초록 ▼

Methods for recognizing strings, labeling the strings with a semantic category and providing e-commerce actions based on the category is disclosed. The semantic category may include a type label and other metadata. Recognizer plug-ins perform the recognition of particular strings in an electronic do

Methods for recognizing strings, labeling the strings with a semantic category and providing e-commerce actions based on the category is disclosed. The semantic category may include a type label and other metadata. Recognizer plug-ins perform the recognition of particular strings in an electronic document. The recognizer plug-ins may be packaged with an application program module or they may be written by third parties to recognize particular strings that are of interest. Action plug-ins provide possible actions to be presented to the user based upon the type label associated with the string. Tradenames, trademarks, formal names or types of consumer products may be labeled and actions to buy the products may be presented. The metadata may be used to implement coupon and affiliate programs to reward frequent shoppers or frequent recommenders. Numerous other e-commerce opportunities are presented via the semantic category and the metadata.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for providing electronic commerce actions in an electronic system for creating and editing an electronic document, the method comprising: automatically receiving, in a plurality of recognizer plug-ins, a string of text of the electronic document after the entire stri

What is claimed is: 1. A method for providing electronic commerce actions in an electronic system for creating and editing an electronic document, the method comprising: automatically receiving, in a plurality of recognizer plug-ins, a string of text of the electronic document after the entire string of text has been entered in the electronic document; in each of the plurality of recognizer plug-ins, recognizing at least a portion of the string of text by annotating the string of text to determine a type label when the string includes any of a plurality of predetermined strings; associating each label with the string of text, wherein each recognized string of text, its associated type label, and a download Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address form a semantic category, the URL address being for downloading actions associated with the semantic category, and wherein the type labels are stored along with the electronic document; and providing a list of actions that may be performed to purchase a product associated with the string of text based on the semantic category of the string of text, wherein the list of actions is dynamically generated based on the semantic category of the string of text for each type label of the semantic category and provided in response to a user selecting a dropdown menu associated with each type label. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of predetermined strings comprises a plurality of product names. 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving an input indicating that one of the list of actions has been selected; and in response, connecting a web browser associated with the electronic system to a web site associated with the selected action. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein an identifier of the user of the system is stored in association with each type label and wherein the method further comprises: transmitting to the web site the identifier of the user of the system. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein in response to identifying the user providing a discount offer to the user. 6. The method of claim 3 wherein an identifier of the user of the system is stored in association with the actions and wherein the method further comprises: transmitting to the web site the identifier of the user of the system. 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a coupon for the product in the each type label. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the coupon comprises a coupon identification. 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the coupon comprises a coupon identification and a discount value and further comprising the step of sending the coupon to the web site. 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the coupon further comprises a begin date and an end date. 11. A method for providing an electronic coupon to a user of an electronic document, the method comprising: using each of a plurality of recognizer modules to determine a number of strings in a database that match at least one string in the electronic document; recognizing the matched strings by labeling the matched strings in the electronic document associated with each of the plurality of recognizer modules, wherein the label is stored along with the electronic document, and wherein the recognized string, the associated label, and a download Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address are part of a semantic category associated with the recognized string, the URL address being for downloading actions associated with the semantic category; providing a plurality of actions in association with the recognized strings based on the associated semantic category; determining whether the number of recognized strings exceeds a predetermined minimum; if so, then providing a coupon associated with a web site as one of the plurality of actions; and passing an identifier associated with the semantic category of a selected action to the web site associated with the coupon such that instances of the provided action are tracked. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the strings in the database comprise names of consumer products. 13. A method for purchasing a plurality of items from an e-commerce retailer comprising: identifying the plurality of items in an electronic document by a plurality of recognizer modules on a user's computer, wherein each of the plurality recognizer modules receives the plurality of items, recognizes the plurality of items by annotating the plurality of items to determine a label, and associates each label with the plurality of items each recognized, item its associated label, and a URL of the e-commerce retailer forming a semantic category, wherein the plurality of items are identified as matching at least one term in a product database, and wherein the plurality of items are already entered in the electronic document prior to being identified; providing, in association with at least one of the identified plurality of items based on the associated label and its semantic category, an action to buy all of the identified plurality of items, wherein the action is associated with a dynamically generated list of actions based on the semantic categories; receiving an indication that the action has been selected; sending a list of the identified plurality of items to a web site associated with the e-commerce retailer the URL of the web site also being part of the semantic category of the recognized item associated with the selected action; and sending an indication to buy all of the identified plurality of items to a web site associated with the e-commerce retailer. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the product database is stored on the user's computer and wherein the product database comprises a list of product titles and product names found on the web site associated with the e-commerce retailer. 15. A computer-implemented method for using a recommendation e-mail from an e-commerce retailer to a computer, comprising: receiving an e-mail from the retailer, wherein the e-mail comprises a product name of a product for sale by the retailer; cross-referencing the product name with a type label database to determine whether the product name matches at least one entry in the type label database, wherein cross-referencing the product name with a type label database to determine whether the product name matches at least one entry in the type label database is performed by a plurality of recognizer modules on the computer; if so, then labeling the product name with a type label associated with each of the plurality of recognizer modules, wherein the product name, its associated type label, and a URL of a web site associated with the product name are part of a semantic category, and wherein the type label is stored along with one of the e-mail and an associated document; cross-referencing each type label with a plurality of actions to determine which actions match each type label based on the associated semantic category; listing the matching actions in association with the product name to provide a user of the computer with a number of different actions, wherein the list is dynamically generated based on the associated semantic category by examining a registry to determine installed actions. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein cross-referencing each type label with a plurality of actions to determine which actions match each type label and listing the matching actions in association with the product name to provide a user of the computer with a number of different actions are performed by an action module on the computer. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a locale of the user based on information associated with the user's computer to determine which one of a plurality of versions of a product associated with the product name to provide for purchase by the user. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forwarding information associated with the user to an author of an action plug-in installed in the user's computer for providing the actions associated with selected product names.