×

Method and apparatus for product comparison

  • US 10,055,772 B1
  • Filed: 01/26/2001
  • Issued: 08/21/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of operating a computer system to provide a multifaceted capability of generating product data for comparison, the method comprising:

  • performing by the computer system programmed with code stored in a memory and executing by a processor of the computer system to configure the computer system into a machine for;

    creating a database by preprocessing data prior to providing data to allowing a user of a client computer system to configure a product and to enumerate product configurations including attributes of each of the product configurations in the database;

    storing (i) an identifier of each product configuration, (ii) configuration fields for each product configuration, and (iii) the attributes of each product configuration in one or more tables of the database, wherein each identifier represents an enumeration of one of the product configurations;

    providing data to allow a client computer system to display one or more data entry regions allowing a user to select any of;

    (i) a previously stored first product configuration by the user that corresponds to one of the product configurations stored in the one or more tables of the database, (ii) allowing a user to configure a second product that is identifiable by the identifier of the product configuration corresponding to the second product, and (iii) an automatic generation of a third product configuration based on product configuration from the user that was used to configure a product other than the third product configuration, wherein the third product configuration is identifiable by the identifier of the enumerated product configuration corresponding to the third product configuration;

    receiving one or more selections of the automatic generation of the third product configuration and at least one of;

    (i) a previously stored first product configuration by the user that corresponds to one of the product configurations stored in the one or more tables of the database and (ii) product configuration data to configure a second product configuration that is identifiable by the identifier of the product configuration corresponding to the second product configuration, wherein the third product configuration represents new data generated upon receipt of the automatic generation selection, and the automatically generated third product configuration includes configuration data that is distinct from at least some user specifications for any product configuration;

    responding to the received selections by executing code to perform automatically generating the third product configuration using the configuration data that is distinct from at least some user specifications for any product configuration and at least one of;

    (i) retrieving the previously stored first product configuration and (ii) generating the second product configuration; and

    providing data to allow the client computer system to concurrently display an identification of the third product configuration and at least one of;

    (i) an identification of the first product configuration and (ii) an identification of the second product configuration, and one or more attributes of each of the product configurations.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×