmatic/web client 122 and the
network-based system 112.
[0025] In an additional embodiment, an application supported by one or
more applications of the application server(s) may be downloadable to the
network-
based device. The device(s) may host the interface associated with the one or
more
applications of the application server(s) 128. The interface on the device may
be an
API interface, an MS interface, a web interface, and/or another appropriate
communication interface. Consumer wireless device platforms, such as Java 2
Platform Micro Edition (J2ME), J2SE and J2EE allow developers to use Java and
a
wireless toolkit to create applications and programs for the client system
120. The
J2ME interface may include an application programming interface (API) for the
device. The application of the programmatic client may also access the
Internet
using, for example, Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW).
[0026] The programmatic/web client 122 executed on the client system 120
may access the application server(s) 128 via the web interface of the web
server.
The programmatic/web client 122 may be selected on the client system 120 which
may cause the Internet to be launched in a background process. The
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programmatic/web client 122 may additionally or alternatively access the
server(s)
128 via the MS interface of the MS Gateway server 125, and/or via the
programmatic interface of the API server 124. In an embodiment, the downloaded
application described herein may include the programmatic/web client 122.
[0027] The client system 120 may host the interface associated with one
or
more payment application(s) 132 of the server(s) 128. The programmatic/web
client
122 may be associated with a financial service provider (FSP) of the payment
application(s). In an additional embodiment, the programmatic/web client 122
may
be associated with a third party application 138 of a third party server 140.
The
third party application may, for example, provide one or more promotional,
marketplace or payment functions that are supported by the relevant
applications of
the network-based system 112. For some example embodiments, the third party
application may generate an electronic invoice and may transmit the electronic
invoice to the payment applications 132 for processing.
[0028] The payment application(s) and/or the FSP may operate independent
of the third party. The payment application(s) and/or the FSP may be related
to the
third party, in other embodiments.
[0029] The payment applications 132 may allow users to accumulate value
(e.g., in a commercial currency, such as the U.S. dollar, or a proprietary
currency,
such as "points") in accounts, and then later to redeem the accumulated value
for
products (e.g., goods or services) that are made available via the marketplace
applications 130. The payment applications 132, e.g., a financial service
provider,
may also extend credit to user, and/or may also have access to other funding
sources
to complete transactions ¨ e.g. a credit card, a bank account, and/or a credit
line.
The FSP may operate using the payment application(s) 132.
[0030] The WebBot 118 may be part of the payment application(s) 132 in
some embodiments. In an example, through the WebBot 118, and in response to a
prompt from an application executed on the client system 120, the user may
submit
a payment transaction request to the payment application(s). A payment
transaction
from a user to a third party vendor may then be created. The payment
application(s)
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132 may send a payment confirmation message, e.g., via IM and the IM host
server
116, to the user and/or the third party vendor.
[0031] The third party or vendor may receive, from the payment
application(s) and/or the FSP, information regarding a requested payment
transaction for a product, a service, or a donation amount, information
regarding the
shipment address specified by the client user, and payment confirmation. The
payment application(s) and/or the financial service provider may secure
financial
information of the client user with respect to the third party. The FSP may
not be
sharing the financial information of the client user with the third party. For
example, the payment may be received by the third party exclusive of the
payment
method and/or financial information of the client user, including credit card
information, bank information and/or other client user account information.
[0032] The network-based system 112 and the various marketplace and
payment applications 130 and 132 may also be implemented as standalone
software
programs, which do not necessarily have networking capabilities. In this
example,
the client system 120 may be directly connected to the marketplace
application(s)
130 and/or payment application(s) 132, without using the network 114. In other
examples, the network-based system 112 may be any online marketplace (e.g.,
eBay
marketplace, etc.)
[0033] The application server(s) 128 may be coupled to one or more
database servers 134 that facilitate access to one or more databases 136. The
application(s) may have access to the database(s) 136 having, for example,
personal
user account information. The user account information may include payment
information associated with the client user and an address destination of the
client
user, for example.
