Comparing items using a displayed diagram

Abstract

Among other things, a user can view graphically how different available items compare to one another, with respect to attributes of the available items, by controlling what is shown in a displayed diagram that identifies the items, in the context of indicators of their attributes.

1 . A method comprising
 displaying information on an online vehicle site about a set of vehicles for sale,   the set of vehicles for which information is displayed being based on user input criteria for one or more attributes of vehicles each of the attributes being associated with values for the attribute for the vehicles,   receiving a user input indicative of a selection of one or more vehicles of the set of vehicles for sale, and   displaying graphically on the online vehicle site an indicator of the value of one or more of the selected vehicles relative to a statistical value of vehicles according to one or more of the attributes.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the statistical value comprises a statistical value of two or more vehicles of the set. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the statistical value comprises a statistical value of two or more vehicles not belonging to the set. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which displaying the indicator comprises displaying an indicator describing one or more of the selected vehicles in terms that are relative to the statistical values. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  in which displaying the indicator comprises displaying an indicator describing one or more of the vehicles of the set as the best values relative to the statistical value. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which the statistical value comprises an average, median, normalized value, or book value, or is based on an algorithm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which displaying the indicator graphically comprises displaying the indicator on the scatter graph for the vehicles of the set. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which displaying the indicator graphically comprises indicating vehicles that are higher-valued and vehicles that are lower-valued relative to the statistical value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  in which displaying the indicator graphically comprises controlling the display of the indicator in response to a user request to indicate one or more vehicles having higher values than the statistical value. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  in which displaying the indicator graphically comprises displaying values of one or more of the vehicles in a histogram. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  comprising
 displaying a graphical identifier of the statistical value. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  comprising
 displaying a scatter graph of markers on the online vehicle site, the scatter graph representing the set of vehicles for sale, 
 the vehicles for which markers are included in the scatter graph being based on user input criteria. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which
 the scatter graph has an axis corresponding to an array of values of an attribute of the vehicles and a second axis corresponding to an array of values of another attribute of the vehicles, 
 each marker is associated with the value of the attribute of a particular vehicle and with the value of the other attribute of the particular vehicle, and 
 the marker has a position along the first axis and along the second axis of the scatter graph corresponding to the value of the attribute of the particular vehicle and the value of the other attribute of the particular vehicle. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which the array of values for at least one of the attributes comprises non-numeric values. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  in which the array of vehicles for at least one of the attributes comprises numeric values. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  in which the graphical identifier is displayed on the scatter graph. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  in which the graphical identifier comprises a graphical identifier of variation in values of vehicles for the attribute and relative to the other attribute. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which the display of each of the markers relative to the graphical identifier is indicative of value of the corresponding vehicle relative to other vehicles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  in which the position of each of the markers relative to the graphical identifier is indicative of whether a vehicle is relatively low-valued or relatively high-valued. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  in which the graphical identifier comprises at least one line. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  in which the slope of the line is indicative of a depreciation rate at a given value of the attribute. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  in which the line comprises at least one of: a straight line, a curved line, a regression line, an average value line, and algorithmically determined line, or a normative indication. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  in which the line reflects information about vehicle values other than the values of the vehicles for which markers are included in the scatter graph. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  comprising
 including additional graphical identifiers on the scatter graph. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  in which the additional graphical identifiers are associated with respective subsets of the vehicles. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  in which the respective subsets comprise models or classes of vehicles. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  comprising
 displaying user interface controls for user control of one or more of the additional trend graphical identifiers. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20  comprising
 displaying two areas of the scatter graph using different display characteristics, the areas being determined based on the graphical identifier. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  comprising
 displaying a user interface control for user control of one of the subsets of vehicles that are relatively high-valued. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1  in which the other attribute comprises at least one of mileage, color, or model year.