Networked product selection system and method for its use

• US 7,343,328 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kirsten, O'Toole, Ryan, Galeone, Pamela (Major)
• Primary Examiner(s): WEISBERGER, RICHARD C
• Application Number:
  US10/016,727
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 706/52, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A networked system with a product finder associated with an expert system is used to assist a shopper in making a product selection. A shopper interacts with the server through a browser over the network. The system can be connected to a retail server in such a way as to allow a shopper to complete a purchase. The expert system presents a series of questions to the shopper. By answering the questions, the shopper drills down through a hierarchy to arrive at a recommended product. Alternately, the shopper fills out a screen of data which is then used as a filter to identify an appropriate product.

Claims

1. A networked system to assist a shopper in selecting a product intended for a user, the system comprising:

a) a master database of products which contains information about the products, their specifications, and detailed engineering data, wherein the products have qualitative attributes subjectively assigned to the products that reflect information about potential users of the products;

b) a products database server serving contents of the master database over a network;

c) a user interface;

d) an expert system posing questions over the user interface to the shopper and querying the database in response to answers to the questions;

e) a projects database containing a data structure of projects for which products are suitable with at least one of recommended product classes or attribute combinations; and

f) a product finder server connected to said expert system and said projects database, said product finder server receiving at least part of the information about products and relevant specifications from said product database server;

wherein the questions posed comprise questions about the user and questions about the product, including at least one product for which the product should be suitable, and the selections made by the system are dependent upon the qualitative attributes assigned to the products, and projects for which the products are suitable.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said projects database is a local database directly connected to said product finder server.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said projects database is connected to said product finder server over the network.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the network is the Internet.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the information subset for said projects database is periodically pumped from said master database.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said master database is a dynamically updated central database.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a retail database containing price information and shipping information.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising a retail server serving the retail database over the network, wherein the price information is periodically uploaded to said products database.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises point and click ordering means.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the products are tools.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the products are tools.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the questions about the users comprise questions about the skill level of the user.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the questions further comprise questions about the interests of the user.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the questions about the skill level of the user relate to questions about user skill levels respective of tool products.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tool products have assigned user skill levels selected from non do-it yourselfer, light do-it yourselfer, medium do-it yourselfer, and serious do-it yourselfer.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the questions about the interests of the user relate to questions about user interests respective of tool products.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the tool products have assigned user interests selected from quick repair, easy cleaning ideas, car buff, do not know, refinishing/woodworking, renovation, crafts, any power tools, landscaping and lawn maintenance.

21. A system according to claim 12, wherein the questions further comprise questions about an occasion for which the product is being purchased.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the questions about an occasion for which the product is being purchased relate to questions about purchase occasions respective of tool products.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the tool products have assigned purchase occasions selected from hot products, gadget guru, multi-purpose, household basics, combo kits, and nothing in particular.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said product finder server receives an information subset that excludes the detailed engineering data, and said product database server supplies contents of said master database to multiple other servers providing different kinds of services, and filters the contents provided to the multiple other servers according to requirements for providing the different kinds of services.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said products database server provides contents of said master database including at least the detailed engineering data to engineering teams who are working on developing new products.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said product database server serves information to a business-to-business server designed to facilitate ordering of products to restock retail shelves and warehouses.

14. A networked system to assist a shopper in selecting a product, intended for a user, the system comprising:

a) a master database of products which contains information about the products, their specifications, and detailed engineering data, wherein the products having qualitative attributes subjectively assigned to the products that reflect information about intended uses of the products;

b) a product database server serving contents of the master database over a network;

c) a user interface;

d) an expert system posing questions over the user interface to the shopper and querying the database in response to answers to the questions;

e) a projects database containing a data structure of projects for which products are suitable with at least one of recommended product classes or attribute combinations; and

f) a product finder server connected to said expert system and said projects database, said product finder server receiving at least part of the information about products and relevant specifications from said product database server;

wherein the questions posed comprise questions about the user and questions about the product, including at least one product for which the product should be suitable, and the selections made by the system are dependent upon the qualitative attributes assigned to the products, and projects for which the products are suitable.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the products are tools, and the questions comprise questions about the projects to be built with the tools.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein the network is the Internet.