Method and apparatus for obtaining consumer product preferences through product selection and evaluation

• US 7,072,847 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intensis Research, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ulenas, Jonas, Duoba, Valdas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/938,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27, 705/26, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system for obtaining consumer preferences over a communication network from consumers. The system searches the product database for products or services based on consumer'"'"'s search criteria. The system displays the products or services and/or advertisements related to the consumer'"'"'s search criteria in accordance with the ranking parameter(s) specified by the user. The consumer'"'"'s preferences, i.e., the search criteria and the ranking parameter(s), are stored in the database for future references, e.g., determine consumer trends, etc.

Claims

1. A method for delivering product information and anonymously obtaining consumer preferences for a product/service category over a communications network from a plurality of consumers, comprising the steps of:

anonymously receiving one or more product/service criteria for said product/service category from a consumer and at least one of said product/service criteria as a ranking parameter from said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected;

searching a database having product and service information for products or services in said product/service category based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer, such that the search is based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit search criteria;

ranking products or services in said product/service category satisfying said product/service criteria in accordance with said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer to provide a ranked list, thereby ranking the search result based solely on said consumer'"'"'s explicit order of importance; and

storing said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of searching searches said database for products or services that matches closest to said selected product/service criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of anonymously receiving one or more new product/service criteria from said consumer if it is determined that no product or service in said database satisfies said selected product/service criteria;

and wherein the step of searching searches said database for products or services in said product/service category based on said new product/service criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more products or services from said ranked list by said consumer;

retrieving product/service information for said selected products or services from said database;

displaying product/service information of said selected products or services on a processing device associated with said consumer; and

storing said selected products or services in said database as market research data of consumer preferences while preserving the privacy of said consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of anonymously receiving a range for each product/service criteria selected by said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of displaying product/service information includes the steps of:

displaying said selected products or services on said processing device; and

controlling the display of said selected products or services by said consumer to enable said consumer to virtually investigate or examine said selected product or services.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of displaying product/service information includes the steps of:

generating a virtual representation of said consumer in accordance with information received about the physical characteristics of said consumer;

displaying said selected products along with said virtual representation of said consumer to provide virtual display of said selected products; and

controlling said virtual display by said consumer to enable said consumer to virtually investigate and test the fit of said selected products using said virtual representation of said consumer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

anonymously receiving additional product/service criteria from said consumer;

searching said database for products or services based on said product/service category based on said selected product/service criteria and said additional product/service criteria;

ranking products or services related to said selected product/service criteria and said additional product/service criteria in accordance with said ranking parameter; and

storing said additional criteria as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said database includes advertisements and further comprising the steps of:

selecting an advertisement from said database in accordance with said selected product/service criteria; and

displaying said advertisement along with said ranked list on a processing device associated with said consumer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of selecting an advertisement from an advertisement database in accordance with said selected product/service criteria and displaying said advertisement along with said ranked list on a processing device associated with said consumer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a report indicating a consumer trend from said market research data of consumer preferences for a product/service category selected by an operator.

12. A computer readable medium comprising code for delivering product information and anonymously obtaining consumer preferences for a product/service category over a communications network from a plurality of consumers, said code comprising instructions for:

anonymously receiving one or more product/service criteria for said product/service category from a consumer and at least one of said product/service criteria as a ranking parameter from said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected;

searching a database having product and service information for products or services in said product/service category based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer, such that the search is based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit search criteria;

ranking products or services in said product/service category satisfying said product/service criteria in accordance with said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer to provide a ranked list, thereby ranking the search result based solely on said consumer'"'"'s explicit order of importance; and

storing said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instructions for searching said database for products or services that matches closest to said selected product/service criteria.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

anonymously receiving one or more new product/service criteria from said consumer if it is determined that no product or service in said database satisfies said selected product/service criteria; and

searching said database for products or services in said product/service category based on said new product/service criteria.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

selecting one or more products or services from said ranked list by said consumer;

retrieving product/service information for said selected products or services from said database;

displaying product/service information of said selected products or services on a processing device associated with said consumer; and

storing said selected products or services in said database as market research data of consumer preferences while preserving the privacy of said consumer.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instructions for anonymously receiving a range for each product/service criteria selected by said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

displaying said selected products or services on said processing device; and

controlling the display of said selected products or services by said consumer to enable said consumer to virtually investigate or examine said selected products or services.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

generating a virtual representation of said consumer in accordance with information received about the physical characteristics of said consumer;

displaying said selected products or services along with virtual representation of said consumer to provide virtual display of said selected products; and

controlling said virtual display by said consumer to enable said consumer to virtually investigate and test the fit of said selected products using said virtual representation of said consumer.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

anonymously receiving additional product/service criteria from said consumer;

searching said database for products or services in said product/service category based on said selected product/service criteria and said additional product/service criteria;

displaying a list of products or services related to said selected product/service criteria and said additional product/service criteria on said processing device, said list being ordered in accordance with said ranking parameter; and

storing said additional criteria in said database as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said database includes advertisements and wherein said code further comprises instructions for:

selecting an advertisement from said database in accordance with said selected product/service criteria; and

displaying said advertisement along with said ranked list on a processing device associated with said consumer.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said code further comprises instruction for generating a report indicating a consumer trend from said market research data of consumer preferences for a product/service category selected by an operator.

22. A method for targeting advertisement over a communication network, comprising the steps of:

anonymously receiving one or more product/service criteria for said product/service category from a consumer and at least one of said product/service criteria as a ranking parameter from said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected;

searching a product database having product and service information for products or services in said product/service category based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and an advertisement database for an advertisement based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer, such that searches are based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit search criteria;

ranking products or services in said product/service category satisfying said product/service criteria in accordance with said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer to provide a ranked list, thereby ranking the search result based solely on said consumer'"'"'s explicit order of importance;

displaying said advertisement and said ranked list on a processing device associated with said consumer; and

storing said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.

23. A computer readable medium comprising code for targeting advertisement over a communications network, said code comprising instructions for:

anonymously receiving one or more product/service criteria for said product/service category from a consumer and at least one of said product/service criteria as a ranking parameter from said consumer, such that no information identifying or specific to said consumer is received or collected;

searching a product database having product and service information for products or services in said product/service category based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and an advertisement database for an advertisement based solely on said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer, such that searches are based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit search criteria;

ranking products or services in said product/service category satisfying said product/service criteria in accordance with said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer to provide a ranked list, thereby ranking the search result based solely on said consumer'"'"'s explicit order of importance;

displaying said advertisement and said ranked list on a processing device associated with said consumer; and

storing said product/service criteria anonymously received from said consumer and said ranking parameter anonymously received from said consumer as market research data of consumer preferences, thereby anonymously obtaining market research data based solely on consumer'"'"'s explicit selections without receiving or collecting information identifying or specific to said consumer to preserve the privacy of said consumer.