System and method for an electronic product advisor

• US 20060282304A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CBS Interactive Inc. (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: CNET Networks Incorporated (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Kasavin, Greg, Bedard, Scott, Andrus, Patrick Cashman
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A system and method operates on a client device and acquires a suspect list of user products based on information derived from the client device. The system normalizes the list, and the user confirms the accuracy of the product list. The user product list is sent to a server where the user product list is compared to other lists using collaborative filtering techniques. The collaborative filtering techniques determine products of interest for the use and the level of interest of the user. The system computes a similarity measure based upon the number of similar products that match the user'"'"'s product list and rankings provided by the user and others. Demographic and behavioral data may also be used in performing the comparison and the similarity measure. The system acquires editorial rankings of products from other users and provides a ranked list of recommended products based upon the editorial rankings.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice, the method comprising:

acquiring a consumer product list indicating products a consumer owns;

comparing the consumer product list to a database of profile product lists;

assigning a similarity measure to each of the profile product lists based upon a number of similar products enumerated on the profile product lists that match the consumer product list;

computing a ranked recommended list of products indicating products that the consumer does not own based on the similarity measure and a number of instances that the unowned products appear on the profile product lists;

displaying the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own.

2. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the consumer product list is conducted by a computer application that searches a file directory of the consumer.

3. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the consumer product list is conducted by a registration program with a host system that stores a user profile.

4. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes consumer demographic information.

5. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes consumer behavioral information.

6. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes consumer demographic information and consumer behavioral information.

7. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own includes displaying the ranked recommended list of products to the consumer.

8. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own includes displaying the ranked recommended list of products to a third party.

9. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1;

wherein the consumer product list includes a consumer rating for products on the list;

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the consumer rating of the products on the list; and

wherein the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own is also based on the consumer rating of products the consumer owns on the consumer product list.

10. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1,

wherein the profile product lists include a rating for products on the profile product list;

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the rating of the product on the profile product list; and

wherein the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own is also based on the rating of the products on the profile product list.

11. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 10,

wherein the database of profile product lists include a rating for products on the profile product list;

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the rating of the product on the profile product list; and

wherein the ranked recommended list of products is also based on the rating of the products on the profile product list.

12. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a wish list of products that the consumer wishes to own to the consumer product list; and

wherein the step of comparing the product list of the consumer to the database of profile product lists also includes comparing the wish list of the consumer to the database of product profile lists; and

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the wish list of the consumer.

13. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring consumer demographic data; and

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the consumer demographic data.

14. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring consumer behavioral data; and

wherein the similarity measure is also based upon the consumer behavioral data.

15. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 14, wherein the consumer behavioral data includes data regarding purchasing behavior.

16. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 14, wherein the consumer behavioral data includes data regarding downloaded software.

17. The computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice of claim 14, wherein the consumer behavioral data includes data regarding articles, websites, or web logs that the consumer reviewed.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing consumer product advice, the method comprising:

acquiring a consumer product list indicating products a consumer owns, wherein the products indicated are rated by the consumer;

acquiring demographic data regarding the consumer;

acquiring behavioral data regarding the consumer;

acquiring a wish list of products that the consumer wishes to own and adding the wish list of products to the consumer product list;

comparing the rated consumer product list to a database of profile product lists;

assigning a similarity measure to each of the profile product lists based upon a number of similar products enumerated on the profile product lists that match the rated consumer product list;

computing a ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own based on the similarity measure and a number of instances of un-owned products on the profile product lists;

providing for display the ranked recommended products that the consumer does not own.

19. An advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice, the apparatus comprising:

an acquisition module means for acquiring a consumer product list indicating products a consumer owns;

a database means for storing profile product lists;

a comparison module means for comparing the consumer product list to the database of profile product lists and for assigning a similarity measure to each of the profile product lists based upon a number of similar products enumerated on the profile product lists that match the consumer product list;

a computation module means for computing a ranked recommended list of products indicating products that the consumer does not own based on the similarity measure and a number of instances that the un-owned products appear on the profile product lists; and

a display module means for providing a display of the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own.

20. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19, wherein the acquisition module means for acquiring a consumer product list indicating products a consumer owns includes a computer application that searches a file directory of the consumer.

21. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19, wherein the acquisition module means for acquiring a consumer product list includes a registration program with a host system that stores a user profile.

22. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 21, wherein the user profile includes consumer demographic information.

23. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 21, wherein the user profile includes consumer behavioral information.

24. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 21, wherein the user profile includes consumer demographic information and consumer behavioral information.

25. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19, wherein the display module means for providing a display of the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own includes means for displaying the ranked recommended list of products to the consumer.

26. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19, wherein the display module means for providing a display of the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own includes means for displaying the ranked recommended list of products to a third party.

27. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19;

wherein the comparison module means includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon a consumer rating of the products on the consumer product list; and

wherein the computation module means includes further means for basing the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own on the consumer rating of products the consumer owns on the consumer product list.

28. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19,

wherein the comparison module means includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon a rating of the products on the profile product list;

and

wherein the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own is also based on the rating of the products on the profile product list.

wherein the computation module means includes further means for basing the ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own on the rating of products on the profile product list.

29. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 27,

wherein the database means for storing profile lists includes means for storing a rating for products on the profile product list;

wherein the comparison module means includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon the rating of the product on the profile product list; and

wherein the computation module means includes further means for basing the ranked recommended list of products on the rating of the products on the profile product list.

30. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19, wherein the comparison module means includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon a wish list of products that the consumer wishes to own and the product profile lists.

31. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19,

wherein the acquisition module means further includes means for acquiring consumer demographic data;

and

wherein the comparison module means further includes means for basing the similarity measure upon the consumer demographic data.

32. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 19,

wherein the acquisition module means further includes means for acquiring consumer behavioral data;

and

wherein the comparison module means further includes means for basing the similarity measure upon the consumer behavioral data.

33. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 32,

wherein the acquisition module means for acquiring consumer behavioral data includes further means for acquiring data regarding purchasing behavior;

and

wherein the comparison module means for basing the similarity measure includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon the data regarding purchasing behavior.

34. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 32,

wherein the acquisition module means for acquiring consumer behavioral data includes further means for acquiring data regarding downloaded software;

and

wherein the comparison module means for basing the similarity measure includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon the data regarding downloaded software.

35. The advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice of claim 32,

wherein the acquisition module means for acquiring consumer behavioral data includes further means for acquiring data regarding articles, websites, or web logs that the consumer reviewed;

and

wherein the comparison module means for basing the similarity measure includes further means for basing the similarity measure upon the data regarding articles, websites, or web logs that the consumer reviewed.

36. An advisor server apparatus for providing consumer product advice, the apparatus comprising:

acquisition module means for acquiring a consumer product list indicating products a consumer owns, wherein the products indicated are rated by the consumer, the acquisition module means further including means for acquiring demographic data regarding the consumer, means for acquiring behavioral data regarding the consumer, and means for acquiring a wish list of products that the consumer wishes to own;

database means for adding the wish list of products to the consumer product list;

comparison module means for comparing the rated consumer product list to the database of profile product lists and for assigning a similarity measure to each of the profile product lists based upon a number of similar products enumerated on the profile product lists that match the rated consumer product list;

computation module means for computing a ranked recommended list of products that the consumer does not own based on the similarity measure and a number of instances of un-owned products on the profile product lists;

display module means for providing a display of the ranked recommended products that the consumer does not own.