System and method for creating a customized electronic catalog

• US 7,266,516 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2001
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Inventors: Westphal, Geoffry Arthur, Song, Jinshan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fadok; Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/877,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,278 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 707/5, 345/426
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for creating a customized product catalog. The customized catalog is created in response to a request to search an electronic catalog that has data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes. The search request includes at least one user-specified attribute of interest. Products in the electronic catalog are identified that have an attribute corresponding to the user specified attribute of interest. The identified products are aggregated into a sub-catalog that includes data representative of the identified products which data is formatted using a user-specified electronic format. In this manner, a customized catalog can be created for used in a user-specific electronic commerce system.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a customer to create a customized product catalog from a supplier maintained electronic catalog, comprising:

receiving at a supplier server computer from a customer client computer in communication with the supplier server computer via the Internet a request, entered by the customer at the customer client computer, to search the supplier maintained electronic catalog, wherein the supplier maintained electronic catalog is stored within a database associated with the supplier server computer, the supplier maintained electronic catalog is comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, and the request includes at least one customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to examine the data to identify the products in the supplier maintained electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to aggregate the identified products into a sub-catalog whereby the sub-catalog is comprises of data representative of the identified products;

causing the supplier server computer to format the sub-catalog, comprised of data representative of the aggregated, identified products, to create a single machine readable electronic file version of the sub-catalog having a customer-specified electronic file format; and

causing the supplier server computer to download, via the Internet, the single electronic file version of the sub-catalog to the customer client computer whereby the data representative of the aggregated, identified products within the sub-catalog comprises the customized product catalog and is accessible to the customer without requiring further access to the supplier maintained electronic catalog.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic file format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

3. A method for allowing a customer to create a customized product catalog from a supplier maintained electronic catalog, comprising:

receiving at a supplier server computer from a customer client computer in communication with the supplier server computer via the Internet a request, entered by the customer at the customer client computer, to search the supplier maintained electronic catalog, wherein the supplier maintained electronic catalog is stored within a database associated with the supplier server computer, the supplier maintained electronic catalog is comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, and the request includes at least one customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to examine the data to identify the products in the supplier maintained electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to aggregate the identified products into a sub-catalog whereby the sub-catalog is comprised of data representative of the identified products;

causing the supplier server computer to format the sub-catalog, comprised of data representative of the aggregated, identified products, to create a single machine readable electronic file version of the sub-catalog having an electronic file format that is compatible with a customer-specified computer type; and

causing the supplier server computer to download, via the Internet, the single electronic file version of the sub-catalog to the customer computer whereby the data representative of the aggregated, identified products within the sub-catalog comprises the customized product catalog and is accessible to the customer without requiring further access to the supplier maintained electronic catalog.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the electronic file format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the supplier server computer formats the sub-catalog to match the electronic file format utilized by a customer computer in conducting electronic, commercial transactions.

6. A system for allowing a customer to create a customized product catalog from a supplier maintained electronic catalog, comprising:

a supplier server computer in communication via the Internet with a customer client computer which receives from the customer client computer a request, entered by the customer at the customer client computer, to search the supplier maintained electronic catalog wherein the request includes at least one customer-specified attribute of interest;

a database associated with the supplier server computer in which is stored the supplier maintained electronic catalog, wherein the supplier maintained electronic catalog is comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes;

a search engine associated with the supplier server computer which, in response to the receipt of the request by the supplier server computer, examines the data to identify the products in the supplier maintained electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the customer-specified attribute and which aggregates the identified products into a sub-catalog whereby the sub-catalog is comprised of data representative of the identified products; and

a formatter associated with the supplier server computer that formats the sub-catalog, comprised of data representative of the aggregated, identified products, to create a single machine readable electronic file version of the sub-catalog having a customer-specified electronic file format;

wherein the supplier server computer further provides for downloading, via the Internet, the single electronic file version of the sub-catalog to the customer client computer such that the data representative of the aggregated, identified products within the sub-catalog comprises the customized product catalog and is accessible to the customer without requiring further access to the supplier maintained electronic catalog.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the electronic file comprises a spreadsheet.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the client computer has an associated enterprise resource planning system into which the electronic file is downloaded.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the formatter formats the electronic file using a format selected from the group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.

10. For use with a supplier server computer, a computer-readable media carrying computer-readable instructions for allowing a customer to create a customized product catalog from a supplier maintained electronic catalog, the instructions performing steps comprising:

receiving at a supplier server computer from a customer client computer in communication with the supplier server computer via the Internet a request, entered by the customer at the customer client computer, to search the supplier maintained electronic catalog, wherein the supplier maintained electronic catalog is stored within a database associated with the supplier server computer, the supplier maintained electronic catalog is comprised of data representative of a plurality of products each having one or more attributes, and the request includes at least one customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to examine the data to identify the products in the supplier maintained electronic catalog that have an attribute corresponding to the customer-specified attribute of interest;

causing the supplier server computer to aggregate the identified products into a sub-catalog whereby the sub-catalog is comprises of data representative of the identified products;

causing the supplier server computer to format the sub-catalog, comprised of data representative of the aggregated, identified products, to create a single machine readable electronic file version of the sub-catalog having a customer-specified electronic file format; and

causing the supplier server computer to download, via the Internet, the single electronic file version of the sub-catalog to the customer client computer whereby the data representative of the aggregated, identified products within the sub-catalog comprises the customized product catalog and is accessible to the customer without requiring further access to the supplier maintained electronic catalog.

11. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions perform the step of placing the sub-catalog into an electronic file having a pdf electronic file format.

12. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the electronic file format is selected from a group consisting of XML records, fixed length records, and string delimited records.