| CPC G06Q 30/0643 (2013.01) [G06Q 30/0201 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0603 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0629 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A computer-implemented method of determining visual preference of a user for selecting item images from at least one item database according to the visual preference of the user, the method being implemented by one or more computer processors and comprising:
selecting, by a recommendation engine of the processor, a display set of item images from the at least one item database;
generating, by a display engine of the processor, a user interface comprising the item images of the display set in a scrollable, two-dimensional item array at respective array positions, wherein the item images are arranged in item groups within the item array based on at least one visual feature type, such that item images with similar visual features of that visual feature type are grouped together;
displaying, by a display, the user interface, wherein not every item image in the display set is displayed simultaneously;
detecting, by a tracking engine of the processor, engagement events at the user interface between the user and engaged-with item images of the display set, wherein the engagement events comprise at least one passive engagement event which indicates passive engagement with one of the item groups without the user selecting any image of the passively engaged-with item group;
using the detected engagement events to determine, by the processor, a visual preference hypothesis for the user based on visual features extracted from the engaged-with item images;
updating, by the recommendation engine, the display set with new item images selected from the at least one item database by comparing visual features extracted from the new item images with the at least one visual preference hypothesis; and
iteratively and automatically updating, by the display engine of the processor, the displayed user interface based on the display set with new images,
wherein:
subsequent engagement events between the user and engaged-with new item images of the display set continue to be detected and used to iteratively refine the at least one visual preference hypothesis as the user continues to interact with the display set, and the display set continues to be iteratively updated as the user continues to interacts with the updated display set and the visual preference hypothesis is refined, wherein the at least one passive engagement event comprises a scroll event and the visual preference hypothesis is determined or updated based on a direction of the scroll event at the user interface towards to or away from the passively-engaged-with item group, wherein the scroll event causes a different portion of the scrollable item array to be rendered visible to the user;
the engagement events comprise at least one active engagement event in which the user selects an item image of the display set at the user interface, wherein, in response to the active engagement event, at least one item image is removed from the display set, and replaced with one of the new item images displayed at the array position of the removed item image;
at least some of the new item images are selected dynamically in response to scroll events at the user interface so as to dynamically populate previously unpopulated array positions within the item array based on the at least one visual preference hypothesis;
the scroll event causes a different portion of the scrollable item array to be rendered visible to the user;
visual features of or extracted from item details or metadata associated with the item images are used in combination with the extracted visual features; and
the new item images comprise both images that are aligned with the visual preference hypothesis and escape item images that are deliberately selected for being contrary to the visual preference hypothesis.
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