Patent ID: 7756759

Claim:
A method of identifying one or more products corresponding to user-preferences, the method comprising: performing using at least a processor operating in a computer system: comparing a user-preference list directly with category identification lists (CIDs) of a plurality of the products to generate comparison data, wherein: (i) each of the CIDS is associated with one of the plurality of products, for each category identification list (CID) and the product associated with the CID: (a) the CID includes positions corresponding to feature options of features in a product line associated with the product, wherein a plurality of the features include multiple feature options so that the CID includes multiple positions for each of the plurality of features that include multiple feature options, and (b) values for the positions in the CID define the configuration of the product by indicating availability of the feature options in the product associated with the CID, (ii) a feature map maps feature options of products in a product line to positions in the CID, (iii) the user-preference list includes positions corresponding to the feature options in the product line, wherein a plurality of the features include multiple feature options, (iv) the positions in the user-preference list map to positions in the CIDs in accordance with the feature map, and (v) values for the positions in each user-preference list indicate a preference for the feature option corresponding to the position; and identifying one or more products corresponding to a product configuration for which the comparison data indicates a match between the CID of a product and the user-preference list.