System and method for an interactive shopping news and price information service
First Claim
1. A method for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:
- checking a local database to find a match to a user query, wherein the user query relates to at least one product said user desires to find product information for from at least one available website;
if the local database contains at least one match to the user query, accepting a selection input from the user, wherein the user refines the user query by specifically selecting the at least one product;
displaying the desired product information selected by said user on said at least one product;
determining whether the local database has cached product information relating to the at least one product within a specified time limit;
if the local database has not cached the product information within the specified time limit, polling the at least one available website, wherein the product information for the at least one selected product is retrieved and is cached by the local database; and
displaying the polling results to the user, wherein the user may locate the at least one available website offering the at least one product associated with the desired product information,whereby Internet searching is minimized and time saved by resort to first checking the local database for the desired product information responsive to said user query, said desired product information being timely for usage by said user.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and associated method for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet includes a sub-server for searching the electronic commerce websites, a controlling server, and a local database. The method involves determining whether product information related to a user query is cached in a local database and if the requested information is not cached, searching the electronic commerce websites for the requested information.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:
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checking a local database to find a match to a user query, wherein the user query relates to at least one product said user desires to find product information for from at least one available website; if the local database contains at least one match to the user query, accepting a selection input from the user, wherein the user refines the user query by specifically selecting the at least one product; displaying the desired product information selected by said user on said at least one product; determining whether the local database has cached product information relating to the at least one product within a specified time limit; if the local database has not cached the product information within the specified time limit, polling the at least one available website, wherein the product information for the at least one selected product is retrieved and is cached by the local database; and displaying the polling results to the user, wherein the user may locate the at least one available website offering the at least one product associated with the desired product information, whereby Internet searching is minimized and time saved by resort to first checking the local database for the desired product information responsive to said user query, said desired product information being timely for usage by said user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet, said system comprising:
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at least one sub-server, wherein the at least one sub-server sends requests to and receives replies from at least one available website based on a user query; a server, operably connected to the at least one sub-server, wherein the server communicates the user query to and controls the operation of the at least one sub-server; and a local database, operably connected to the server, wherein the local database stores product and promotional information and wherein the local database is updated at specific time intervals or at a request from a user, wherein said user with said user query, prior to communication from the server to the subserver, checks said local database for at least one match to said user query and determines whether said local database has cached product information relating to said user query therein, said product information being cached within a specified time limit; and wherein if the local database contains at least one match to said user query for said product information, the user selects said at least one match, and if the local database has not cached the product information within said specified time limit, said product information is retrieved from said at least one available website, cached in said local database, and displayed to the user. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet, the instructions comprising the following steps:
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checking a local database to find a match to a user query, wherein the user query relates to at least one product a user desires to find product information for from at least one available website; if the local database contains at least one match to the user query, accepting a selection input from the user, wherein the user refines the user query by specifically selecting the at least one product; displaying the desired product information selected by said user on said at least one product; determining whether the local database has cached product information relating to the at least one product within a specified time limit, wherein the specified time limit is a variable that is set dynamically depending on Internet congestion and use of the at least one available website; if the local database has not cached the product information within the specified time limit, polling the at least one available website, wherein the product information for the at least one selected product is retrieved and is cached by the local database; and displaying the polling results to the user, wherein the user may locate the at least one available website offering the at least one product associated with the desired product information, whereby Internet searching is minimized and time saved by resort to first checking the local database for the desired product information responsive to said user query, said desired product information being timely for usage by said user. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification