Web price optimizer of multiple-item package orders for e-commerce on the internet and method of use
First Claim
1. A method of searching for, calculating and displaying an approximately optimized rank of prices of a plurality of designated items in a package on the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
- establishing an Internet Web site, the site operating as a computer interface for a user who wishes to search for and approximately optimize prices of at least two designated items a package of the items;
receiving a search request for the plurality of items from the user uses communications equipment and software to access the Web site to obtain prices about the plurality of items;
executing a multiple, simultaneous computer search on the Internet for prices of the items offered at a plurality of Internet stores for all of the items designated in the search request;
establishing a first matrix in a pre-computation algorithm, and receiving and storing in the first matrix data representing the lowest and second lowest prices retrieved in the search for each of the items from the stores;
establishing a second matrix, and receiving and storing in the second matrix data representing each store that carries all items for sale;
calculating, using algorithms including Cartesian product and set union operations performed on the data stored in the first and second matrices, an approximately optimized rank of all of the items considered as a package; and
displaying the approximately optimized rank to the user in table format.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an Internet-based method that enables users to search and browse for information (such as price) about a plurality of items (such as books) available for sale on the Internet, compare prices for the items individually or considered as a package, and optimize the package price. In a preferred embodiment, the invention searches for the lowest price and second lowest price for the desired items from Internet Web sites and databases, records the data in two matrices, and employs algorithms that implement certain set operations, including Cartesian product and set union, to optimize the result for all items.
90 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of searching for, calculating and displaying an approximately optimized rank of prices of a plurality of designated items in a package on the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing an Internet Web site, the site operating as a computer interface for a user who wishes to search for and approximately optimize prices of at least two designated items a package of the items;
receiving a search request for the plurality of items from the user uses communications equipment and software to access the Web site to obtain prices about the plurality of items;
executing a multiple, simultaneous computer search on the Internet for prices of the items offered at a plurality of Internet stores for all of the items designated in the search request;
establishing a first matrix in a pre-computation algorithm, and receiving and storing in the first matrix data representing the lowest and second lowest prices retrieved in the search for each of the items from the stores;
establishing a second matrix, and receiving and storing in the second matrix data representing each store that carries all items for sale;
calculating, using algorithms including Cartesian product and set union operations performed on the data stored in the first and second matrices, an approximately optimized rank of all of the items considered as a package; and
displaying the approximately optimized rank to the user in table format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of executing commands in a computer to perform searching, calculating, comparing, approximately optimizing, ranking and displaying operations for multiple items in a package desired to be purchased over the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing an Internet Web site, the site operating as a computer interface for a user who wishes to search for and approximately optimize prices of at least two designated items in a package of the items;
receiving a search request for the plurality of items from the user who uses communications equipment and software to access the Web site to obtain prices about the plurality of items;
executing a multiple, simultaneous computer search on the Internet for prices of the items offered at a plurality of Internet stores for all of the items designated in the search request;
establishing a first matrix in a pre-computation algorithm, and receiving and storing in the first matrix data representing the lowest and second lowest prices retrieved in the search for each of the items from the stores;
establishing a second matrix, and receiving and storing in the second matrix data representing each store that carries all items for sale;
calculating, using algorithms including Cartesian product and set union operations performed on the data stored in the first and second matrices, an approximately optimized rank of all of the items considered as a package; and
displaying the approximately optimized ranks to the user in table format. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium containing executable instructions which, when executed in a computer, cause the computer to perform method steps for executing commands to perform operations comprising the steps of:
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operating an Internet Web site, the site operating as computer interface for a user who wishes to search for and approximately optimize prices of at least two designated items in a package of the items;
receiving a search request for the plurality of the items from the user who uses communications equipment and software to access the Web site to obtain prices about the plurality of items;
executing a multiple, simultaneous computer search on the Interne for prices of the items offered at a plurality of Internet stores for all of the items designated in the search request;
establishing a first matrix in a pre-computation algorithm, and receiving and storing in the first matrix data representing the lowest and second lowest prices retrieved in the search for each of the items from the stores;
establishing a second matrix, and receiving and storing in the second matrix data representing each store that carries all items for sale;
calculating, using algorithms including Cartesian product and set union operations performed on the data stored in the first and second matrices, an approximately optimized rank of all of the items considered as a package; and
displaying the approximately optimized rank to the user in table format. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification