System and method for assisting in the selection of products and or services

• US 20060064304A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Brian Tarbox, Mark Greenstein
• Original Assignee: Brian Tarbox, Mark Greenstein
• Inventors: Greenstein, Mark, Tarbox, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/492,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for a data processor implemented system monitor for assisting in the purchase or lease of products or services which may consider various factors including quality, price and convenience in a manner that is free from or ameliorates the traditional conflicts of interest in previous systems is disclosed. The systems and methods are adapted to separate or otherwise ameliorate the tension between other functions where the compensation traditionally varies depending on whether and which products or services are purchased or leased. The systems and methods collect, monitor and direct information from the purchasers and lessors, persons who make decisions on behalf of purchasers or lessors, persons who hold indicative data (e.g., surveys by government agencies), vendors, intermediaries, persons who facilitate transactions and Independent Third Parties (or a third party) to provide recommendations and/or selection of products and/or services in a manner that eliminates or ameliorates conflicts of interest.

Claims

1. A system for assisting in the selection of products and/or services, the system comprising:

data storage for storing data for at least one potential purchaser and/or lessee and for storing characteristic data for a plurality of products/services;

a selection model computer program at least designed in part), and/or at least reviewed in part) and/or approved by an independent party and adapted to be applied to the preference data and the characteristic data; and

a processor for substantially automatically generating a recommendation and/or a comparison of available products/services for a at least one potential purchaser and/or lessee in accordance with the stored data for the at least one potential purchaser and/or lessee and the characteristic data for the plurality of products/services.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the characteristic data comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

price, performance, availability, aesthetics and ratings.

3. A computer implemented method for assisting in the selection of any one of a plurality of products, the method comprising the acts of:

providing data storage means

storing preference data for at least one client on the data storage means;

storing characteristic data for a plurality of products on the data storage means;

providing a computer program designed and/or approved by an independent party, the computer program being adapted to be applied to the preference data and the characteristic data stored on the data storage means; and

generating a recommended product for the client in accordance with the preference data provided by the client, the characteristic data for the plurality of products.

4. A computer implemented system for assisting in the selection of any one of a plurality of products, the system comprising:

data storage means

means for storing preference data for at least one client on the data storage means;

means for storing characteristic data for a plurality of products on the data storage means;

a computer program, operatively connected to the data storage means, designed and/or approved by an independent party, the computer program being adapted to be applied to the preference data and the characteristic data stored on the data storage means; and

a recommendation to the client of a product, the recommendation being prepared in accordance with the preference data provided by the client, the characteristic data for the plurality of products and the independent party designed and/or approved computer program.