METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING AND RECOMMENDING RELEVANT PRODUCTS

• US 20140279195A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamite Data, LLC (Market Track Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dynamite Data, LLC (Market Track Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kubicki, Kristopher, Hsieh, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

Techniques for a product search grid are disclosed herein. The method for presenting a grid includes receiving data in association with a plurality of products from one or more merchant websites; presenting a data grid including cells based on the data, wherein each cell of the cells represents a product of the products or a replacement of a product of the products; displaying information regarding the products or the replacements of the products in the cells; and updating the contents of cells of the data grid automatically in real time in response to new data received from the merchant websites.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data in association with a plurality of products from one or more merchant websites;

presenting a data grid including cells based on the data, wherein each cell of the cells represents a product of the plurality of products or a replacement of the product of the plurality of products;

displaying information regarding products or replacements of the products in the cells; and

updating the contents of cells of the data grid automatically in real time in response to new data received from the merchant websites.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the data grid in response to a user interacting with a cell of the cells, wherein the user is one of a plurality of users each of whom is viewing an instance of the data grid; and

synchronizing the instances of the data grid being viewed by the users based on the updating.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said updating comprises:

updating the contents of cells of the data grid automatically in real time in response to new data received from the merchant websites, without an intervention from a user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the new data include information of a price change for a product, an update of a time limited offer, a change of shipping information, or a change of a rebate for a product.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells span across multiple columns or multiple rows.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells spanning across multiple rows represents a bundled product.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells spanning across multiple columns represents a product that is being sold by a merchant designated by a first column of the columns, and is manufactured by manufacture designated by a second column of the columns.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a cell of the cells contains multiple frames and represents a product, each frame of the frames represents a status of the product at a different time point.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the cell contains an interactive time control, and a user can use the interactive time control to switch between the frames of the cell.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the cell contains an interactive time control, and a user can set the interactive time control so that the frames of the cell display sequentially.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells contains an interactive control that can be used to indicate a replacement represented by the cell is a good or bad match to a product.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells contains an interactive control that can be used to set a rating for a product or a replacement of a product that is represented by the cell.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one cell of the cells contains an interactive control that can be used to suggest a promotion of a product that is presented by the cell is noteworthy.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the products or the replacements of the products in the cells includes product prices, rebate information, shipping information, or cost of ownership information.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cells contain text, images, animated figures, movies, games, audio clips, or interactive contents.

16. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, coupled to the processor, through which the computer system can retrieve data in association with a plurality of products from one or more merchant websites; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform a process including;

presenting a data grid including cells based on the data, wherein each cell of the cells represents a product of the plurality of products or a replacement of the product of the plurality of products;

displaying information regarding products or replacements of the products in the cells; and

updating the contents of cells of the data grid automatically in real time in response to new data received from the merchant websites.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the network interface is configured to transmit instructions to a client device for presenting an instance of the data grid on the client device.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the network interface is configured to receive a signal indicating that a user interacts with a cell of the cells of the data grid, and wherein the process further includes:

updating the data grid in response to the signal; and

transmitting instructions to a plurality of client devices for updating instances of the data grid on the client devices.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein a cell of the cells span across multiple columns or multiple rows.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the information regarding the products or the replacements of the products in the cells includes product prices, rebate information, shipping information, or cost of ownership information;

and wherein the cells present the information in forms of text, images, animated figures, movies, games, audio clips, or interactive contents.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data in association with a plurality of products from one or more merchant websites;

presenting a data grid including cells based on the data, wherein each cell of the cells represents a product of the products or a replacement of the product of the products; and

displaying a three-dimensional diagram for at least one cell of the cells representing a specific product or a replacement of the specific product;

wherein one dimension of the three-dimensional diagram is designated to multiple time points, and the three-dimensional diagram illustrates historical statuses of the product at the time points.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising:

updating the three-dimensional diagram in response to newly received data in association with the product or the replacement of the product in real time.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein said displaying comprises:

transmitting instructions to at least one client device to display a three-dimensional diagram on the client device, the three-dimensional diagram is for at least one cell of the cells representing a product or a replacement of a product.

24. A processing system for presenting a data grid, the processing system comprising:

means for receiving data in association with a plurality of products from one or more merchant websites;

means for presenting the data grid including cells based on the data, wherein each cell of the cells represents a product of the plurality of products or a replacement of the product of the plurality of products;

means for displaying information regarding products or replacements of the products in the cells; and

means for updating the contents of cells of the data grid automatically in real time in response to new data received from the merchant websites.

25. The processing system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for expanding a cell of the cells to span across multiple columns or multiple rows of the data grid, wherein the cell represents a bundled product or a product being sold and/or manufactured by different parties respectively.