[0034] The programmatic/web client 122 may operate a program supported
by the one or more database server(s) 134. The database server(s) 134 may
support
one or more account information links on a user interface of the network-based
device, for example, using the programmatic/web client 122. By accessing the
database server(s) 134, the client user may add, amend or delete account
information of the client user, among other information. In an embodiment, the
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client user may select a default shipment address and a default payment method
in
the payment application(s) discussed herein. Depending on whether goods are
purchased, a service is requested, a donation is made, or a promotion is
selected, a
default shipment address, e.g. electronic mail address or a residential
address, a
business addresses, or a P.O. Box, may be selected by the client user in the
payment
application(s). One of the default payment methods may include direct
transfers
from system account balances, internal credit, a gift certificate, a bank
account, a
debit card, buyer credit, and/or a credit card.
[0035] The payment application(s) 132 may transfer funds (or other value)
between users. The payment application 132 may, responsive to the server(s)
receiving a payment transaction request from the user, transfer a payment from
the
user to the third party. The payment may be automatically transferred, as
discussed
herein.
[0036] For some example embodiments, the payment applications 132 may
be associated with a payment facilitator (e.g., PayPal0), the third party
server 140
may be associated with a merchant (e.g., a restaurant), and the users may be
consumers or clients of the merchant. For some example embodiments, the
payment transaction request from the user may be associated with a transaction
code
generated by the payment applications 132 and an electronic invoice generated
by
the third party server 140.
[0037] In an example embodiment of the present invention, a buyer or a
consumer may be a client user that submits a purchase request, such as a
purchase
initiation code associated with a promotion offer, for example, or associated
with an
offer of an online marketplace or another marketplace medium, to the FSP. The
user may submit the purchase initiation code through the network-based device
while in an established communication session with the payment application
132.
The communication session may include an instant message communication
session, or a telephone call, or a website, for instance. The user may be
requested to
submit verification of identity, such as a password and username, upon making
the
purchase request, as discussed herein. Payment in connection with the request
may
be made using the FSP, for example, by debiting a first user account and
crediting a
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second user account (or vendor account), accordingly. A means for transferring
the
payment is through the payment application 132.
Application Server(s)
[0038] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram showing application server(s)
that are part of the network-based system 112, in an example embodiment of the
present invention. In this embodiment, the marketplace application(s) 130, and
the
payment application(s) 132 may be hosted by the application server(s) 128 of
the
network-based system 112. The marketplace application(s) 130 and the payment
application(s) 132 may be hosted on dedicated or shared server machines (not
shown) that are communicatively coupled to enable communications between
server
machines. The applications themselves may be communicatively coupled (e.g.,
via
appropriate interfaces) to each other and to various data sources, so as to
allow
information to be passed between the applications or so as to allow the
applications
to share and access common data.
[0039] The marketplace application(s) 130 are shown to include at least
one
or more auction applications 212 which support auction-format listing and
price
setting mechanisms (e.g., English, Dutch, Vickrey, Chinese, Double, Reverse
auctions etc.). The auction applications 212 may also provide a number of
features
in support of such auction-format listings, such as a reserve price feature
whereby a
seller may specify a reserve price in connection with a listing and a proxy-
bidding
feature whereby a bidder may invoke automated proxy bidding. The auction-
format
offer in any format may be published in any virtual or physical marketplace
medium
and may be considered the point of sale for the commerce transaction between a
seller and a buyer (or two users).
[0040] One or more fixed-price application(s) 214 support fixed-price
listing
formats (e.g., the traditional classified advertisement-type listing or a
catalogue
listing) and buyout-type listings. Specifically, buyout-type listings (e.g.,
including
the Buy-It-Now 8 (BIN) technology developed by eBay Inc., of San Jose,
California) may be offered in conjunction with auction-format listings, and
allow a
buyer to purchase goods or services, which are also being offered for sale via
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auction, for a fixed-price that is typically higher than the starting price of
the
auction.
[0041] The application(s) of the application server 128 may include one or
more store application(s) 216 that allow a seller to group listings within a
"virtual"
store. The virtual store may be branded and otherwise personalized by and for
the
seller. Such a virtual store may also offer promotions, incentives and
features that
are specific and personalized to a relevant seller.
[0042] Navigation of the online marketplace may be facilitated by one or
more navigation applications 220. For example, a search application (as an
example
of a navigation application) may enable key word searches of listings
published via
the network-based system 112. A browse application may allow users to browse
various category, catalogue, or inventory data structures according to which
listings
may be classified within the network-based system 112. Various other
navigation
applications may be provided to supplement the search and browsing
applications.
