Apparatus for issuing commodity codes for commodity model names

• US 20020169693A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Abe, Masaya, Ohta, Masayuki, Hasegawa, Yukio, Tomita, Atsushi, Kojima, Koichi, Wakabayashi, Yasuo, Kuraoka, Masaomi, Kori, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can manage commodities efficiently by unifying and maintaining commodity codes in order for companies to manage commodities. An apparatus according to the present invention manages product names each consisting of multiple levels and model names below them by means of a product family tree management section and issues commodity codes each consisting of multiple levels for model names by means of a commodity code management section.

Claims

1. A code management apparatus comprising:

associating means for associating a commodity name with model names placed below the commodity name; and

numbering means for issuing commodity codes to be assigned to said model names,

wherein said commodity codes each includes multiple levels.

2. A code management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said commodity name includes multiple levels.

3. A code management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one level of said commodity code contains information which represents a commodity category.

4. A code management apparatus comprising:

model display means for displaying a commodity name and a list of model names placed below the commodity name;

selection means for selecting one model name from the displayed list; and

code display means for displaying a list of commodity codes already issued for the selected model name.

5. A code management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said commodity codes includes multiple levels.

6. A code management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said code management apparatus further comprises numbering means for issuing new commodity codes.

7. A code management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said code management apparatus further comprises selection means for selecting one level from said multiple levels;

wherein said numbering means issues a commodity code according to the level selected by said selection means.

8. A code management method comprising:

an associating step of associating a commodity name with model names placed below the commodity name; and

a numbering step of issuing commodity codes to be assigned to said model names,

wherein said commodity codes each consist of multiple levels.

9. A code management method according to claim 8, wherein said commodity name includes multiple levels.

10. A code management method according to claim 8, wherein one level of said commodity code contains information which represents a commodity category.

11. A code management method comprising:

a model display step of displaying a commodity name and a list of model names placed below the commodity name;

a selection step of selecting one model name from the displayed list; and

a code display step of displaying a list of commodity codes already issued for the selected model name.

12. A code management method according to claim 11, wherein said commodity codes includes multiple levels.

13. A code management method according to claim 11, wherein said code management method further comprises numbering step of issuing new commodity codes.

14. A code management method according to claim 13, wherein said code management step further comprises a selection step of selecting one level from said multiple levels,

wherein said numbering means issues a commodity code according to the level selected by said selection means.

16. A code management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said commodity classification and commodity code each consist of multiple levels.

17. A code management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said commodity name registration means registers a commodity name when a commodity classification displayed on a display screen is selected.

15. A code management apparatus comprising:

first permitting means for permitting registration of a commodity classification;

commodity classification registration means for registering a commodity classification when permission is given by said first permitting means;

second permitting means for permitting registration of a commodity name;

commodity name registration means for registering a commodity name by placing it in said commodity classification; and

numbering means for issuing a commodity code for said registered commodity name.

18. A code management method comprising:

a first permitting step of permitting registration of a commodity classification;

a commodity classification registration step of registering a commodity classification when permission is given by said first permitting step;

a second permitting step of permitting registration of a commodity name;

a commodity name registration step of registering a commodity name by placing it in said commodity classification; and

a numbering step of issuing a commodity code for said registered commodity name.