Collaborative signal tracking

• US 20040236644A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E2open Incorporated (E2open Parent Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E2open, LLC (E2open Parent Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, Gregory Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/666,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The invention provides a method for tracking business to business communication among trading partners in a supply chain. Trading partners utilize a central hub to coordinate and track events. Prior to sending an event to other trading partners, a trading partner obtains an event tracking number from a central hub. Trading partners receiving the event can validate its unique status and validity by observing content within the event itself and by querying the central hub for additional information. Using the invention, the disparate communication systems used by trading partners and the lack of a system for clearly identifying and tracking events, no longer exists and the possibility of confusion as to the uniqueness of any one event when compared with another with similar characteristics is eliminated.

Claims

1. A method for doing business including

generating a supply chain communication event at a sender for delivery to a set of recipients, said set of recipients including trading partners in a supply chain;

processing said event at a central hub, said processing including modifying said event to be uniquely identifiable;

delivering said event in its modified form to said set of recipients; and

querying said central hub responsive to receipt of said event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing includes

sending said event to said hub, said hub including a database for storing a plurality of unique identifiers associated with a plurality of said events and sets of data descriptive of said events;

appending a unique identifier to said event at said hub;

storing a set of data at said hub, said data descriptive of said event and indexed to said unique identifier; and

delivering said event to a set of recipients.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said hub is located at a location logically remote to said generating;

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said appending includes recording the step of said appending in said database.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said storing includes saving a set of said data descriptive of said event in said database further including additional data supplied by said sender.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said delivering includes sending said event in its modified form to said set of recipients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said querying includes

sending a query to said hub from at least one of said set of recipients, said query requesting additional information responsive to receipt of at least one said event.

generating a response to said query;

and

delivering said response to at least one of said set of recipients.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said sending is (1) performed manually at the request of one of said set of recipients, or (2) performed automatically responsive to receipt of a said event.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said sending includes identifying a said event for which additional information is requested, said identifying including matching a unique identifier associated with said event with a record of said unique identifier in a database at said hub.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said generating includes creating an electronic message of additional information from said database associated with said event identified by said unique identifier.

11. An apparatus including

means for generating a supply chain communication event at a sender for delivery to a set of recipients, said set of recipients including trading partners in a supply chain;

means for processing said event at a central hub, said means for processing including means for modifying said event to be uniquely identifiable

means for delivering said event in its modified form to said set of recipients; and

means for querying said central hub responsive to receipt of said event.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said means for processing includes

means for sending said event to said hub, said hub including a data-base for storing a plurality of unique identifiers associated with a plurality of said events and sets of data descriptive of said events;

means for appending a unique identifier to said event at said hub;

means for storing a set of data at said hub, said data descriptive of said event and indexed to said identifier; and

means for delivering said event to a set of recipients

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said hub is located at a location logically remote to said generating;

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said means for appending includes means for recording the step of said appending in said database.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said means for storing includes means for saving a set of said data descriptive of said event in said database further including additional data supplied by the sender.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said means for delivering includes means for sending said event in its modified form to said set of recipients.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said means for querying includes

means for sending a query to said hub from at least one of said set of recipients, said query requesting additional information responsive to receipt of at least one said event.

means for generating a response to said query;

and

means for delivering said response to at least one of said set of recipients.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said means for sending said query is (1) performed manually at the request of a recipient, or (2) performed automatically responsive to receipt of a said event.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said means for sending includes means for identifying a said event for which additional information is requested, said means for identifying including means for matching a unique identifier associated with said event with a record of said unique identifier in a database at said hub.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said means for generating includes means for creating an electronic message of additional information from said database associated with said event indicated by said unique identifier.

21. Computer readable media including written thereon instructions readable by a computer to perform the steps of

generating a supply chain communication event for delivery to a set of recipients, said set of recipients including trading partners in a supply chain;

receiving said event at a central hub;

modifying said event to include a unique identifier, said identifier stored with additional information descriptive of said event in a database at said hub;

delivering said event in its modified form to said set of recipients;

querying said event for said information descriptive of said event, said querying including matching said unique identifier included in said event with said identifier stored in said database; and

responding to said querying, said responding including delivery of information descriptive of said event.