System and method for rating plural products

Abstract

A system and method for rating of each of plural products comprising identifying plurality of attributes associated with a category of product, applying a scalar structure for each attribute to provide scalar value of each attribute for each of the plural products, determining an incremental competitive index for each attribute of each product based on the scalar value of each attribute and a number of products having the scalar value, and rating each product based on the determined competitive index.

1 . A method for rating plural items comprising the steps of:
 identifying a set of attributes associated with the items;   receiving plural data sets, each data set including values of the set of attributes for a specified item;   applying a scalar structure for each attribute value to provide a scalar value corresponding to each attribute value for each specified item;   determining an incremental index for each attribute value of each specified item based on the scalar values, the incremental index compensating for at least one of the number of specified items having a specific attribute value and the number of items not having the specific attribute value; and   rating each item based on the incremental indexes.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said incremental index is a percentile rank. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said incremental index is also based on a number of items having a specific scalar value of each attribute. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of determining an incremental index for each attribute includes:
 calculating a percentile rank of each scalar value;   calculating a percentile rank range which each scalar value spans; and   processing a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank of said calculated percentile rank range.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said step of processing a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank includes the step of determining an average of said maximum percentile rank and said minimum percentile rank. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of determining an incremental index for each attribute further includes the step of sequencing a scalar value of each attribute for each item. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of assigning an importance level to at least one attribute, and setting a corresponding threshold to said importance level which sets a maximum number of attributes that can be absent from an item at said importance level for the item to be subjected to said step of determining said incremental index. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of calculating a correlation reliability value for attribute values. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including the step of generating a warning if said correlation reliability value is less than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further including the step of disregarding an attribute value in determining the incremental index if the corresponding correlation reliability value is less than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of publishing ratings of each item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a usage scenario, the usage scenario defining an importance level of one or more attribute values for a category of items; and   adjusting the rating based on the usage scenario.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for rating plural items comprising:
 one or more processors;   at least one memory operatively couple to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at lease one of the one or more processors causes the at least one of the one or more processors to:   identify a set of attributes associated with the items;   enable reception of plural data sets, each data set including values of the set of attributes for a specified item;   apply a scalar structure for each attribute value to provide a scalar value corresponding to each attribute value for each specified item;   determine an incremental index for each attribute value of each specified item based on the scalar values, the incremental index compensating for at least one of the number of specified items having a specific attribute value and the number of items not having the specific attribute value; and   rate each item based on the incremental indexes.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said incremental index is a percentile rank. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said incremental index is also based on a number of items having a specific scalar value of each attribute. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein determining an incremental index for each attribute includes:
 calculating a percentile rank of each scalar value;   calculating a percentile rank range which each scalar value spans; and   processing a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank of said calculated percentile rank range.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein processing a maximum percentile rank and a minimum percentile rank includes determining an average of said maximum percentile rank and said minimum percentile rank. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein determining an incremental index for each attribute further includes the step of sequencing a scalar value of each attribute for each item. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further including assigning an importance level to at least one attribute, and setting a corresponding threshold to said importance level which sets a maximum number of attributes that can be absent from an item at said importance level for the item to be subjected to said step of determining said incremental index. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further including calculating a correlation reliability value for attribute values. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further including generating a warning if said correlation reliability value is less than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further wherein an attribute value is disregarded in determining the incremental index if the corresponding correlation reliability value is less than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further including publishing ratings of each item. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving a usage scenario, the usage scenario defining an importance level of one or more attribute values for a category of items; and   adjusting the rating based on the usage scenario.