VECTOR-BASED CHARACTERIZATIONS OF PRODUCTS
Vectorized product characterizations can be based upon information that includes various characterizations of the corresponding products. This information can comprise objective information and/or subjective content as desired. Such information can be sourced, for example, by third-party product testing services, user-based product characterization sources (such as on-line consumer review sources), and otherwise as desired. One or more rules can be employed to automatically resolve conflicts between such characterizations before using such characterizations to form the corresponding vectorized product characterizations.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a memory having information stored therein regarding various characterizations of a plurality of different products;
a control circuit operably coupled to the memory and configured to:
use the information to form product characterization vectors for each of the plurality of different products wherein the product characterization vectors have a magnitude that represents a reduction of exerted effort associated with the corresponding product to pursue a corresponding user partiality.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information includes both objective characterizing information and subjective characterizing information for at least some of the plurality of the different products.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the objective characterizing information comprises at least one of:
ingredients information;
manufacturing locale information;
efficacy information;
cost information;
availability information;
environmental impact information.
4 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the subjective characterizing information comprises at least one of:
user sensory perceptions information;
aesthetics information;
trustworthiness information;
trendiness information.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a network interface;
wherein the control circuit further operably couples to the network interface and is further configured to:
receive, via the network interface, product characterization information from a third-party product testing service;
use the product characterization information when forming at least some of the product characterization vectors.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
receive, via the network interface, user-based product characterization information;
use the user-based product characterization information when forming at least some of the product characterization vectors.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
when the product characterization information from a third-party product testing service for a particular product conflicts with the user-based product characterization information for the same particular product, automatically resolving the conflict when forming the corresponding product characterization vector using at least one pre-determined rule.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one-predetermined rule comprises a rule based upon at least one of:
age of the information;
a number of user reviews upon which the user-based product characterization information is based;
information regarding historical accuracy of information from a particular information source;
social media;
trending analysis;
strength of brand awareness.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
use the information to form a plurality of product characterization vectors for a same characterization factor for a same one of the plurality of different products to correspond to different usage circumstances of that same one of the plurality of different products.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit can form the plurality of product characterization vectors for the same characterization factor for that same one of the plurality of different products to have differing magnitudes from one another to correspond to different reductions of exerted effort associated with that product under the different usage circumstances.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the different usage circumstances include at least one of:
different geographic regions of usage;
different levels of user expertise;
different levels of expected use.
12 . A method comprising:
by a control circuit operably coupled to a memory having information stored therein regarding various characterizations of a plurality of different products:
using the information to form product characterization vectors for each of the plurality of different products wherein the product characterization vectors have a magnitude that represents a reduction of exerted effort associated with the corresponding product to pursue a corresponding user partiality.
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
receiving, via a network interface, product characterization information from a third-party product testing service;
using the product characterization information when forming at least some of the product characterization vectors.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, user-based product characterization information;
using the user-based product characterization information when forming at least some of the product characterization vectors.
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
when the product characterization information from a third-party product testing service for a particular product conflicts with the user-based product characterization information for the same particular product, automatically resolving the conflict when forming the corresponding product characterization vector using at least one pre-determined rule.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one-predetermined rule comprises a rule based upon at least one of:
age of the information;
a number of user reviews upon which the user-based product characterization information is based;
information regarding historical accuracy of information from a particular information source;
social media;
trending analysis; and
strength of brand awareness.
17 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
using the information to form a plurality of product characterization vectors for a same characterization factor for a same one of the plurality of different products to correspond to different usage circumstances of that same one of the plurality of different products.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein forming the plurality of product characterization vectors for the same characterization factor for that same one of the plurality of different products comprises forming the plurality of product characterization vectors for the same characterization factor for that same one of the plurality of different products to have differing magnitudes from one another to correspond to different reductions of exerted effort associated with that product under the different usage circumstances.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the different usage circumstances include at least one of:
different geographic regions of usage;
different levels of user expertise;
different levels of expected use.