Product Options Framework And Accessories

• US 20130060801A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zazzle, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Robert Irven Iii Beaver
• Inventors: Beaver, Robert Irven III, Harvill, Leslie Young, Bean, Richard Harold
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/36 Level of detail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/962 Entity-attribute-value

Abstract

Techniques are described for describing and associating custom products. In an embodiment, a first attribute value that defines an attribute of a custom product is received from a user that is customizing the custom product. In response to receiving the first attribute value, a legal set of attribute values for a second attribute of the custom product or an accessory product may be determined. The legal set of attribute values identifies one or more attribute values of the second attribute of the custom product or accessory product that are compatible with the first attribute value. The legal set of attribute values may identify a continuous range of values where any value within the continuous range of values is compatible with the first attribute value. In an embodiment, the user may be limited to selecting accessory products having a legal attribute value.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user that is customizing a custom product, a first attribute value that defines an attribute of the custom product;

in response to receiving the first attribute value, determining a legal set of attribute values for a second attribute of at least one of the custom product or an accessory product;

wherein the legal set of attribute values identifies one or more attribute values of the second attribute of the custom product or the accessory product that are compatible with the first attribute value;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the legal set of attribute values identifies a continuous range of values that are compatible with the first attribute value, wherein any value selected within the continuous range of values is compatible with the first attribute value, the method further comprising limiting the user to selecting an attribute value within the legal range of values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute value is an arbitrary attribute value selected by the user that is customizing the custom product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a set of one or more accessory products that have an attribute value within the legal set of attribute values;

causing the one or more accessory products to be displayed to the user as recommended products that are compatible with the custom product.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a particular accessory product that has an attribute value within the legal set of attribute values;

identifying a third attribute value defining a third attribute of the accessory product;

determining whether the custom product is compatible with the third attribute value;

in response to determining that the custom product is not compatible with the third attribute value, preventing recommendation of the particular accessory product to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a legal set of attribute values for a second attribute of at least one of the custom product or an accessory product comprises:

in response to receiving the first attribute value, forming a key-value expression including a key-value pair that associates the first attribute value with the first attribute;

matching the key-value expression with one or more option strings;

wherein the one or more option strings identify the legal set of attribute values for the second attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom product is part of a product bundle that associates the custom product with a second product;

wherein the custom product is associated with a first filter that identifies a first set of constraints associated with the custom product;

wherein the second product is associated with a second filter that identifies a second set of constraints associated with the second product;

the method further comprising;

determining a set of one or more accessory products that satisfy the first set of constraints and the second set of constraints;

recommending the set of accessory products to the user as compatible accessory products.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second filter specifies that the second product is dependent on the custom product;

the method further comprising;

receiving user input removing the custom product from the bundle;

in response to removing the custom product from the bundle, determining that the second product is dependent on the custom product and removing the second product from the product bundle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forming key-value expressions for the product bundle;

matching the key-value expression with one or more render files;

based on the render files, rendering an image of the product bundle;

causing the image to be displayed to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before receiving the first attribute value, causing display of a first default value for a third attribute of the custom product;

in response to receiving the first attribute value, causing display of a second default value for the third attribute of the custom product;

wherein the second default value is different than the first default value.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause performance of:

receiving, from a user that is customizing a custom product, a first attribute value that defines an attribute of the custom product;

in response to receiving the first attribute value, determining a legal set of attribute values for a second attribute of at least one of the custom product or an accessory product;

wherein the legal set of attribute values identifies one or more attribute values of the second attribute of the custom product or the accessory product that are compatible with the first attribute value.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the legal set of attribute values identifies a continuous range of values that are compatible with the first attribute value, wherein any value selected within the continuous range of values is compatible with the first attribute value, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media further storing instructions which cause performance of:

limiting the user to selecting an attribute value within the legal range of values.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the first attribute value is an arbitrary attribute value selected by the user that is customizing the custom product.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, further storing instructions causing performance of:

identifying a set of one or more accessory products that have an attribute value within the legal set of attribute values;

causing the one or more accessory products to be displayed to the user as recommended products that are compatible with the custom product.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, further comprising identifying a particular accessory product that has an attribute value within the legal set of attribute values;

identifying a third attribute value defining a third attribute of the accessory product;

determining whether the custom product is compatible with the third attribute value;

in response to determining that the custom product is not compatible with the third attribute value, preventing recommendation of the particular accessory product to the user.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining a legal set of attribute values for a second attribute of at least one of the custom product or an accessory product comprises:

in response to receiving the first attribute value, forming a key-value expression including a key-value pair that associates the first attribute value with the first attribute;

matching the key-value expression with one or more option strings;

wherein the one or more option strings identify the legal set of attribute values for the second attribute.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the custom product is part of a product bundle that associates the custom product with a second product;

wherein the custom product is associated with a first filter that identifies a first set of constraints associated with the custom product;

wherein the second product is associated with a second filter that identifies a second set of constraints associated with the second product;

the method further comprising;

determining a set of one or more accessory products that satisfy the first set of constraints and the second set of constraints;

recommending the set of accessory products to the user as compatible accessory products.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the second filter specifies that the second product is dependent on the custom product;

the method further comprising;

receiving user input removing the custom product from the bundle;

in response to removing the custom product from the bundle, determining that the second product is dependent on the custom product and removing the second product from the product bundle.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, further comprising:

forming key-value expressions for the product bundle;

matching the key-value expression with one or more render files;

based on the render files, rendering an image of the product bundle;

causing the image to be displayed to the user.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, further comprising:

before receiving the first attribute value, causing display of a first default value for a third attribute of the custom product;

in response to receiving the first attribute value, causing display of a second default value for the third attribute of the custom product;

wherein the second default value is different than the first default value.