Patent ID: 7039653
Filing Date: 2006-05-02
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer-based method for providing guidance to a purchaser for selecting an appliance that requires venting of air relative to a building structure where the appliance is located, the guidance comprising recommendations that take into account physical constraints regarding an external venting structure relative to the appliance, at least some of said venting structure disposed through said building structure, the method comprising: providing a database for storing appliance-related information including a respective identifier for each appliance, the appliance-related information further including venting requirements data for each appliance; configuring a vent wizard to provide a set of prompts over a communications network to elicit information from the purchaser regarding a respective appliance of interest to the purchaser, and vent parameters indicative of the physical constraints for the venting structure for the appliance; accessing the database in view of the information supplied by the purchaser; processing the information supplied by the purchaser relative to the vent requirements data for the appliance of interest to determine a recommendation to the purchaser regarding suitability of the external venting structure relative to the appliance of interest, wherein the recommendation is selected from at least one of the following: 1) indicating changes to be made to the external venting structure that would make the external venting structure suitable for meeting the air flow requirements of the appliance interest; and 2) indicating to the purchaser whether or not the external venting structure presently meets one of a plurality of predefined air flow ranges relative to the appliance of interest, each of said air flow ranges indicative of a predefined distinct condition of venting for the appliance of interest; and transmitting the recommendation to the purchaser so that appropriate action may be taken by the purchaser regarding the selection of the appliance and/or venting structure.