System and method for creating a customized electronic catalog

• US 20030083959A1
• Filed: 06/09/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Inventors: Westphal, Geoffry Arthur, Song, Jinshan
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for creating a customized product catalog. The customized catalog is created in response to a request to search an electronic catalog that has data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes. The search request includes at least one user-specified attribute of interest. Products in the electronic catalog are identified that have an attribute corresponding to the user specified attribute of interest. The identified products are aggregated into a sub-catalog that includes data representative of the identified products which data is formatted using a user-specified electronic format. In this manner, a customized catalog can be created for used in a user-specific electronic commerce system.

Claims

1. A method for creating a customized product catalog, comprising:

receiving a request to search an electronic catalog comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, the search request including at least one user-specified attribute of interest;

examining the data to identify the products in the electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the user specified attribute of interest;

aggregating the identified products into a sub-catalog comprised of data representative of the identified products; and

formatting the sub-catalog data using a user-specified electronic format.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising downloading, via a network connection, the sub-catalog to a computer in the user-specified electronic format.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising downloading the sub-catalog directly to an enterprise resource planning system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network connection comprises the Internet.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

6. A method for creating a customized product catalog, comprising:

receiving a request to search an electronic catalog comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, the search request including at least one user-specified attribute of interest;

examining the data to identify the products in the electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the user-specified attribute of interest;

aggregating the identified products into a sub-catalog comprised of data representative of the identified products; and

formatting the sub-catalog data in an electronic format that is compatible with a user-specified type of computer.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising downloading, via a network connection, the sub-catalog to a computer in the user-specified electronic format.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising downloading the sub-catalog directly to an enterprise resource planning system.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the network connection comprises the Internet.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the electronic format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising formatting the sub-catalog to match the electronic format utilized by the user computer in conducting electronic, commercial transactions.

12. A system for creating a customized product catalog, comprising:

a search computer on which is stored an electronic catalog comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes;

a search engine resident on the search computer which, in response to the receipt of a search request including at least one user-specified search attribute, examines the data to identify the products in the electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the user-specified attribute of interest and which aggregates the identified products into a sub-catalog comprised of data representative of the identified products; and

a formatter that formats the sub-catalog data into a user-specified format.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, comprising a client computer in communication with the search computer, the client computer including a graphical user interface for use in creating the search request.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the search computer transmits the sub-catalog to the client computer.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the client computer has an associated enterprise resource planning system into which the sub-catalog is downloaded.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the client computer and the search computer are linked via the Internet.

17. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the formatter formats the sub-catalog data in a format selected from the group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

18. A computer-readable media having instructions for creating a customized product catalog, the instructions performing steps comprising:

receiving a request to search an electronic catalog comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, the search request including at least one user-specified attribute of interest;

examining the data to identify the products in the electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the user specified attribute of interest;

aggregating the identified products into a sub-catalog comprised of data representative of the identified products; and

formatting the sub-catalog data using a user-specified electronic format.

19. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions perform the further step of downloading, via a network connection, the sub-catalog to a computer in the user-specified electronic format.

20. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions perform the further step of downloading the sub-catalog directly to an enterprise resource planning system.

21. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the network connection comprises the Internet.

22. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.