System and method for conducting product configuration research over a computer-based network

• US 20030200161A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: Harris Interactive Incorporated (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Bakken, David G., Jeavons, Andrew P., Bayer, Leonard R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method is provided for enabling respondents at their computer systems to connect with a server computer over a network, such as the Internet, and receive an executable configuration program enabling each respondent to select a single subfeature, or multiple (zero, one, or more) different subfeature attributes or levels, for each of the features of a product. Each of the subfeatures for each feature has a price value and the combination of selected subfeatures for the features of the product provides a total price value of the product. The total price value is displayed and updated as subfeatures for the features are selected or changed by the respondent. When the total price value of the product is acceptable to the respondent, and the desired subfeatures have been selected for the features of the product, the program returns configuration information to the computer server having data representing the subfeatures selected for the product, the total price of the product, the time for the respondent to complete the configuration of the product, and each of the features and subfeatures selected and changed by the respondent in arriving at the final configured product. The configuration program may be part of a survey being conducted over the network by the server computer in which questions of the survey following receipt of the configuration information by the computer server may be in accordance with such configuration information.

Claims

1. A system for conducting product configuration research at computer systems over a network for a product having multiple features and for each feature a plurality of possibly subfeatures, said system comprising:

at least one first computer system connected to said network;

at least one second computer system capable of connecting to said first computer system through said network;

said first computer system sending an executable program via said network to said second computer system;

said program being executed by said second computer system and comprising;

means for enabling a respondent at the second computer system to configure the product by selecting at least one subfeature for each of the features of the product, and allowing the selected subfeatures to be changed by the respondent until the product is configured with final ones of the selected subfeatures, in which each of the possible subfeatures of the features of the product has a price value, and at least one of said features has multiple selectable subfeatures;

means for determining a total price value of the product in accordance with the price value of the selected subfeature for each of the features of the product as the respondent selects or changes the selection of the subfeatures for each of the features of the product, and displaying said total price value;

means for determining the time for the respondent to configure the product with the final ones of said selected subfeature for each of the features of the product; and

means for sending configuration information to the first computer system when the respondent has configured the product having at least the final selected subfeatures for the features of the product, all selected subfeatures for the features of the product until the final ones of the selected subfeatures, and said determined time; and

said first computer system having means for storing said configuration information received from said second computer system.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said first computer system sends a survey having questions to said second computer system associated with said sent executable program, and said first computer system further comprises means for enabling the respondent to answer said questions and to send answers to said questions to said first computer system over the network.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein certain of the subfeatures when selected for the features of the product represent a conflict with said selected subfeatures for other features of the product, and said program further comprises means for informing the respondent of said second computer system when said selected subfeature represent said conflict, and means for resetting the respondent selection of the subfeature causing the conflict to avoid the conflict.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the possible subfeatures for each of the features represent an attribute or level of the feature.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said first computer system is a network server.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said network is a public network.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said network is the Internet.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said one of said features has multiple selectable subfeatures enabling the respondent to select zero, one, or more of said multiple selectable subfeatures.

9. A method for enabling product configuration research by a respondent at a computer system over a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying the features of a product;

b) selecting one of said displayed features;

c) displaying possible subfeatures for said selected feature;

d) selecting one of said displayed subfeatures for said selected feature, in which each said subfeature associated with the feature has a price value, and at least one of said features when selected enable multiple subfeatures to be selected;

e) determining a total price based on the price value of said selected subfeature and other selected subfeatures of the product;

f) displaying said total price value;

g) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) for different selected displayed features until the selected subfeatures for each of the features provide a total price value acceptable to the respondent;

h) determining the elapse time until the selected subfeatures for each of the features provide a total price value acceptable to the respondent; and

i) sending configuration information to another computer system over the network representing at least said selected subfeatures for the features of the product, total price value, and the elapse time.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of maintaining a list of each of the selected subfeatures and the associated selected feature after each of the selected subfeatures are selected or changed until the selected subfeatures for each of the features provide a total price value acceptable to the respondent, wherein said configuration information further comprises said list.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of storing said configuration information at said another computer system.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

answering questions of a survey in which one or more of said questions relate to said product; and

sending the answers to said questions to said another computer system.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

determining when one of the subfeatures selected for features of the product represent a conflict with said selected subfeatures for other features of the product;

providing a message informing the respondent when said selected subfeature represent said conflict; and

resetting the selection of the subfeature causing the conflict to avoid the conflict.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein said one of said features having multiple subfeatures to be selected enables zero, one, or more of said multiple subfeatures to be selected.

