System for measuring and testing a product using artificial olfactometry and analytical data

• US 7,593,863 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Severin, Erik J., Sunshine, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/802,354
• Time in Patent Office: 3,119 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 706/45, 706/46, 706/47, 706/52, 706/54, 706/900, 706/925, 706/934, 707 1- 6, 707/100, 707/102
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for measuring and testing a product using artificial olfactometry and analytical data sensory to identify preferences. The system accurately facilitates a consumer'"'"'s choice between products using descriptors of similar yet different products. The system and methods provide an objective recommendation based upon analytical descriptors and attributes of particular products. The system eliminates the subjective recommendations of persons familiar with many comparable and related products and thereby makes objective recommendations between products.

Claims

1. A system executed by a computer that recommends a consumer product selection across a network to a consumer, said system comprising:

a recommendation engine comprising a first computing module, embodied in the computer, that determines a difference between a plurality of consumer products having a plurality of descriptors by differentiating between at least one descriptor of each said plurality of consumer products and providing said difference to a second computing module embodied in the computer;

a descriptor module, embodied in the computer, that is configured to receive human descriptor trait (HDT) descriptor input regarding the plurality of descriptors of at least a sampled consumer product from at least two independent consumers at two independent nodes, respectively, on the network;

the second computing module, coupled to said recommendation engine, that sorts between each of said consumer products to form at least two classes for said plurality of consumer products;

a third computing module, embodied in the computer, and coupled to said recommendation engine, that determines for each of said plurality of consumer products a correlation between said at least two classes and each of said plurality of descriptors including the received HDT descriptor input, said third computing module assigning a weighting term for each of said plurality of descriptors based upon each of said descriptor'"'"'s ability to sort between said at least two classes; and

a fourth computing module, embodied in the computer, and coupled to said recommendation engine, that cooperatively operates on said weighting terms to provide a recommendation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said consumer product is a member selected from the group consisting of cosmetics, tobacco, perfume, cologne, liquor, liqueurs and consumable liquids.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said consumer product is perfume.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of descriptors is a member independently selected from the group consisting of intrinsic descriptors and extrinsic descriptors.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of descriptors are in a digital format.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said digital format is derived from a member selected from the group consisting of a stream of data and static data.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said correlation between the plurality of consumer products and said at least two classes is generated using cluster mapping.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the descriptor module is configured to further receive descriptor input including descriptors from an electronic nose signature of a consumer product.