System and method for electronically creating a customized catalog

• US 9,230,256 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Inventors: Westphal, Geoffry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/137,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,877 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

Catalog pages on which appear identified products and catalog pages on which appear products purchased-with the identified products are selected and aggregated to form a customized, electronic catalog.

Claims

1. In a computer, a computer-implemented method for creating a customized, electronic product catalog by using data records selected from a pre-existing electronic version of a searchable product catalog comprised of a plurality of search data record structures, comprising:

using a data pre-processor that cooperates with a configuration interface to create from an electronic catalog stored in a database the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog, wherein the configuration interface functions to determine into which of the plurality of search data record structures of the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog data from the electronic catalog stored in the database is to be stored;

receiving at the computer data representative of a user specified search term which functions to identify products found in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog;

causing the computer to select from the plurality of search data record structures of the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog only those data records which include the identified products; and

causing the computer to aggregate each of the data records selected from the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog to thereby create the customized, electronic catalog.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the customized, electronic catalog to be downloading, via a network connection, to a client computer.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing one or more links to the customized, electronic catalog to be downloaded, via a network connection, to a client computer.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the data records comprises an image of a page of a product catalog corresponding to the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data which functions to identify products in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog comprises data representative of a user specified product parametric.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data which functions to identify products in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog comprises data representative of a user specified product category.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the product category is created by a customer.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the product category is created by a vendor of the products listed within the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the product category is listed on a customer home Web page.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the product category comprises products previously purchased by the customer.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the customer home Web page displays an image representative of the product category.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the customer home Web page displays products selected for purchase.

13. A computer readable media embodied on a non-transitory, physically embodied storage media having stored thereon instructions for creating a customized, electronic product catalog by using data records selected from a pre-existing electronic version of a searchable product catalog comprised of a plurality of search data record structures, the instructions, when executed by a computer, performing steps comprising:

using a data pre-processor that cooperates with a configuration interface to create from an electronic catalog stored in a database the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog, wherein the configuration interface functions to determine into which of the plurality of search data record structures of the pre-existing electronic version Of the searchable product catalog data from the electronic catalog stored in the database is to be stored;

receiving input representative of a user specified search term which functions to identify products in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog;

selecting from the plurality of search data record structures of the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog those data records which include the identified products; and

aggregating each of the data records selected from the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog to thereby create the customized, electronic catalog.

14. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the customized, electronic catalog to be downloaded, via a network connection, to a client computer.

15. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions cause one or more links to the customized, electronic catalog to be downloaded, via a network connection, to a client computer.

16. The computer readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the data records comprises an image of a page of a product catalog corresponding to the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog.

17. The computer readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the input which functions to identify products in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog comprises a user specified product parametric.

18. The computer readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the input which functions to identify products in the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog comprises a user specified product category.

19. The computer readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the product category is created by a customer.

20. The computer readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the product category is created by a vendor of the products listed within the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog.

21. The computer readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the product category is listed on a customer home Web page.

22. The computer readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the product category comprises products previously purchased by the customer.

23. The computer readable media as recited in claim 22, wherein the customer home Web page displays an image representative of the product category.

24. The computer readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein the customer home Web page displays products selected for purchase.

25. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions include with the customized, electronic catalog data records of the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog on which appear line item extensions related to the identified products.

26. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions include in the customized, electronic catalog data records of the pre-existing electronic searchable version of the product catalog on which appear items identified by a vendor of the items within the pre-existing electronic searchable version of the product catalog.

27. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions include in the customized, electronic catalog data records of the pre-existing electronic version of the searchable product catalog on which appear one or more items determined to have been purchased with the identified products.

28. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the configuration interface further functions to assign functionality to data within the plurality of search data record structures.

29. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the configuration interface further functions to dynamically assign to attributes represented by data within the plurality of search data record structures an internal data type.

30. The computer readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the internal data type is selected from string, integer, and bit mask.

31. The computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the plurality of search data record structures comprises a keyword search data record structure and a brand search data record structure.

32. The computer readable media as recited in claim 31, wherein the plurality of search data record structures comprises a custom search data record structure.