Searching multiple sellers by multiple matching items

Abstract

In various exemplary embodiments, a system and associated method perform a search for a plurality of items in an electronic environment. In one embodiment, the system provides a user-prompt interface to receive a plurality of sets of keywords from an end-user. An item is identified for each set of keywords and a listing of the items is provided as a response. In some cases, sellers are identified in which each seller offers each item identified from the plurality of sets of keywords. In some cases, the user-interface prompt is configured to receive at least one price range for items associated with the plurality of sets of keywords.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 generating, using one or more hardware processors, a user-prompt interface configured to receive, in one or more keyword fields, a plurality of sets of keywords from an end-user;   transmitting the user-prompt interface to a client machine over a communications network;   receiving, from the client machine, the plurality of sets of keywords provided in the user-prompt interface;   querying one or more electronic information storage databases to locate, from an inventory within an electronic marketplace, one or more sellers wherein each seller has at least a first item for sale that matches a first set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords and a second item for sale that matches a second set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords; and   transmitting, to the client machine, a listing of the one or more sellers with their respective first item that matches the first set of keywords and respective second item that matches the second set of keywords.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of keywords is received in a first keyword field on the user-prompt interface and the second set of keywords is received in a second keyword field on the user-prompt interface. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the user-prompt interface further includes a first category identifier field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second category identifier field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item for sale also matches a first category specified by the first category identifier field and the second item for sale also matches a second category specified by the second category identifier field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the user-prompt interface further includes a first price field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second price field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item for sale also satisfies a first price requirement specified by the first price field and the second item for sale also satisfies a second price requirement specified by the second price field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords comprises a single keyword. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the listing of the one or more sellers further includes a price of each item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the listing of the one or more sellers further comprises a cumulative price of their respective items for each of the one or more sellers. 
     
     
         8 . A machine-readable medium storing computer useable instructions that, when used by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving, from a client machine, a plurality of sets of keywords entered in one or more keyword fields of a user-prompt interface;   querying one or more electronic information storage databases to locate, from an inventory within an electronic marketplace, one or more sellers wherein each seller has at least a first item for sale that matches a first set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords and a second item for sale that matches a second set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords; and   transmitting, to the client machine, a listing of the one or more sellers with their respective first item that matches the first set of keywords and respective second item that matches the second set of keywords.   
     
     
         9 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the first set of keywords is received in a first keyword field on the user-prompt interface and the second set of keywords is received in a second keyword field on the user-prompt interface. 
     
     
         10 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the user-prompt interface further includes a first category identifier field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second category identifier field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item for sale also matches a first category specified by the first category identifier field and the second item for sale also matches a second category specified by the second category identifier field. 
     
     
         11 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the user-prompt interface further includes a first price field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second price field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item for sale also satisfies a first price requirement specified by the first price field and the second item for sale also satisfies a second price requirement specified by the second price field. 
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein at least one set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords comprises a single keyword. 
     
     
         13 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a machine-readable medium storing computer useable instructions that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:   generate a user-prompt interface configured to receive, in one or more keyword fields, a plurality of sets of keywords from an end-user, and to receive at least one price range for items associated with at least one of the sets of keywords;   transmit the user-prompt interface to a client machine over a communications network;   receive, from the client machine, the plurality of sets of keywords and the at least one price range provided in the user-prompt interface;   query one or more electronic information storage databases to locate, from an inventory within the electronic marketplace, a first item for sale matching a first set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords and a second item for sale matching a second set of keywords from the plurality of keywords, wherein the first item and the second item satisfy the at least one price range; and   transmit, to the client machine, a listing of the first item and the second item.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one price range is a cumulative price range for all items associated with the plurality of sets of keywords. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first set of keywords is received in a first keyword field on the user-prompt interface and the second set of keywords is received in a second keyword field on the user-prompt interface. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the user-prompt interface further includes a first category identifier field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second category identifier field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item for sale also matches a first category specified by the first category identifier field and the second item for sale also matches a second category specified by the second category identifier field. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the user-prompt interface includes a first price range field corresponding with the first keyword field and a second price range field corresponding with the second keyword field, and wherein the first item and the second item satisfy the at least one price range by the first item satisfying a first price range provided in the first price range field and the second item satisfying a second price range provided in the second price field. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one set of keywords from the plurality of sets of keywords comprises a single keyword. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the listing of the first item and the second item includes a price of each item. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the listing of the first item and the second item includes a cumulative price of the first item and the second item.