Managing Product Information

Abstract

A set of product information is acquired that describes a first chemical product that is suitable for a particular use. A second chemical product that is suitable for the particular use is determined from the set of product information and a database of chemical product information. It is determined, from a set of product information that describes a chemical product and from a database of chemical product information, that multiple names refer to the same chemical substance. It is determined, based on product information acquired from an electronic catalog, whether a database includes information for a chemical substance that is described in the product information. Based on the determination, at least a portion of the product information is added to the database.

1 .- 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . Computer software, residing on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions for use in a computer system to help cause the computer system to manage product information, the instructions causing the system to: 
 acquire a set of product information describing a first chemical product that is suitable for a particular use; and    determine, from the set of product information and a database of chemical product information, a second chemical product that is suitable for the particular use.    
     
     
         24 . Computer software, residing on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions for use in a computer system to help cause the computer system to manage product information, the instructions causing the system to: 
 acquire a set of product information describing a chemical product; and    determine, from the set of product information and a database of chemical product information, that multiple names refer to the same chemical substance.    
     
     
         25 . Computer software, residing on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions for use in a computer system to help cause the computer system to manage product information, the instructions causing the system to: 
 acquire product information from an electronic catalog;    determine, based on the product information, whether a database includes information for a chemical substance that is described in the product information; and    add, based on the determination, at least a portion of the product information to the database.    
     
     
         26 . A data processing system for use in managing product information, comprising: 
 a computer;    a storage device for storing data on a storage medium;    a first logic circuit configured to acquire a set of product information describing a first chemical product that is suitable for a particular use; and    a second logic circuit configured to determine, from the set of product information and a database of chemical product information, a second chemical product that is suitable for the particular use.    
     
     
         27 . A data processing system for use in managing product information, comprising: 
 a computer;    a storage device for storing data on a storage medium;    a first logic circuit configured to acquire a set of product information describing a chemical product; and    a second logic circuit configured to determine, from the set of product information and a database of chemical product information, that multiple names refer to the same chemical substance.    
     
     
         28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . The data processing system of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 a third logic circuit configured to add, based on the determination, at least a portion of the set of product information to the database.