System, method and computer program product for short-range weather adapted, business forecasting

• US 7,069,232 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Planalytics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Planalytics, Inc.
• Inventors: Fox, Frederic D., Walsh, Paul E., Kirk, William E., Estornell, David G., Compher, Mark D., Beck, Steven A., VanOstenbridge, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/656,397
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/14, 705/10, 705/36, 707/100
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for short-term forecasting of future retail performance are described herein. The system includes a Web-based graphical user interface, a weather history database and a weather forecast database. The method and computer program product allow users (e.g., retail managers and the like) to produce maps and related charts, using weather and sales history correlation analyzes, indicating weather favorability for specific retail products in specific geographic areas during specific future (and past) time periods. The weather favorability maps thereby facilitate retail-based advertising, allocation, placement, promotion and staffing decisions.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for providing a user with a short-range weather adapted, business forecast, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing the user, via a graphical user interface, with a selection of product categories;

(2) receiving, from the user, via said graphical user interface, a product category input for a product category from among said selection of product categories;

(3) providing the user, via said graphical user interface, with a selection of specific products based on said product category input;

(4) receiving, from the user, via said graphical user interface, a specific product input for a specific product from among said selection of specific products;

(5) receiving a future time period input for a future time period from the user, via said graphical user interface, wherein said future time period encompasses at least one day;

(6) receiving a geographic location input for a geographic location from the user, via said graphical user interface; and

(7) displaying to the user, via said graphical user interface, a first weather favorability map of said geographic location that displays a weather favorability for said specific product, within said product category, for each said at least one day within said future time period;

whereby the user can make informed retail-based advertising, allocation, placement, promotion and staffing decisions using said first weather favorability map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first weather favorability map indicates one rating for each said at least one day within said future time period, said one rating being one of:

(i) a “

more favorable”

rating,

(ii) a “

favorable”

rating,

(iii) a “

neutral”

rating,

(iv) an “

unfavorable”

rating, and

(v) a “

less favorable”

rating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said future time period inputted by the user is a next upcoming weekend.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said future time period inputted by the user is a current week.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (7) comprises the steps of:

(a) querying a forecast weather database, coupled to a database server, for weather forecast data for said future time period and for said geographic location;

(b) querying an application database, coupled to said database server, for a favorability matrix associated with said specific product; and

(c) determining, via an application server, a favorability rating for said specific product during each said at least one day of said future time period in said geographic location using said favorability matrix.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (7) further comprises the steps of:

(d) querying a weather history database, coupled to said database server, for historical weather data for said geographic location, location and a past time period, wherein days within said past time period correspond to same days for L years ago within said future time period; and

(e) displaying to the user, via said graphical user interface, a second weather favorability map of said geographic location that displays the weather favorability for said specific product, within said product category, for each said at least one day within said past time period;

whereby said second weather favorability map allows the user to compare said weather favorability of said first weather favorability map for said future time period with said weather favorability of said second weather favorability map for said past time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein L is either one or two.

8. A system for allowing a user to perform short-range weather adapted, business forecasting, comprising:

(A) a historical weather database containing historical weather information for a geographic area;

(B) a future weather database containing weather forecast information for said geographic area;

(C) an application database, connected to said historical weather database and said future weather database, that stores a plurality of weather favorability matrices, each being associated with at least one of a plurality of products; and

(D) a graphical user interface, connected over a network to said application database, capable of displaying weather favorability maps for each of said plurality of products in said geographic area during each day of a user-specified future time period;

whereby the user can make informed retail-based advertising, allocation, placement, promotion and staffing decisions using said weather favorability maps.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

(E) an application server, connected to said network, capable of querying said application database and said future weather database in order to generate said weather favorability maps displayed on said graphical user interface.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said network is at least a portion of the Internet.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to provide a user with a short-range weather adapted, business forecast, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide the user with a selection of product categories;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from the user, a product category input for a product category from among said selection of product categories;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide the user with a selection of specific products based on said product category input;

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from the user, a specific product input for a specific product from among said selection of specific products;

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a future time period input for a future time period from the user, wherein said future time period encompasses at least one day;

sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a geographic location input for a geographic location from the user; and

seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display to the user, via a graphical user interface, a weather favorability map that displays a weather favorability for said specific product, within said product category, for said geographic location and for each said at least one day within said future time period.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said seventh computer readable program code means comprises:

eighth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to query a forecast weather database for weather forecast data for said future time period and for said geographic location;

ninth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to query an application database for a favorability matrix associated with said specific product; and

tenth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine a favorability rating for said specific product during said future time period in said geographic location using said favorability matrix.