Similarity matching of a competitor's products

• US 8,489,532 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Information Resources Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Information Resources Incorporated
• Inventors: Hunt, Herbert Dennis, West, John Randall, Gibbs, Marshall Ashby Jr., Hudson, Gregory David Neil, Basilico, Andrea, Johnson, Arvid Conrad, Bergeon, Cheryl G., Chapa, Craig Joseph, Agostinelli, Alberto, Yusko, Jay Alan, Mason, Trevor, Griglione, Bradley Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bharadwaj, Kalpana
• Application Number:
  US13/418,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for identifying a classification scheme associated with product attributes of a grouping of products of an entity, receiving a record of data relating to an item of a competitor to the entity, the classification of which is uncertain, receiving a dictionary of attributes associated with products, and assigning a product code to the item, based on probabilistic matching among the attributes in the classification scheme, the attributes in the dictionary of attributes and at least one known attribute of the item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a computer, identifying a list of available attributes, the list including block attributes and match attributes;

identifying a product hierarchy wherein;

each product in the hierarchy has at least one block attribute and at least one match attribute from the list of available attributes;

the product hierarchy includes blocks of products, each block of products determined by defined values of block attributes

identifying unclassified product, the unclassified product having known values of block attributes and match attributes;

assigning a block location to the unclassified product based on matching the unclassified product'"'"'s block attributes to the defined values of the block location; and

then

assigning a location within the block to the unclassified item, based on matching the unclassified product'"'"'s match attributes to the match attributes of other products in the block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein matching is performed using probabilistic matching.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein matching includes iterating a matching procedure until a statistical criterion is met.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a nutritional level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a brand.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is product category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is based at least in part on a stock keeping unit (SKU).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a physical attribute.

9. A system comprising:

One or more processors;

A memory bearing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

identify a list of available attributes, the list including block attributes and match attributes;

identify a product hierarchy wherein;

each product in the hierarchy has at least one block attribute and at least one match attribute from the list of available attributes;

the product hierarchy includes blocks of products, each block of products determined by defined values of block attributes

identify unclassified product, the unclassified product having known values of block attributes and match attributes;

assign a block location to the unclassified product based on matching the unclassified product'"'"'s block attributes to the defined values of the block location; and

then

assign a location within the block to the unclassified item, based on matching the unclassified product'"'"'s match attributes to the match attributes of other products in the block.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein matching is performed using probabilistic matching.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein matching includes iterating a matching procedure until a statistical criterion is met.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a nutritional level.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a brand.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is product category.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is based at least in part on a stock keeping unit (SKU).

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the known attribute of the unclassified item is a physical attribute.