Browse hierarchies customized for rules based custom catalogs
First Claim
1. A method of generating a plurality of browse hierarchies each representative of a unique subset of items and providing filtered access to data representing the items via one or more transmitted web pages, said method comprising:
- performing by a computer system programmed with code stored in a memory and executing by a processor of the computer system which configures the computer system into a machine;
for each leaf node of a primary hierarchy representative of the items;
establishing a search rule that comprises an aggregation of constraints specified by the leaf node and its ancestors; and
identifying all of the unique subsets that contain at least one of the items meeting the aggregation of constraints;
creating a browse hierarchy for each of the unique subsets, said creating further comprising retaining in the browse hierarchy only those leaf nodes, and their ancestors, from the primary hierarchy for which the unique subset has been identified by said identifying;
providing the browse hierarchy to a web server; and
transmitting the one or more web pages to a client computer system, wherein the web pages include data to interact with a browser application executing on the client computer system to filter the items in accordance with the browse hierarchy and permit a user of the browser application to access and search data in the electronic catalog as filtered by the browse hierarchy.
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Abstract
An arbitrary number of custom catalogs for an arbitrary number of customers can be published from a single database of seller catalog data. Custom browse hierarchies can be generated for each of the custom catalogs. The custom catalogs are subsets of the catalog database, and are generated in accordance with a set of rules that defines the scope of the content of the custom catalog. The rule sets define a series of sequential searches by which a subset of the product SKUs contained in the database are returned. A primary hierarchy is maintained that can have a scope coextensive with the primary database. Custom browse hierarchies can be pruned to render their scope approximately coextensive with each subset. The custom catalog subsets and the custom browse hierarchies are generated periodically through a virtual publication process.
19 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of generating a plurality of browse hierarchies each representative of a unique subset of items and providing filtered access to data representing the items via one or more transmitted web pages, said method comprising:
performing by a computer system programmed with code stored in a memory and executing by a processor of the computer system which configures the computer system into a machine; for each leaf node of a primary hierarchy representative of the items; establishing a search rule that comprises an aggregation of constraints specified by the leaf node and its ancestors; and identifying all of the unique subsets that contain at least one of the items meeting the aggregation of constraints; creating a browse hierarchy for each of the unique subsets, said creating further comprising retaining in the browse hierarchy only those leaf nodes, and their ancestors, from the primary hierarchy for which the unique subset has been identified by said identifying; providing the browse hierarchy to a web server; and transmitting the one or more web pages to a client computer system, wherein the web pages include data to interact with a browser application executing on the client computer system to filter the items in accordance with the browse hierarchy and permit a user of the browser application to access and search data in the electronic catalog as filtered by the browse hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer system for generating a plurality of browse hierarchies each representative of a unique subset of items and providing filtered access to data representing the items via one or more transmitted web pages, said computer system comprising:
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one or more data processors processor; a memory, coupled to the one or more data processors, that includes code stored therein and executable by the one or more data processors which configures the computer system into a machine for; for each leaf node of a primary hierarchy representative of the items; establishing a search rule that comprises an aggregation of constraints specified by the leaf node and its ancestors; and identifying all of the unique subsets that contain at least one of the items meeting the aggregation of constraints creating a browse hierarchy for each of the unique subsets, said creating further comprising retaining in the browse hierarchy only those leaf nodes, and their ancestors, from the primary hierarchy for which the unique subset has been identified by said identifying; providing the browse hierarchy to a web server; and transmitting the one or more web pages to a client computer system, wherein the web pages include data to interact with a browser application executing on the client computer system to filter the items in accordance with the browse hierarchy and permit a user of the browser application to access and search data in the electronic catalog as filtered by the browse hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory, computer readable medium having code stored therein and executable by a processor of a computer system that configures the computer system into a machine to generate a browse hierarchy representative of a unique subset of items and to provide filtered access to data representing the items via one or more transmitted web pages by:
for each leaf node of a primary hierarchy representative of the items; establishing a search rule that comprises an aggregation of constraints specified by the leaf node and its ancestors; and identifying all of the unique subsets that contain at least one of the items meeting the aggregation of constraints creating a browse hierarchy for each of the unique subsets, said creating further comprising retaining in the browse hierarchy only those leaf nodes, and their ancestors, from the primary hierarchy for which the unique subset has been identified by said identifying; providing the browse hierarchy to a web server; and transmitting the one or more web pages to a client computer system, wherein the web pages include data to interact with a browser application executing on the client computer system to filter the items in accordance with the browse hierarchy and permit a user of the browser application to access and search data in the electronic catalog as filtered by the browse hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification