Methods and apparatus for transferring product information from manufacturers to retailers and distributors via the Internet
First Claim
1. A method for transferring product description data via the Internet from a plurality of product description data storage facilities operated on behalf of manufacturers to a plurality of data utilization facilities operated on behalf of retailers comprising, in combination:
- employing each of said product data storage facilities to store information describing a plurality of products designated by universal product codes, employing a registration database to accept and store registration data submitted on behalf of each of said manufacturers, said registration data specifying the Internet address to which a request message may be transmitted to obtain a structured data record containing information about a product designated by a particular universal product code value, transmitting an address lookup request to said registration database from a requesting data utilization facility operated on behalf of a requesting retailer, said address lookup request containing a specified universal product code, employing said registration database to respond to said address lookup request to identify the destination Internet address to which a data request message may be transmitted to obtain a structured data record containing information about said the product designated by said specified universal product code, transmitting a product data request message to said destination Internet address identified by said registration database in response to said address lookup request, receiving said product data request message at the product data storage facility specified by said specific destination Internet address, responding to said product data request message by transmitting a structured data record to said requesting data utilization facility, said structured data record containing information about said product designated by said specified universal product code and having a format that conforms to standards specified by predetermined schemas promulgated by an industry or inter-industry group, and transferring all or part of said information about said product designated by said specified universal product code into an inventory database utilized by said requesting retailer.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for disseminating over the Internet product information produced and maintained by product manufacturers using existing universal product codes (bar codes) as access keys. A cross-referencing resource preferably implemented by the existing Internet Domain Name System (DNS) receives Internet request messages containing all or part of a universal product code value and returns the Internet address at which data or services relating to the identified product, or to the manufacturer of that product, may be obtained. By using preferred Web data storage formats and protocol which conform to XML, XLS, XLink, Xpointer, RDF and Web service standards specifications, product and company information may be seamlessly identified, retrieved and integrated with information from other sources. A “web register” module can be employed to provide an Internet interface between a shared sales Internet server and an otherwise conventional inventory control system, and operates in conjunction with the cross-referencing server to provide detailed product information to Internet shoppers who may purchase goods from existing stores via the Internet.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for transferring product description data via the Internet from a plurality of product description data storage facilities operated on behalf of manufacturers to a plurality of data utilization facilities operated on behalf of retailers comprising, in combination:
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employing each of said product data storage facilities to store information describing a plurality of products designated by universal product codes, employing a registration database to accept and store registration data submitted on behalf of each of said manufacturers, said registration data specifying the Internet address to which a request message may be transmitted to obtain a structured data record containing information about a product designated by a particular universal product code value, transmitting an address lookup request to said registration database from a requesting data utilization facility operated on behalf of a requesting retailer, said address lookup request containing a specified universal product code, employing said registration database to respond to said address lookup request to identify the destination Internet address to which a data request message may be transmitted to obtain a structured data record containing information about said the product designated by said specified universal product code, transmitting a product data request message to said destination Internet address identified by said registration database in response to said address lookup request, receiving said product data request message at the product data storage facility specified by said specific destination Internet address, responding to said product data request message by transmitting a structured data record to said requesting data utilization facility, said structured data record containing information about said product designated by said specified universal product code and having a format that conforms to standards specified by predetermined schemas promulgated by an industry or inter-industry group, and transferring all or part of said information about said product designated by said specified universal product code into an inventory database utilized by said requesting retailer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for disseminating product description data via the Internet comprising, in combination,
a plurality of product information database servers, each of which is operated on behalf of one or more manufacturers, for responding to incoming messages directed to designated Internet addresses by returning structured data records containing information describing products designated by universal product codes contained in said incoming messages, said structured data records having a format that conforms to an established product description schema promulgated by an industry or inter-industry group, a registration database for storing cross-references submitted by or on behalf of said manufacturers, each of said cross-references associating one or more specific universal product codes with a corresponding designated Internet address to which a message may be directed to obtain the structured data records describing the products designated by said specific universal product codes from one of said product information database servers, an inventory database operated by a reseller or distributor that obtains products said manufacturers, said inventory database storing a plurality of inventory data records each of which contains a particular universal product code, said inventory database further including an Internet connection for transmitting an outbound data request message specifying said particular universal product code, a product code translator for receiving said outbound data request message from said inventory database, for performing a search of said registration database to lookup the destination address that corresponds to said particular universal product code, and for redirecting said data request message from said inventory database to said destination address to request said information database server connected at said destination address to return a structured data record describing the product designated by said particular universal product code to said inventory database.
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26. A system for delivering product description data from manufacturers to distributors and retailers via the Internet comprising, in combination:
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a plurality of inventory data storage facilities each of which is operated on behalf of at least one retailer or distributor and each of which is connected to the Internet to transmit requests for and to receive product description information describing products designated by universal product codes, a plurality of separate product information storage facilities each of which is operated on behalf of one or more manufacturers and each of which stores information describing a plurality of products each of which is designated by a universal product code, each of said product data storage facilities being connected to the Internet to receive and respond to data requests for product description information that are directed to a specified Internet address, and a product code translation facility comprising;
a registration database for storing cross-references supplied on behalf of said manufacturers which associate specified universal product codes and the Internet addresses to which data requests may be transmitted to obtain information describing products designated by said specified universal product codes specified in said requests, an Internet connection for receiving lookup requests containing said specified universal product codes transmitted from said inventory data storage facilities, and a lookup processor for responding to said lookup requests by searching said registration database to translate said specified universal product codes contained in said lookup requests into destination Internet addresses from which information describing products designated by said specified universal product codes may be obtained. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification