Patent ID: 8533071
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented intelligent product catalog system comprising: one or more computing devices having a processor and a memory accessing a first portal of a first vendor having an electronic catalog providing product options and accessing a second portal of a second vendor having an electronic catalog providing product options; a parametric database schema configured to define product options from the first and second catalogs; a syndication and publishing system configured to syndicate at least a portion of the product options from the first catalog with at least a portion of the product options from the second catalog to create syndicated catalogs; a content translator in communication with the syndication and publishing system, the content translator configured to convert unstructured content from the first and second catalogs into structured content using the parametric database schema to create at least a portion of the product options of the syndicated catalogs; one or more user applications, including a bill of materials application being processed by one or more computing devices having a processor and a memory, the one or more user applications configured to design a multivendor product solution based on at least a portion of the product options from the syndicated catalogs; a configurator configured to use configuration rules that specify certain compatibility requirements of the product options from the first and second, the configuration rules specifying valid configurations of the first and second product catalogs options for a multivendor product solution, the configurator in communication with the one or more user applications, including a bill of materials application, to facilitate the design of the multivendor product solution using at least a portion of the product options from the syndicated catalogs; and the one or more user applications configured to implement changes to the configuration rules, from the first and second vendors, without any custom reprogramming by storing the configuration rules separate from application code of the one or more user applications that are configured to design the multivendor production solution using a portion of the product options from the syndicated catalogs.