Method and system for providing products in a network environment

• US 20020095356A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ushio, Tetsuya, Tonegawa, Akihide
• Application Number:
  US09/963,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing, in a network environment, a one-stop location for product/combination options selected from products consisting of multiple elements, thus attracting the interest of users having varied needs. An information entry module receives user input information from a user relating to selection of a plurality of products. Each product has one or more associated net markets which are arranged into categories for each of the plurality of products. A route setting module sets up travel routes through the categories containing the net markets associated with the plurality of products which are received by the information entry module. Product information of the plurality of products from the net markets associated with the products is presented to the user, who can perform transactions with the net markets along the travel routes based on the product information.

Claims

1. A system for providing products to a user in a network environment, the system comprising:

an information entry module configured to receive user input information from a user relating to selection of a plurality of products, each product having one or more associated net markets which are arranged into categories for each of the plurality of products;

a route setting module configured to set up travel routes through the categories containing the net markets associated with the plurality of products which are received by the information entry module; and

an information receiving module configured to receive product information of the plurality of products from the net markets associated with the products along a travel route set up by the route setting module.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a category association database storing rules for linking the net markets associated with the plurality of products.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein the information entry module presents to the user, products linked by the category association database according to the rules for linking the net markets associated with the plurality of products, in response to the user input information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

4. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein the route setting module sets up travel routes through the categories containing the net markets associated with the plurality of products according to the rules for linking the net markets stored in the category association database.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a net market extraction module configured to access net market information of net markets from a net market management database and extract the net markets associated with the plurality of products based on the information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

6. A system as recited in claim 5 further comprising a net market registration module configured to register a net market in the net market management database when a request for participation is received from the net market.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the information receiving module receives, along the route set up by the route setting module, product information in each category for products that can be combined to form one or more sets of products, based on candidate product information received in a previous category along the route.

8. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a prioritization module configured, when the product information received by the information receiving module covers a plurality of sets of products supplied by the net markets, to prioritize the sets of products according to an order of priority based on the user input information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising an output module configured to output to the user the sets of products in the order of priority.

10. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a transaction module configured to transact with the net markets along the travel routes.

11. A method for providing products to a user in a network environment, the method comprising:

receiving from a user entry of information relating to selection of a plurality of products, each product having one or more associated net markets which are arranged into categories for each of the plurality of products;

extracting from a net market management database, which contain net market information of net markets, the net markets associated with the plurality of products based on the information received from the user relating to selection of the plurality of products;

setting up one or more travel routes through the categories containing the net markets associated with the plurality of products; and

performing transactions with the net markets along the one or more travel routes.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the one or more travel routes are set up through the categories according to rules for linking the net markets associated with the plurality of products, in response to the information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the rules for linking the net markets are stored in a category association database.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising, when the transactions with the net markets produce a plurality of sets of products supplied by the net markets, prioritizing the sets of products according to an order of priority based on the information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising providing to the user product information received from the net markets for the sets of products in the order of priority.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 16 further comprising, when the transactions with the net markets produce a plurality of sets of products supplied by the net markets, code for prioritizing the sets of products according to an order of priority based on the information received from the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 17 further comprising code for providing to the user product information received from the net markets for the sets of products in the order of priority.

20. A memory as recited in claim 19 further comprising a third data structure stored in the memory, the third data structure used by the application program and comprising net market travel routes generated based on the rules for linking net markets, in response to the user input information provided by the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for providing products to a user in a network environment, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving from a user entry of information relating to selection of a plurality of products, each product having one or more associated net markets which are arranged into categories for each of the plurality of products;

code for extracting from a net market management database, which contain net market information of net markets, the net markets associated with the plurality of products based on the information received from the user relating to selection of the plurality of products;

code for setting up one or more travel routes through the categories containing the net markets associated with the plurality of products; and

code for performing transactions with the net markets along the one or more travel routes.

19. A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed in a data processing system, comprising:

a first data structure stored in the memory, the first data structure used by the application program and comprising net market information of a plurality of net markets including net markets which are associated with a plurality of products selected in response to user input information provided by a user relating to selection of the plurality of products; and

a second data structure stored in the memory, the second data structure used by the application program and comprising rules for linking the net markets associated with the plurality of products selected in response to the user input information provided by the user relating to the selection of the plurality of products, the associated net markets being arranged into categories for each of the plurality of products, the rules for linking net markets to be used for setting up net market travels routes through the categories.