Browser Plug-in for Seamless Product Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online consumers often fail to convert browsing activities into product sales due to the lack of seamless access to vendor-provided product information and commerce functionalities while viewing electronic documents.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a program extension, such as a browser plug-in, to provide relevant product information and commerce functionalities by cross-referencing information within electronic documents, allowing consumers to access product details, pricing, availability, and commerce options without leaving the current webpage, using pop-up displays or inline modifications based on consumer interest indicated by highlighting or cursor interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If consumers browse electronic documents (webpages) to look for products, then they can access product information, but they cannot seamlessly connect to vendor functionalities without leaving the current page
Solution Approach 1:
A browser plug-in serves as an intermediary between the electronic document (webpage) and the vendor's product information system. The plug-in extracts product information from the webpage and maintains a mapping to vendor products, enabling seamless access to vendor functionalities without requiring consumers to navigate away from the current page. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing bridge access while maintaining the user's position on the original webpage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a new dimensional layer by creating a mapping between the electronic document's product information and the vendor's product database. This dimensional expansion allows the system to provide vendor-specific functionalities (shopping cart, pricing, availability) alongside the existing webpage content, enabling consumers to access multiple sources of information simultaneously without leaving the current page.
2Productivity
If the system provides comprehensive product information and commerce functionalities, then sales conversion increases, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The browser plug-in is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple functions: extracting product information from various electronic documents, mapping to vendor products, displaying product details, and providing commerce functionalities. This multi-functional design consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single integrated component, increasing sales conversion while managing system complexity through functional consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically extracts product information from electronic documents and maintains mappings to vendor products without requiring manual intervention. The plug-in self-updates its product databases by monitoring changes in electronic documents, enabling comprehensive product information availability while reducing the operational complexity of maintaining multiple product databases.
3Ease of operation
If the system provides product information through pop-up windows or inline modifications, then consumers can access information without leaving the page, but the electronic document structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the product information display into separate functional components: pop-up windows for detailed product information and inline modifications for key data points within the webpage. This segmentation allows the electronic document structure to remain relatively simple while providing comprehensive access to product information through multiple display mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between ease of access and structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for allowing a consumer to quickly access product information and/or commerce functionalities as related to one or more products that are associated with an electronic document, such as a web page, that is currently being viewed by the consumer in an electronic document viewing program, such as an Internet browser.