Membership selection assistant

• US 20090037411A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sumedha Gupta, Vaibhava Goel
• Original Assignee: Sumedha Gupta, Vaibhava Goel
• Inventors: Gupta, Sumedha, Goel, Vaibhava
• Application Number:
  US11/888,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037411A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a membership selection assistant that assists users in selecting a set of memberships to carry out a set of actions. This assistance is provided by determining what actions the user wishes to carry out and what memberships the user wishes to consider for those actions; then determining what benefits the user would derive by use of the memberships they have identified; then consolidating and rank ordering the benefit information; then either presenting the user with consolidated and rank ordered information, or automatically making optimal membership selection.

Claims

1. A method of selecting one or more memberships to use for a set of actions that involve use of memberships, said method comprising the steps of

identification of a set of memberships from which said selection will be made;

and

identification of a set of actions for which said selection is to be made; and

retrieval from a database of benefits associated with use of said memberships to carry out said actions; and

consolidation and ordering of said retrieved benefits; and

selection of memeberships using said consolidated and ordered benefit information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said membership set identification comprises requiring user to specify the set by entering memberships on a data entry device or selecting from a list of memberships.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said specification is carried out on a computer using a keyboard or voice commands that are converted to text using an automatic voice recognition system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said specification is carried out on a hand held device using a keypad, stylus, or voice commands that are converted to text using an automatic voice recognition system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said membership set identification comprises using a remote sensing mechanism to detect the memberships that the user is carrying.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said remote sensing is carried out using RF ID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said action set identification comprises requiring user to specify the set by entering actions on a data entry device or selecting from a list of actions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said specification is carried out on a computer using a keyboard or voice commands that are converted to text using an automatic voice recognition system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said specification is carried out on a hand held device using a keypad, stylus, or voice commands that are converted to text using an automatic voice recognition system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said action set identification comprises automatic identification on the basis of physical actions of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said consolidation and ordering of said retrieved benefits is carried out using a set of pre-defined rules.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection of memberships comprises presenting said consolidated and sorted benefit information to the user and letting user make the selection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection of memberships is automatically carried out on the basis of said consolidated and sorted benefit information so as to optimize a pre-specified utility function.

14. The method of claim 1, further incorporating user specific preferences and data, and comprising the steps of

customization of said benefit retrieval step to retrieve user specific benefits;

and

customization of said consolidation and ordering step to carry out consolidation and sorting utilizing user preferences, in a manner that is optimal for the user; and

customization of said selection step to carry out selection that is optimal for the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said user specific preferences and data are updated on the basis of user specific information that is collected when users utilize said membership selection.

16. An article of manufacture for developing a membership selection system, comprising a computer readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

identification of a set of memberships from which membership selection will be made; and

identification of a set of actions for which said selection is to be made; and

retrieval from a database of benefits associated with use of said memberships to carry out said actions; and

consolidation and ordering of said retrieved benefits; and

selection of memeberships using said consolidated and ordered benefit information.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further incorporating storage of user specific preferences and data, and comprising the steps of

customization of said benefit retrieval step to retrieve user specific benefits;

and

customization of said consolidation and ordering step to carry out consolidation and sorting utilizing user preferences, in a manner that is optimal for the user; and

customization of said selection step to carry out selection that is optimal for the user.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further including storage of user identity that can be used to retrieve said user preferences and data.