System and methods for generating a customer specific catalog from a base catalog

• US 20030225778A1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mihai, Constantin, Fisher, Craig, Vaidya, Gautam, Tadas, Vinayak, Husmann, Harlan Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/157,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

The described implementations generate a virtual catalog from one or more standard or base catalogs. To accomplish this, one or more virtual catalog customizing rules are presented and applied to content of one or more base catalogs. The applied rules incorporate by reference at least a subset of content specified by the one or more base catalogs into the virtual catalog.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a set of rules corresponding to generation of a virtual catalog (VC); and

applying the rules to one or more base catalogs to generate the VC such that the VC incorporates by reference at least a subset of information specified by the one or more base catalogs.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rules exclude at least a portion of the information specified by the base catalog.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rules comprise inclusion, exclusion, and/or pricing rules.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least a subset of information specified in the one or more base catalogs corresponds to a one or more of a product, a product category, product pricing, product localization, or a product taxonomy.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein applying the rules to the one or more base catalogs further comprises incorporating the at least a subset of information into the VC with a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a base catalog of the one or more base catalogs comprises a property that is associated with a price, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a new price based on an original price and a rule of the rules; and

representing the property and the new price in the VC.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, after the operation of applying, further comprising communicating at least a subset of information in the VC as a Web page to a client device for presentation in a Web browser.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, after the operation of applying, further comprising communicating at least a subset of information in the VC to a client device for presentation in a user interface having characteristics that are specified by the client device.

9. A computer-readable medium for deriving a catalog from any number of standard or base catalogs, the computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that are executable by a processor and comprising instructions for:

presenting a set of rules corresponding to generation of a virtual catalog (VC); and

applying the rules to one or more base catalogs to generate the VC such that the VC incorporates by reference at least a subset of information specified by the one or more base catalogs.

10. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, wherein the rules exclude at least a portion of the information specified by the base catalog.

11. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, wherein the rules comprise inclusion, exclusion, and/or pricing rules.

12. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least a subset of information specified in the one or more base catalogs corresponds to a one or more of a product, a product category, product pricing, product localization, or a product taxonomy.

13. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions for applying the rules to the one or more base catalogs further comprise instructions for incorporating the at least a subset of information into the VC with a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

14. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, wherein a base catalog of the one or more base catalogs comprises a property that is associated with a price, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

generating a new price based on the first price and a rule of the rules; and

representing the property and the new price in the VC.

15. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, after the computer-executable instructions for applying, further comprising instructions for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC as a Web page to a client device for presentation in a Web browser.

16. A computer-readable as recited in claim 9, after the computer-executable instructions for applying, further comprising instructions for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC to a client device for presentation in a user interface having characteristics that are specified by the client device.

17. A computing device for generating a catalog from any number of standard or base catalogs, the computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer-executable instructions for;

presenting a set of rules corresponding to generation of a virtual catalog (VC);

applying the rules to one or more base catalogs to generate the VC such that the VC incorporates by reference at least a subset of information specified by the one or more base catalogs; and

wherein the processor is configured to fetch and execute the computer-executable instructions.

18. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the rules exclude at least a portion of the information specified by the base catalog.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the rules comprise inclusion, exclusion, and/or pricing rules.

20. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least a subset of information specified in the one or more base catalogs corresponds to a one or more of a product, a product category, product pricing, product localization, or a product taxonomy.

21. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions for applying the rules to the one or more base catalogs further comprise instructions for incorporating the at least a subset of information into the VC with a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

22. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein a base catalog of the one or more base catalogs comprises a property that is associated with a price, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

generating a new price based on the first price and a rule of the rules; and

representing the property and the new price in the VC.

23. A computing device as recited in claim 17, after the computer-executable instructions for applying, further comprising instructions for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC as a Web page to a client device for presentation in a Web browser.

24. A computing device as recited in claim 17, after the computer-executable instructions for applying, further comprising instructions for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC to a client device for presentation in a user interface having characteristics that are specified by the client device.

25. A computing device for generating a catalog from any number of standard or base catalogs, the computing device comprising processing means for:

presenting a set of rules corresponding to generation of a virtual catalog (VC); and

applying the rules to one or more base catalogs to generate the VC such that the VC incorporates by reference at least a subset of information specified by the one or more base catalogs.

26. A computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the rules exclude at least a portion of the information specified by the base catalog.

27. A computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the rules comprise inclusion, exclusion, and/or pricing rules.

28. A computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the at least a subset of information specified in the one or more base catalogs corresponds to a one or more of a product, a product category, product pricing, product localization, or a product taxonomy.

29. A computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the means for applying the rules to the one or more base catalogs further comprise means for incorporating the at least a subset of information into the VC with a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

30. A computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein a base catalog of the one or more base catalogs comprises a property that is associated with a price, and wherein the processing means further comprise means for:

generating a new price based on the first price and a rule of the rules; and

representing the property and the new price in the VC.

