An exclusion filter-based system for an improved user experience in e-commerce

Abstract

A system for providing an improved e-commerce user experience, including: a data storage unit that includes a cloud storage device configured to store a database of product information; an input and output unit with a user interface configured for the following: Receive user input specifying inclusion and exclusion filters for product attributes; Display of a filtered product set based on user-defined filters; a processing unit consisting of a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) and configured for the following: Retrieve product information from the product database; Apply the inclusion filters to the product information to identify a large number of matching products. Apply the exclusion filters to the set of matching products to remove products with the excluded attributes. Display the filtered product group to the user via the user interface.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an exclusion filter-based system for providing an improved e-commerce user experience. More specifically, the present invention relates to an online product filtering system with exclusion features, the system aiming to facilitate the user's use of an exclusion filter that filters out the products the user does not want from the entire product list. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Current e-commerce platforms often do not offer users the ability to filter out unwanted products, leading to several problems. Users are frequently presented with irrelevant results, which negatively impact their browsing experience, causing decision fatigue and inefficiency in finding desired products. This can ultimately lead to higher shopping cart abandonment rates. Furthermore, the inability to exclude specific attributes such as colors, brands, or product categories forces users to manually filter out unwanted options, wasting valuable time and effort. This problem is further exacerbated for users with severe allergies, who may inadvertently encounter products containing allergens, which can cause potentially life-threatening reactions.

[0003] To overcome these challenges and improve the overall user experience in e-commerce, a system is needed that allows users to not only include the product attributes they want, but also actively exclude those they wish to avoid. By implementing an "exclusion filter" feature, e-commerce platforms can enable users to personalize their shopping process, leading to greater satisfaction, efficiency, and security. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present disclosure relates to an exclusion filter-based system for providing an improved e-commerce user experience. The present invention discloses a product filtering system for e-commerce platforms that allows users to exclude certain attributes from their search results. The system includes a data storage unit for maintaining a database of product information, a user interface unit for receiving user input regarding inclusion and exclusion filters, and a processing unit responsible for applying the filters and providing the final filtered product set to the user interface. Users can specify exclusion filters for various product attributes, including color, brand, category, and ingredient.The processing unit retrieves the relevant product data, applies the inclusion filters to identify an initial set of matching products, and then further refines the results by applying the exclusion filters to remove the unwanted items. The filtered product set is then presented to the user via the intuitive user interface. By incorporating this exclusion filtering feature, the invention addresses the key challenges faced by e-commerce users, such as irrelevant search results, increased decision fatigue, and time inefficiency. Furthermore, the system's ability to exclude products containing specific allergens improves the safety and personalization of the shopping experience, especially for users with severe allergies.Overall, the invention offers a comprehensive solution to improve the user experience in e-commerce, increase customer satisfaction and enable an optimized and personalized shopping experience.

[0005] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide an exclusion filter-based system to provide an enhanced e-commerce user experience. The system includes: a data storage unit comprising a cloud storage device configured to store a database of product information; an input and output unit comprising a user interface configured to receive user input specifying inclusion filters and exclusion filters for product attributes and to display a filtered product set based on the user-specified filters;and a processing unit comprising a central processor (CPU) and a graphics processor (GPU) configured to retrieve product information from the database of products, apply the inclusion filters to the product information to identify a set of matching products, apply the exclusion filters to the set of matching products to remove products with the excluded attributes, and display the filtered product set to the user via the user interface;

[0006] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide an exclusion filter-based system for delivering an improved e-commerce user experience.

[0007] Another objective of this disclosure is to provide e-commerce users with the ability to exclude certain product attributes such as colors, brands, categories, and allergenic ingredients from their search results.

[0008] Another objective of this disclosure is to improve the overall user experience in e-commerce by reducing the display of irrelevant products, reducing decision fatigue, and improving search efficiency.

[0009] Another objective of this disclosure is to provide a safer shopping environment, particularly for users with severe allergies, by enabling the exclusion of products containing known allergens.

[0010] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more detailed description of the invention will be given with reference to specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these drawings represent only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting its scope. The invention will be described and explained in additional detail and in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0011] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an exclusion filter-based system for providing an enhanced e-commerce user experience according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing the operation of the proposed system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the drawings are shown for convenience and may not necessarily be drawn to scale. For example, the flowcharts illustrate the method by key steps to enhance understanding of aspects of the present disclosure. Moreover, with respect to device construction, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of the present disclosure in order not to clutter the drawings with details that would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art who would benefit from the description herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

[0013] To facilitate an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and described in specific language. It is to be understood, however, that this is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as such changes and further modifications to the illustrated system and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

[0014] It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be limiting thereof.

[0015] References in this specification to "one aspect," "another aspect," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, occurrences of the phrase "in one embodiment," "in another embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may or may not all refer to the same embodiment.

