Browser Plug-In Product Matching for In-Page Price Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers often overspend or make inferior purchases on ecommerce sites due to lack of awareness of similar products available at lower prices or better suited to their needs on other sites.
Innovation Solution
A browser plug-in application that identifies and displays similar products from a second ecommerce site within the browser window of a first site, allowing users to view and purchase these products without opening multiple tabs, using a backend server to analyze product information and categorize products based on machine learning algorithms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If consumers purchase products on a single ecommerce site without checking other sites, then the purchasing process is simple and quick, but consumers may overspend or miss better product options
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and storing product information from multiple ecommerce sites in advance. When a consumer views a product on one site, the plug-in has already retrieved similar products from other sites, enabling immediate comparison without requiring the consumer to manually search multiple sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-in acts as an intermediary between the consumer and multiple ecommerce sites. It automatically retrieves product information from other sites and presents it within the consumer's current browser window, mediating the comparison process without requiring the consumer to directly interact with multiple sites.
2Loss of information
If consumers manually search multiple ecommerce sites for similar products, then they can find better prices and options, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functionality of multiple ecommerce site searches into a single integrated view. The plug-in combines product information from the current site and other sites into one unified display within the browser window, eliminating the need for consumers to manually navigate multiple sites and compare products separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs the search and comparison tasks automatically without requiring consumer intervention. The plug-in autonomously retrieves product information, identifies similar products, and presents comparisons, allowing the consumer to simply view and decide without performing any manual search operations.
3Loss of information
If consumers open multiple browser tabs to compare products from different sites, then they can see alternative products, but memory and network demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a nested structure where the plug-in embeds product information from other ecommerce sites within the consumer's current browser window. Instead of requiring separate browser tabs for each site, the plug-in nests the alternative product displays inside the existing browser interface, utilizing the same memory and network resources already allocated to the current tab.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided herein are system, apparatus, device, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for identifying second products in an inventory of a second ecommerce site that are at least similar to a first product currently being displayed to an user by a first ecommerce site, and displaying the second products for viewing and purchase by the user at the first ecommerce site.