31. A computing device as recited in claim 25, after the means for applying, further comprising processing means for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC as a Web page to a client device for presentation in a Web browser.

32. A computing device as recited in claim 25, after the processing means for applying, further comprising means for communicating at least a subset of information in the VC to a client device for presentation in a user interface having characteristics that are specified by the client device.

33. A catalog schema data structure for generating or managing a catalog, the catalog schema data structure comprising a first table comprising:

a first data field indicating a product, category, or variant of a base catalog to include or exclude from a virtual catalog that is derived at least in part from the base catalog;

a second data field specifying an inclusion or exclusion rule to apply to the base catalog, product, category, or variant identified in the first data field; and

a third data field providing an object ID of the product, category or variant.

34. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 33, wherein the catalog schema data structure further comprises a second table comprising a first data field providing a reference to any dependent virtual catalog that depends on the base catalog, a dependent virtual catalog being referenced in the virtual catalog.

35. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 33, wherein the catalog schema data structure further comprises a third table comprising:

a first data field identifying the base catalog;

a second data field providing an object ID corresponding to an object indicated by the base catalog; and

a third data field indicating an evaluated list price for the object.

36. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 33, wherein the catalog schema data structure further comprises a fourth table to represent a catalog taxonomy comprising:

a first data field indicating a substantially unique identification to assign to respective objects in the base catalog;

1

a second data field providing a catalog name of the base catalog;

a third data field identifying a unique child ID of a child product, category, or variant;

a fourth data field specifying a child catalog name; and

wherein the substantially unique identification, the catalog name, the unique child ID, and a child catalog name, indicate a product hierarchy in the virtual catalog.

37. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 33, wherein the catalog schema data structure further comprises a fifth table for indicating pricing rules, the fifth table comprising:

a first data field for indicating a catalog name corresponding to a particular rule;

a second data field indicating an object ID of a catalog, category, product, or variant to which the particular rule applies;

a third data field identifying a rule type; and

a fourth data field specifying an amount to determine a new price for the catalog, category, product, or variant.

38. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 37, wherein the rule type comprises a percentage on/off rule, a fixed on/off rule, a set amount rule, or a no-change rule.

39. A catalog schema data structure as recited in claim 37, wherein the new price is based on a list price indicated in the base catalog.

40. A user interface for generating a specific catalog from one or more base catalogs, each base catalog comprising base catalog information, the UI comprising:

a first area for specifying a particular base catalog of the one or more base catalogs;

a second area for selecting a rule consisting of an inclusion or an exclusion rule;

a third area for specifying a specific item selected from a catalog, product, or category of the base catalog information;

wherein responsive to specifying the specific item, the rule is associated to the specific item to indicate at least a portion of characteristics of the specific catalog; and

wherein the specific catalog is a virtual catalog.

41. A user interface as recited in claim 40, further comprising:

a fourth area to specify a particular item of the base catalog information;

a fifth area to specify a price rule to apply to the particular item;

a sixth area to specify a numeric amount representing a fixed price to apply to the particular item; and

wherein a specified price rule and/or a specified numeric amount is applied to the particular item during generation of the virtual catalog.

42. An application programming interface (API) to design and/or maintain an electronic catalog that is based on one or more base catalogs, the API comprising:

a create catalog interface comprising a parameter to indicate that a catalog to be created is to be the electronic catalog, the electronic catalog being a virtual catalog.

43. An API as recited in claim 42, further comprising an add virtual catalog rule interface to add a catalog, product, category, or variant inclusion or exclusion rule into the virtual catalog.

44. An application programming interface as recited in claim 42, further comprising a remove virtual catalog rule interface to remove a catalog, product, category, or variant inclusion or exclusion rule from the virtual catalog.

45. An application programming interface as recited in claim 42, further comprising a get virtual catalog rules interface to return to record set of any catalog, product, category, or variant rules that are included or excluded in the virtual catalog.

46. An API as recited in claim 42, further comprising a rebuild virtual catalog interface to rebuild the virtual catalog and or rebuild any dependent child virtual catalogs, a virtual catalog being rebuilt by reevaluating all inclusion and exclusion rules, reevaluating all pricing rules, and re-creating any virtual catalog views or tables.

47. An API as recited in claim 42, further comprising a remove price rule interface to remove a custom price rule from the virtual catalog.

48. An API as recited in claim 42, further comprising an add price rule interface to add a custom price rule for a catalog, product, variant, or category in the virtual catalog.

49. An API as recited in claim 48, wherein the custom price rule corresponds to a percentage on/off of a specified list price, a constant currency amount on/off the specified list price, an indication to set the list price to a specific currency amount, or an indication to not change the price.