System and a method for locating an item offered for sale by a merchant

• US 20040162765A1
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hobie Reber
• Original Assignee: Hobie Reber
• Inventors: Reber, Hobie
• Application Number:
  US10/771,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162765A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

A system and a method searches items offered for sale by a merchant. The system and the method accesses and/or searches information relating to items and/or services offered for sale by a merchant located within a multi-dealer retail establishment. The system and the method accesses the information from any computer terminal with network accessible capabilities. Moreover, the system and the method accesses the information in the database to locate available items and/or to provide prices of the available items.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location of an item offered for sale by a merchant at a facility in a multi-dealer retail establishment, the system comprising:

a computer network;

a database associated with the computer network;

means for inputting merchant information into the database wherein the merchant information is associated with a location of the facility of the merchant in the multi-dealer retail establishment;

means for inputting item information in the merchant information wherein the item information is associated with the a description of the item and a price of the item;

means for accessing the merchant information in the database from a computer terminal via the computer system wherein the computer terminal is remote with respect to the database; and

means for determining the location of the item in the multi-dealer retail establishment by searching the item information in the database wherein the item information is associated with the location of the facility of the merchant in the multi-dealer retail establishment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer network is the internet.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a remote server wherein the database is contained on the remote server; and

a website providing access to the database.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for modifying the merchant information in the database.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a password associated with the merchant for accessing the merchant information in the database.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an electronic map associated with the multi-dealer retail establishment wherein the location of the facility of the merchant associated with the item information is displayed on the electronic map.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for inputting an image associated with the item into the item information in the database; and

means for accessing the image associated with the item in the database from the computer terminal.

8. A method for locating an item offered for sale by a merchant in a multi-dealer retail establishment by a user wherein the merchant has a location within the multi-dealer retail establishment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer network;

providing a database connected to the computer network wherein the database includes merchant information associated with the merchant and further wherein the merchant information includes the location of the merchant within the multi-dealer retail establishment;

inputting a product list of the merchant into the merchant information in the database wherein the product list includes item information associated the item offered for sale by the merchant;

providing a first access to the database for viewing the merchant information of the merchant in the database via the computer network;

searching the product list in the merchant information based on the item information associated with the item; and

determining the location of the merchant in the multi-dealer retail establishment based on the merchant information associated with the item information in the product list.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the computer network is the internet.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first access to the database is wireless.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

providing a remote server; and

storing the database on the remote server.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step:

providing a second access to the database for modifying the merchant information in the database via the computer network.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first access is from a remote computer terminal with respect to the database.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

providing a password for accessing the merchant information in the database via the computer system.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the first access to the database is a computer website on the computer network wherein the computer website is remote with respect to the database.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

displaying the location of the merchant in the multi-dealer retail establishment on a map wherein the map is associated with the multi-dealer retail establishment.

17. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

downloading an image into the item information of the item in the database via the computer network wherein the image is associated with the item.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein the item information includes geographical information associated with the item for sale by the merchant.

19. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

inputting user information into the database via the computer system wherein the user information is associated with the user; and

searching the product list in the merchant information base on the user information.

20. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

inputting an inventory of the merchant into the database via the computer system wherein the inventory is associated with the product list of the merchant and further wherein the inventory includes the item for sale; and

modifying the inventory of the merchant via the computer system.