Method and apparatus for storing and selectively retrieving product data based on embedded expert suitability ratings
First Claim
1. A method of storing and selectively retrieving product data, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing data relating to a plurality of products in a data storage device;
(b) identifying the data relating to each product by a plurality of expert judgment factors, each expert judgment factor being a numerical value indicative of the product'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need;
(c) requesting a customer to specify a set of criteria, each criterion having a corresponding expert judgment factor;
(d) receiving from the customer the set of criteria requested in step (c)(e) calculating a suitability rating for each product design by combining by algorithm those expert judgment factors corresponding to the criteria received from the customer;
(f) based on the suitability ratings of the products calculated in step (e), selecting a group of those products for display to the customer;
(g) displaying to the customer the data relating to the products of the group selected in step (f);
(h) requesting the customer to select one of the products whose data are displayed in step (g)(i) receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of a product made in response to the request of step (h); and
(j) delivering to the customer the product or data relating to the product of step (h).
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved apparatus and method of storing, selectively retrieving and delivering product data includes a database of product data files and a computer that causes the data to be retrieved, displayed and delivered to the customer. The customer is asked to specify certain criteria relating to the kind of product he desires. Stored with the data relating to each product is an expert judgment factor that indicates how well the product would fill each possible criteria specified by the customer. Upon receiving the criteria entered by the customer, the computer calculates a suitability rating for each product by combining those judgment factors that relate to the customer entered criteria. The computer then presents to the customer the data relating to a limited number of the highest rated products. The customer selects the product that he wants and is preferably allowed to make changes to the product data. The computer then causes the product or data relating to the product to be delivered to the customer.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of storing and selectively retrieving product data, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing data relating to a plurality of products in a data storage device; (b) identifying the data relating to each product by a plurality of expert judgment factors, each expert judgment factor being a numerical value indicative of the product'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need; (c) requesting a customer to specify a set of criteria, each criterion having a corresponding expert judgment factor; (d) receiving from the customer the set of criteria requested in step (c) (e) calculating a suitability rating for each product design by combining by algorithm those expert judgment factors corresponding to the criteria received from the customer; (f) based on the suitability ratings of the products calculated in step (e), selecting a group of those products for display to the customer; (g) displaying to the customer the data relating to the products of the group selected in step (f); (h) requesting the customer to select one of the products whose data are displayed in step (g) (i) receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of a product made in response to the request of step (h); and (j) delivering to the customer the product or data relating to the product of step (h). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of storing and selectively retrieving product data, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing data relating to a plurality of product components in a data storage device; (b) identifying the data relating to each product component by a plurality of expert judgment factors, each expert judgment factor being a numerical value indicative of the product component'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need; (c) requesting a customer to specify a set of criteria, each criterion having a corresponding expert judgment factor; (d) receiving from the customer the set of criteria requested in step (c) (e) calculating a suitability rating for each product component by combining by algorithm those expert judgment factors corresponding to the criteria received from the customer; (f) calculating a suitability rating for a product having a plurality of product components by combining by a second algorithm the suitability ratings of said product components; (g) repeating step (f) to produce suitability ratings for a plurality of products; (h) based on the suitability ratings of the products calculated in step (f) and (g), selecting a group of those products for display to the customer; (i) displaying to the customer the data relating to the products of the group selected in step (h); (j) requesting the customer to select one of the products whose data are displayed in step (i) (k) receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of a product made in response to the request of step (j); and (l) delivering to the customer the product or data relating to the product of step (k). - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of storing and selectively retrieving product data, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing product data relating to a plurality of product components in a data storage device; (b) identifying the data relating to each product component by a category indicia; (c) further identifying the data relating to each product component by a plurality of expert judgment factors, each expert judgment factor being a numerical value indicative of the product component'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need; (d) requesting a customer to specify a set of criteria, each criterion having a corresponding expert judgment factor; (e) receiving from the customer the set of criteria requested in step (d) (f) calculating a suitability rating for each stored product component by combining by algorithm those expert judgment factors corresponding to the criteria received from the customer;
(g) based on the suitability ratings of the product components calculated in step (f), selecting for display to the customer a group of those product components from each category, as identified by the category indicia of the data relating to those product components;(h) displaying to the customer the data relating to the product components selected in step (g); (i) requesting the customer to select from the product components whose data are displayed in step (h) a component from each category represented by the category indicia of the data displayed in step (i); (j) receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of product components; and (k) delivering to the customer a product or data relating to a product made of the product components selected in step (i). - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An apparatus that stores and selectively retrieves product data, comprising:
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(a) a data storage device in which are stored data relating to a plurality of products and a plurality of expert judgment factors identifying each product and being numerical values that are indicative of the product'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need; (b) a display device that displays for the customer choices of criteria having a corresponding expert judgment factor; (c) a customer input device connected to the display device that receives the criteria selected by the customer; (d) a computer that is connected to the customer input device and receives customer selected criteria from said input device, said computer also being connected to the data storage device and receiving from the data storage device the factors identifying the data relating to each product, the computer having stored therein an algorithm that calculates the suitability rating of each product based on the expert judgment factors received from the data storage device that corresponds to the criteria received from the customer input device; the display device (b) being connected to the computer and receiving from the computer data relating to the products in an order based on their suitability ratings and displaying the data to the customer in said order, the customer input device receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of a product from among those products whose data are displayed by the display device; and (f) a delivery device that is connected to the computer and delivers the product or data relating to the product selected by the customer.
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37. Apparatus that stores and selectively retrieves product data comprising:
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(a) a data storage device in which are stored data relating to a plurality of product components and a plurality of expert judgment factors identifying each product component and being numerical values that are indicative of the product component'"'"'s suitability for a specific customer need; (b) a display device that displays for the customer choices of criteria having a corresponding expert judgment factor; (c) an customer input device connected to the display device that receives the criteria selected by the customer; (d) a computer that is connected to the customer input device and receives customer selected criteria from said input device, said computer also being connected to the data storage device and receiving from the data storage device the factors identifying the data relating to each product component, the computer having stored therein a first algorithm that calculates the suitability rating of each product component based on the expert judgment factors received from the data storage device that correspond to the criteria received from the customer input device, the computer having stored therein a second algorithm that calculates the suitability rating of products having a plurality of product components, based on the suitability ratings of the product components; said display device being connected to the computer and receiving from the computer data relating to the products in an order based on their suitability ratings and displaying to the customer the data to the customer in said order, said customer input device receiving the customer'"'"'s selection of a product from among those products whose data are displayed by the display device; and (f) a delivery device that is connected to the computer and delivers the product or data relating to the product selected by the customer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification