System and method for an interactive shopping news and price information service
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a server configured to search electronic commerce websites on a network for information regarding a product prior to receiving a query regarding the product;
a database operatively coupled to the server and configured to store the information regarding the product;
an interface associated with the server and configured to receive the query regarding the product; and
a processor operatively coupled to the server, the database, and the interface, wherein the processor is configured to;
determine that the information regarding the product has been cached in the database within a time limit, wherein the time limit is a variable that is set dynamically based at least in part on network congestion; and
provide, responsive to the determination that the information regarding the product has been cached within the time limit, the information regarding the product directly from the database in response to the query.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and associated method for assisting a user to efficiently query for product information and promotional information available from electronic commerce websites over the Internet includes a sub-server for searching the electronic commerce websites, a controlling server, and a local database. The method involves determining whether product information related to a user query is cached in a local database and if the requested information is not cached, searching the electronic commerce websites for the requested information.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
-
a server configured to search electronic commerce websites on a network for information regarding a product prior to receiving a query regarding the product; a database operatively coupled to the server and configured to store the information regarding the product; an interface associated with the server and configured to receive the query regarding the product; and a processor operatively coupled to the server, the database, and the interface, wherein the processor is configured to; determine that the information regarding the product has been cached in the database within a time limit, wherein the time limit is a variable that is set dynamically based at least in part on network congestion; and provide, responsive to the determination that the information regarding the product has been cached within the time limit, the information regarding the product directly from the database in response to the query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method comprising:
-
searching, with a server device, electronic commerce websites on a network for information regarding a product prior to receiving a query regarding the product; storing, in a database operatively coupled to the server, the information regarding the product; receiving the query regarding the product; determining, by a processor, that the information regarding the product has been cached in the database within a time limit, wherein the time limit is a variable that is set dynamically based at least in part on network congestion; and returning, responsive to determining that the product has been cached within the time limit, the information regarding the product directly from the database in response to the query. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. A system comprising:
-
means for receiving a query, wherein the query includes a request to find product information for a product from a website; means for searching a local database for cached product information relating to the product, wherein the cached product information is obtained and stored in the local database prior to receiving the query; means for determining that the cached product information has been updated within a time limit; means for-setting the time limit dynamically based at least in part on network congestion; and means for providing, responsive to determining that the cached product information has been updated within the time limit, the cached product information directly from the local database in response to the query. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
-
instructions to search electronic commerce websites on a network for information regarding a product prior to receiving a query regarding the product; instructions to store the information regarding the product in a database; instructions to receive the query regarding the product; instructions to determine that the information regarding the product has been updated within a time limit; instructions to dynamically set the time limit as a variable based at least in part on network congestion; and instructions to return, responsive to the determination that the information regarding the product has been updated within the time limit, the information regarding the product directly from the database in response to the query.
-
Specification