Acquisition of items offered for purchase online through a global positioning system

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method is provided. The method may comprise receiving an item identifier from a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus. Data associated with the item identifier is accessed and transmitted to initiate a purchase of the item. In some embodiments, a voice portal may be used to facilitate the purchase.

1 . A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:
 a map;   a first region identifying an auction item, a position of the first region relative to the map identifying a location of the auction item;   a second region displaying auction data associated with the auction item, wherein the second region is generated in response to a selection of the first region; and   a third region enabling a selection of the auction item to acquire.   
     
     
         2 . The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the third region enables initialization of a communication session to a seller. 
     
     
         3 . The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second region enables initialization of a communication session to a seller. 
     
     
         4 . The GUI of  claim 2 , wherein the communication session includes a call to a telephone number through a single input command. 
     
     
         5 . The GUI of  claim 2 , wherein the third region is within the second region. 
     
     
         6 . The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the auction data associated with the auction item includes at least one of a title, a description, an image, a bid price, or a shipping cost. 
     
     
         7 . The GUI of  claim 1 , including a fourth region allowing input of a search query. 
     
     
         8 . The GUI of  claim 7 , wherein the search query includes at least one of keywords, texts, sentences, query languages, numbers, questions, or equations. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus configured to:
 automatically identify a location of the GPS apparatus; 
 receive a search query associated with an online auction; 
 transmit a request for the auction data to an online auction server, the 
   request including the search query and the location of the GPS apparatus;
 receive the auction data that includes a location of one or more 
   auction items; and
 display the location of the one or more auction items on a map; 
 receive a selection of one of the one or more auction items, the 
   selected auction item being identified by an auction item identifier; and
 transmit the auction item identifier to the online auction server; and 
   the online auction server in communication with the GPS apparatus, the online auction server being configured to:
 receive the auction item identifier from the GPS apparatus; 
 access auction data associated with the auction item identifier; and 
   transmit the auction data to a voice portal server.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the GPS apparatus is further configured to:
 receive a search query associated with an online auction;   transmit a request for the auction data to the online auction server, the request including the search query and a location of the GPS apparatus;   receive the auction data that includes a location of the auction item; and   display the location of the auction item on a map.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising the voice portal server in communication with the online auction server, the voice portal server being configured to call a telephone number and to receive a request to acquire the auction item. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving, via an input mechanism of a device, a search query associated with items offered for purchase;   transmitting, via a network, a request based on the received search query for data associated with the items offered for purchase;   receiving, via the network, the requested data associated with items offered for purchase, the data including a location of each of item offered for purchase represented in the received data; and   plotting on a map an item identifier for each item offered for purchase based on the location data of the respective item offered for purchase.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving a location input; and   wherein the transmitting the request based on the received search query further includes the location input.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein receiving the location input includes receiving input from user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the location input is received from a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of an item identifier of an item offered for purchase; and   transmitting data identifying the selected item to initiate a purchase of the item.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method is performed on a mobile telephone.