[0043] Merchandizing applications 222 support various merchandising
functions that are made available to sellers to enable sellers to increase
sales via the
network-based system 112. The merchandizing applications 222 also operate the
various merchandising features that may be invoked by sellers, and may monitor
and track the success of merchandising strategies employed by sellers.
[0044] Personalization applications 230 allow users of the network-based
system 112 to personalize various aspects of their interactions with the
network-
based system 112. For example, a user may, utilizing an appropriate
personalization
application 230, create a personalized reference page at which information
regarding transactions to which the user is (or has been) a party may be
viewed.
Further, the personalization application(s) 230 may enable a third party to
personalize products and other aspects of their interactions with the network-
based
system 112 and other parties, or to provide other information, such as
relevant
business information about themselves.
[0045] The marketplace application(s) 130 may include one or more
internationalization applications 232. In one embodiment, the network-based
system 112 may support a number of marketplaces that are customized, for
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example, for specific geographic regions. A version of the network-based
system
112 may be customized for the United Kingdom, whereas another version of the
network-based system 112 may be customized for the United States. Each of
these
versions may operate as an independent marketplace, or may be customized (or
internationalized) presentations of a common underlying marketplace. The
network-based system 112 may accordingly include a number of
internationalization applications 232 that customize information (and/or the
presentation of information) by the network-based system 112 according to
predetermined criteria (e.g., geographic, demographic or marketplace
criteria). For
example, the internationalization applications 232 may be used to support the
customization of information for a number of regional web sites that are
operated by
the network-based system 112 and that are accessible via respective web
servers.
[0046] Reputation applications 234 allow users that transact, utilizing
the
network-based system 112, to establish, build and maintain reputations, which
may
be made available and published to potential trading partners. Consider that
where,
for example, the network-based system 112 supports person-to-person trading,
users
may otherwise have no history or other reference information whereby the
trustworthiness and credibility of potential trading partners may be assessed.
The
reputation applications 234 allow a user, for example through feedback
provided by
other transaction partners, to establish a reputation within the network-based
system
112 over time. Other potential trading partners may then reference such a
reputation
for the purposes of assessing credibility and trustworthiness.
[0047] In order to make listings, available via the network-based system
112, as visually informing and attractive as possible, the marketplace
applications
130 may include one or more imaging applications 236 utilizing which users may
upload images for inclusion within listings. An imaging application 236 also
operates to incorporate images within viewed listings. The imaging
applications
236 may also support one or more promotional features, such as image galleries
that
are presented to potential buyers. For example, sellers may generally pay an
additional fee to have an image included within a gallery of images for
promoted
items.
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[0048] The marketplace application(s) 130 may include one or more offer
creation applications 238. The offer creation applications 238 allow sellers
conveniently to author products pertaining to goods or services that they wish
to
transact via the network-based system 112. Offer management applications 240
allow sellers to manage offers, such as goods, services, or donation
opportunities.
Specifically, where a particular seller has authored and/or published a large
number
of products, the management of such products may present a challenge. The
offer
management applications 240 provide a number of features (e.g., auto-
reproduct,
inventory level monitors, etc.) to assist the seller in managing such
products. One
or more post-offer management applications 242 also assist sellers with a
number of
activities that typically occur post-offer. For example, upon completion of an
auction facilitated by one or more auction applications 212, a seller may wish
to
leave feedback regarding a particular buyer. To this end, a post-offer
management
application 242 may provide an interface to one or more reputation
applications
234, so as to allow the seller conveniently to provide feedback regarding
multiple
buyers to the reputation applications 234.
[0049] The dispute resolution application(s) 246 may provide mechanisms
whereby disputes arising between transacting parties may be resolved. For
example, the dispute resolution applications 48 may provide guided procedures
whereby the parties are guided through a number of steps in an attempt to
settle a
dispute. In the event that the dispute cannot be settled via the guided
procedures,
the dispute may be escalated to a mediator or arbitrator.