15. Software for enabling product configuration research executable at a computer system comprising:

means for selecting features from a group of possible features for a product;

means for selecting for one or more of said features, at least one subfeature from a group of possible subfeatures for the selected feature, in which each subfeature associated with the feature has a price value and said combination of at least said selected subfeatures for said features provides a total price value, wherein at least one of the selected subfeatures enables selection of a plurality of subfeatures;

means for displaying said total price value;

means for updating said displayed total price value as selected subfeatures change;

means for indicating that selecting subfeatures of the product is complete; and

means for determining the elapse time between start of said selecting features step and said indicating complete step.

16. The computer program according to claim 15 further comprising:

means for sending configuration information representing at least said selected subfeatures for the features, total price value, and elapse time to another computer system over a network; and

means for storing said configuration information at said another computer system.

17. The computer program according to claim 15 further comprising:

means for maintaining a list of at least each selected subfeature and associated selected feature changed, and said configuration information further comprises said list.

18. A computer system for enabling a respondent to configure a product comprising:

means for enabling a respondent to configure the product by selecting at least one subfeature for each of the features of the product, and allowing the selected subfeatures to be changed by the respondent until the product is configured with final ones of the selected subfeatures, in which each of the possible subfeatures of the features of the product has a price value, and at least one of said features when selected enables selection of a plurality of subfeatures for said one of said features;

means for determining a total price value of the product in accordance with the price value of the selected subfeature for each of the features of the product as the respondent selects or changes the selection of the subfeatures for each of the features of the product, and displaying said total price value;

means for determining the time for the respondent to configure the product with the final ones of said selected subfeature for each of the features of the product; and

means for determining configuration information when the respondent has configured the product having at least the final selected subfeatures for the features of the product, all selected subfeatures for the features of the product until the final ones of the selected subfeatures, and said determined time.

19. A system for enabling a respondent to configure a product over a network comprising a computer system enabling the respondent to configure a product by selecting features and subfeatures for the features of the product in which at least one of the features when selected enables selection of a plurality of subfeatures for said one of the features, recording changes in each of the selected features and subfeatures until the product is configured, and sending over the network to another computer system configuration information representative of at least the selected features and subfeatures of the product, and said recorded changes in selected features and subfeatures of the product.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein each said subfeature for each of the features has a price value, and said computer system determines a total price value representing a combination of the price values of each selected subfeature, and displays the total price value as subfeatures are selected or the selection of subfeatures are changed.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein said computer system has a timer for measuring the time for the respondent to configure the product, and said configuration information further comprises said determined time.

22. A network addressable site enabling product configuration market research comprising means for sending software via a network to one or more computer systems which is executable by said computer systems for enabling each user of said computer systems to configure a product by selecting one or more attributes of the features of said product, in which at least one of said features enables multiple attributes to be selected, while displaying a total price value of the product in accordance with price value of said selected features and updating said displayed total price value in accordance with changes in said selected features separate from the operation of said network addressable site, and sending information via said network back to said network addressable site having data representing at least said selected attributes for said features when the user has completed the configuration of the product.

23. A method for enabling product configuration market research comprising the steps of:

sending software from a network addressable site, via a network, to one or more computer systems which when executed by said computer systems enables each user of said computer systems to select the attributes of the features of a product in which at least one of said features enables multiple attributes to be selected;

displaying a total price value of the product at each of said computer systems in accordance with price values of said selected attributes of said features;

updating said displayed total price value in accordance with changes in said selected attributes for said features separate from the operation of said network addressable site; and

returning information via said network to said network addressable site having data representing at least said features selected when the user of each of said computer systems has completed the configuration of the product.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of measuring elapse time for each user of the computer systems to configure the product, and said information further comprises data representing said elapse time.

25. The method according to claim 23 wherein said information further comprises data representing said selected attributes of said features and any changes in said selected attributes for said features until said product configuration is completed.

26. The method according to claim 23 wherein said information is used solely for market research.

27. The method according to claim 23 wherein said one of said features enabling multiple attributes to be selected enables zero, one, or more of said multiple attributes to be selected.

28. A network addressable site enabling product configuration market research comprising means for sending software via a network to one or more computer systems which is executable by said computer systems for enabling each user of said computer systems to configure by selecting one or more attributes of the features in which at least one of said features enables multiple attributes to be selected, and sending information via said network back to said network addressable site having data representing at least said selected attributes for the features when the user has completed the configuration of the product, wherein said information is used solely for market research.