Patent ID: 7039602
Filing Date: 2006-05-02
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for configuring a product, comprising: initiating a configuration session in which a user configures a product comprising a configuration of items selected from a plurality of items; generating a series of selection option sets, each selection option set comprising one or more items; during the configuration session, for each of the series of selection option sets, receiving data from an available to promise engine regarding the one or more items in the selection option set; during the configuration session, for each of the series of selection option sets, dynamically applying an optimization function with respect to each item in the selection option set according to the data received from the available to promise engine during the configuration session to identify an item of the selection option set as a default selection, the default selection being optimal among the one or more items of the selection option set with respect to the dynamically applied optimization function; providing for presentation to the user the series of selection option sets, each selection option set comprising its identified default selection; accepting from the user a selection of an item for each of the series of selection option sets; and determining a configuration for the product in accordance with the selections of the items from the series of selection option sets.