Patent ID: 8195663
Filing Date: 2012-06-05
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for identifying alternative products, the method comprising: maintaining, by a computer, information regarding a plurality of products; analyzing, by the computer, information regarding a plurality of queries to identify a plurality of product-query pairs, each product-query pair comprising a query and a product that was previously selected from results for the query; for each product-query pair, determining, by the computer, a number of times that the product was selected from results for the query; for each product-query pair, multiplying, by the computer, the number of times that the product of the product-query pair was selected from results for the query of the product-query pair by a weighted version of a number of product offers maintained by the computer for the product of the product-query pair to determine an intermediate value; computing, by the computer, a ratio between the intermediate value and a number of times that the query of the product-query pair was received to determine an association value; determining, by the computer, whether the association value meets or exceeds a threshold; in response to the association value meeting or exceeding the threshold, determining, by the computer, that the query of the product-query pair is associated with the product of the product-query pair; analyzing, by the computer, the information regarding the plurality of queries to identify comparison queries directed to a comparison between two or more of the plurality of products; and determining, by the computer, whether a first product is an alternative to a second product based on a number of times that a query associated with the first product is included in a comparison query with a query associated with the second product.