Patent ID: 8301486
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A process for modeling demand for a configurable product or service, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an input data set to a processor containing a plurality of features, each feature comprising one or more options for the configurable product or service; (b) defining a plurality of first option-sets with a processor, wherein each first option-set comprises one or more selectable options corresponding to a feature; (c) defining a first order joint-take-rate with a processor as comprising a combined probability of choosing each available option within a first option-set, defining a second order joint-take-rate with a processor as comprising a combined probability of choosing pairs of options available within two first option-sets; (d) obtaining a second-order joint-take-rate for pairs of first option-sets with a processor; (e) determining if correlations exist among the second order joint-take-rates of the pairs of first option-sets with a processor; (f) if correlations exist among the joint-take-rates for pairs of the first option-sets, then grouping features with a processor corresponding to the related first option sets together to form feature-sets; (g) calculating an n-order joint-take-rate for each feature-set formed from the grouping with a processor, wherein n corresponds to a number of first option-sets forming a respective feature-set; (h) creating second option-sets corresponding to each of the plurality of feature-sets with a processor using a weighted random selection that relies on the n-order joint-take rate of a respective feature-set; (i) combining the second option-sets with a processor to define at least one configurable product or service; and (j) displaying the second option-sets on an output device.