Browser Plug-In for Cross-Site Alternative Product Display

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers often overspend or make inferior purchasing decisions when shopping online due to lack of awareness of similar products available at lower prices or better suited to their needs on other ecommerce sites.

Innovation Solution

A browser plug-in that identifies and displays similar products from a second ecommerce site within the browser of a first ecommerce site, using cleaned and weighted search parameters based on product information and user activity analysis to provide an informed purchasing decision.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If consumers search for products on a single ecommerce site, then the shopping process is simple, but consumers are unaware of similar products available at lower prices on other sites

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveawareness of alternative productsVSAvoidshopping process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A browser plug-in acts as an intermediary between the consumer's browser and multiple ecommerce sites. The plug-in automatically searches for similar products across different sites and displays them alongside the current product, providing price comparison information without requiring the consumer to manually visit multiple sites or complex search interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If consumers open multiple browser tabs to compare products across sites, then they gain awareness of alternative products, but memory and network demands increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveawareness of alternative productsVSAvoidmemory and network demands

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the product comparison functionality into a single browser tab by integrating the search and display of alternative products directly within the current ecommerce site's interface. The system merges data from multiple sources (different ecommerce sites) and presents it in a unified view, eliminating the need for consumers to manage multiple tabs while reducing memory and network resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of information

If consumers manually search multiple sites for product comparisons, then they may find better deals, but time is lost in the search process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveawareness of alternative productsVSAvoidtime for product comparison

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically initiating product searches across multiple ecommerce sites as soon as the consumer views a product on any site. The browser plug-in proactively retrieves and displays alternative product information without waiting for the consumer to manually initiate searches, thereby eliminating time loss while maintaining awareness of alternative products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12450639B2Browser plug-in for identification and display of alternative products for purchase

Publication Date: 2025.10.21 MERCARI INC(US)

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.