METHOD, SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM FOR IMPLEMENTING TRANSACTION-BASED DATA EXCHANGE

• US 20060190273A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bickford, John H., Kelley, Edward E., Wilbrink, Tijs I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A method for implementing transaction-based data exchange. The method includes transferring information relating to a product via a transmission means selected by an individual at a computing device requesting the information. The information includes at least one of warranty information, accounting information, pricing information, and product details. The method further includes calculating a net worth relating to the product, and updating a financial application associated with the individual with results of the calculating.

Claims

1. A method for implementing transaction-based data exchange, comprising:

transferring information relating to a product via a transmission means selected by an individual at a computing device requesting the information, the information including at least one of warranty information, accounting information, pricing information, and product details;

calculating a net worth relating to the product; and

updating a financial application associated with the individual with results of the calculating.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the information relating to a product from at least one of;

a selling entity;

a manufacturing entity; and

a product catalog.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the warranty information includes at least one of:

terms and conditions;

warranty period; and

product identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accounting information includes rules

specific to a location, the rules including at least one of:

depreciation rules; and

tax rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pricing information includes at least one of:

retail price;

price after discount;

price after rebate;

promotional price; and

preferred customer price.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the product details include at least one of:

product specifications;

product model; and

product images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the net worth information is determined by at least one of:

calculating a value utilizing product information supplied at the time of purchase and applying the accounting information to the value; and

calculating a value utilizing current market value information acquired for the product or similar products.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said deploying comprising:

installing said process software on at least one server;

identifying server addresses for users accessing said process software on said at least one server;

installing a proxy server if needed;

sending said process software to said at least one server and copying said process software to a file system of said at least one server;

sending the process software to at least a first client computer; and

executing said process software on said first client computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said installing said process software further comprises:

determining if programs will reside on said at least one server when said process software is executed;

identifying said at least one server that will execute said process software; and

transferring said process software to storage for said at least one server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer further includes having said at least one server automatically copy said process software to said first client computer, and running an installation program at said first client computer to install said process software on said first client computer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer further comprises identifying a user and an address of said first client computer.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer includes sending said process software to at least one directory on said first client computer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer includes sending said process software to said first client computer via e-mail.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said integrating comprising:

determining if said process software will execute on at least one server;

identifying an address of said at least one server;

checking said at least one server for operating systems, applications, and version numbers for validation with said process software, and identifying any missing software applications for said at least one server that are required for integration;

updating said at least one server with respect to any operating system and application that is not validated for said process software, and providing any of said missing software applications for said at least one server required for said integration;

identifying client addresses and checking client computers for operating systems, applications, and version numbers for validation with said process software, and identifying any software applications missing from said client computers that are required for integration;

updating said client computers with respect to any operating system and application that is not validated for said process software, and providing any missing software application for said client computers required for said integration; and

installing said process software on said client computers and said at least one server.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising on-demand sharing of process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said on demand sharing comprising:

creating a transaction containing unique customer identification, requested service type, and service parameters;

sending said transaction to at least one main server;

querying said at least one main server about processing capacity associated with said at least one main server to help ensure availability of adequate resources for processing of said transaction; and

allocating additional processing capacity when additional capacity appears needed to process said transaction, said additional processing capacity being selected from the group of additional capacities consisting of central processing unit capacity, processor memory capacity, network bandwidth capacity, and storage capacity.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording a plurality of usage measurements selected from the group of usage measurements consisting of network bandwidth, processor memory, storage, and central processing unit cycles.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

summing said usage measurements;

acquiring at least one multiplicative value associated with said usage measurements and with unit costs; and

recording any such acquired multiplicative value as an on demand charge to a requesting customer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

posting said on demand charge on a web site if requested by said requesting customer; and

sending said on demand charge via e-mail to said requesting customer'"'"'s e-mail address.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising charging said on demand charge to said requesting customer'"'"'s account if an account exists and if said requesting customer has selected a charge account payment method.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying, accessing, and executing process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said deploying, accessing, and executing process software implemented through a virtual private network, the method further comprising:

determining if a virtual private network is required;

checking for remote access to said virtual private network when it is required;

if said remote access does not exist, identifying a third party provider to provide secure, encrypted connections between a private network and remote users;

identifying said remote users; and

setting up a network access server operable for downloading and installing client software on desktop computers for remote access of said virtual private network;

accessing said process software;

transporting said process software to at least one remote user'"'"'s desktop computer; and

executing said process software on said at least one remote user'"'"'s desktop computer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining if said virtual private network has a site-to-site configuration for providing site-to-site access, and if said virtual private network is not so available, installing equipment required to establish a site-to-site configuration for said virtual private network;

installing large scale encryption into said site-to-site virtual private network; and

accessing said process software through said site-to-site configuration with large scale encryption.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said accessing said process software further comprises at least one of:

dialing into said network access server, and

attaching directly via a modem into said network access server, said modem being selected from the group of modems consisting of telephone dial-up modems, cable modems, DSL modems, and wireless modems.

23. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code for implementing transaction-based data exchange, the program code including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

transferring information relating to a product via a transmission means selected by an individual at a computing device requesting the information, the information including at least one of warranty information, accounting information, pricing information, and product details;

calculating a net worth relating to the product; and

updating a financial application associated with the individual with results of the calculating.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement:

acquiring the information relating to a product from at least one of;

a selling entity;

a manufacturing entity; and

a product catalog.

25. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the warranty information includes at least one of:

terms and conditions;

warranty period; and

product identification.

26. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the accounting information includes rules specific to a location, the rules including at least one of:

depreciation rules; and

tax rules.

27. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the pricing information includes at least one of:

retail price;

price after discount;

price after rebate;

promotional price; and

preferred customer price.

28. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the product details include at least one of:

product specifications;

product model; and

product images.

29. The storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement deploying process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said deploying comprising:

installing said process software on at least one server;

identifying server addresses for users accessing said process software on said at least one server;

installing a proxy server if needed;

sending said process software to said at least one server and copying said process software to a file system of said at least one server;

sending the process software to at least a first client computer; and

executing said process software on said first client computer.

30. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein said installing said process software further comprises:

determining if programs will reside on said at least one server when said process software is executed;

identifying said at least one server that will execute said process software; and

transferring said process software to storage for said at least one server.

31. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer further includes having said at least one server automatically copy said process software to said first client computer, and running an installation program at said first client computer to install said process software on said first client computer.

32. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer further comprises identifying a user and an address of said first client computer.

33. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer includes sending said process software to at least one directory on said first client computer.

34. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein said sending said process software to said first client computer includes sending said process software to said first client computer via e-mail.

35. The storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement integrating process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said integrating comprising:

determining if said process software will execute on at least one server;

identifying an address of said at least one server;

checking said at least one server for operating systems, applications, and version numbers for validation with said process software, and identifying any missing software applications for said at least one server that are required for integration;

updating said at least one server with respect to any operating system and application that is not validated for said process software, and providing any of said missing software applications for said at least one server required for said integration;

identifying client addresses and checking client computers for operating systems, applications, and version numbers for validation with said process software, and identifying any software applications missing from said client computers that are required for integration;

updating said client computers with respect to any operating system and application that is not validated for said process software, and providing any missing software application for said client computers required for said integration; and

installing said process software on said client computers and said at least one server.

36. The storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement on-demand sharing of process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said on demand sharing comprising:

creating a transaction containing unique customer identification, requested service type, and service parameters;

sending said transaction to at least one main server;

querying said at least one main server about processing capacity associated with said at least one main server to help ensure availability of adequate resources for processing of said transaction; and

allocating additional processing capacity when additional capacity appears needed to process said transaction, said additional processing capacity being selected from the group of additional capacities consisting of central processing unit capacity, processor memory capacity, network bandwidth capacity, and storage capacity.

37. The storage medium of claim 36, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement recording a plurality of usage measurements selected from the group of usage measurements consisting of network bandwidth, processor memory, storage, and central processing unit cycles.

38. The storage medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement:

summing said usage measurements

acquiring at least one multiplicative value associated with said usage measurements and with unit costs; and

recording any such acquired multiplicative value as an on demand charge to a requesting customer.

39. The storage medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement at least one of:

posting said on demand charge on a web site if requested by said requesting customer; and

sending said on demand charge via e-mail to said requesting customer'"'"'s e-mail address.

40. The storage medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement charging said on demand charge to said requesting customer'"'"'s account if an account exists and if said requesting customer has selected a charge account payment method.

41. The storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement deploying, accessing, and executing process software for implementing said transaction-based data exchange for an information management system, said deploying, accessing, and executing process software implemented through a virtual private network, the method further comprising:

determining if a virtual private network is required;

checking for remote access to said virtual private network when it is required;

if said remote access does not exist, identifying a third party provider to provide secure, encrypted connections between a private network and remote users;

identifying said remote users; and

setting up a network access server operable for downloading and installing client software on desktop computers for remote access of said virtual private network;

accessing said process software;

transporting said process software to at least one remote user'"'"'s desktop computer; and

executing said process software on said at least one remote user'"'"'s desktop computer.

42. The storage medium of claim 41, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to implement:

determining if said virtual private network has a site-to-site configuration for providing site-to-site access, and if said virtual private network is not so available, installing equipment required to establish a site-to-site configuration for said virtual private network;

installing large scale encryption into said site-to-site virtual private network; and

accessing said process software through said site-to-site configuration with large scale encryption.

43. The storage medium of claim 42, wherein said accessing said process software further comprises at least one of:

dialing into said network access server, and

attaching directly via a modem into said network access server, said modem being selected from the group of modems consisting of telephone dial-up modems, cable modems, DSL modems, and wireless modems.

44. A system for implementing transaction-based data exchange, comprising:

a processor executing a data exchange system application; and

a link to at least one client system, the data exchange system application performing a method comprising;

transferring information relating to a product via a transmission means selected by an individual at the client device requesting the information, the information including at least one of warranty information, accounting information, pricing information, and product details;

calculating a net worth relating to the product; and

updating a financial application associated with the client device with results of the calculating.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the data exchange system application further performs acquiring the information relating to a product from at least one of:

a selling entity;

a manufacturing entity; and

a product catalog.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the warranty information includes at least one of:

terms and conditions;

warranty period; and

product identification.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the accounting information includes rules

specific to a location, the rules including at least one of:

depreciation rules; and

tax rules.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the pricing information includes at least one of:

retail price;

price after discount;

price after rebate;

promotional price; and

preferred customer price.

49. The system of claim 44, wherein the product details include at least one of:

product specifications;

product model; and

product images.

50. The system of claim 44, wherein the net worth information is determined by at least one of:

calculating a value utilizing product information supplied at the time of purchase and applying the accounting information to the value; and

calculating a value utilizing current market value information acquired for the product or similar products.