Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Richard Scott Brinkerhoff

Dennis Lee

Rick Braumoeller

Jeff Holden

Michael I Hyman

Clyde D McQueen

David Everard Brown

Duane J Krause

Jason W Murray

John Chenault

Ian D Clarkson

Joel Shepherd

David L Ballenger

Jason Ho

Jeffrey Alan Holden

Erich Braumoeller

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate the selection of virtual machine instances to implement each action associated with a specified workflow. Workflows are configured and defined as a series of actions or processes that have various requirements. For each action in a specified workflow, a workflow management component can select virtual machine resources that are best suited to implement the specific action in accordance with the requirements of the action.

Managing workflows

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for dynamically generating actual fulfillment plans for a current order or a potential order so as to enhance the future fulfillment process for expected future orders is described. In some situations, actual delivery information based on one or more such actual fulfillment plans will then be provided to a customer, such as by displaying actual delivery date and/or time before or during the ordering process based on one or more actual fulfillment plans that can be or will be used to fulfill the order. A variety of types of criteria can be used to evaluate the effects of using a fulfillment plan to fulfill a current order, including criteria that consider the modeled future cost of fulfilling expected future orders, such as an overall cost of fulfilling all orders during a specified time period that is at least partially in the future.

Generating current order fulfillment plans to influence expected future conditions

A facility for managing ownership of units of an item is described. The facility defines a commingling zone. For units of the item that are outside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among a plurality of owners individually to each of the units. For units of the item that are inside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among the plurality of owners to particular numbers of the units without attributing ownership individually to each of the units. The facility includes a method for reconciling ownership of units in the event of any discovered innacuracies.

Inventory commingling and reconciliation of inaccuracies

Generating current order fulfillment plans based on expected future orders

Dynamically determining actual delivery information for orders based on actual order fulfillment plans

Various computer-implemented methods are disclosed for selecting items, including but not limited to user-submitted blurbs, to present to users. One such method comprises using a plurality of personalized selection algorithms to select items to nominate for presentation to a target user. Each personalized selection algorithm outputs one or more item nominations for the target user together with an associated relevance score for each nominated item. The method further comprises receiving the item nominations and associated relevance scores from the personalized selection algorithms, normalizing the relevance scores, and using at least the normalized relevance scores to select particular items to present to the target user.

Personalization using multiple personalized selection algorithms

One embodiment of the present invention is a system and method of encouraging customers to review purchased items. Customers are provided with review requests a predetermined amount of time after the customer has purchased an item or had the item delivered. The predetermined amount of time is related to an estimated time it will take the customer to evaluate the item. The reviews may include textual reviews that are presented to other customers and/or item ratings that are used to generate personal recommendations.

Methods and systems of obtaining consumer reviews

Various computer-implemented methods are disclosed for selecting content items, including but not limited to user-submitted blurbs, to present to users. One such method comprises storing user-specific item selection history data identifying particular items, such as catalog items, selected by particular users, and recording responses of a plurality of the users to a content item. The method further comprises determining whether the content item should be presented to a target user based, at least in part, on a degree to which the item selection history of the target user is similar to item selection histories of users who responded favorably to the content item.

Method, system, and computer readable medium for the selection of content items for presentation to users

An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post pieces of content, referred to as 'blurbs,' for viewing by other users. The blurbs submitted by a particular author are made available for viewing in an author-specific blog (web log) format. Blurbs may also be obtained from external sources, such as from blogs hosted by various web sites. A personalized blurb selection component selects blurbs to present to users based on histories of catalog items selected by such users, and/or based on various other criteria. The blurbs selected for a particular user are presented within a personal log or 'plog,' which may be updated daily and will typically contain entries from many different authors. User feedback provided on specific blurbs is taken into consideration by the personalized blurb selection algorithms.

Personalized selection and display of user-supplied content to enhance browsing of electronic catalogs

A facility for managing ownership of units of an item is described. The facility defines a commingling zone. For units of the item that are outside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among a plurality of owners individually to each of the units. For units of the item that are inside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among the plurality of owners to particular numbers of the units without attributing ownership individually to each of the units. The facility includes a method for reconciling ownership of units in the event of any discovered inaccuracies.

Growing community of inventors

Burien, WA, United States of America

Richard Scott Brinkerhoff