Method and facility for displaying customer activity and value

• US 6,882,977 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/629,262
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 705/27, 705/26, 345/440, 345/133, 345/433, 706/12, 707/1, 707/526
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A method and facility for displaying information about a multitude of different customers. The method includes, for each customer, receiving a set of numeric values, each associated with one of a plurality of different parameters. A symbol is generated for each customer, and the symbols are spatially arranged, based on the numeric values. The method may include collecting customer interactions during web browsing, and converting interaction data to a limited data set of the values for display and storage. The values may be displayed in three dimensional format for viewing, and may be revised over time and as additional customer interactions occur.

Claims

1. A method creating a computer graphic display useful for displaying information about a multitude of different customers comprising the process steps of:

downloading for each customer from a web server a set of numeric values, each associated with parameters including a recency indicator, and an advocacy indicator,

decaying the numeric value associated with the recency indicator over time according to an absence of activity by each customer;

increasing the numeric value associated with the recency indicator over time according to

recent activity by each customer

generating for each customer a symbol;

wherein the symbol'"'"'s movement dynamically changes,

arranging a plurality of symbols spatially to create at least one cluster in a galaxy layout according to a polar coordinate system based on the numeric values;

displaying the galaxy layout on a display device to distinguish trends and patterns in customer behavior,

wherein said galaxy layout contains visual representations of patterns and movement corresponding to trends in customer behavior,

manipulating said computer graphic display by a user to identify one or more customer groups to be part of a marketing campaign, based upon identification of said cluster within a region of space in the galaxy layout,

said customer groups being further identified by customers within a user defined radius of the origin of said cluster.

2. The method of claim 1 including generating the numeric values based on an Internet communication activity of the customer.

3. The method of claim 2 including converting initial data based on the communication activity to a limited data set of the numeric values.

4. The method of claim 3 including receiving additional data based on further communication activity, and modifying the numeric values based on the additional data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each symbol includes a characteristic indicating a numeric value of a selected parameter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the characteristic is selected from a group comprising motion, color, size, shape, length, direction, intensity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein arranging the symbols includes generating a representation of a three-dimensional array.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of selecting a subgroup of customers based on a spatial region in which their corresponding symbols reside.

9. A computer readable memory operable to facilitate displaying information about a multitude of different customers comprising:

a first set of instructions providing for downloading from a web server, for each customer, a set of numeric values, each associated with parameters including a recency indicator, and an advocacy indicator;

a second set of instructions generating for each customer, a symbol wherein the symbol'"'"'s movement changes dynamically;

a third set of instructions operable to decay the numeric value associated with the recency indicator over time according to an absence of activity by each customer;

a fourth set of instruction operable to increase the numeric value associated with the recency indicator over time according to recent activity by each customer,

a fifth set of instructions operable to arrange a plurality of the symbols spatially to create at least one cluster in a galaxy layout according to a polar coordinate system based on the numeric values;

a sixth set of instruction operable to create a graphical display of the galaxy layout on a display device to distinguish trends and patterns in customer behavior,

said galaxy layout containing visual representations of patterns and movement corresponding to trends in customer behavior,

a seventh set of instructions invoked by a user to manipulate said graphical display of information to identify one or more customer groups to be part of a marketing campaign, based upon identification of said cluster within a region of space in the galaxy layout,

said customer group being further identified by customers within a user defined radius of the origin of said cluster.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 9 including an eighth set of instructions to generate the numeric values based on an internet communication activity of the customer.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 9 wherein each symbol includes a characteristic indicating a numeric value of a selected parameter.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 13 wherein the characteristic is selected from a group comprising motion, color, size, shape, length, direction, intensity.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 9 wherein the fifth set of instructions further serves to generate a representation of a three-dimensional array.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 9 including a eleventh set of instructions to select a subgroup of customers based on a spatial region in which their corresponding symbols reside.

11. The computer readable memory of claimed 10 including a ninth set of instructions to convert initial data based on the communication activity to a limited data set of the numeric values.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 11 including a tenth set of instructions to receive additional data based on further communication activity, and to modify the numeric values based on the additional data.