SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS IN SELECTING COMPATIBLE COMPONENTS OF A PRODUCT

• US 20110173543A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tapley, John, Hoiberg, Richard, Cockcroft, Oliver N., Farraro, Eric J.
• Application Number:
  US12/685,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

Systems and methods to assist buyers in selecting compatible components of a product are described. The system identifies a product associated with a plurality of component classes. Next, the system identifies a list of items by searching for items based on the component classes. The system then receives a selection of a first item. After a selection of the first item has been received, the system generates a list of compatible items by removing items from the identified list of items that are incompatible with the first item. Finally, the system presents the buyer with a user interface communicating the list of compatible items.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data processor;

a data storage device coupled to the data processor;

a product identification module for execution by the data processor to identify a product associated with a plurality of component classes;

a compatibility module for execution by the data processor configured to;

search the data storage device based on the plurality of component classes to automatically identify a plurality of items offered for sale on a network-based marketplace, the plurality of items including at least one item that is incompatible with another item in the plurality of items;

receive a selection of a first item; and

remove incompatible items from the plurality of items to generate a list of one or more compatible items, the removal responsive to a determination whether the plurality of items are compatible with the first item; and

a flow module for execution by the data processor to communicate a user interface including the list of one or more compatible items.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product identification module is configured to identify the product in response to the receipt of the selection of the first item.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the production identification module is configured to communicate a second user interface including one or more potential products associated with the plurality of component classes corresponding to the first item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the product identification module is configured to receive a selection of the product.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module is configured to add the first item to a selected items list and wherein the compatibility module is further configured to determine whether the plurality of items are compatible based on the selected items list.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the flow module is further configured to:

display the plurality of component classes in a flow;

display one or more compatible items from the list of one or more compatible items corresponding to a selected component class, the selected component class being one of the plurality of component classes in the flow;

add a selected item from the one or more compatible items to the selected items list; and

advance the flow until the selected items list includes an item corresponding to each of the plurality of component classes or a flow termination request is received.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the compatibility module is further configured to:

re-determine whether the plurality of items are compatible based on the selected items list in response to the addition of the selected item;

remove incompatible items from the plurality of items to regenerate the list of one or more compatible items; and

wherein the flow module is further configured to;

change the selected component class to a next component class in the flow; and

display the one or more compatible items from the list of one or more compatible items corresponding to the selected component class.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the flow module is further configured to receive a selection of a component class, the component class becoming the selected component class and the component class having not already been selected.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module is configured to analyze item attributes.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module is to determine whether the plurality of items are compatible with the first item without using a predefined list of compatible items.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first item is an item that a buyer already owns.

12. A method comprising:

identifying a product associated with a plurality of component classes, the identifying using a data processor;

searching a data storage device based on the plurality of component classes to automatically identify a plurality of items being offered for sale on a network-based marketplace, the plurality of items including at least one item that is incompatible with another item in the plurality of items;

receiving a selection of a first item;

removing incompatible items from the plurality of items to generate a list of one or more compatible items, the removing responsive to determining whether the plurality of items are compatible with the first item; and

communicating a user interface including the list of one or more compatible items.

13. The method of claim 12, where the identifying the product is responsive to the receiving the selection of the first item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifying the product includes communicating one or more potential products associated with one or more component classes corresponding to the first item.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying the product includes receiving a selection of the product.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the selection of the first item includes adding the first item to a selected items list and wherein the determining includes determining whether the plurality of items are compatible based on the selected items list.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the communicating the user interface includes:

displaying the plurality of component classes in a flow;

displaying one or more compatible items from the list of one or more compatible items corresponding to a selected component class, the selected component class being one of the plurality of component classes in a flow;

adding a selected item from the one or more compatible items to the selected items list; and

advancing the flow until the selected items list includes an item corresponding to each of the plurality of component classes or a flow termination request is received.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the advancing the flow includes:

re-determining whether the plurality of items are compatible based on the selected items list responsive to the adding the selected item;

removing incompatible items from the plurality of items to regenerate the list of one or more compatible items;

changing the selected component class to a next component class in the flow; and

displaying the one or more compatible items from the list of one or more compatible items corresponding to the selected component class.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the advancing the flow includes receiving a selection of a component class, the component class becoming the selected component class and the component class having not already been selected.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining includes analyzing item attributes.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining does not include using a predefined list of compatible items.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the first item is an item that a buyer already owns.

23. A machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the following actions:

identifying a product associated with a plurality of component classes, the identifying using a data processor;

searching a data storage device based on the plurality of component classes to automatically identify a plurality of items being offered for sale on a network-based marketplace, the plurality of items including at least one item that is incompatible with another item in the plurality of items;

receiving a selection of a first item;

removing incompatible items from the plurality of items to generate a list of one or more compatible items, the removing responsive to determining whether the plurality of items are compatible with the first item; and

communicating a user interface including the list of one or more compatible items.