Method, system, and computer program product for long-term on-line comparison shopping

• US 20050086121A1
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-program product for automatically monitoring websites (e.g., web-based shopping sites, catalogs, auction sites, etc.) for acquisition parameters (e.g., prices, rental amounts, trading/barter requirements, etc.) on one or more commodities, for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying acquisition parameters for one or more commodities, comprising the steps of:

identifying said one or more commodities using one or more searchable identification parameters;

defining a monitoring duration during which acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities will be monitored;

monitoring one or more publicly-searchable, network-accessible databases for acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities using said one or more searchable identification parameters; and

outputting results of said monitoring step.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said one or more publicly-searchable databases includes shop-bot sites.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said monitoring duration defining step includes at least the steps of:

defining an overall duration for conducting said monitoring step; and

defining a refresh interval for said monitoring step.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

identifying one or more alarm conditions; and

wherein said monitoring step further comprises at least the step of identifying the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein said outputting step comprises at least the steps of:

sending an email to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein said outputting step comprises at least the steps of:

sending an electronic page to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein said outputting step comprises at least the steps of:

sending an instant message to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein one of said one or more alarm conditions comprises an acquisition parameter reaching a predefined minimum value.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said acquisition parameter comprises a sale price.

10. A computer-implemented system for identifying acquisition parameters for one or more commodities, comprising:

means for identifying said one or more commodities using one or more searchable identification parameters;

means for defining a monitoring duration during which acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities will be monitored;

means for monitoring one or more publicly-searchable, network-accessible databases for acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities using said one or more searchable identification parameters; and

means for outputting results of said monitoring step.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 10, wherein said one or more publicly-searchable databases includes shop-bot sites.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 11, wherein said means for monitoring duration defining includes at least:

means for defining an overall duration for conducting said monitoring step; and

means for defining a refresh interval for said monitoring step.

13. The computer-implemented system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for identifying one or more alarm conditions; and

wherein said means for monitoring further comprises at least means for identifying the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein said means for outputting comprises at least:

means for sending an email to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein said means for outputting comprises at least:

means for sending an electronic page to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein said means for outputting comprises at least:

means for sending an instant message to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein one of said one or more alarm conditions comprises an acquisition parameter reaching a predefined minimum value.

18. The computer-implemented system of claim 17, wherein said acquisition parameter comprises a sale price.

19. A computer program product for identifying acquisition parameters for one or more commodities, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code that identifies said one or more commodities using one or more searchable identification parameters;

computer-readable program code that defines a monitoring duration during which acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities will be monitored;

computer-readable program code that monitors one or more publicly-searchable, network-accessible databases for acquisition parameters for said one or more commodities using said one or more searchable identification parameters; and

computer-readable program code that outputs results of said monitoring step.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said one or more publicly-searchable databases includes shop-bot sites.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said computer-readable program code that monitors duration defining includes at least:

computer-readable program code that defines an overall duration for conducting said monitoring step; and

computer-readable program code that defines a refresh interval for said monitoring step.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

computer-readable program code that identifies one or more alarm conditions; and

wherein said computer-readable program code that monitors further comprises at least computer-readable program code that identifies the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said computer-readable program code that outputs comprises at least:

computer-readable program code that sends an email to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said computer-readable program code that outputs comprises at least:

computer-readable program code that sends an electronic page to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said computer-readable program code that outputs comprises at least:

computer-readable program code that sends an instant message to a user of said method upon the occurrence of one or more of said alarm conditions.

26. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein one of said one or more alarm conditions comprises an acquisition parameter reaching a predefined minimum value.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein said acquisition parameter comprises a sale price.