Computer system for retrieving a product that meets characteristics of a customer

• US 20030158793A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takakura, Keiji, Kameoka, Michitada
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A computer system for retrieving a product that meets characteristics of a customer. The system comprises a main agent and a supplier agent connected to the main agent through a network. The main agent comprises a customer table for storing customer characteristic codes. Each of the customer characteristic codes represents characteristics of each of customer. The supplier agent comprises a product database for storing products provided by the supplier. Each of the products is assigned a customer characteristic code in accordance with characteristics of the product. The main agent writes the product search request received from a customer and the customer characteristic code of the customer in a parameter table. The supplier agent reads the parameter table and retrieves a product that meets the product search request and that is assigned the customer characteristic code. The main agent edits the search result into a search result screen.

Claims

1. A computer system for retrieving one or more products that meet characteristics of a customer, comprising:

a main agent;

a customer table provided in the main agent, the customer table storing customer characteristic codes, each of the characteristic codes representing characteristics of each of customers;

a supplier agent connected to the main agent through a network; and

a product database provided in the supplier agent, the product database storing products provided by a supplier of the supplier agent, wherein each of the products in the product database is assigned a customer characteristic code in accordance with characteristics of the product;

wherein the main agent is programmed to;

identify a customer based on a product search request received from the customer;

extract a customer characteristic code from the customer table based on the identified customer; and

write the product search request and the extracted customer characteristic code in a parameter table;

wherein the supplier agent is programmed to;

read out the product search request and the customer characteristic code from the parameter table;

extract from the product database one or more products that meet the product search request and that are assigned the customer characteristic code; and

write the extracted products in a search result table;

wherein the main agent is further programmed to;

read out the extracted products from the search result table;

edit the extracted products into a search result screen.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the customer characteristic code for a customer is determined based on an answer of the customer to a questionnaire.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the customer characteristic code for a customer includes a first value representing the degree of interests that the customer has in vehicles and a second value representing a sense of values that the customer has for vehicles.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein each of the products in the product database is further assigned a product characteristic code that represents characteristics of the product;

wherein the main agent is further programmed to;

encode the product search request from the customer by using the product characteristic code;

write the encoded product search request in the parameter table,

wherein the supplier agent is further programmed to;

extract from the product database one or more products that have the product characteristic code included in the encoded product search request written in the parameter table and that are assigned the customer characteristic code of the identified customer.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the product search request can be abstractly expressed without specifying a product name and a product type, the abstract expression being encoded by using the product characteristic code.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of supplier agents;

and

wherein the main agent is further programmed to;

edit products extracted by the plurality of supplier agents into one search result screen.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the search result screen is designed to enable the customer to select and purchase a desired product from the extracted products.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein, when the customer selects and purchases the desired product, a display screen in which the customer can enter satisfaction for the product is provided.

9. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a state table for storing progress of the product search request.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the supplier agent is provided in each of suppliers who supply products to a company, the company maintaining the main agent.

11. A computer-implemented method for retrieving one or more products that meet characteristics of a customer, comprising:

(a) providing a main agent with a customer table for storing customer characteristic codes, each of the customer characteristic codes representing characteristics of each of customers;

(b) providing a supplier agent, which is connected to the main agent through a network, with a product database for storing products provided by a supplier of the supplier agent, each of the products in the product database being assigned a customer characteristic code in accordance with characteristics of the product;

(c) identifying, in the main agent, a customer based on a product search request received from the customer;

(d) extracting, in the main agent, a customer characteristic code from the customer table based on the identified customer to write the product search request and the extracted customer characteristic code in a parameter table;

(e) reading, in the supplier agent, the product search request and the customer characteristic code from the parameter table;

(f) extracting, in the supplier agent, one or more products that meet the product search request and that are assigned the customer characteristic code from the product database to write the extracted products in a search result table; and

(g) reading, in the main agent, the extracted products from the search result table to edit them into a search result screen.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the customer characteristic code for a customer is determined based on an answer of the customer to a questionnaire.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the customer characteristic code for a customer includes a first value representing the degree of interests that the customer has in vehicles and a second value representing a sense of values that the customer has for vehicles.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the products in the product database is further assigned a product characteristic code that represents characteristics of the product;

wherein the step (d) further comprises encoding the product search request by using the product characteristic code to write the encoded product search request in the parameter table; and

wherein the step (f) further comprises extracting from the product database one or more products that have the product characteristic code included in the encoded product search request written in the parameter table and that are assigned the customer characteristic code of the identified customer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the product search request can be abstractly expressed without specifying a product name and a product type, the abstract expression being encoded by using the product characteristic code.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein there are a plurality of supplier agents;

and

wherein the step (g) further comprises editing products extracted by the plurality of supplier agents into one search result screen.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step (g) further comprises designing the search result screen to enable the customer to select and purchase a desired product from the extracted products.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step (g) further comprises providing al display screen in which a customer can enter satisfaction for the desired product when the customer selects and purchases the product.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing a state table that a customer can refer to,

wherein progress of the product search request is stored in the state table by the main agent and the supplier agent.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the supplier agent is provided in each of suppliers that provide products to a company, the company maintaining the main agent.