Patents by Inventor Geoffry Westphal

Geoffry Westphal 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).

  • Publication number: 20070266146
    Abstract: A system determines if functionality offered via a Web site is being underutilizing by a user, e.g., not being using at all or not being using with some desired degree of regularity. When it is determined that the functionality offered via the Web site is being underutilized by the user, the system provides to content of the Web site a cue, e.g., audio and/or visual, for directing the attention of the user to the functionality offered via the Web site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20070185783
    Abstract: A hierarchical menu structure having a plurality of submenus is navigable to a node selectable to request retrieval of a data file containing data related to a product within an electronic catalog. The plurality of submenus includes a plurality of levels of stock number submenus which are to be navigated using the stock keeping unit number for the product, a plurality of levels of product descriptor submenus which are to be navigated using a descriptor associated with the product, and a plurality of levels of brand name submenus which are to be navigated using a brand name of the product. The nodes within navigated to submenus function to indicate at least one alphanumeric character within a sequence of alphanumeric characters which forms stock keeping unit numbers for products, product descriptors associated with products, or brand names of products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20060287986
    Abstract: A system and method functions to automatically invoke a selection guide when the search term(s) provided in a freeform search query are determined to be associated with a category of item for which a selection guide will provide the most efficient means for the user to locate items of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20060259467
    Abstract: A system receives a request to search an electronic catalog of a vendor which specifies a query term. The query term is used to search an electronic catalog of a third party. The results obtained by searching the electronic catalog of the third party are parsed to uncover a keyword recognized by a search engine associated with the electronic catalog of the vendor. The uncovered keyword is then used in the search engine associated with the electronic catalog of the vendor to locate one or more items in the electronic catalog of the vendor. Items located in this manner are the search results responsive to the query term.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20060036510
    Abstract: A dynamic merchandising system creates for each of a plurality of products in a plurality of purchase orders a list of products purchased together. This information is then used to create ordered lists reflecting relationships between various product attributes, e.g., the relationships between different brand names purchased together, different product categories purchased together, different catalog pages of products purchased together, etc. From these ordered relationship lists information may be selected and presented to the customer for the purpose of directing the customer to additional purchasing opportunities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffry Westphal, Thomas Carroll
  • Publication number: 20060008160
    Abstract: A system and method for compressing and storing image data. The system and method creates for each of a plurality of original images a plurality of resultant images by altering the content of each of the plurality of original images a corresponding plurality of different ways. Each of the resultant images is then compressed. From the compressed, resultant images created from each of the plurality of original images one resultant image is selected. Each of the selected one of the plurality of resultant images is then stored such that each of the selected one of the plurality of resultant images is retrievable to be displayed as a representation of its corresponding original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffry Westphal, Mike McHugh
  • Publication number: 20050216304
    Abstract: Catalog pages on which appear identified products and catalog pages on which appear products purchased-with the identified products are selected and aggregated to form a customized, electronic catalog.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20050171860
    Abstract: A dynamic merchandising system for presenting product recommendations to customers. The system and method generally creates for each of a plurality of products in a plurality of purchase orders a list of purchased-with products, i.e., products that were purchased with each of the plurality of products in each of the plurality of purchase orders. At the same time that the purchased-with product lists are created, or in another step, the same plurality of purchase orders are examined and, using the concept of “self organizing lists,” the lists of purchased-with products are ordered in a meaningful manner. The ordering of the products in a purchased-with list may then be considered when recommending products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal
  • Publication number: 20050171855
    Abstract: A dynamic merchandising system for presenting product recommendations to customers. The system and method generally creates for each of a plurality of products in a plurality of purchase orders a list of purchased-with products, i.e., products that were purchased with each of the plurality of products in each of the plurality of purchase orders. At the same time that the purchased-with product lists are created, or in another step, the same plurality of purchase orders are examined and, using the concept of “self organizing lists,” the lists of purchased-with products are ordered in a meaningful manner. The ordering of the products in a purchased-with list may then be considered when recommending products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffry Westphal