Method and apparatus for storing and selectively retrieving product data by correlating customer selection criteria with optimum product designs based on embedded expert judgments
First Claim
1. A method for storing and selectively retrieving product/seryice data, comprising the steps of:
- storing in a design data file a plurality of product/service designs;
storing in a selection criteria data file a plurality of descriptors, each of said descriptors representing an application scale associated with each of said plurality of product/service designs;
storing in a design applicability data file an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of said application scales and said product/service designs;
presenting, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales;
storing in said selection criteria data file customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the product/service designs, said customer preference values to be predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to said selection criteria options chosen by the customer;
quantitatively correlating, by means of a correlation algorithm, each of said customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of said product/service designs based on said customer-chosen selection criteria options; and
displaying for the customer a group of identified product/service designs based on said average suitability ratings for those identified product/service designs.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A machine and method are provided for selecting product or service design, such as a social expression product. The machine and method each (i) stores a plurality of product or service designs and a plurality of descriptors for each of the plurality of product or service designs, each of the descriptors representing an application scale; (ii) stores an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of the application scales and the product or service designs; (iii) presents, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales; (iv) stores customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the product/service design, the customer preference values to be predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to the selection criteria options chosen by the customer; (v) quantitatively correlates, by means of a correlation algorithm, each of the customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of the product or service designs based on the customer-chosen selection criteria options; and (vi) displays for the customer a group of identified product or service designs based on the average suitability ratings for those identified product or service designs. In the case of a product, the apparatus and method solicit the customer to select one of the identified product designs, verify the selection and possibly modify the selected product design. The selected or modified product design may then be dispensed to the customer.
683 Citations
72 Claims
-
1. A method for storing and selectively retrieving product/seryice data, comprising the steps of:
-
storing in a design data file a plurality of product/service designs; storing in a selection criteria data file a plurality of descriptors, each of said descriptors representing an application scale associated with each of said plurality of product/service designs; storing in a design applicability data file an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of said application scales and said product/service designs; presenting, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales; storing in said selection criteria data file customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the product/service designs, said customer preference values to be predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to said selection criteria options chosen by the customer; quantitatively correlating, by means of a correlation algorithm, each of said customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of said product/service designs based on said customer-chosen selection criteria options; and displaying for the customer a group of identified product/service designs based on said average suitability ratings for those identified product/service designs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for storing and selectively retrieving a social expression product design, comprising the steps of:
-
storing in a design data file a plurality of social expression product designs; storing in a selection criteria data file a plurality of descriptors, each of said descriptors representing an application scale associated with each of said plurality of social expression product designs; storing in a design applicability data file an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of said application scales and said social expression product designs; presenting, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales; storing in said selection criteria data file customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the social expression product designs, said customer preference values to be predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to said selection criteria options chosen by the customer; quantitatively correlating, by means of a correlation algorithm, each of said customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of said social expression product designs based on said customer-chosen selection criteria options; and displaying for the customer a group of identified social expression product designs based on said average suitability ratings for those identified social expression product designs. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. An apparatus for storing and selectively retrieving product/service data, comprising:
-
a design data file for storing a plurality of product/service designs; a selection criteria data file for storing a plurality of descriptors, each of said descriptors representing an application scale associated with each of said plurality of product/service designs; a design applicability data file for storing an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of said application scales and said product/service designs; a display for presenting, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales; means to store in said selection criteria data file customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the product/service designs, said customer preference values to be predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to said selection criteria options chosen by the customer; and a correlation algorithm for quantitatively correlating each of said customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of said product/service designs based on said customer-chosen selection criteria options;
whereinsaid display displays for the customer a group of identified product/service designs based on said average suitability ratings for those identified product/service designs. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
55. An apparatus for storing and selectively retrieving a social expression product design, comprising:
-
a design data file for storing a plurality of social expression product designs; a selection criteria data file for storing a plurality of descriptors, each of said descriptors representing an application scale associated with each of said plurality of social expression product designs; a design applicability data file for storing an expert-predetermined optimum applicability value for each combination of said application scales and said social expression product designs; a display for presenting, to a customer, selection criteria options for one or more application scales; means to store in said selection criteria data file customer preference values for one or more application scales used for describing the social expression product designs, said customer preference values predetermined by expert judgment and assigned to application scales where such values correspond to said selection criteria options chosen by the customer; a correlation algorithm for quantitatively correlating each of said customer preference values with corresponding expert-predetermined optimum applicability values to calculate an average suitability rating for each of said social expression product designs based on said customer-chosen selection criteria options;
whereinsaid display displays for the customer a group of identified social expression product designs based on said average suitability ratings for those identified social expression product designs. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
-
Specification