[0050] The fraud prevention application(s) 248 may implement various
fraud detection and prevention mechanisms to reduce the occurrence of fraud
within
the network-based system 112. The fraud prevention application(s) may prevent
fraud with respect to the third party and/or the client user in relation to
any part of
the request, payment, information flows and/or request fulfillment. Fraud may
occur with respect to unauthorized use of financial instruments, non-delivery
of
goods, and abuse of personal information.
[0051] Authentication application(s) 250 may verify the identity of a
user,
and may be used in conjunction with the fraud prevention application(s) 248.
The
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user may be requested to submit verification of identity, an identifier upon
making
the purchase request, for example. Verification may be made by a code entered
by
the user, a cookie retrieved from the device, a phone number/identification
pair, a
username/password pair, handwriting, and/or biometric methods, such as voice
data,
face data, iris data, finger print data, and hand data. In some embodiments,
the user
may not be permitted to login without appropriate authentication. The system
(e.g.,
the FSP) may automatically recognize the user, based upon the particular
network-
based device used and a retrieved cookie, for example.
[0052] The network-based system 112 itself, or one or more parties that
transact via the network-based system 112, may operate loyalty programs and
other
types of promotions that are supported by one or more loyalty/promotions
applications 254. For example, a buyer/client user may earn loyalty or
promotions
points for each transaction established and/or concluded with a particular
seller/third
party, and may be offered a reward for which accumulated loyalty points can be
redeemed.
[0053] The application server(s) 128 may include messaging applications
256. The messaging applications 256 are responsible for the generation and
delivery of messages to client users and third parties of the network-based
system
112. Information in these messages may be pertinent to services offered by,
and
activities performed via, the payment application(s) 132.
[0054] Such messages, for example, advise client users regarding the
status
of products (e.g., providing "out of stock" or "outbid" notices to client
users) or
payment status (e.g., providing invoice for payment, Notification of a Payment
Received, delivery status, invoice notices). Third parties may be notified of
a
product order, payment confirmation and/or shipment information. Respective
messaging applications 256 may utilize any one of a number of message delivery
networks and platforms to deliver messages to users. For example, messaging
applications 256 may deliver electronic mail (e-mail), instant message (IM),
Short
Message Service (SMS), text, facsimile, or voice (e.g., Voice over IP (VoIP))
messages via the wired (e.g., the Internet), Plain Old Telephone Service
(POTS), or
wireless (e.g., mobile, cellular, WiFi, WiMAX) networks.
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[0055] The payment application(s) 132 may include one or more payment
processing applications 258. The payment processing application(s) 258 may
receive electronic invoices from the merchants and may receive payments
associated with the electronic invoices. The payment application(s) 132 may
also
make use of functions performed by some applications included in the
marketplace
application(s) 130.
[0056] For some example embodiments, the marketplace application(s) 130
may include one or more recurring-feature subscription service application(s)
260.
The recurring-feature subscription service application(s) 260 may detect that
a
subscription is valid and may automatically renew a service before expiration.
Other features of the recurring-feature subscription service application(s)
will be
described in more detail below.
Recurring Features
[0057] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one example of operations
that
may be performed by the recurring-feature subscription service application(s),
in
accordance with some example embodiments.
[0058] At block 305, a request is received to provide a service. The
service
may be any type of services that use the Internet to attract attention of
users. For
example, the service may be an advertising service of a network-based
marketplace
to advertise or promote an item to the users of the marketplace. In the
following
examples, references to an online marketplace are used merely for the purpose
of
discussions and not intended to be restrictive.
[0059] At block 310, a resource locator or an identifier is established
and
associated with the service. A resource locator may be a network link that
enables
the service to be identified by the marketplace. For some example embodiments,
the resource locator (as in uniform resource locator or URL) may also enable
the
service to be identified by the Internet.
[0060] At block 315, the service becomes active and remains active during
a
first time period (e.g., 30 days). The first time period may be determined by
the
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
marketplace. Alternatively, the first time period may be selected by the
requester of
the service.
[0061] At block 320, a test is performed to determine if the first time
period
has expired. If it has not expired, the service remains active. If it has
expired, the
process flows to block 325 where the service is stopped (e.g., the
advertisement is
stopped). For some example embodiments, when the service is stopped, the
resource locator for the service becomes invalid.
