Intelligent multimedia e-catalog

• US 7,870,033 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exalt Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exalt Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Swanson, Leslie H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US11/904,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 707/23, 703/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• 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 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An intelligent product catalog system provides for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system. A central database repository stores the product information and provides for an unlimited number of product attributes and dynamic reconfiguration of the product information. The central database repository comprises a meta data system, a scheme system and an object model system. A plurality of applications access the central database repository, the applications being automatically adaptive to the dynamic reconfiguration of the product information. A user interface provides display, sorting and filtering of the product information including the unlimited number of product attributes.

Claims

1. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system comprising:

(a) a database repository storing product information according to an object model representing the product information, the object model including parametric objects, graphic objects, document objects, configuration business rules objects and procurement rule objects;

(b) the configuration business rules objects being stored according to a hierarchy by;

(i) storing information on sub-products that a product is comprised of, including storing product part replacement information;

(ii) storing product accessories that can be added to a product;

(iii) storing rules for building product solutions that incorporate product information stored in the database;

or

(iv) storing rules for equivalence or substitution of products for use when building a product solution;

(c) the database using a meta data system describing the product information, the meta data system dynamically reconfiguring user applications when new product types are added to the database;

(d) executable user applications stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, configured to be executed by one or more computer processors in communication with the database, using the object model and the meta data system, the user applications including a catalog application and a bill of materials application; and

(e) one or more of the user applications configuring and designing a product solution based on the configuration business rules objects, the architecture of the user applications enabling changes to be made to the configuration business rules objects without any custom reprogramming by storing the configuration business rules objects separate from application code of the user applications.

2. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein new configuration business rules are added without reprogramming the object model.

3. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 1 wherein the one or more user applications are automatically adaptive to the dynamic reconfiguration of the product information.

4. A computer implemented intelligent catalog method for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system comprising:

storing, in a database, product information according to an object model representing the product information, the object model including parametric objects, graphic objects, document objects, configuration business rules objects and procurement rule objects;

storing the configuration business rules according to a hierarchy by;

storing information on sub-products that a product is comprised of, including storing product part replacement information;

storing product accessories that can be added to a product;

storing rules for building product solutions that incorporate product information stored in the database;

or

storing rules for equivalence or substitution of products for use when building a product solution;

where the database uses a meta data system describing the product information, the meta data system dynamically reconfiguring user applications when new product types are added to the database;

executing, by one or more computer processors, user applications in communication with the database, using the object model and the meta data system, the user applications including a catalog application and a bill of materials application; and

configuring and designing, using one or more of the user applications, a product solution based on the configuration business rules objects, the architecture of the user applications enabling changes to be made to the configuration business rules objects without any custom reprogramming by storing the configuration business rules objects separate from application code of the user applications.

5. A computer implemented intelligent catalog method as in claim 4 wherein new configuration business rules are added without reprogramming the object model.

6. A computer implemented intelligent catalog method as in claim 4 wherein the one or more user applications are automatically adaptive to the dynamic reconfiguration of the product information.

7. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system for electronic creation, management and viewing of product information using a multimedia display system comprising:

one or more computer processors configured to execute computer readable instructions for;

storing, in a database, product information according to an object model representing the product information, the object model including parametric objects, graphic objects, document objects, configuration business rules objects and procurement rule objects;

storing the configuration business rules according to a hierarchy by;

storing information on sub-products that a product is comprised of, including storing product part replacement information;

storing product accessories that can be added to a product;

storing rules for building product solutions that incorporate product information stored in the database;

or

storing rules for equivalence or substitution of products for use when building a product solution;

where the database uses a meta data system describing the product information, the meta data system dynamically reconfiguring user applications when new product types are added to the database;

processing user applications, in communication with the database, the user applications using the object model and the meta data system, the user applications including a catalog application and a bill of materials application; and

configuring and designing, using one or more of the user applications, a product solution based on the configuration business rules objects, the architecture of the user applications enabling changes to be made to the configuration business rules objects without any custom reprogramming by storing the configuration business rules objects separate from application code of the user applications.

8. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 7 wherein new configuration business rules are added without reprogramming the object model.

9. A computer implemented intelligent catalog system as in claim 7 wherein the one or more user applications are automatically adaptive to the dynamic reconfiguration of the product information.