Comparing items using a displayed diagram

Abstract

Among other things, a user can view graphically how different available items compare to one another, with respect to attributes of the available items, by controlling what is shown in a displayed diagram that identifies the items, in the context of indicators of their attributes.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-based method comprising
 controlling a display of an electronic device
 (a) to facilitate a comparison by a person of relative attractiveness of used cars, houses, travel itineraries, or other tangible products or consumer services that are available for transactions involving the person, based on relative values of one or more parameters that characterize comparative differences in the tangible products, and 
 (b) facilitating the person's participation in a transaction involving one of the tangible products of consumer services selected by the person based on the comparison , 
   the controlling of the display of the electronic device comprising
 providing a dynamic graphical presentation on the display that portrays the tangible products or consumer services in relative positions along one or more dimensions to represent relative values of the one or more of the parameters of the respective tangible products or consumer services, 
 providing a dynamic interactive graphical control on the display to be operated interactively and dynamically by the person to indicate continuous changes in a scope of the values of the parameters to be applied to the display, 
 in response to the interactive and dynamic operation by the user of the dynamic interactive graphical control, continuously ascertaining corresponding changes in the identities of the tangible products or consumer services that conform to the continuous changes in the scope of the values of the parameters, the information being provided from information about tangible products or consumer services stored at a server of an online site, 
 dynamically changing in real time, the constituent tangible products in the dynamic graphical presentation on the display, or the scale of the display, or both, so that the number or identities or both of the constituent tangible products or consumer services for comparison by the person reflect the interactive and dynamic operation by the person of the dynamic interactive graphical control, and 
 facilitating the person's participation in a transaction involving one of the tangible products or consumer services selected by the person based on the comparison. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  in which providing the dynamic graphical presentation comprises providing a scatter graph of graphical identifiers each representing at least one of the tangible products or consumer services and each of the graphical identifiers located along one or more dimensions of the scatter graph at positions corresponding to the values of the one or more parameters. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  in which providing a dynamic interactive graphical control comprises providing an element movable over a continuum of positions representing a range of values of at least one of the one or more parameters of the tangible products or customer services. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  in which the control comprises a slider. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  in which the control comprises an element displayed on the scatter plot. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  in which the control comprises a movable line. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  in which the control comprises an element displayed outside the scatter plot. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  in which the controlling of the display of the electronic device comprises providing a graphical indicator of one of the tangible products or consumer services that is calculated to have the best value of the tangible products or consumer services. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  in which providing the dynamic graphical presentation comprises
 displaying a trend line of the trend of one of the parameters relative to one or more others of the parameters, 
 calculating which of the tangible products or consumer services has the best value, and 
 including in the dynamic graphical presentation an indicator of the one of the tangible products or consumer services having the best value relative to the trend line. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  in which the trend line represents a regression of values of one or more of the parameters for at least the tangible products or consumer services portrayed by the dynamic graphical presentation. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  in which providing the dynamic graphical presentation comprises
 calculating the relative values of two or more of the tangible products or consumer services with respect to the trend line, and 
 presenting on the display an indication of an order of the tangible products or consumer services between the best value and worst value with respect to the trend line. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  in which controlling of the display comprises providing an indication of a future value of one or more of the tangible products or consumer services. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  in which the indication of future value is based on a trend of depreciation of the tangible product or consumer service. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  in which the relative values are based at least on start times, end times, and elapsed times of each of the tangible products or consumer services, and the providing of the dynamic graphical presentation or the providing of the dynamic interactive graphical control or both comprises displaying the successive segments of each of the tangible products or consumer services along a time dimension of the dynamic graphical presentation. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  in which dynamic interactive graphical control comprises movable elements representative of selectable start times, end times, or elapsed times of each of the tangible products or consumer services. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  in which the tangible products or consumer services comprise modes of travel, the start times comprise departure times, and the end times comprise times of arrival.