Patent ID: 7222085

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for the recommendation of items to a potential customer over a distributed network based on customer buying history, the computer-implemented method utilizing a storage system and a processing system adapted to receive and transmit data to a computer utilized by the potential customer, the method comprising: storing in the storage system information that reflects customer buying history data; electronically transmitting, from the processing system to the computer, a web page having a hyperlink associated with a first purchasable item, the hyperlink enabling the potential customer to access information advertising the first purchasable item without purchasing or rating the first purchasable item, the information advertising the first purchasable item including pricing information for the first purchasable item; receiving, at the processing system, information transmitted by the computer, wherein the information was transmitted by the computer in response to the potential customer selecting the hyperlink; in response to receiving the information transmitted by the computer, the processing system filtering the information stored in the storage system using only an item identifier identifying the first purchasable item as filter data to identify a second purchasable item purchased by at least one previous customer who had also previously purchased the first purchasable item; the processing system transmitting over the distributed network to the computer the information advertising the first purchasable item; and the processing system transmitting to the computer over the distributed network information relating to the second purchasable item, wherein the processing system filters the information stored in the storage system using the filter data and transmits to the computer the information relating to the second purchasable item regardless of whether the potential customer bought the first purchasable item and regardless of whether the potential customer rated the first purchasable item.