[0062] At block 330, a test is performed to determine if a request to
reactivate the service is received. If no request is received, then the
process may
either stop, or it may wait until a request is received. If a request is
received, the
process may flow to block 340, where another resource locator is established
and
associated with the service. At block 345, the service becomes active for a
second
time period. The second time period may be the same time length as the first
time
period, or it may be different.
[0063] The process of Figure 3 has some drawbacks in that different
resource locators are used to identify the same service. One drawback is the
consequence of the invalid link. As an example, when the service is about
advertising a classic 1961 Chrysler automobile, the first resource locator
that
identifies the automobile during the first time period is not valid when the
first time
period expires. Since the first resource locator may have already been indexed
by
search engines or referenced by many web sites, selecting the first resource
locator
after the first time period expires will cause a "Not Found" error message to
be
displayed. This is commonly referred to as a 404 error. In this situation, the
"Not
Found" error message incorrectly conveys to the users that the automobile is
not
available.
[0064] Another drawback is the lack of "freshness" as perceived by the
search engines or search operations. As an example, search engines may prefer
to
rank search results based on how current each of the entries in search results
is.
More current or "fresher" entries are usually listed toward the top, while
"older"
entries are listed toward the bottom of the search results. In the automobile
example, the longer the 1961 Chrysler remains available for potential
customers
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during the first time period, the "older" it is perceived by the search
engines. Thus,
when using "Classic Chrysler" as the search parameters, the 1961 automobile in
this
example will be displayed toward the bottom of the search results below other
"fresher" classic Chrysler automobiles that are available. In other words, the
1961
classic Chrysler keeps getting bumped down, getting less exposure to potential
customers as time progresses until the first period expires.
Recurring Feature Subscription Service Applications
[0065] FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating one example a recurring
service application, in accordance with some example embodiments. The
recurring
service application 400 may include a service provider module 405, a service
resource locator assignment module 410, a service timer module 415 and a
service
subscription module 425. The service provider module 405 is configured to
receive
the request for a service (e.g., request to advertise an item) and to provide
the
service (e.g., advertise the item). The service resource locator assignment
module
410 is configured to assign a resource locator and to associate the resource
locator
with the service. The resource locator may be unique. The service timer module
415 is configured to keep track of when the service becomes inactive. The
service
becomes inactive when the time period associated with the service expires. The
service subscription module 425 is configured to receive subscription requests
and
to prevent the service from becoming inactive while the subscription is valid.
Flow Diagram ¨ Recurring Feature Subscription Service
[0066] Figure 4B is a flow diagram illustrating one example of operations
that may be performed by the recurring-feature subscription service
application(s),
in accordance with some example embodiments.
[0067] The flow diagram 440 may start at block 450 where a service is
provided during a first time period using a first resource locator. At block
455, a
test is performed to determine if the first time period close to being
expired. For
example, a time period has an expiry and the test determines whether the time
period is about to reach expiry, the length of time period being at the
designer's
17
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
choice. If it is not close to being expired, the process flows back to block
450 where
the service is continued to be provided.
[0068] From block 455, if the first time period is close being expired,
the
process flows to block 460 where a test is performed to determine whether the
service is associated with a subscription. If there is no valid subscription,
the
process flows to block 475 and the service is stopped. At block 480, a request
to
renew the service may be received and the service is again provided during a
second
time period. This time with a different resource locator.
[0069] From block 460, when there is a subscription, the process flows to
block 465 where a test is performed to determine if the subscription is still
valid. It
may be noted that the subscription may only be valid for as long as it is paid
for.
For example, a subscription may be purchased for one year to cover a service
that
would expire every 30 days. This subscription will allow the service to remain
active for up to 12 months. At the thirteenth month, the subscription becomes
invalid unless renewed.
[0070] From block 465, if the subscription is invalid, the process flows
to
block 475 and 480 as described above. If the subscription is valid at block
465, the
process flows from block 465 to block 470 where the service is prevented from
being stopped even after the first time period expires while using the same
first
resource locator. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
test of
block 460 may test for the subscription remaining valid during the next time
period.
That is, block 460 may test that the subscription is, or will continue to be,
valid after
expiry of the first time period. Further, after block 470 the process may then
begin
again at block 455 to test for a subsequent or next time period, and the
process may
continue until the subscription becomes or is about to become invalid in the
next
time period, at which point block 475 will be reached.
