Query system for service availability according to customized criteria

• US 7,124,096 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Spring, Eduardo N., Ravi, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US09/952,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/27, 705/28, 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method, program, and system for checking the availability of goods and services by means of the Internet are provided. The invention comprises compiling a customer profile, which may include information related to business affiliation as well as personal preferences. The customer uses a general search engine to submit a query regarding a desired good or service, and the search engine returns a list of suppliers that satisfy the search generic criteria. Special software on the client machine then sends more detailed queries, along with the customer profile, directly to certain suppliers selected from the list. These suppliers then return information, which corresponds to the customer profile. This information may include availability of specific accommodations, special discounts, as well as exclusive goods or services not offered to the general public.

Claims

1. A method for searching for goods and services by means of a computer network, the method comprising:

compiling a customer profile in a program at a client in the computer network, wherein the customer profile contains data and preferences entered by the customer;

sending search parameters to a search engine at an aggregate server in the computer network, wherein the search parameters relate to a specified product;

receiving a list of product suppliers that satisfy the search parameters from the aggregate server,

automatically selecting and displaying a subset of product suppliers from the list of product suppliers, according to the preferences entered in the customer profile, at the client;

automatically sending a product query and at least a portion of the customer profile to each product supplier in the selected subset via the computer network,

automatically receiving product information from each product supplier in the selected subset via the computer network, wherein the product information corresponds to the product query;

automatically assigning a best-fit score to each product supplier in the selected subset according to how closely the product information received from each product supplier conforms to the preferences entered in the customer profile; and

automatically ranking and displaying the selected subset of suppliers according to best-fit score at the client.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer profile is stored on a client machine.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer profile includes at least one of the following:

name;

company name;

frequent flier number;

airline used;

frequent customer number;

product brand preference;

special accommodation requirements;

dining preferences;

coupons;

or

recreational preferences.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product information received from the product supplier further comprises at least one of the following:

business discount;

frequent flier discount;

frequent customer discount;

airline discount;

availability of special accommodations;

availability of recreational facilities;

or

exclusive services.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein product information received front a given product supplier further comprises a best price, as determined by the preferences entered in the customer profile.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving verification of product availability, according to the preferences entered in the customer profile, from a given product supplier.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting additional information from a given product supplier if a first supplier response does not include information specifically requested in the product query.

8. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, for searching for goods and services by means of a computer network, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for compiling a customer profile in a program at a client in the computer network, wherein the customer profile contains data and preferences entered by the customer;

instructions for entering search parameters into a search engine at an aggregate server, wherein the search parameters relate to a specified product;

instructions for receiving a list of product suppliers that satisfy the search parameters from the aggregate server;

instructions for automatically selecting and displaying a subset of product suppliers from the list of product suppliers, according to the preferences entered in the customer profile, at the client;

instructions for automatically sending a product query and a portion of the customer profile to each product supplier in the selected subset;

instructions for automatically receiving product information from each product supplier in the selected subset via the computer network, wherein the product information corresponds to the product query;

instructions for automatically assigning a best-fit score to each product in the selected subset according to how closely the product information received from each product supplier conforms to the preferences entered in the customer profile; and

instructions for automatically ranking and displaying the selected subset of suppliers according to best-fit score, at the client.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the customer profile is stored on a client machine.

10. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the customer profile includes at least one of the following:

name;

company name;

frequent flier number;

airline used;

frequent customer number;

product brand preference;

special accommodation requirements;

dining preferences;

coupons;

or

recreational preferences.

11. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the product information received from the product supplier further comprises at least one of the following:

business discount;

frequent flier discount;

frequent customer discount;

airline discount;

availability of special accommodations;

availability of recreational facilities;

or

exclusive services.

12. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the product information received from a given product supplier further comprises a best price, as determined by the preferences entered in the customer profile.

13. The computer program product according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for receiving verification of product availability, according to the preferences entered in the customer profile, from a given product supplier.

14. The computer program product according to claim 8, further comprising:

instructions for requesting additional information from a given product supplier if a first supplier response does not include information specifically requested in the product query.

15. A system for searching for goods and services by means of a computer network, the system comprising:

a compiler that creates a customer profile in a program at a client in the computer network, wherein the customer profile contains data and preferences entered by the customer;

a input component that enters search parameters into a search engine at an aggregate server in the computer network, wherein the search parameters relate to a specified product;

a first receiving component that receives a list of product suppliers that satisfy the search parameters from the aggregate server;

a processing component that automatically selects and displays a subset of product suppliers from the list of product suppliers, according to the preferences entered in the customer profile, at the client;

a communication component that automatically sends a product query and a portion of the customer profile to each product supplier in the selected subset via the computer network;

a second receiving component that automatically receives and displays product information from each product supplier in the selected subset, wherein the product information corresponds to the product query;

an assigning component that automatically assigns a best-fit score to each product supplier in the selected subset according to how closely the product information received from each product supplier conforms to the preferences entered in the customer profile; and

a ranking component that automatically ranks and displays the selected subset of suppliers according to best-fit score, at the client.