Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
  • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
  • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to an electronic
• the invention relates to an interactive
• EPI Electronic Data Interchange
• EDI purchase orders examples include ON-
• ASP's Application Service Providers
• ASK ® from The ASK Group contain a purchasing module to create
• IT information technology
• each component operates as
• the present invention provides an interactive, on ⁇
• system of the invention generally includes
• management server includes at least a management server, one or more customer
• Vendors are typically
• the system includes at least an intermediate handler of materials
• Handler such as a transportation entity, packager,
• the customer, vendor and handler computing devices are the customer, vendor and handler computing devices.
• a database electronically
• the management server accessible by the management server stores customer, vendor
• the management server uses this
• management server allows system users to place single or
• the inquiry program enables users to
• management server allows a customer to place an order through
• An inventory manager program running on or accessible to
• the management server permits system users to manage their
• the system will account for customer orders so that a customer may view
• computing device transmits information regarding the
• vendor computing device transmits information regarding the
• the server automatically places an
• product management can operate continuously around-the-clock
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interactive
• FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the management server
• FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of the management server
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are sample “Create Inquiry” user screens
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart describing the inquiry process.
• FIGS. 5A and 5B are sample “Order” user screens in
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart describing the order process.
• FIGS. 7A and 7B are sample “Inventory Details” and “Usage
• FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of an alternative
• FIGS. 9A and 9B are sample “Inventory Reporting" user
• FIG. 10 is a sample "Interactive Forecaster" user screen
• FIGS. 11A and 11B are sample “Usage Reporting" user
• the present invention provides
• the system 10 generally includes a management server
• management server 20 may be a proxy server type computing
• a device or a mini-computer such as a IBM AS/400 server or a
• the management server 20 may be connected to the Internet via a Web server 15, such as
• server 15 will host the system website and utilize web
• vendor computing device 40 may be desktop computers, laptop
• the management server 20 receives customer information
• Customer information may be
• Handler information may include basic information about the
• handler itself (e.g. , location and id number) , information
• Vendor information may include basic
• the management server 20 stores system user information
• Database 21 is preferably stored on (but can be otherwise
• server 20 may
• database 21 will also store all product order, invoice and
• Database 21 is also capable of being
• Database 21 or a database extension thereto
• server 20 residing on server 20 stores Web, EDI or other network
• FIG. 2A A dedicated connection 62 (FIG. 1)
• FIG. 2B describes schematically processing programs 22
• management server 20 (software) running on or accessible to management server 20.
• XML is a web language similar to hypertext
• HTML markup language
• HTML HyperText Markup Language
• XML is more interactive and well suited for
• This feature allows the use of intelligent agents that seek out consistent information and then act on what they find.
• the management server 20 includes a
• a registration program 24 requires all users of the
• system 10 be they customers, manufacturers, distributors or
• a customer may be immediately
• the program 24 will also permit a user to provide
• a customer can input that it prefers
• System 10 preferably includes security to allow for users
• the system 10 offers end-to-end
• a vendor may forward product
• system will enable individual, rights-based
• system 10 will be via a closed platform and unique to the
• the management server 20 also includes a product search i program 25.
• This program 25 is a search engine that allows a customer to search for information about products the customer
• results of the search are displayed in an organized manner.
• the customer may learn about specific products being offered
• the management server 20 further includes an inquiry
• the system 10 receives the inquiry, the user is provided with notification via a suitable screen that
• the user is also given the opportunity to check on the status
• Response information includes
• inquiry may be converted to a product order by the user ' s
• the system personnel assigns the request to
• the system inquires as to whether the addressee is present 414, if
• the system logs that no sale has been requested 448. If the customer does want to place an order, the system logs that no sale has been requested 448. If the customer does want to place an order, the system logs that no sale has been requested 448. If the customer does want to place an order, the system logs that no sale has been requested 448. If the customer does want to place an order, the system logs that no sale has been requested 448. If the customer does want to place an order,
• the customer proceeds to the order module 450 described below.
• the management server 20 additionally contains an order
• the order manager program 27 allows
• the screen includes
• the order manager program 27 permits customers to search
• a search engine permits
• the order manager program 27 further permits customers to
• a user may be
• the management server sends a claim
• the order is printed 621, and the customer is advised that the
