Interactive product configurator that allows modification to automated selections

• US 8,458,050 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bagley, Claire M., Plotkin, Martin P., Kulik, David J., Colena, Michael, Chen, Gao, Ng, Joyce
• Primary Examiner(s): OBAID, FATEH M
• Application Number:
  US12/270,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A product configurator includes a constraint based network that includes a plurality of nodes. The configurator receives one or more user selections and generates one or more automatic selections to form a complete configuration. The configurator receives a request to change the configuration after forming the complete configuration, and retracts the automatic selections. For each of the retracted automatic selections, the configurator determines if the retracted automatic selection is a configuration-defining selection and reasserts the configuration-defining selections.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a product configurator that comprises a constraint based network that comprises a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving one or more user selections from a user during a configuration session;

generating one or more automatic selections during the configuration session to form a complete configuration when combined with the user selections, wherein the automatic selections are generated by a computer and wherein the automatic selections comprise configuration-defining selections that define the complete configuration, and non-configuration defining selections that support the configuration session;

wherein for at least one of the automatic selections, the at least one automatic selection is propagated throughout the constraint network and the propagation affects one or more constraints;

saving a prior state of a changed node, wherein the changed node corresponds to an affected constraint;

associating the saved prior state with the at least one automatic selection;

receiving a request from the user to change the configuration after forming the complete configuration;

in response to the change request, entering a solution adjustment mode comprising;

for each of the automatic selections, determining by the computer if the automatic selection is a first configuration-defining selection, or a first non-configuration defining selection;

retaining by the computer the determined configuration-defining selections; and

retracting by the computer the determined non-configuration defining selections, wherein the retracting comprises restoring a prior state of all nodes that were affected by each non-configuration defining selection when each non-configuration defining selection was asserted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first selection;

determining one or more first affected nodes of the plurality of nodes that are affected by the first selection; and

for each first affected node, storing a first prior domain state of the node and associating the stored first prior domain state with the first selection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first selection is a user selection.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first selection is an automatic selection.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first selection is an automatic selection and the retracting comprises restoring the stored prior first domain state for each affected node.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a queue of the user selections and the retained automatic selections, wherein the user selections have a higher priority than the retained automatic selections.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a new selection;

determining if the new selection is a new user selection;

if the selection is a new user selection, retracting all of the retained automatic selections in the queue;

inserting the new user selection after the existing user selections in the queue;

reasserting as many of the retracted automatic selections as possible.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new user selection;

detecting a conflict in response to the new user selection;

displaying on a user interface a list of conflicts, wherein the displaying distinguishes between user selections and reasserted automatic selections.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the constraint based network comprises a plurality of variables and a plurality of constraints, and the complete configuration is formed when there is an assignment of a value to each of the variables that is consistent with the constraints.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to function as a constraint based product configurator comprising:

receiving one or more user selections from a user during a configuration session;

generating one or more automatic selections during the configuration session to form a complete configuration when combined with the user selections, wherein the automatic selections comprise configuration-defining selections that define the complete configuration, and non-configuration defining selections that support the configuration session;

wherein for at least one of the automatic selections, the at least one automatic selection is propagated throughout the constraint network and the propagation affects one or more constraints;

saving a prior state of a changed node, wherein the changed node corresponds to an affected constraint;

associating the saved prior state with the at least one automatic selection;

receiving a request from the user to change the configuration after forming the complete configuration;

in response to the change request, entering a solution adjustment mode comprising;

for each of the automatic selections, determining if the automatic selection is a first configuration-defining selection, or a first non-configuration defining selection;

retaining the determined configuration-defining selections; and

retracting the determined non-configuration defining selections, wherein the retracting comprises restoring a prior state of all nodes that were affected by each non-configuration defining selection when each non-configuration defining selection was asserted.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a first selection;

determining one or more first affected nodes of the plurality of nodes that are affected by the first selection; and

for each first affected node, storing a first prior domain state of the node and associating the stored first prior domain state with the first selection.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a new user selection;

detecting a conflict in response to the new user selection;

displaying on a user interface a list of conflicts, wherein the displaying distinguishes between user selections and retained automatic selections.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the configurator comprises a plurality of variables and a plurality of constraints, and the complete configuration is formed when there is an assignment of a value to each of the variables that is consistent with the constraints.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first selection is an automatic selection.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first selection is an automatic selection and the retracting comprises restoring the stored prior first domain state for each affected node.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

forming a queue of the user selections and the retained automatic selections, wherein the user selections have a higher priority than the retained automatic selections.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a new selection;

determining if the new selection is a new user selection;

if the selection is a new user selection, retracting all of the retained automatic selections in the queue;

inserting the new user selection after the existing user selections in the queue;

reasserting as many of the retracted automatic selections as possible.

13. A constraint based product configurator comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive one or more user selections from a user during a configuration session;

generate one or more automatic selections during the configuration session to form a complete configuration when combined with the user selections, wherein the automatic selections comprise configuration-defining selections that define the complete configuration, and non-configuration defining selections that support the configuration session;

wherein for at least one of the automatic selections, the at least one automatic selection is propagated throughout the constraint network and the propagation affects one or more constraints;

save a prior state of a changed node, wherein the changed node corresponds to an affected constraint;

associate the saved prior state with the at least one automatic selection;

receive a request from the user to change the configuration after forming the complete configuration;

in response to the change request, enter a solution adjustment mode comprising;

for each of the automatic selections, determine if the automatic selection is a first configuration-defining selection, or a first non-configuration defining selection;

retain the determined configuration-defining selections; and

retract the determined non-configuration defining selections, wherein the retracting comprises restoring a prior state of all nodes that were affected by each non-configuration defining selection when each non-configuration defining selection was asserted.