[0016] The terms "comprises," "comprising," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method comprising a list of steps not only includes those steps, but may also include other steps not expressly listed or inherent in such process or method. Likewise, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises...a" does not preclude, without further limitation, the existence of other devices or other subsystems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional subsystems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

[0017] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] The functional units described in this specification have been referred to as devices. A device may be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as processors, digital signal processors, central processing units, field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, cloud processing systems, or the like. The devices may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified device may contain executable code and may, for example, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be organized, for example, as an object, procedure, function, or other construct.However, the executable file of an identified device need not be physically located together, but may comprise different instructions stored in different locations which, when logically linked together, constitute the device and fulfill the stated purpose of the device.

[0020] Indeed, executable code of a device or module may be a single instruction or multiple instructions, and may even be distributed across several different code segments, among different applications, and across multiple storage devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and represented within the device and embodied in any suitable form and organized in any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be captured as a single set of data or distributed across different locations, including different storage devices, and may exist, at least in part, as electronic signals in a system or network.

[0021] References in this specification to "a selected embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, the appearances of the phrases "a selected embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0022] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with different methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosed subject matter.

[0023] According to the example embodiments, the disclosed computer programs or modules may be executed in many example ways, for example, as an application stored in the memory of a device or as a hosted application running on a server and communicating with the device application or browser using a variety of standard protocols such as TCP / IP, HTTP, XML, SOAP, REST, JSON, and other suitable protocols. The disclosed computer programs may be written in example programming languages ​​that execute from memory on the device or from a hosted server, for example, BASIC, COBOL, C, C++, Java, Pascal, or scripting languages ​​such as JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, or other suitable programming languages.

[0024] Some of the disclosed embodiments comprise or otherwise involve data transmission over a network, such as communicating various inputs or files over the network. The network may comprise, for example, one or more of the following: the Internet, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks (e.g., a PSTN, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a cellular network, and Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL)), radio, television, cable, satellite, and / or any other delivery or tunneling mechanism for transmitting data. The network may comprise multiple networks or subnetworks, each of which may comprise, for example, a wired or wireless data path. The network may comprise a circuit-switched voice network, a packet-switched data network, or any other network capable of transmitting electronic communications.For example, the network may include networks based on Internet Protocol (IP) or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and may support voice using, for example, VoIP, Voice over ATM, or other comparable protocols used for voice data communications. In one implementation, the network includes a cellular network configured for the exchange of text or SMS messages.

[0025] Examples of the network include, but are not limited to, a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Storage Area Network (SAN), a Home Area Network (HAN), a Campus Area Network (CAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Virtual Private Network (VPN), an Enterprise Private Network (EPN), the Internet, a Global Area Network (GAN), and so on.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an exclusion filter-based system (100) for providing an enhanced e-commerce user experience according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] With reference to Fig. 1, the system (100) comprises a data storage unit (102) comprising a cloud storage device (104) configured to store a database (106) with product information; an input (108) and output unit (110) comprising a user interface (112) configured to receive user inputs specifying inclusion filters and exclusion filters for product attributes and to display a filtered product set based on the user-specified filters;a processing unit (114) comprising a central processor (CPU) (114a) and a graphics processor (GPU) (114b) configured to retrieve product information from the database of products and apply the inclusion filters to the product information to identify a set of matching products, and apply the exclusion filters to the set of matching products to remove products with the excluded attributes, and display the filtered product set to the user via the user interface;

[0028] In one embodiment, the user interface (112) is further configured to display selectable options that allow users to specify inclusion filters and exclusion filters for product attributes such as color, brand, category, and ingredient.

[0029] In one embodiment, the processing unit (114) is further configured to execute a database query to retrieve the product information, wherein the query includes both the inclusion filters and the exclusion filters.

[0030] In one embodiment, the processing unit (114) is further configured to detect when no products match the user-specific filters and send a notification to the user interface suggesting related products or changing the filters.

[0031] In one embodiment, the data storage unit (102) is a cloud-based storage system.

[0032] In one embodiment, the user interface (112) is implemented as a web-based application or as a mobile application.

[0033] In one embodiment, the exclusion filters are designed to provide a safer shopping experience by allowing users to exclude products with certain allergenic ingredients. The inclusion and exclusion filters work together to provide users with a more personalized and efficient product search and browsing experience.

[0034] The present invention relates to a system that allows users to integrate exclusion filters that exclude certain attributes from their search results. The exclusion filter feature would allow users to exclude certain colors (e.g., "exclude white"), avoid certain brands or categories (e.g., "exclude Brand X"), skip undesirable price ranges (e.g., "exclude products over $500"), and avoid allergenic medications, foods, and fabrics (e.g., "exclude penicillin," "exclude dairy," "exclude latex"). This would complement existing inclusion filters and give users more control over their shopping experience.

[0035] The invention proposes a three-pronged approach to implementing the "exclude filter" feature in an e-commerce system. The user interface allows users to include "exclude" as an option when searching for products, using an "exclude" option alongside the existing "select" filters for various product attributes such as colors, brands, categories, and ingredients. This allows users to easily specify the items they want to exclude from their search results.

[0036] Second, the processing unit operating the backend logic considers the custom exclusion filters, and then the configured processor dynamically excludes the products that match the specified exclusion criteria, in addition to applying the inclusion filters to identify the initial set of matching products. This proposed system further refines the user experience to enable seamless switching between inclusion and exclusion filters. This allows users to iteratively refine their search results and optimize the overall product discovery process.

