Systems and methods for enhanced information visualization

• US 8,510,177 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visible World Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Haberman, Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US13/549,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.61, 705/26.62, 705/26.63, 705/26.64, 707/706, 707/707, 707/709
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/953 Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, an information management application that provides users with the ability to create and customize matrix displays of information relating to a particular product or service for navigation by other users is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating interaction between users, the method comprising, by a processor of a server computing device:

receiving a first query for information from a user computing device, the information relating to at least one of a product and a service;

transmitting the first query to a plurality of information sources;

receiving the information from the plurality of information sources in response to the first query;

parsing the information into a plurality of topics, each of the topics representing a category of metadata relating to the information;

generating a matrix display that organizes the received information into the plurality of topics for presentation at the user computing device;

providing access to the matrix display to a plurality of user computing devices;

determining whether updated information is available by transmitting a second query to the plurality of information sources at a predetermined time;

receiving the updated information from at least one of the plurality of information sources in response to the second query;

updating the matrix display to include the updated information from at least one of the plurality of information sources; and

presenting an indicator that updated information has been received at the user computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a purchasing decision from at least one of the plurality of user computing devices that has accessed the matrix display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising compiling a purchasing order from the user computing device and at least one of the plurality of user computing devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the compiled purchasing order from the user computing device and the at least one of the plurality of user computing devices provides a discount; and

transmitting a notification to the user computing device and the at least one of the plurality of user computing devices regarding the discount.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing the user computing device and at least one of the plurality of user computing devices to leverage the compiled purchasing order to obtain a discounted purchase.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one preference from at least one of the plurality of user computing devices;

reformatting the matrix display in accordance with the received preference; and

storing a version of the matrix display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix display is generated using at least one organization template.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the topics in the matrix display by retrieving metadata from the received information.

9. A system for facilitating interaction between users, the system comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a first query for information from a user computing device, wherein the information relates to at least one of a product and a service;

transmit the first query to a plurality of information sources;

receive the information from the plurality of information sources in response to the first query;

parse the information into a plurality of topics, each of the topics representing a category of metadata relating to the information;

generate a matrix display that organizes the received information into the plurality of topics for presentation to the user computing device;

provide access to the matrix display generated for the user to a plurality of user computing devices;

determine whether updated information is available by transmitting a second query to the plurality of information sources at a predetermined time;

receive the updated information from at least one of the plurality of information sources in response to the second query;

update the matrix display to include the updated information from at least one of the plurality of information sources; and

present an indicator that updated information has been received to the user computing device.

10. A method for presenting purchasing opportunities, the method comprising:

receiving a query for information from a user computing device accessing a publicly accessible website, wherein the information relates to at least one of a product and a service from a merchant;

using the received query to retrieve information relating to the at least one of the product and the service, wherein the information is retrieved from a plurality of Internet websites and wherein the information includes a purchasing opportunity for the at least one of the product and the service;

parsing the information into a plurality of categories, each of the categories representing a selection of metadata relating to the information;

assembling a matrix display configured to organize the retrieved information into the categories, wherein the matrix display is associated with the user computing device and the at least one of the product and the service;

presenting the matrix display to a plurality of user computing devices on a publicly accessible website configured to transmit queries for the at least one of the product and the service, wherein each of the plurality of user computing devices is allowed to provide an indication of purchasing interest for the at least one of the product and the service;

determining which of the user computing device and the plurality of user computing devices are interested in the purchasing opportunity;

transmitting a notification to the merchant based at least in part on the determination;

receiving a bulk discount for the at least one of the product and the service from the merchant; and

providing the user computing device and the plurality of user computing devices with a bulk purchasing opportunity from the merchant for the at least one of the product and the service at the bulk discount.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing the user computing device and at least one of the plurality of user computing devices to leverage the bulk purchasing opportunity to obtain the bulk discount.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the matrix display is generated using at least one organization template.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the matrix display organizes the received information into a plurality of topics arranged in a plurality of columns and rows.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the topics in the matrix display by retrieving metadata from the received information.

15. A system for facilitating interaction between users, the system comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a query for information from a user computing device accessing a publicly accessible website, wherein the information relates to at least one of a product and a service from a merchant;

use the received query to retrieve information relating to the at least one of the product and the service, wherein the information is retrieved from a plurality of Internet websites and wherein the information includes a purchasing opportunity for the at least one of the product and the service;

parse the information into a plurality of categories, each of the categories representing a selection of metadata relating to the information;

assemble a matrix display configured to organize the retrieved information into the categories, wherein the matrix display is associated with the user computing device and the at least one of the product and the service;

present the matrix display to a plurality of user computing devices on a publicly accessible website configured to transmit queries for the at least one of the product and the service, wherein each of the plurality of user computing devices is allowed to provide an indication of purchasing interest for the at least one of the product and the service;

determine which of the user computing device and the plurality of user computing devices are interested in the purchasing opportunity;

transmit a notification to the merchant based at least in part on the determination;

receive a bulk discount for the at least one of the product and the service from the merchant; and

provide the user computing device and the plurality of user computing devices with a bulk purchasing opportunity from the merchant for the at least one of the product and the service at the bulk discount.