System and method for conducting product configuration research over a computer-based network
First Claim
1. A system for conducting product configuration research at computer systems over a network for a product having multiple features, said system comprising:
- at least one first computer system connected to a network;
at least one second computer system capable of connecting to said first computer system through said network;
said one second computer system operating in response to market research software for enabling a respondent to select features of a hypothetical product configuration which is not being offered for sale, in which a total price value of the product is displayed in accordance with price values of said selected features as the respondent selects or changes selection of features, and said second computer system determines a time taken by the respondent to arrive at the final ones of the selected features of the product; and
said one second computer system utilizes said market research software to send information having at least final ones of the selected features of the product and said determined time to said first computer system, wherein said market research software operates at said second computer system separate from the operation of said first computer system, wherein said first computer system sends a survey having questions to said second computer system one of before, after, or before and after said market research software is utilized by said respondent to select features of the product.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided for enabling respondents at their computer systems to connect with a server computer over a network, such as the Internet, and receive an executable configuration program enabling each respondent to select a single subfeature, or multiple (zero, one, or more) different subfeature attributes or levels, for each of the features of a product. Each of the subfeatures for each feature has a price value and the combination of selected subfeatures for the features of the product provides a total price value of the product. The total price value is displayed and updated as subfeatures for the features are selected or changed by the respondent. When the total price value of the product is acceptable to the respondent, and the desired subfeatures have been selected for the features of the product, the program returns configuration information to the computer server having data representing the subfeatures selected for the product, the total price of the product, the time for the respondent to complete the configuration of the product, and each of the features and subfeatures selected and changed by the respondent in arriving at the final configured product. The configuration program may be part of a survey being conducted over the network by the server computer in which questions of the survey following receipt of the configuration information by the computer server may be in accordance with such configuration information.
45 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for conducting product configuration research at computer systems over a network for a product having multiple features, said system comprising:
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at least one first computer system connected to a network; at least one second computer system capable of connecting to said first computer system through said network; said one second computer system operating in response to market research software for enabling a respondent to select features of a hypothetical product configuration which is not being offered for sale, in which a total price value of the product is displayed in accordance with price values of said selected features as the respondent selects or changes selection of features, and said second computer system determines a time taken by the respondent to arrive at the final ones of the selected features of the product; and said one second computer system utilizes said market research software to send information having at least final ones of the selected features of the product and said determined time to said first computer system, wherein said market research software operates at said second computer system separate from the operation of said first computer system, wherein said first computer system sends a survey having questions to said second computer system one of before, after, or before and after said market research software is utilized by said respondent to select features of the product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for conducting product configuration research at computer systems over a network for a product having multiple features, said system comprising:
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at least one first computer system connected to a network; at least one second computer system capable of connecting to said first computer system through said network; and said one second computer system operating in response to market research software comprising; means for enabling a respondent at said second computer system to select features of a hypothetical product configuration which is not being offered for sale; means for displaying at said second computer system a total price value of the product in accordance with price values of said selected features as the respondent selects or changes selection of features; means for determining a time taken by the respondent to arrive at a final ones of the selected features of the product; means for sending information having at least final ones of the selected features of the product and said determined time from said second computer system to said first computer system, wherein said means for determining and said means for displaying operates at said second computer system separate from the operation of said first computer system; and means for sending a survey having questions to said second computer system one of before, after, or before and after said market research software is utilized by said respondent to select features of the product. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for conducting product configuration research at one or more computer systems over a network for a product having multiple features, said system comprising:
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at least one computer system operating in response to market research software for enabling a respondent to select features of a hypothetical product configuration which is not being offered for sale, in which a total price value of the product is displayed in accordance with price values of said selected features as the respondent selects or changes selection of features, wherein said market research software represents an executable program operating at said one computer system separate from the operation of any other computer system for enabling selection of features of the product by the respondent, and said market research software further enables a timer to measure time taken for the respondent to arrive at the final ones of the selected features of the product; and said computer system utilizes said market research software to send data representing at least final ones of the selected features of the product and said measured time to another computer system via a network, wherein said computer system is sent a survey having questions one of before, after, or before and after said market research software is utilized by said respondent to select features of the product. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A system for conducting product configuration research over a network for a product having multiple features, said system comprising:
a computer system which receives data from another computer system over a network representing at least selected features of a hypothetical product configuration configured by a respondent using market research software at another computer system which enabled the respondent to select features of the product and enabled display of a total price value of the product to the respondent in accordance with price values of said selected features as the respondent selected or changed selection of features, and said product configured was not offered for sale to the respondent using the market research software, wherein said data further represents a measured time value for the respondent to arrive at the final ones of the selected features of the product, and said market research software represents an executable program operating at another computer system separate from the operation of said computer system for enabling selection of features of the product by the respondent, and said computer system sends a survey having questions to another computer system one of before, after, or before and after said market research software is utilized by said respondent to select features of the product. - View Dependent Claims (36)
Specification