Examples of Resource Locators Associated with Same Service
[0071] Figures 5A and 5B are screen shot examples of an advertisement
associated with a first resource locator during a first time period and a
second
resource locator during a second time period, in accordance with some example
18
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
embodiments. These examples are used to illustrate a situation when there is
no
valid recurring feature subscription service. As illustrated by the arrows,
the
resource locator for the same item being advertised is different in Figure 5A
and in
Figure 5B. In this example, since there is no valid subscription, only the
first
resource locator is valid during the first time period and only the second
resource
locator is valid during the second time period. There may be a time gap
between the
first time period and the second time period.
[0072] When there is a valid subscription, the first resource locator is
used
both during the first time period and the second time period, and there is no
time
gap between the first time period and the second time period.
Activating Subscription Service
[0073] As discussed above with the search engine examples, as time
progresses bumping down may occur causing the search results to show fresher
search entries toward the top. For some example embodiments, the recurring
feature subscription service application 260 may periodically "freshen" up the
service to prevent being bumped down and further to cause a bumping up effect.
In
other words, the subscription applications may perform operations to make the
service behave as if it is a "fresh" service. For example, the subscription
may cause
the Chrysler automobile be perceived as if it were a new advertisement rather
than
an advertisement that has been posted for 10 days. This bumping effect enables
the
service to have more exposure to the users as compared to getting less and
less
exposures due to the bumping down effect.
Platform Architecture
[0074] Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the
example form of a computer system 600 within which a set of instructions, for
causing the machine to automatically perform any one or more of the
methodologies
discussed herein, may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine
operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., network) to other
machines. In a network deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of
a
19
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
server or a client user machine in server-client user network environment, or
as a
peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The
machine
may be a server computer, a client user computer, a personal computer (PC), a
tablet
PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular
telephone, a
mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a
personal digital assistant, a communications device, a wireless telephone, a
land-line
telephone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a
printer, a
television, television cable a pager, a personal trusted device, a web
appliance, a
network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of
instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by
that
machine.
[0075] Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine"
shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly
execute a set (or multiple sets) of electronically-coded instructions to
perform any
one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0076] The example computer system 600 includes a processor 602 (e.g., a
central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), a
main
memory 604 and a static memory 606, which communicate with each other via a
bus 608. The computer system 600 may further include a video display unit 610
(e.g., a liquid crystal displays (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The
computer
system 600 also includes an input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor
control
device 614 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 616, a signal generation device
618
(e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 620.
[0077] The disk drive unit 616 includes a machine-readable medium 622 on
which is stored one or more sets of electronically-coded instructions (e.g.,
software
624) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described
herein. The instructions 624 may also reside, completely or at least
partially, within
the main memory 604, the static memory 606, and/or within the processor 602
during execution thereof by the computer system 600. The main memory 604 and
the processor 602 also may constitute machine-readable media.
CA 02704095 2014-12-04
[0078] The instructions 624 may further be transmitted or received over a
network 626 via the network interface device 620.
[0079] Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various
embodiments broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some
embodiments implement functions in two or more specific interconnected
hardware
modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between
and
through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated
circuit.
Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware
implementations.
[0080] While the machine-readable medium 622 is shown in an example
embodiment to be a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" should be
taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or
distributed
database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more
sets of
instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" shall also be taken to
include
any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of
instructions for
execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more
of
the methodologies of the present invention. The term "machine-readable medium"
shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state
memories,
optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals.
[0081] The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to
provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and
they
are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and
features
of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described
herein.
Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon
reviewing
the above description. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived
therefrom,
such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without
departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures 1 to 6 are merely
representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof
may be
exaggerated, while others may be minimized.
[0082] Although the present invention has been described with reference
to
specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications
and
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CA 02704095 2015-11-02
changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of
the
invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an
illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
100831 The description includes terms, such as "up", "down", "upper",
"lower", "first", "second", etc. that are used for descriptive purposes only
and are
not to be construed as limiting. The elements, materials, geometries,
dimensions,
and sequence of operations may all be varied to suit particular applications.
Parts of
some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other
embodiments. While the examples of dimensions and ranges are considered
typical,
the various embodiments are not limited to such dimensions or ranges.
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