[0037] The exclusion filter feature offers several key benefits to e-commerce platforms and their customers. It improves user satisfaction by simplifying the search process and eliminating the need to manually skip unwanted products. This, in turn, increases efficiency because less time is spent browsing irrelevant items, potentially increasing conversion rates and reducing abandoned carts. Furthermore, the exclusion feature differentiates the platform from the competition and addresses a user pain point that isn't commonly addressed in the industry. Most importantly, the feature provides a safer shopping experience, especially for users with severe allergies.If a customer indicates an allergy to a specific ingredient, the system avoids displaying products containing that allergenic compound, including combination products, thus providing a more comprehensive and personalized solution.

[0038] It's important to ensure that the "exclude" filter integrates seamlessly into the user interface without overwhelming users. This requires careful design considerations. Furthermore, the backend search algorithms incorporate the exclusion logic without impacting performance.

[0039] The proposed exclusion filtering system meets user needs, increases efficiency, and provides a more pleasant shopping experience. By closing this gap in existing e-commerce platforms, the invention can set new standards in customer-centric design, strengthen brand loyalty, and increase sales.

[0040] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing the operation of the proposed system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the system uses a database to store product information and a user interface that allows users to specify both inclusion and exclusion filters. The key implementation steps are as follows: 1. Initialization: The system captures the user's filter criteria, including a list of attributes they want to include and a list of attributes they want to exclude. User input includes inclusion filter, exclusion filter, and product. 2. Retrieve products: The system first retrieves all products from the database using an SQL query. 3. Apply inclusion filters: The system then applies the inclusion filters to the retrieved products. This is done by creating an SQL query that selects only the products according to the inclusive attributes. 4. Apply exclusion filters: Next, the system applies the exclusion filters by creating an SQL query that removes the products according to the selected exclusive attributes. 5. Combine filters: The system combines the inclusion and exclusion filters by executing an SQL query that selects the products that match the inclusion criteria and excludes those that match the exclusion criteria. 6. Return results: Finally, the system returns the filtered product list to the user interface, which dynamically displays the results. The output contains the list of products that match the inclusion filters, but not the products included in the exclusion filters. 7. WebSocket technologies provide real-time updates, and the filters can be presented in an intuitive and visually appealing way.

[0042] This approach can be adapted and applied to various e-commerce platforms, including those in the pharmaceutical and lifestyle sectors, to provide users with a more personalized and efficient shopping experience.

[0043] The drawings and the foregoing description provide examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be separated into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of the processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Furthermore, the actions of any flowchart need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all actions necessarily need to be performed. Also, those actions that are not dependent on other actions may be performed in parallel with the other actions. The scope of the embodiments is in no way limited by these specific examples.Numerous variations, whether explicitly stated in the specification or not, such as differences in structure, dimension, and material use, are possible.

[0044] The scope of the embodiments is at least as broad as indicated in the following claims.

[0045] Advantages, other benefits, and solutions to problems have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, the advantages, benefits, solutions to problems, and any components that may cause an advantage or solution to occur or become more apparent are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or component of any or all of the claims. REFERENCES 100 A block diagram of an exclusion filter-based system for improving usability in electronic commerce. 102 Data storage unit 104 Cloud storage device 106 Database 108 An input unit 110 Output unit 112 User interface 114 processing unit 114a Centralized Processor (CPU) 114b Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) 202 Start: View all products 204 Apply Inclusion Filter (Preferred Attributes) 206 Checking whether the products are available after implementing the include filter 208 Apply exclusion filter (unwanted attributes) 210 Check whether the products are available after implementing the exclusion filter 212 results Combine 214 Show the user the filtered products 216 Take a remedial action 218 NO 220 Yes

Claims

[1] A system for providing an enhanced e-commerce user experience, comprising: a data storage unit comprising a cloud storage device configured to store a database of product information; an input and output unit with a user interface configured for the following: Receive user input specifying inclusion and exclusion filters for product attributes; Display a filtered set of products based on the custom filters; a processing unit consisting of a central processor (CPU) and a graphics processor (GPU) and configured to: Retrieve product information from the product database; Apply inclusion filters to the product information to identify a set of matching products. Apply the exclusion filters to the set of matching products to remove products with the excluded attributes. Display the filtered product group to the user via the user interface. [2] The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to provide users with selectable options for specifying inclusion filters and exclusion filters for product attributes, including color, brand, category, and ingredient. [3] The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to execute a database query to retrieve the product information, the query comprising both the inclusion filters and the exclusion filters. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to detect when no products match the user-defined filters and issue a notification to the user interface suggesting related products or changing the filters. [5] The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage unit is a cloud-based storage system. [6] The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is implemented as a web-based application or as a mobile application. [7] The system of claim 1, wherein the exclusion filters are intended to provide a safer shopping experience by allowing users to exclude products containing certain allergenic ingredients. [8] The system of claim 1, wherein the inclusion and exclusion filters work together to provide users with a more personalized and efficient product search and browsing experience.

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