System and method for grouping and selling products or services
A system and method for grouping and selling products or services using a computer system, potentially connected to a network. The computer system includes a computer with multiple terminals, potentially instantiated as a server computer or computers and distributed client computers. The computer system presents a sales interface on some terminals. The sales interface shows products or services and groups of products and/or services that are for sale. The computer system presents a back end interface on some terminals, which can be used to enter new products, services and groupings of products and/or services to be offered for sale on the sales interface. Descriptions of the products or service offerings are entered into the computer system either by data entry operators using the back end interface or by a program reading product or service descriptions from external computer systems. The method groups these products or services according to an affinity algorithm. The groupings may then potentially be reviewed and approved or selected by human operators using the back end interface before being offered for sale on the sales interface. One advantageous application is the dynamic packaging of perishable items such as travel goods and services (e.g., airline tickets, rental cars, hotel rooms, entertainment opportunities, etc.).
1. A method of generating at least one package, each package including at least one item for sale, the method comprising:
(1) defining an affinity space coordinate for each of a plurality of items available for sale and storing the affinity space coordinates associated with the item in a database;
(2) creating a plurality of package templates and storing the templates in a database, each package template including at least one mandatory element schema having an associated required attribute and an associated affinity constraint; thereafter
(3) receiving a request for a package from a consumer, wherein the consumer request has an affinity constraint associated therewith; and
(4) dynamically generating, with a computer, at least one package from at least one of the plurality of package templates based upon the consumer request, wherein dynamically generating at least one package comprises:
selecting at least one of the plurality of package templates, wherein the selected package template corresponds to the affinity constraint associated with the request;
comparing the affinity space coordinates for each of the plurality of items from the database with the required attribute and the affinity constraint associated with the selected package templates; and
if the comparison step reveals a match, generating a package that is defined at least in part by the respective package template and includes at least one item with a matching affinity space coordinate.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting for sale the generated package, wherein the presenting step is performed by dynamically generating an html page containing a description of the package, and transmitting the html page over a decentralized computer network to at least one consumer.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting step comprises selecting at least one of the package templates based at least in part on the consumer request.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the consumer request includes consumer mood.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the consumer request includes number of persons traveling.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the consumer request includes a timing constraint.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a description of each of the plurality of items, including the associated affinity space coordinates, in a computer database, and wherein the comparing step includes searching the computer database for items having affinity coordinates matching the required attribute and the affinity constraint associated with the selected package templates.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a hash table of the items keyed by affinity space coordinate, and wherein the comparing step includes performing a hash table lookup for each required attribute and required affinity constraint.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising permitting the consumer to purchase the generated package.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising confirming the consumer's purchase of the package.
11. A computer system for generating at least one package, each package including at least one item for sale, the computer system comprising:
a database that stores at least a description of each of a plurality of items available for sale, the description including an affinity space coordinate, the database also storing a plurality of package templates, each package template including at least one mandatory element schema having an associated required attribute and an associated affinity constraint;
a front end that receives a request for a package from a consumer, wherein the consumer request has an affinity constraint associated therewith; and
a back end coupled to the front end and the database, the back end adapted to dynamically generate at least one package from at least one of the plurality of package templates based upon the consumer request, wherein the back end is adapted to dynamically generate at least one package by selecting at least one of the plurality of package templates, wherein the selected package template corresponds to the affinity constraint associated with the consumer request, comparing the affinity space coordinate for each of the plurality of items from the database with the required attribute and the affinity constraint associated with the selected package templates, and if the comparison reveals a match, generating a package that is defined at least in part by the respective package template and includes at least one item with a matching affinity space coordinate.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the front end includes a page generator that dynamically generates an html page containing a description of the generated package.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the back end is adapted to select at least one of the plurality of the package templates based at least in part on the consumer request.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the consumer request includes consumer mood.
15. The system of claim 13 wherein the consumer request includes number of persons traveling.
16. The system of claim 13 wherein the consumer request includes a timing constraint.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein the back end is further adapted to search the database for items having affinity coordinates matching the required attribute and the affinity constraint associated with the selected package templates.
18. The system of claim 11 further including a hash table of the plurality of items keyed by affinity space coordinate, wherein the back end is adapted to perform a hash table lookup for each required attribute and required affinity constraint.
19. The system of claim 11 further including a purchase transactor that permits a consumer to purchase the generated package.
20. The system of claim 19 further including a confirmation section that confirms the consumer's purchase of the generated package.
21. A method of generating at least one package, each package including at least one item for sale, the method comprising:
defining an affinity space coordinate for each of a plurality of items available for sale and storing the affinity space coordinates associated with the item in a database;
creating a plurality of package templates and storing the templates in a database, each package template including at least one mandatory element schema having an associated required attribute and an associated affinity constraint; thereafter
dynamically generating, with a computer, at least one package from at least one of the plurality of package templates based upon comparing the affinity space coordinate for each of the plurality of items from the database with the required attribute and the affinity constraint associated with the selected package templates, and if the comparison step reveals a match, generating a package that is defined at least in part by the respective package template and includes at least one item with a matching affinity space coordinate; and
mapping the package in affinity space for comparison to a request for a package, the request having affinity constraints associated therewith;
receiving the request for a package;
mapping the request in affinity space;
determining whether the request correlates to the stored package; and offering the stored package for sale if the request correlates to the stored package.