Method and system for collecting online merchandising data

• US 20050192873A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearson, Benjamin Eric, Roche, Matthew J. N. C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method and system for automating electronic merchandising and product recommendation by creating a third party merchandising product database populated with data obtained directly at the point of sale. According to one embodiment, collection or direct importation of such data from an existing physical source or a product or merchandising database, which can be complex and costly, is not required. As a result, the cost of creating a usable merchandising system and database is reduced.

Claims

1. A method of populating a merchandising product database, comprising:

obtaining merchandising data related to a product from a point of presentation of the product; and

storing at least part of the obtained merchandising data in the merchandising product database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining the merchandising data directly from a presentation device on which the product is presented.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining data about the product directly from the point of presentation of the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchandising product database does not have information related to the product stored therein prior to the storing step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining the merchandising data generally contemporaneously with presentation of the product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the point of presentation comprises an output medium of an interactive catalog.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the point of presentation comprises a Web-page.

8. A merchandising database system, comprising:

an interface configured to coupled to a network and to receive merchandising data related to a product from a point of presentation of the product; and

a database configured to store at least part of the received merchandising data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the interface is configured to receive the merchandising data directly from a presentation device on which the product is presented.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the interface is configured to receive data about the product directly from the point of presentation of the product.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the interface is configured to receive the merchandising data generally contemporaneously with presentation of the product.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the point of presentation comprises an output medium of an interactive catalog.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the point of presentation comprises a Web-page.

14. A merchandising database system, comprising:

means for receiving merchandising data related to a product from a point of presentation of the product; and

means for storing the received merchandising data in a merchandising product database.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for obtaining the merchandising data directly from a presentation device on which the product is presented.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for obtaining data about the product directly from the point of presentation of the product.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for obtaining the merchandising data generally contemporaneously with presentation of the product.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the point of presentation comprises an output medium of an interactive catalog.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the point of presentation comprises a Web-page.

20. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer device, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium and a computer program mechanism embodied therein that enables the computer device to perform a method of populating a merchandising product database, the computer program mechanism comprising:

first computer program codes to cause the computer device to obtain merchandising data related to a product from a point of presentation of the product; and

second computer program codes to cause the computer device to store at least part of the obtained merchandising data in the merchandising product database.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the first computer program codes comprise computer program codes to cause the computer device to obtain the merchandising data directly from a presentation device on which the product is presented.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the first computer program codes comprise computer program codes to cause the computer device to obtain data about the product directly from the point of presentation of the product.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the first computer program codes comprise computer program codes to cause the computer device to obtain the merchandising data generally contemporaneously with presentation of the product.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the point of presentation comprises an output medium of an interactive catalog.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the point of presentation comprises a Web-page.

26. A method of populating a merchandising product database, comprising:

rendering at least a portion of an interactive catalog, wherein content of the rendered portion includes description of one or more products and wherein the content is obtained from one or more source product databases,

communicating data related to the products to the merchandising product database such that data is communicated from the source product databases to the merchandising product database without requiring direct data importation.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the rendered portion of the interactive catalog acts as a conduit through which information from the source product databases is communited to the merchandising product database.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the data related to the products comprises parameters embedded within the rendered portion of the interactive catalog.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the data related to the products comprises a product identification.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the data related to the products comprises a product description.