Apparatus and method for facilitating a search for gems

• US 20080015870A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blue Nile Incorporated (Signet Jewelers Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blue Nile Incorporated (Signet Jewelers Limited)
• Inventors: Elowitz, Lawrence Benjamin, Berg, Alexander W.
• Application Number:
  US10/452,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015870A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Apparatus and method for facilitating a search for gems are described. In one embodiment, a computer-readable medium includes instructions to provide a sliding display element for a gem attribute. The sliding display element includes a bar and a slider. The bar represents a nonlinear scale of values of the gem attribute. The slider is configured to be disposed at one of a plurality of positions with respect to the bar. The slider is disposed at a first position with respect to the bar, and the first position is associated with a first value of the gem attribute. The computer-readable medium also includes instructions to identify a first plurality of gems associated with the first value.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising:

a gem search module to facilitate a search for a gem of a jewelry item, said gem search module being configured to provide a first user-interface element, said first user-interface element representing a nonlinear scale of values of a gem attribute, said gem search module being configured to receive a selection of a first value from said nonlinear scale of values and to identify said gem as being associated with said first value; and

a gem setting search module to facilitate a search for a gem setting of said jewelry item, said gem setting search module being configured to provide a second user-interface element, said second user-interface element representing a plurality of values of a gem setting attribute, said gem setting search module being configured to receive a selection of a second value from said plurality of values and to identify said gem setting as being associated with said second value.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first user-interface element corresponds to a sliding display element, said sliding display element including a bar and a slider, said bar representing said nonlinear scale of values, said slider being configured to be disposed at one of a plurality of positions with respect to said bar, said slider being disposed at a first position with respect to said bar, said first position being associated with said first value.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said gem attribute corresponds to one of price and carat weight.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said nonlinear scale of values corresponds to a logarithmic scale of values of said gem attribute.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said gem setting attribute corresponds to one of chain length, metal type, price, ring size, and setting style.

6. A computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions to provide a sliding display element for a gem attribute, said sliding display element including a bar and a slider, said bar representing a nonlinear scale of values of said gem attribute, said slider being configured to be disposed at one of a plurality of positions with respect to said bar, said slider being disposed at a first position with respect to said bar, said first position being associated with a first value of said gem attribute; and

instructions to identify a first plurality of gems associated with said first value.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said instructions to identify said first plurality of gems include:

instructions to produce a first search query based on said first value; and

instructions to identify said first plurality of gems as responsive to said first search query.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said gem attribute corresponds to one of price and carat weight.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said nonlinear scale of values corresponds to a logarithmic scale of values of said gem attribute.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

instructions to receive a request to move said slider to a second position with respect to said bar, said second position being associated with a second value of said gem attribute; and

instructions to identify a second plurality of gems associated with said second value.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said instructions to identify said second plurality of gems include:

instructions to produce a second search query based on said second value; and

instructions to identify said second plurality of gems as responsive to said second search query.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said first value and said second value correspond to a first lower limit and a second lower limit of said gem attribute, respectively.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said first value and said second value correspond to a first upper limit and a second upper limit of said gem attribute, respectively.

14. A computer-implemented method of facilitating a search for gems, comprising:

providing a sliding display element for a gem attribute, said sliding display element including a bar and a slider, said bar representing a nonlinear scale of values of said gem attribute, said slider being disposed at a first position with respect to said bar, said first position being associated with a first range of values of said gem attribute;

indicating a first plurality of gems associated with said first range of values;

in response to a request to move said slider, indicating said slider disposed at a second position with respect to said bar, said second position being associated with a second range of values of said gem attribute; and

indicating a second plurality of gems associated with said second range of values.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein said second plurality of gems corresponds to a subset of said first plurality of gems.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein said nonlinear scale of values corresponds to a logarithmic scale of values of said gem attribute.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein said slider is configured to be disposed at one of a plurality of positions with respect to said bar to select a lower limit of said gem attribute, said first position being associated with a first lower limit of said first range of values, said second position being associated with a second lower limit of said second range of values.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein said slider corresponds to a first slider, said sliding display element further including a second slider, said second slider being configured to be disposed at one of a plurality of positions with respect to said bar to select an upper limit of said gem attribute, said second slider being disposed at a third position with respect to said bar, said third position being associated with a first upper limit of said first range of values, wherein indicating said first plurality of gems includes indicating said first plurality of gems associated with said first lower limit and said first upper limit.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to a request to move said second slider, indicating said second slider disposed at a fourth position with respect to said bar, said fourth position being associated with a second upper limit of said second range of values,

wherein indicating said second plurality of gems includes indicating said second plurality of gems associated with said second lower limit and said second upper limit.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a first gem from said second plurality of gems;

receiving a selection of a second gem from said second plurality of gems; and

indicating a first value of said gem attribute for said first gem and a second value of said gem attribute for said second gem.