Catalog management module in a custom product configuration system

Abstract

A software system may be used to define configurable products for use in a selling application module by sellers of products to define custom configuration of products to satisfy customer needs. During periodic points in time, a subset of all configuration of these configurable products may be offered for sale by sellers user special price terms and conditions. Catalogs of sale products may provide a mechanism for configuring only products that are included within sale products. A catalog manager module may assist in preparing a catalog of product data and related configuration rules associated with only products included within a particular catalog.

1 . A method comprising: 
 presenting a product list in the form of a hierarchical option-option attribute tree to a user;    accepting user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database;    for each item selected, identifying and applying all configuration rules related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to all associated items according to the configuration rules; and    extracting product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database;    wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 modifying customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the option-option attribute tree includes a product item having one or more options, each of the one or more options possess a plurality of option attributes.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the catalog product data database is used by a selling application module to specify configurable products for sale to customers.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein modifying customizable product attributes comprises: 
 obtaining product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;    retrieving metadata corresponding to product classes;    determining identity of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;    modifying customizable product attributes using user input; and    updating the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product price.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product discount.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein modifying customizable product attributes further comprises: 
 receiving user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and    modifying the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.  
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to: 
 present a product list containing an option-option attribute tree to a user;    accept user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database;    for each item selected, identify and apply all configuration rules related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to ensure inclusion of all necessary items and only permitted items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree;    extract product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database; and    modify customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.    wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.    
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein readable medium comprising instructions further causing a programmable processor to: 
 obtain product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;    retrieve metadata corresponding to product classes;    determine identify of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;    modify customizable product attributes using user input; and    update the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.    
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises product price.  
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises product discount.  
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein readable medium comprising instructions further causing a programmable processor to: 
 receiving user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and    modifying the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.    
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.  
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.  
     
     
         18 . A catalog manager module comprising: 
 product-component selection module; and    a product-component rules module;    wherein the product-component selection module accepts user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database; and    the product-component rules module identifies and applies all configuration rules for each item selected that are related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to all associated items according to the configuration rules.    
     
     
         19 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 18 , wherein the catalog manager module further comprises: 
 a product-component and rules output module, the product-component and rules output module extracts product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database.    
     
     
         20 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 18 , wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.  
     
     
         21 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 18 , further comprising an additional parameters module that modifies customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.  
     
     
         22 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 18 , wherein the option-option attribute tree includes a product item having one or more options, each of the one or more options possess a plurality of option attributes.  
     
     
         23 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 18 , wherein the catalog product data database is used by a selling application module to specify configurable products for sale to customers.  
     
     
         24 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 21 , wherein the additional parameters module further: 
 obtains product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;    retrieves metadata corresponding to product classes;    determines identify of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;    modifies customizable product attributes using user input; and    updates the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.    
     
     
         25 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 24 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product price.  
     
     
         26 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 24 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product mark-up.  
     
     
         27 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 24 , wherein the additional parameters module further: 
 receives user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and    modifies the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.    
     
     
         28 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 27 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.  
     
     
         29 . The catalog manager module according to  claim 27 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.