US 7,117,163 B1Granted

Product substitution search method

Assigneei2 Technologies US, Inc.

InventorsShekhar Iyer, Prashant Soral

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A system and method for responding to user requests for a product provides a selection of alternate products that are similar to the requested product. Available products each have a plurality of attributes, which are compared to corresponding attributes of the requested product. Available products having attributes which are similar to those of the requested product are ranked in order of a similarity measure, and presented to the user.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented system for offering to a user one or more alternative products similar to a requested product, comprising:

a computer-implemented first user interface operable to receive a user request for a product having a plurality of product attributes, the user request specifying a desired attribute value for each of a plurality of selected product attributes;
a computer-implemented search procedure operable to select a set of one or more candidate alternative products having attribute values consistent with the desired attribute values specified in the user request for the selected product attributes, for each potential alternative product in a set of potential alternative products the search procedure operable to:
for each selected product attribute, compare the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product to determine an attribute similarity value for the selected product attribute for the potential alternative product;
and
determine a product similarity value for the potential alternative product according to the attribute similarity values, each attribute similarity value having been determined for a selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request by comparing the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product;
the set of one or more candidate alternative products being selected according to the product similarity values for the potential alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
a computer-implemented sort procedure operable to rank the one or more candidate alternative products in order of decreasing similarity to the requested product determined according to the product similarity values for the one or more candidate alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
and
a computer-implemented second user interface operable to present the set of one or more candidate alternative products to the user for selection of a candidate alternative product,
wherein each attribute similarity value is calculated according to either a first expression or a second expression depending on whether the attribute value for the potential alternative product is less than or greater than the desired attribute value for the requested product,
wherein each attribute similarity value ASV for a selected product attribute is calculated as follows:
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is less than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
min
2
A
r
2
-
A
min
2
where Amin is a minimum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products;
and
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is greater than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
max
2
A
r
2
-
A
max
2
where Amax is a maximum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products.

43 more elements

A computer-implemented method for offering to a user one or more alternative products similar to a requested product, the method being performed using one or more processing units, the method comprising:

using one or more processing units, receiving from the user a request for a preferred product having a plurality of product attributes, the user request specifying a desired attribute value for each of a plurality of selected product attributes;
using one or more processing units, selecting a set of one or more candidate alternative products having attributes consistent with the desired attribute values specified in the user request for the selected product attributes, comprising for each potential alternative product in a set of potential alternative products:
comparing, for each selected product attribute, the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product to determine an attribute similarity value for the selected product attribute for the potential alternative product;
and
determining a product similarity value for the potential alternative product according to the attribute similarity values, each attribute similarity value having been determined for a selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request by comparing the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product;
the set of one or more candidate alternative products being selected according to the product similarity values for the potential alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
using one or more processing units, rank ordering the one or more candidate alternative products according to their degree of similarity with the preferred product determined according to the product similarity values for the one or more candidate alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
and
using one or more processing units, presenting to the user the set of one or more candidate alternative products for selection of a candidate alternative product,
wherein each attribute similarity value is calculated according to either a first expression or a second expression depending on whether the attribute value for the potential alternative product is less than or greater than the desired attribute value for the requested product,
wherein each attribute similarity value ASV for a selected product attribute is calculated as follows:
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is less than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
min
2
A
r
2
-
A
min
2
where Amin is a minimum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products;
and
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is greater than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
max
2
A
r
2
-
A
max
2
where Amax is a maximum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products.

43 more elements

Software for offering to a user one or more alternative products similar to a requested product, the software embodied in computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

receive from the user a request for a preferred product having a plurality of product attributes, the user request specifying a desired attribute value for each of a plurality of selected product attributes;
select a set of one or more candidate alternative products having attributes consistent with the desired attribute values specified in the user request for the plurality of selected product attributes, comprising for each potential alternative product in a set of potential alternative products:
comparing, for each selected product attribute, the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product to determine an attribute similarity value for the selected product attribute for the potential alternative product;
and
determining a product similarity value for the potential alternative product according to the attribute similarity values, each attribute similarity value having been determined for a selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request by comparing the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product;
the set of one or more candidate alternative products being selected according to the product similarity values for the potential alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
rank order the one or more candidate alternative products according to their degree of similarity with the preferred product determined according to the product similarity values for the one or more candidate alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
and
present to the user the set of one or more candidate alternative products for selection of a candidate alternative product,
wherein each attribute similarity value is calculated according to either a first expression or a second expression depending on whether the attribute value for the potential alternative product is less than or greater than the desired attribute value for the requested product,
wherein each attribute similarity value ASV for a selected product attribute is calculated as follows:
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is less than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
min
2
A
r
2
-
A
min
2
where Amin is a minimum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products;
and
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is greater than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
max
2
A
r
2
-
A
max
2
where Amax is a maximum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products.

43 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A computer-implemented system for offering to a user one or more alternative products similar to a requested product, comprising:

a computer-implemented first user interface operable to receive a user request for a product having a plurality of product attributes, the user request specifying a desired attribute value for each of a plurality of selected product attributes;
a computer-implemented search procedure operable to select a set of one or more candidate alternative products having attribute values consistent with the desired attribute values specified in the user request for the selected product attributes, for each potential alternative product in a set of potential alternative products the search procedure operable to:
for each selected product attribute, compare the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product to determine an attribute similarity value for the selected product attribute for the potential alternative product;
and
determine a product similarity value for the potential alternative product according to the attribute similarity values, each attribute similarity value having been determined for a selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request by comparing the desired attribute value specified in the user request with the attribute value for the potential alternative product;
the set of one or more candidate alternative products being selected according to the product similarity values for the potential alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
a computer-implemented sort procedure operable to rank the one or more candidate alternative products in order of decreasing similarity to the requested product determined according to the product similarity values for the one or more candidate alternative products, each product similarity value having been determined according to the attribute similarity values determined for each selected product attribute for which a desired attribute value is specified in the user request;
and
a computer-implemented second user interface operable to present the set of one or more candidate alternative products to the user for selection of a candidate alternative product,
wherein each attribute similarity value is calculated according to either a first expression or a second expression depending on whether the attribute value for the potential alternative product is less than or greater than the desired attribute value for the requested product,
wherein each attribute similarity value ASV for a selected product attribute is calculated as follows:
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is less than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
min
2
A
r
2
-
A
min
2
where Amin is a minimum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products;
and
if the attribute value x for the potential alternative product is greater than the desired attribute value Ar for the requested product,
ASV
=
x
2
-
A
max
2
A
r
2
-
A
max
2
where Amax is a maximum attribute value for the selected product attribute across all potential alternative products.

43 more elements