Systems and Methods for Searching in an Electronic Commerce Environment

Abstract

A method of searching an electronic commerce website includes searching a plurality of user profiles based upon a user-supplied search query for an item, establishing an interactive online session between the user and the at least one search facilitator, and providing for the at least one search facilitator to present one or more suggested item listings to a user through the electronic commerce website. The searching identifies at least one search facilitator profile among the plurality of user profiles. The search facilitator profile represents a search facilitator who can assist the user in locating the item within the electronic commerce website.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a platform computing system, a search query from a user of a client computing system;   in response to receiving the search query from the user of the client device:
 generating, by the platform computing system, a set of search results that specify one or more items identified using the search query; 
 providing, by the platform computing system, the set of search results to a different user that differs from the user of the client computing device; 
 establishing an interactive communication session between the user of the client computing device and the different user; and 
 providing the set of search results to the user of the client computing device in a user interface that includes an interactive session interface through which the interactive communication session between the user of the client computing system and the different user is conducted. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving the search query:
 automatically generating, by the platform computing system, one or more questions based on one or more heuristic rules and historical data collected about users who previously supplied queries similar to the received search query; and 
 presenting the one or more questions to the user of the client computing system; 
 obtaining, by the platform computing system and through an interrogation interface presented to the user of the client computing system, responses to the one or more questions, wherein generating the set of search results comprises generating the set of search results based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising providing the responses to the one or more questions to the different user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 presenting, to the user of the client computing system, one or more suggested items that were specified by the different user based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions that were provided to the different user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more suggested items includes at least one item that is not available through the platform computing system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more suggested items are not included in the set of search results. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the platform computing system, a list of users that are qualified to assist in the selection of items based on the search query;   presenting, with the set of search results, the list of users that are qualified to assist in the selection of the items; and   receiving, by the platform computing system, a selection of the different user from the list of users, wherein:
 providing the set of search results to the different user and establishing the interactive communications session are both performed in response to receiving the selection of the different user from the list of different users. 
   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a search query from a user of a client computing system;   in response to receiving the search query from the user of the client device:
 generating a set of search results that specify one or more items identified using the search query; 
 providing the set of search results to a different user that differs from the user of the client computing device; 
 establishing an interactive communication session between the user of the client computing device and the different user; and 
 providing the set of search results to the user of the client computing device in a user interface that includes an interactive session interface through which the interactive communication session between the user of the client computing system and the different user is conducted. 
   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:
 in response to receiving the search query:
 automatically generating, by the platform computing system, one or more questions based on one or more heuristic rules and historical data collected about users who previously supplied queries similar to the received search query; and 
 presenting the one or more questions to the user of the client computing system; 
 obtaining, by the platform computing system and through an interrogation interface presented to the user of the client computing system, responses to the one or more questions, wherein generating the set of search results comprises generating the set of search results based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions. 
   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising providing the responses to the one or more questions to the different user. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:
 presenting, to the user of the client computing system, one or more suggested items that were specified by the different user based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions that were provided to the different user.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more suggested items includes at least one item that is not available through the platform computing system. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more suggested items are not included in the set of search results. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:
 identifying, by the platform computing system, a list of users that are qualified to assist in the selection of items based on the search query;   presenting, with the set of search results, the list of users that are qualified to assist in the selection of the items; and   receiving, by the platform computing system, a selection of the different user from the list of users, wherein:
 providing the set of search results to the different user and establishing the interactive communications session are both performed in response to receiving the selection of the different user from the list of different users. 
   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a memory device; and   one or more computers configured to access the memory device and execute instructions that cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a search query from a user of a client computing system; 
 in response to receiving the search query from the user of the client device:
 generating a set of search results that specify one or more items identified using the search query; 
 providing the set of search results to a different user that differs from the user of the client computing device; 
 establishing an interactive communication session between the user of the client computing device and the different user; and 
 providing the set of search results to the user of the client computing device in a user interface that includes an interactive session interface through which the interactive communication session between the user of the client computing system and the different user is conducted. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:
 in response to receiving the search query:
 automatically generating, by the platform computing system, one or more questions based on one or more heuristic rules and historical data collected about users who previously supplied queries similar to the received search query; and 
 presenting the one or more questions to the user of the client computing system; 
 obtaining, by the platform computing system and through an interrogation interface presented to the user of the client computing system, responses to the one or more questions, wherein generating the set of search results comprises generating the set of search results based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising providing the responses to the one or more questions to the different user. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:
 presenting, to the user of the client computing system, one or more suggested items that were specified by the different user based on the search query and the responses to the one or more questions that were provided to the different user.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more suggested items includes at least one item that is not available through the platform computing system. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more suggested items are not included in the set of search results.