Intelligent multimedia e-catalog

• US 20080126221A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exalt Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exalt Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Swanson, Leslie H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An intelligent product catalog system provides for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system. A central database repository stores the product information and provides for an unlimited number of product attributes and dynamic reconfiguration of the product information. The central database repository comprises a meta data system, a scheme system and an object model system. A plurality of applications access the central database repository, the applications being automatically adaptive to the dynamic reconfiguration of the product information. A user interface provides display, sorting and filtering of the product information including the unlimited number of product attributes.

Claims

1. An intelligent product catalog system for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system comprising:

a central database repository for storing the product information providing for an unlimited number of product attributes and dynamic reconfiguration of the product information,

the central database repository comprising a meta data system that describes the product information, a scheme system that defines entities and relationships inherent in the product information, and an object model system that represents the product information;

a content translator for converting unstructured content to structured content based on the scheme system to create at least a portion of the product information, where the scheme system provides configuration rules that are used by one or more user applications for designing and configuring a product solution based on the product information; and

a user interface providing display, sorting and filtering of the product information including the unlimited number of product attributes.

2. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the configuration business rules provide for presenting only valid configurations of product options for the product solution.

3. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the configuration business rules provide a budget based configuration analysis such that only the addition of product options that are within a predefined limit are presented or permitted.

4. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 3 wherein the budget is based upon at least one of:

dimensions, weight, temperature, power consumption, air flow and cost.

5. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the one or more of the user applications includes a bill of materials application that uses the configuration business rules for presenting completed product bill of materials information for the product solution.

6. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the configuration business rules provide for presenting or permitting only options that do not conflict with other options already selected for the product solution.

7. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein in configuring and designing the product solution, specific products are selected, by a user without having to proceed in a predetermined sequence.

8. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 7 wherein the display is dynamically rerendered to reflect any selected products that have been added to the product solution.

9. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 8 wherein the product solution is rendered on the display as a vector graphic drawing, and when a selected product has been added product solution, the vector graphic drawing provided on the display is dynamically reconfigured to reflect the updated product solution including the added selected product.

10. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 further comprising a reporting engine for tracking and recording activity of actual product selection criteria used during a user session.

11. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 further comprising a syndication and publication system providing for exporting of custom formatted product information.

12. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 11 wherein the exporting is done periodically at predefined intervals.

13. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 5 wherein the bill of materials application, in communication with the display further comprises an intelligent bill of materials displaying selected products and selected options for displaying products associated with the product solution, the display providing drill down for detailed information on the product solution.

14. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 13 wherein the bill of materials application, in communication with the display, further enables the product solution to be manipulated on the display by enabling users to add attributes specific to each line item in the bill of materials for the product solution.

15. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 14 wherein the added attributes include any discounts, asset tags, and service level.

16. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the product solution is a network infrastructure product.

17. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein display of the product solution is controlled by using customized views that enable dynamic presentation of different content to different users based upon login information.

18. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 17 wherein the views include:

(a) security based views enabling suppliers to secure their environment by assigning users permissions and controls for the user applications;

(b) product specific views enabling filtering out products inappropriate for users or groups of users;

(c) attribute specific views allowing different users to see different attributes for products;

(d) internationalization, localization views displaying content in different languages, with different units of measure or currency for users or user groups in specific countries; and

(e) document and reference material views allow different users to see different documents or reference materials.

19. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 further including enabling a user to save the product solution as a template in a secure storage area for reuse, and enabling the user or another user access to use the saved product solution.

20. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 further including enabling a user to send bill of material information for the product solution to another user so that they can collaborate on the design and configuration of the product solution.