# US 8,751,331 B2 · System and method for rating plural products

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- Number: US 8,751,331 B2
- Document ID: US8751331B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/298,085
- Filed: 2011-11-16
- Published: 2012-11-22
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2002-10-07
- Assignees: CBS Interactive Inc.
- Applicants: Timothy A. Musgrove; Robin Hiroko Walsh; Russell Gilchrist
- Inventors: Timothy A. Musgrove; Robin Hiroko Walsh; Russell Gilchrist
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751331B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0627: {by specifying product or service characteristics, e.g. product dimensions}
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G06Q 30/0282: Rating or review of business operators or products
- G06Q 30/0283: Price estimation or determination
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A system and method for rating of each of plural products comprising identifying plurality of attributes associated with a category of product, applying a scalar structure for each attribute to provide scalar value of each attribute for each of the plural products, determining an incremental competitive index for each attribute of each product based on the scalar value of each attribute and a number of products having the scalar value, and rating each product based on the determined competitive index.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method implemented by one or more computing devices for rating items, the method comprising:
receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, search criteria from a user;
querying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a database based on the search criteria to determine items corresponding to the search criteria;
applying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a scalar structure to item attributes of the items determined in the querying step to generate scalar values corresponding to the item attributes;
determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a competitive index for one or more of the item attributes based on the scalar values, wherein the competitive index for each of the one or more item attributes comprises an average of a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank of a percentile rank range associated with a scalar value corresponding to that item attribute in an ordered list of the scalar values; wherein the maximum percentile rank and the minimum percentile rank are not the same for any percentile rank range;
rating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the items based on the competitive index; and
transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the items to be displayed in an organized manner based on the rating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria correspond to one of multiple predetermined use scenarios.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining a competitive index further comprises sequencing, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a scalar value of each item attribute.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a product and the item attribute is a product attribute.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria includes weighting values corresponding to the item attributes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the item attributes are associated with a category in the database.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria includes attributes selected by the user.

### Claim 8

An apparatus for rating items, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
receive search criteria from a user;
query a database based on the search criteria to determine items corresponding to the search criteria;
apply a scalar structure to item attributes of the items determined in the querying step to generate scalar values corresponding to the item attributes;
determine a competitive index for one or more of the item attributes based on the scalar values, wherein the competitive index for each of the one or more item attributes comprises an average of a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank of a percentile rank range associated with a scalar value corresponding to that item attribute in an ordered list of the scalar values; wherein the maximum percentile rank and the minimum percentile rank are not the same for any percentile rank range;
rate the items based on the competitive index; and
transmit the items to be displayed in an organized manner based on the rating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search criteria correspond to one of multiple predetermined use scenarios.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to determine a competitive index further cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
sequence a scalar value of each item attribute.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the item is a product and the item attribute is a product attribute.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search criteria includes weighting values corresponding to the item attributes.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least some of the item attributes are associated with a category in the database.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search criteria includes attributes selected by the user.

### Claim 15

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to perform a method comprising:
receive search criteria from a user;
query a database based on the search criteria to determine items corresponding to the search criteria;
apply a scalar structure to item attributes of the items determined in the querying step to generate scalar values corresponding to the item attributes;
determine a competitive index for one or more of the item attributes based on the scalar values, wherein the competitive index for each of the one or more item attributes comprises an average of a maximum percentile rank and minimum percentile rank of a percentile rank range associated with a scalar value corresponding to that item attribute in an ordered list of the scalar values; wherein the maximum percentile rank and the minimum percentile rank are not the same for any percentile rank range;
rate the items based on the competitive index; and
transmit the items to be displayed in an organized manner based on the rating.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the search criteria correspond to one of multiple predetermined use scenarios.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the item is a product and the item attribute is a product attribute.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the search criteria includes weighting values corresponding to the item attributes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least some of the item attributes are associated with a category in the database.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the search criteria includes attributes selected by the user.