Methods for assisting a person in transitioning from one disposable absorbent product to another

• US 8,548,875 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Woltman, Garry Roland, Zickler, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US13/751,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47 Sanitary towels, incontinence pads or napkins A61F13/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/551 Packaging before or after use general packaging of absorbent pads B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/84 Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for assisting consumers in transitioning from a current absorbent product to a future absorbent product. Also described are transition aids for assisting in this transition. In particular, the transition aids provide a consumer with a means for comparing different characteristics of their current absorbent product with characteristics of a future absorbent product.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a consumer in transitioning from an absorbent product in a first product category to a recommended absorbent product in a second product category, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information from the consumer about an absorbent product currently used by the consumer, the current absorbent product being in a first product category;

receiving, by a processor, at least one feature designated by the user as being a desired feature a future absorbent product should include;

selecting, by a processor, a recommended future absorbent product from a second product category, wherein the recommended future absorbent product includes the at least one desired feature; and

providing, by a processor, the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium, the transition aid comprising a first region comprising a depiction of the current absorbent product, a second region comprising a depiction of the recommended future absorbent product, and a third region comprising at least one scale of reference comprising a depiction of a common characteristic of both the current absorbent product and the recommended future absorbent product, wherein the depiction of each of the current absorbent product and the recommended future absorbent product is positioned along the scale to indicate the common characteristics of each product, and wherein at least one of the common characteristics includes the at least one desired feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one desired feature is received by allowing the consumer to input the at least one desired feature into a user interface of an interactive computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current absorbent product of the consumer is selected from the group consisting of diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the common characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a benefit, an attribute, a feature, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the consumer to purchase the recommended future absorbent product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium comprises providing the transition aid via a computer display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium comprises providing the transition aid via an interactive display.

8. A method for assisting a consumer in transitioning from a current absorbent product in a first product category to a future absorbent product in a second product category, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, at least one feature designated by the consumer as being a desired feature a future absorbent product should include;

receiving, by a processor, information from the consumer about an absorbent product currently used by the consumer;

receiving, by a processor, information from a store about an availability of a plurality of absorbent products;

selecting a first group of absorbent products from the first product category, wherein the first group of absorbent products comprises the current absorbent product;

selecting, by a processor, at least one additional group of absorbent products from a second product category, wherein the at least one additional group of absorbent products in the second product category is available from the store, and wherein each of the absorbent products in the at least one additional group of absorbent products includes the desired feature specified by the consumer; and

providing, by a processor, the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium, the transition aid comprising a first region comprising a depiction of the first group of absorbent products, a second region comprising a depiction of the at least one additional group of absorbent products, and a third region comprising at least one scale of reference comprising a depiction of a common characteristic of both the first group of absorbent products and of the at least one additional group of absorbent products, wherein the depiction of each of the first and the at least one additional group of absorbent products is positioned along the scale to indicate the common characteristic of each depicted product, and wherein the common characteristic includes the at least one desired feature.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving personal information from the consumer about at least one desired feature the future absorbent product should include prior to selecting the first group of related absorbent products.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium comprises providing the transition aid via a printed medium.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the consumer with a transition aid via a visual medium comprises providing the transition aid via an electronic visual medium.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the consumer with a transition aid via a display medium comprises providing the transition aid via an interactive display.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the current absorbent product of the consumer is selected from the group consisting of diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the common characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a benefit, an attribute, a feature, and combinations thereof.