Patents by Inventor Howard Yihzan Wu

Howard Yihzan Wu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9773250
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for analyzing product roles. The system receives a listing of products for classification into roles. The system receives volume data for each item, as well as demand coefficient. Elasticity of the products may be determined from the demand coefficients. Product volumes and elasticities may then be compared against one another by graphing the product by its volume versus elasticity. From this comparison the products may be classified into one or more roles. These roles include image items, niche products, assortment completers, and profit drivers. The assortment completer role is populated with products which have high relative elasticity and low relative volume. Niche product role is populated with products which have low relative elasticity and low relative volume. The image item role is populated with products which have high relative elasticity and high relative volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sean McCauley, Steve Colten, Sean Kervin, Paritosh Desai, Howard Yihzan Wu, Jason Lee Gunnink, Phil Delurgio, Stephanie Taylor Delurgio
  • Patent number: 8140381
    Abstract: A system and method for merchandising decomposition analysis (MDA), useful with stores, is provided. Econometric models are generated for product sales and are used to set pricing. Price setting may include optimizing prices. Point of sales data is collected from the stores, and benefits forecasts are generated and displayed. Benefit forecasts includes generating compliance, generating optimization benefit and generating level benefits. Generating optimization benefit includes at least one of differential benefit analysis, authorized benefit analysis and testable benefit analysis. The differential benefit analysis includes old/new cost method, cost neutral method and ignore cost method. Benefit forecasts generally include determining pre- and post-optimization price of the products, determining pre- and post-optimization costs, generating pre- and post-optimization forecasted units, calculating forecasted pre- and post-optimization profit, generate raw profit benefit, and calibrate raw profit benefit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: DemandTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Yihzan Wu, Sean Kervin, Jason Lee Gunnink, Suzanne Noel Valentine, Paritosh Desai
  • Patent number: 8010404
    Abstract: A system and method for price and promotion response analysis is provided. Such a system is useful for a business to analyze the forecasted lifts associated with changes in price and promotion activity. The system sets the configuration of the response report, which includes price change and promotion change intervals. Promotions include temporary price reductions, displays, ads and multiples. Modeling data is received for the products. Forecasts, both non-cannibalistic and cannibalistic, are generated for the sales of the products dependent upon the price change and promotion change intervals. Forecasts include at least one of product forecasts, demand group forecasts, line level forecasts and category level forecasts. Suspect forecasts below a minimum confidence may be flagged. Confidence matrices may be generated which reflect accuracy of the forecasts. The response report may be generated by collecting the forecasts and the confidence matrices according to the configuration of the response report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: DemandTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Yihzan Wu, Sean Kervin, Jason Lee Gunnink, Suzanne Noel Valentine, Paritosh Desai
  • Publication number: 20100306031
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for analyzing product roles. The system receives a listing of products for classification into roles. The system receives volume data for each item, as well as demand coefficient. Elasticity of the products may be determined from the demand coefficients. Product volumes and elasticities may then be compared against one another by graphing the product by its volume versus elasticity. From this comparison the products may be classified into one or more roles. These roles include image items, niche products, assortment completers, and profit drivers. The assortment completer role is populated with products which have high relative elasticity and low relative volume. Niche product role is populated with products which have low relative elasticity and low relative volume. The image item role is populated with products which have high relative elasticity and high relative volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Sean McCauley, Steve Colten, Sean Kervin, Paritosh Desai, Howard Yihzan Wu, Jason Lee Gunnink, Phil Delurgio