System and method for optimizing a product configuration
First Claim
1. A method of optimizing a product said product including a base product, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining an identification of a user and a preliminary designation of said product;
said identification identifying a user profile that is uniquely associated with said user, the user profile being persistent across multiple optimization sessions and comprising a plurality of characteristics of said user, said plurality of characteristics comprising;
(1) a preferred social interaction type;
(2) a plurality of domain familiarity indications, each of said domain familiarity indications reflecting said user'"'"'s knowledge about a specific product domain; and
(3) a price sensitivity for said user;
(b) providing a formatted display that includes a set of content related to said product and a format, the set of content determined at least in part by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
(1) the preferred social interaction type;
(2) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and
(3) the price sensitivity for said user;
(c) updating, based on a response by the user;
(1) the plurality of characteristics to create an updated user profile, wherein updating the plurality of characteristics comprises updating at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
i) the preferred social interaction type;
ii) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and
iii) the price sensitivity for said user;
(2) a component associated with said base product when said response includes a selection of an option from a different set of options associated with said component;
(d) storing said updated user profile to determine the set of content of the formatted display for a future presentation made to said user, wherein the set of content of the formatted display for the future presentation is determined at least in part by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
(1) the preferred social interaction type;
(2) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and
(3) the price sensitivity for said user; and
(e) repeating steps (b) through (d) across one or more computer sessions at least once to optimize said product.
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Abstract
A method of optimizing a product includes the step of accessing an event record having a summary of a sequence of events that transpired during a preliminary product selection process. The summary includes an identification of the user and a preliminary designation of the product. A user profile associated with the user includes at least one characteristic corresponding to the user. Based on characteristics in the user profile, a formatted display is generated. User response to formatted displays is used to update characteristics in the user profile. An iterative process, in which the updated user profile is used as a basis for generating subsequent formatted displays to which a user responds, repeats until the user indicates that the product is optimized.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of optimizing a product said product including a base product, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining an identification of a user and a preliminary designation of said product;
said identification identifying a user profile that is uniquely associated with said user, the user profile being persistent across multiple optimization sessions and comprising a plurality of characteristics of said user, said plurality of characteristics comprising;(1) a preferred social interaction type; (2) a plurality of domain familiarity indications, each of said domain familiarity indications reflecting said user'"'"'s knowledge about a specific product domain; and (3) a price sensitivity for said user; (b) providing a formatted display that includes a set of content related to said product and a format, the set of content determined at least in part by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of; (1) the preferred social interaction type; (2) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and (3) the price sensitivity for said user; (c) updating, based on a response by the user; (1) the plurality of characteristics to create an updated user profile, wherein updating the plurality of characteristics comprises updating at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of; i) the preferred social interaction type; ii) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and iii) the price sensitivity for said user; (2) a component associated with said base product when said response includes a selection of an option from a different set of options associated with said component; (d) storing said updated user profile to determine the set of content of the formatted display for a future presentation made to said user, wherein the set of content of the formatted display for the future presentation is determined at least in part by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of; (1) the preferred social interaction type; (2) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and (3) the price sensitivity for said user; and (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) across one or more computer sessions at least once to optimize said product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer readable memory to direct a computer to optimize a product, said product including a base product, comprising:
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a user profile database stored in said memory;
each profile in said user profile database being uniquely associated with a different user, persisting across multiple optimization sessions, and comprising a plurality of characteristics, said plurality of characteristics comprising;(a) a preferred social interaction type; (b) a plurality of domain familiarity indications, each of said domain familiarity indications reflecting said user'"'"'s knowledge about a specific product domain; and (c) a price sensitivity; and an advisor module for helping a user optimize said product; said advisor module including executable instructions, said executable instructions including; (a) instructions for obtaining an identification of said user and a preliminary designation of said product;
said identification identifying a user profile associated with said user in said user profile database;
wherein said instructions for obtaining an identification further include instructions for creating said user profile when it does not exist in said user profile database;(b) instructions for providing a formatted display that includes a set of content related to said product, the set of content determined at least in part by a function of at least one characteristic from said user profile, said at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of; (1) a preferred social interaction type for the user; (2) a plurality of domain familiarity indications for the user; (3) a price sensitivity for the user; (c) instructions for updating, based on a response by said user; (1) said user profile to create an updated user profile, wherein updating said user profile comprises updating at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of; i) the preferred social interaction type; ii) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and iii) the price sensitivity; and (2) a component associated with said base product when said response includes a selection of an option from a different set of options associated with said component; and (d) storing said updated user profile to determine the set of content of the formatted display for a future presentation made to said user, wherein the set of content of the formatted display for the future presentation is determined at least in part by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of; (1) the preferred social interaction type; (2) the plurality of domain familiarity indications; and (3) the price sensitivity for said user; and (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) across one or more computer sessions at least once to optimize said product. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of optimizing a product, said product including a base product, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining an identification of a user and a preliminary designation of said product;
said identification identifying a user profile which is persistent across multiple optimization sessions and that is uniquely associated with said user, the user profile comprising data used to model said user, said data used to model said user comprising;(1) a first set of data, said first set of data having been collected through explicit user selections; and (2) a second set of data, said second set of data having been inferred from user actions; (b) providing a formatted display that includes a set of content related to said product and a format, the set of content determined at least in part by said second set of data used to model said user and inferred from user actions; (c) updating, based on a response by the user; (1) said data used to model said user to create an updated user profile; and (2) a component associated with said base product when said response includes a selection of an option from a different set of options associated with said component; (d) storing said updated user profile to determine the set of content of the formatted display for a future presentation made to said user; (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) across one or more computer sessions at least once to optimize said product; and (f) providing automated assistance at the request of said user; and (g) presenting in the formatted display one or more suggested components based on the user profile. - View Dependent Claims (37, 39)
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38. The method of claim a 36, wherein the data used to model said user comprises an indication of the user'"'"'s price sensitivity.
Specification