System and method of optimal time for product launch and withdraw in e-commerce

Abstract

The present disclosure introduces a technique for achieving the optimal time to launch or withdraw products on a webpage. In one aspect, a method includes: storing information to be collected from a webpage for one or more items corresponding to a first product; collecting data related to the one or more items in each time section of a plurality of time sections; calculating a respective value score for each time section of the plurality of time sections based on a respective number of occurrences of the one or more items in each time section; determining the optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product based on value scores of the first product for the plurality of time sections; and rendering launch or withdrawal of the first product on the webpage in the optimal time. Implementation of the technique will conveniently allow a merchant's product website to automatically complete a product launch or withdrawal in the optimal time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system, comprising:
 a webpage information collection processing unit that collects one or more items corresponding to a first product on a webpage, the one or more items including information of one or more users who have visited the webpage in each time section;   a time section value score calculation unit that calculates a respective value score for each of a plurality of time sections by using an algorithm based on a respective number of occurrences of one or more items in each time section; and   a product launch/withdrawal optimal time determination unit that determines an optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product from the plurality of time sections based on the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections.   
     
     
         2 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a product launch/withdrawal processing unit that renders a product launch or withdrawal of the first product in the optimal time. 
     
     
         3 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a time section determination unit that determines the plurality of time sections based on a first time limit when a number of users who has visited the webpage during the first time limit reaches a first predefined value, a second time limit when a number of orders placed on the first product during the second time limit reaches a second predefined value, a third time limit when a total amount of one or more orders placed on the first product during the third time limit reaches a third predefined value, or a predefined time limit. 
     
     
         4 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a product launch/withdrawal reference processing unit that identifies a second product that is similar to the first product, determines a launch or withdrawal optimal time corresponding to the second product based on the optimal time for the first product, and renders the product launch or withdrawal of the first product in the optimal time corresponding to the second product. 
     
     
         5 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a webpage information collection interactive interface that accepts data from a user to collect information of the one or more items corresponding to the first product. 
     
     
         6 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a database, wherein the database further comprises a product optimal time data storage unit that stores the optimal time for launch or withdrawal of the first product as determined by the product launch/withdrawal optimal time determination unit. 
     
     
         7 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more items further include a time of a user's visit to the webpage and a time of an order placed by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time section value score calculation unit calculates the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections by using a formula of sum(t)=q 1 *m 1 +q 2 *m 2  +. . . +q n ,*m n , wherein q 1 , q 2  . . . q n  each represents a respective weight of the respective item in the one or more items in a respective time section, m 1 , m 2  . . . m n , each represents the respective number of occurrences of the respective item in the respective time section, and sum (t) represents the respective value score of the respective time section. 
     
     
         9 . The e-commerce system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein when the formula is in a form of sum(t)=q 1 *m 1 +q 2 *m 2 , m 1  is a number of users who has visited the webpage in a respective time section t, m 2  is a number of orders placed in the respective time section t, q 1  is a weight for m 1 , and q 2  is a weight for m 2 . 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 collecting one or more items corresponding to a first product on a webpage;   calculating a respective value score for each of a plurality of time sections based on a respective value of each of the one or more items for each of the plurality of time sections; and   determining an optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product from the plurality of time sections based on the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising rendering a launch or withdrawal of the first product in the optimal time,. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 identifying a second product that is similar to the first product;   determining an optimal time corresponding to the second product based on the optimal time corresponding to the first product; and   rendering a launch or withdrawal of the second product in the optimal time corresponding to the second product.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the determining an optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product comprises determining a time section with a highest value score as the optimal time. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the one or more items include a time of a user's visit to the webpage, information of the user, and a time of an order placed by the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the calculating the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections comprises:
 calculating the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections by using a formula of sum(t)=q 1 *m 1 +q 2 *m 2  +. . . +q n *m n , wherein q 1 , q 2  . . . q n  each represents the respective weight of the respective item in the one or more items in a respective time section, m 1 , m 2  . . . m n  each represents a respective number of occurrences of the respective item in the respective time section, and sum (t) represents the respective value score of the respective time section.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the formula is in a form of sum(t)=q 1 *m 1 +q 2 *m 2 , m 1  is a number of users who has visited the webpage in a respective time section t, m 2  is a number of orders placed in the respective time section t, q 1  is a weight for m 1 , and q 2  is a weight for m 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising determining the plurality of time sections based on a first time limit when a number of users who has visited the webpage during the first time limit reaches a first predefined value, a second time limit when a number of orders placed on the first product during the second time limit reaches a second predefined value, a third time limit when a total amount of one or more orders placed on the first product during the third time limit reaches a third predefined value, or a predefined time limit. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising determining the plurality of time sections, wherein the determining comprises:
 determining if a number of users who has visited the webpage has reached or exceeded a predefined value in a predefined time limit;   increasing the predefined time limit to a new time limit when the number of users who visited the webpage has not reached or exceeded the predefined value in the predefined time limit until the number of users who visited the webpage has reached or exceeded the predefined value in the time limit; and   setting the new time limit as a duration of a time section.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 determining a plurality of time sections based on a time limit when a number of users who has visited the webpage during the time limit reaches a predefined value;   calculating a respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections; and   determining an optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product from the plurality of time sections based on the respective value score for each of the plurality of time sections.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 identifying a second product that is similar to the first product;   determining an optimal time to launch or withdraw the second product from the plurality of time sections based on the optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product; and   rendering a launch or withdrawal of the second product in the optimal time to launch or withdraw the second product.