US007107226B1

(12)

United States Patent

(10) Patent N0.:

US 7,107,226 B1
(45) Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2006

Cassidy et a].

(54)

INTERNET-BASED ON-LINE COMPARISON

5,778,368 A

INTERACTIVE
SHOPPING SYSTEM
PURCHASE
AND METHOD
AND SALE
OFOF

5,835,712
5,825,881 A

7/1998 Hogan et a1. ............... .. 707/10

10/1998
ll/l998 DuFresne
C01Vin, Sr ............ .. 395/200.33

5,838,965 A * 11/1998 Kavanagh et a1.

PRODUCTS
_

(75)

5,842,178 A
.

5,897,622

Inventors Pamck Cassdy Apex NC ms)

5,983,219 A
6,041,310 A

(73) Assigneei Nan-c0111, 1119-, Morrisville, NC (Us)

..... ..

4/1999

Blinn et a1.

... ... .

. . . ..

* 11/1999 Danish et a1.

* 3/2000 G
t l.

Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis

patent is extended or adjusted under 35

U.S.C. 154(b) by 800 days.

5/2000

Puri

705/26
705/26

705/26
.... .. 707/3
705/27

6,064,979 A * 5/2000 Pgflflxsski

6,064,982 A

Notice:

Giovannoli

5,918,213 A * 6/1999 Bernard et a1.

James Evans Cary NC (Us)

(*)

395/614

11/1998

705/26

............... ..

705/27

6,073,127 A *

6/2000 Lannen et a1,

6,076,091 A

6/2000 Fohn et a1. ............... .. 707/102

706/45

* Cited by examiner

(21) App1_ NO; 09/234,348

Primary ExamineriYehdega Retta

74 Allorney, A g enl, 0r FirmiMarianne Fuierer; Steven

(22) Flledi

Jan- 205 1999

Hultquist; YongZhi Yang

(51) Int. Cl.

(57)

G06H 17/60

(2006.01)

G06H 17/30

(200601)

ABSTRACT
_

A searchable database compr1s1ng a mult1pl1c1ty of tables

including an attributes table and a values table for a multi
.

licit

(58)

707/5. 707/102. 707/103

Field of Classi?cation Search
705/26
""""""""" " 705/27

that select1on of values for one or more target search 1tem

attributes yields an attribute-value construct specifying a
particular one of said target search items and precluding an

See a

indeterminate search result. Such database may be employed

lication ?le for Com lete Search histo

ly

database containin g P roduct information of multi P le

vendors, manufacturers and/ or products and a user interface

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,992,940 A

5,592,375 A
5,692,132

2/1991

generating a virtual shopping cart, and constructed and

arranged to enable a user to selectively aggregate an order in

Dworkin ................... .. 364/401

1/1997 Salmon et a1.

11/1997

Hogan

g _

in an online comparison shopping system comprising a

References Cited

(56)

_ rg

et search items constructed and arran ed so

US. Cl. ............................. .. 705/26, 705/14, 707/3,

pp

of ta

(52)

said virtual shopping cart, comprising products represented

395/207

.. ... ... .. ..

. . . ..

in said database, and means for electronically disaggregating

said order to generate vendor-speci?c orders to respective

395/227

5,710,887 A

1/1998 Chelliah et a1.

5,715,314 A

2/1998 Payne et a1.

..... .. 380/24

395/226

5,745,681 A

4/1998 Levine et a1.

.. 395/2003

5,757,917 A

5/1998

vendors.

54 Claims, 77 Drawing Sheets

Rose et a1. ................. .. 380/25

Select Category
Bur subcategory
Bur type
Bur shape/use

Product Search:

By Category

Bur size

Seleratdimm lhed a? li?orilg

1111a lrixwne DIEm. g

0f.

resu

Bur components

the
wit

Manufacturer
Brand

Have questions or need additional help? Contact stofl@denlalpurchasingcom

Inc. All

Fl; #4 SL (surgical length) round carbide bur

1
5 .5 1.02

m
iasswcsim

Sitthite

(110T

164410011
190-00109

(110T

5,5,Whitg

(1101

1.05
1.25

$1.25

$7.19
$1.95

100

U.S. Patent

Sep. 12, 2006

Sheet 19 0f 77

US 7,107,226 B1

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