• order is out, such as by e-mail 622.
• the order is out, such as by e-mail 622.
• the order is out, such as by e-mail 622.
• the management server 20 further includes an inventory
• management program 28 This program permits customers to create a management program 28. This program permits customers to create a management program 28. This program permits customers to create a management program 28.
• subcategories such as location, product brand and status.
• printers 30 electronically supply
• Inventories may be broken down by brands or by unit. (E.g. ,
• FIG. 7A A sample “Inventory Details” screen is shown in FIG. 7A. Also, users can generate a report showing how much paper
• FIG. 7A For brevity, FIG. 7A.
• users can generate an inventory report showing how
• alerts can be any type of information. Date and time. As shown in these figures, alerts can be any type of information.
• the alert can be broken down in more detail
• users can optionally generate interactive
• Forecasting reports An example of such an interactive forecasting report screen is depicted by FIG. 10. Such a
• forecast report would contain information pertaining to the
• FIGS. 11A and 11B are views of new orders for a particular item.
• 11B depict sample screens whereby a user can view inventory
• inventory management program 28 maintains a central
• the information depository such that inventory information for
• a particular can be assigned a particular type.
• Such types can be assigned a particular type.
• FIGS. 9A through 11B users can view, track, and manage
• the management server 20 may store information on
• shipping data manager 23 may also contain information related
• the system 10 also provides for EDI or other electronic
• manifests are an important electronic transaction capable of being implemented by the system 10 as
• the management server 20 is capable of implementing EDI
• server 20 also be received and inputted into server 20 or transmitted to
• management server 20 is used
• a private network such as a local area network
• FIG. 1 illustrates, by way
• a vendor computer 40 as connecting to a private
• network consisting of multiple network computers 43 through network connections 44.
• the network computers are connected to
• present invention thus allows the customer computer 30 to
• management server 20 inter-connects multiple levels of the
• Server 20 interconnects vendors
• the present invention provides a complete e-commerce
• the present invention also relates to the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention also relates to the present invention.
• handler's such as a printer's
• the customer computing device 30 (or this could be
• the handler computer device 35 contains information on the
• the management server 20 is connected both to
• connection 60 to allow the transfer of data between
• the server 20 receives the use data from the customer
• server 20 then uses the information in the database 21 to
• the server 20 will automatically place an order for the
• This product management can be used to control the vendor computer 40. This product management can be used to control the vendor computer 40.
• management server 20 could monitor the activities of the
• printer 35 to determine the amount and type of printing paper to be ordered to meet needs.
• the server 20 may fulfill the specific order
• storage device 31 may be a database or spreadsheet that
• device 31 may automatically monitor the use of the product or
• the server 20 can be alerted when the product is not
• the database 21 stores the use and
• database stores the number of uses by the customer, the number
• the database 21 further contains
• a purchase may be initiated, for instance,
• the data contained on the use storage device 31 may
• use program 32 may be a JAVA or Perl script application
• the use program 32 may
• an inventory program 42 may run on the
• vendor's computer 40 to transfer information on the vendor's
• XML XML
• a data mining program 23 may operate on
• connections 60 using known techniques such as XML.
• the system may be implemented discretely without
• the use program 32 may be bundled with the network
• the use program may be automatically
• the customer may choose to subscribe to the server 20 and use the
• connection is established between a management server, a
• costumer's (or handler's) computing device and a vendor's
• the server collects and stores information
• the data collection software may run
• the software may
• the order may be caused by
• the server may use information to select the customer's usage rate of the product 122 or the price of the product at the vendor 124. Where there is more than one vendor, the server may use information to select the customer's usage rate of the product 122 or the price of the product at the vendor 124. Where there is more than one vendor, the server may use information to select the customer's usage rate of the product 122 or the price of the product at the vendor 124. Where there is more than one vendor, the server may use information to select
• the present invention particularly addresses needs in
• the printing paper market is currently segmented into two
• the "Paper Consumer” segment is defined by businesses
• partners segment includes entities such as, printers, logistics suppliers, traders, and shipping entities who
• mills may offer products directly to consumers, they often
• the system provided by the present invention provides
• the system is able to support
• the XML-based software platform can interact with
• the system 10 is a platform to meet the needs of those systems.
• the present invention provides an end-to-end network

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Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=24179343

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (8)

• 2000
  • 2000-11-17 WO PCT/US2000/031566 patent/WO2001077936A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2000-11-17 AU AU2001217713A patent/AU2001217713A1/en not_active Abandoned

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