LIGHTWEIGHT SEARCHABLE POINT-OF-SALE MECHANISM FOR LEVERAGING INTERACTIVE COMMUNITIES

摘要

A software component comprises a plurality of modules each executing in a browser environment to make use of "friends" data in a networking site for data gathering and filtering in support of e-commerce through the networking site. A user-interface module operates to output catalog information to the logged-in user and to capture any input. Meanwhile, a data cache or memory is accessible to the modules and is configured to store the catalog information. A control module responds to any input captured at the user-interface so as to provide the catalog information to the user-interface, wherein the catalog data is typically provided from the data cache. A discovery module operates to identify any friends associated with the logged-in user. A communications module operates to populate the data cache with any catalog information retrieved from the server that is associated with the logged-in user and/or any discovered friends.