System and method for shopping by color

Abstract

System and method for shopping for products based on color of the product, time of product listing, and/or location of the seller of the product. Seller submits a representation of the product to be listed with an Internet-based shopping site that may include an image of the product. The site may determine one or more color of the product based on a submitted image by examining image pixels. The pixels examined may be chosen to accurately reflect the color of the product rather than the color of an image background or other image element. The color may include a set of the significant colors of the product or a single most significant or average color of the product. Shoppers may then search for products based on a color selected from a to color search interface, a time selected from a time search interface, and/or a location selected from a location search interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method of selling a plurality of products, the method comprising acts of:
 A) displaying an interface by which at least one user may select at least one desired color from a plurality of selectable colors; and   B) responding to at least one request from the user, the request identifying the at least one desired color, by providing a representation of at least one first product of the plurality of products, wherein the at least one product is associated with at least one first color that matches the desired color.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the interface includes a web-based interface. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the web-based interface includes at least one SWF to display the plurality of selectable colors. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the plurality of selectable colors are arrange in the interface in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the act B) includes displaying the representation through the interface in a location based, at least in part, on the at least one first color. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising an act of C) receiving at least one purchase request identifying the at least one first product. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising an act of C) determining at least one second color for each product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the act C includes determining at least one second color based, at least in part, on an image associated with the respective product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the at least one first color matches the desired color if the at least one first color is within a color range of the desired color. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the request from the user includes at least one indication of the color range. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the interface includes at least one color range selector. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein each of the first color, the desired color, and the selectable colors includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value; a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value; a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the representation of the at least one first product includes at least one of an image of the product, a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the at least one request includes an indication of at least one additional search parameter and wherein the at least one first product matches the at least one additional search parameter. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the interface includes at least one additional search parameter selector. 
     
     
         66 . A system for selling a plurality of products, the system comprising
 a search component configured to provide a user with an interface through which the user may select at least one desired color from a plurality of selectable colors, and further configured to respond to a selection by the user of the desired color by displaying a representation of at least one first product of the plurality of products, wherein the at least one product is associated with at least one first color that matches the desired color.   
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the interface includes a web-based interface. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the web-based interface includes at least one SWF to display the plurality of selectable colors. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the plurality of selectable colors are arrange in the interface in a rectangle with hue represented along a first axis and brightness and saturation represented along a second axis such that one portion of the second axis represents a change in brightness and another portion of the second axis represents a change in saturation. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the representation is displayed through the interface in a location based, at least in part, on the at least one first color. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 66 , further comprising a color component configured to determining at least one second color for each product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 71 , wherein the color component is further configured to determine at least one second color based, at least in part, on an image associated with the respective product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the at least one first color matches the desired color if the at least one first color is within a color range of the desired color. 
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the request from the user includes at least one indication of the color range. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the interface includes at least one color range selector. 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein each of the first color, the desired color, and the selectable colors includes at least one of a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) value; a Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSV) value; a Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) value; and a Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK) value. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the representation of the at least one first product includes at least one of an image of the product, a description of the product, a price of the product, an availability of the product, and an identification of a seller of the product. 
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the at least one request includes an indication of at least one additional search parameter and wherein the at least one product also matches the at least one additional search parameter. 
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 78 , wherein the additional search parameter includes at least one of a product category, a product name, a keyword, a product price range, and a manufacturer name. 
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 78 , wherein the interface includes at least one additional search parameter selector. 
     
     
         81 . A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:
 A) receiving at least one first representation of the product;   B) determining at least one first time associated with the act A;   C) associating the product with the at least one first time; and   D) responding to are least one search request identifying at least one first time range with at least one second representation of the product when the at least one first time range includes the at least one first time.   
     
     
         82 . A system for selling a product, the system comprising:
 a submission component configure to accept submission of at least one first representation of the product and configured to associate the product with at least one first time associated with the submission of the at least one representation of the product; and   a search component configured to respond to at least one search request identifying at least one first time range with at least one second representation of the product when the at least one time range includes the at least one first time.   
     
     
         83 . A method for selling a product, the method comprising acts of:
 A) receiving at least one first representation of the product, including a first location of a seller of the product;   B) associating the product with the first location and the seller; and   C) responding to at least one search request identifying at least one geographic area with at least one of a second representation of the product and a representation of the seller when the at least one geographic area includes the first location.   
     
     
         84 . A system for selling a product, the system comprising:
 a submission component configured to accept submission of at least one first representation of the product, including a first location of a seller of the product, and associate the product with the first location and the seller; and   a search component configured to respond to at least one search request identifying at least one first geographic area with at least one of a second representation of the product and a representation of the seller when the at least one geographic area includes the first location.