Michael J Neal

US Patent:

6484165, Nov 19, 2002

Filed:

Aug 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/920874

Inventors:

Christopher Wade Beall - Lafayette CO
Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 3, 7071041

Abstract:

An electronic catalog requisition system includes software for efficiently selecting items from a database. The software accepts search terms from a user, and then executes a sequence of search strategies on the database which may include a proximity search, a word count search, and a fuzzy logic search. The sequence is terminated when a search algorithm has uncovered at least one match. Each database entry has a corresponding product category. A list of categories from each of the matching products is dynamically compiled and displayed to the user. The user can page through the list of displayed matches, or alternatively can create a subset of the list by selecting only the items within one of the categories. In addition, the user can further refine the list of items by selecting those items having a particular attribute. The software can also maintain a list of synonyms for attributes as an aid for finding appropriate matches within the database.

US Patent:

6578030, Jun 10, 2003

Filed:

Jun 30, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/608784

Inventors:

James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO
Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
Nathan Eric Wykes - Broomfield CO
Ian Straub - Broomfield CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 3, 707100, 7071041, 705 27

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method for converting a searchable electronic catalog of the type used in e-commerce and industrial materiel systems. Such catalogs are typically configured as databases but can be created from a variety of different source materials. The method includes identifying a set of items to be converted, identifying the characteristics for each item, accessing the characteristic values for each identified item, accessing mapping rules for each characteristic and each item, mapping the characteristic values for each item in the first catalog into the characteristic identified by the rule for the item in the second catalog, and compiling the mapped characteristic values for each item to form the second catalog.

US Patent:

6584462, Jun 24, 2003

Filed:

Sep 25, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/963228

Inventors:

Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO
Christopher Wade Beall - Lafayette CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 3, 707102, 707103 R, 709218, 709224

Abstract:

An electronic catalog search engine is configurable to optimize the search process by identifying the desired item from the most advantageous supplier, while efficiently utilizing computing resources. The search engine comprises a configurable search and data subset creation mechanism. The system accepts search terms from a user, and then executes a sequence of search strategies on subsets of the database which may include a proximity search, a word count search, and a fuzzy logic search. Subsets can be searched in any order and different search strategies can be applied to different subsets. The sequences are terminated when search steps have uncovered at least one match. Each database entry has a corresponding product category. A list of categories from each of the matching products is dynamically compiled and displayed to the user. The user can page through the list of displayed matches, or alternatively can create a subset of the list by selecting only the items within one of the categories.

US Patent:

6631365, Oct 7, 2003

Filed:

Mar 14, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/525074

Inventors:

Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
Gregg Menin - Broomfield CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 2, 707 5, 707 6

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method for scoring a searchable electronic catalog such as are in use in e-commerce and industrial materiel systems. Such catalogs are typically configured as databases which the present invention analyzes for a quality, for example, completeness, consistency or comprehensibility. The method includes selecting fields of the database that are to be analyzed, ranking the fields in order of pertinence to the quality that is to be measured, fetching values for each record of the database from the fields that are to be analyzed and comparing the fetched values to a standard. After the comparison, a score is assigning for each field based on the comparison. The scores are weighted for each field based on the rank of each field and the weighted scores are combined to obtain a score for the database. A variety of different qualities can be evaluated and the resulting scores can be used to compare databases or to localize deficiencies in databases for improvement.

US Patent:

6697799, Feb 24, 2004

Filed:

Oct 24, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/279658

Inventors:

Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO
Christopher Wade Beall - Lafayette CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 3, 707 10, 706 12, 706 45, 709218

Abstract:

The present invention allows an item to automatically be classified using its attributes based on a classification schema and a knowledge base. The invention can include selecting a first attribute of the item, designating a first search strategy comprising the value of the first attribute applied to operate upon data records in a first database, selecting a second attribute of the item; designating a second search strategy comprising the value of the second attribute applied to operate upon a second subset of data records in a second database, forming a search hierarchy comprised of the first search strategy followed by the second search strategy, executing the search hierarchy, and selecting at least one classification for the item based on the search.

US Patent:

6748376, Jun 8, 2004

Filed:

Sep 30, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/262421

Inventors:

Christopher Wade Beall - Lafayette CO
Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 3, 707 4

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are described to perform cascading search methodologies records in a database. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a free-form search string, comprising one or more search terms, from a user, searching a database to identify records in the database containing the search string, if no data records are identified, searching the database by applying an ordered sequence of search algorithms to identify data records containing strings similar to the search string, and to display the identified records.

US Patent:

6871198, Mar 22, 2005

Filed:

Dec 21, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/029352

Inventors:

Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO, US
Ian Straub - Broomfield CO, US
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO, US

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F017/30

US Classification:

707 3, 707 10, 7071041, 705 29, 705 53, 709200

Abstract:

An improvement for composing and cataloging item configuration data is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes identifying a base item, identifying a part number for the base item, breaking the part number into sections, each section corresponding to an attribute of the base item, and determining which of the part number sections relate to configurable attributes of the base item. The embodiment further includes listing a plurality of selectable part number section values for the configurable attributes, listing descriptive information for each of the selectable part number section values, linking the descriptive information to the corresponding selectable part number section value, generating a part number formula to define the configurable sections and associate configurable sections to the corresponding list of values, and generating a description formula to define a configurable description and associate descriptive information with corresponding configurable selectable part number values. The embodiment further includes adding the base item part number, values list, descriptive information list, part number formula and description formula to an electronic catalog.

US Patent:

6907424, Jun 14, 2005

Filed:

Oct 24, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/279465

Inventors:

Michael Renn Neal - Superior CO, US
James Michael Wilmsen - Westminster CO, US
Christopher Wade Beall - Lafayette CO, US

Assignee:

Requisite Technology, Inc. - Westminster CO

International Classification:

G06F017/30

US Classification:

707 3, 707102, 707103 R, 709218, 709224, 706 12

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are described to perform cascading search methodologies on one or more data sets from one or more databases. A graphical user interface for setting up the searching is also described. In one embodiment, the invention can include designating a first strategy comprising a search string applied to operate upon data records in a first database, designating a second search strategy comprising the search string applied to operate upon data records in a second database, and forming a search hierarchy comprised of the first search strategy followed by the second search strategy. In another embodiment, the invention can include a graphical user interface comprising a first area to select a database, a second area to select a search type, and a third area to select an attribute from the selected database upon which to execute the selected search type.