Performing image searches in a network-based publication system

Abstract

Methods and systems to perform image searches in a network-based publication system, such as image searches for items available for purchase via the network-based publication system, are described. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems access an image of an item, identify a purchaser of and/or user associated with the item in the image, query, using the image, a collection of images whose contents include items that are associated with the purchaser and that are offered for purchase by a network-based publication system, and match the item in the image to one or more of the items offered for purchase based on a result of the query. The network-based publication system may then present the matched one or more items, or recommendations for the matched items, to a user that provided the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more computer storage media storing instructions that, when used by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first image of an item from a client device;   identifying a user of a network-based publication system;   constraining an image search corpus to a collection of images of items purchased by the user from the network-based publication system;   identifying the item by querying the constrained image search corpus using the first image to identify a second image in the image search corpus; and   providing, to the client device, information of one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system that correspond to the identified item.   
     
     
         2 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         3 . The computer storage media of  claim 2 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the client device being associated with the user. 
     
     
         4 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with a second user different from the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         5 . The computer storage media of  claim 4 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the user of the network-based publication system as a member of a social network that includes the second user. 
     
     
         6 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 causing a user interface provided on the client device to present a product purchase page of the network-based publication system that facilitates a purchase of the one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system.   
     
     
         7 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising identifying a category of the item in the first image, and wherein the image search corpus is further constrained based on the category. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a first image of an item from a client device;   identifying a user of a network-based publication system;   constraining an image search corpus to a collection of images of items purchased by the user from the network-based publication system;   identifying the item by querying the constrained image search corpus using the first image to identify a second image in the image search corpus; and   providing, to the client device, information of one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system that correspond to the identified item.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the client device being associated with the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with a second user different from the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the user of the network-based publication system as a member of a social network that includes the second user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 causing a user interface provided on the client device to present a product purchase page of the network-based publication system that facilitates a purchase of the one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising identifying a category of the item in the first image, and wherein the image search corpus is further constrained based on the category. 
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:   receive a first image of an item from a client device;   identify a user of a network-based publication system;   constrain an image search corpus to a collection of images of items purchased by the user from the network-based publication system;   identify the item by querying the constrained image search corpus using the first image to identify a second image in the image search corpus; and   provide, to the client device, information of one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system that correspond to the identified item.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the client device being associated with the user. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the client device is a computing device associated with a second user different from the user of the network-based publication system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the user of the network-based publication system is identified based on identifying the user of the network-based publication system as a member of a social network that includes the second user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause a user interface to be provided on the client device to present a product purchase page of the network-based publication system that facilitates a purchase of the one or more items offered for purchase on the network-based publication system.