Method Apparatus and Computer Program For Managing Purchases

• US 20080177585A1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tailtrade AB
• Original Assignee: Tailtrade AB
• Inventors: Logg, David, Skinstad, Robert, Skinstad, Henrik
• Application Number:
  US10/596,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177585A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for managing and auditing purchases in progress which are made by a number of individuals belonging to a liable organisation, such as employees making purchases in parallel on behalf of a company. The invention comprises a managing server, including a storage means and issuing means, a client terminal connected to a network for providing information to the storage means about purchasing rules for individuals purchasing on behalf of their organisation. The issuing means is adapted to generate a unique number, the number being issued and distributed to a purchasing individual, in dependence on the purchasing rules and a first communication terminal operated by a provider is adapted to, in response to a purchase, provide information to the managing server relating to a purchase in progress. Moreover, the invention is characterised in that the server is adapted examine whether information provided is in accordance with the purchasing rules, as a result of which a notification is sent to the first communication terminal so as to validate the purchase.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing purchases in progress which are made by a num-ber of individuals belonging to a liable organization, such as employees making purchases in parallel on behalf of a company, the apparatus comprising

a managing server (100) connected to an global interconnected network (105), such as the Internet, the server including a storage means (140) and is-suing means (150),

a client terminal (130) connected to the network for providing information to the storage means of the server about purchasing rules for individuals purchasing on behalf of their organization,

the issuing means adapted to generate a unique number, the number being issued and distributed to a purchasing individual, in dependence on the purchasing rules,

a first communication terminal (120) operated by a provider is adapted to, in response to a purchase, provide information to the managing server relating to a purchase in progress, wherein

the server is adapted examine whether information provided is in accordance with the purchasing rules, as a result of which a notification is sent to the first communication terminal so as to validate the purchase.

2. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the issuing means is adapted to generate a unique number, the number being issued and distributed to a second communication terminal operated by a purchasing individual, in dependence on the purchasing rules.

3. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the second communication terminal operated by a purchasing individual could be adapted, in response to a purchase, provide information to the man-aging server relating to a purchase in progress.

4. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the client terminal is operated by the purchasing organization.

5. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein as a result of the examination, the managing server sends a notification also to the purchasing organization in addition to the notification to the first and/or second communication terminal.

6. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the unique the number includes a logical part and a random part, the logical part including at least one of organization, department, individual and serial number of issued numbers, and the random part being any four digit number.

7. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the unique number is distributed to the second communication terminal either via a smart card or by printing the unique number on a purchasing coupon, preferably in the form of a bar code.

8. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein the information provided from the first and/or second communication terminal to the managing server relating to a purchase includes the unique number and the cost of the purchase for reservation of the corresponding the amount on a debiting account.

9. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 1, wherein for valid purchase, the first and/or second communication terminal connects to an electronic invoicing service (175), which is adapted to execute invoicing in accordance with the specific requirements for payment of the purchasing organization.

10. An apparatus for managing purchases according to claim 9, wherein the electronic invoicing service is adapted to connect to the managing server for retrieval of specific routines stored thereon for invoicing relating to the purchasing organization.

11. A method for managing purchases in progress which are made by a number of individuals belonging to a liable organization, such as employees making purchases in parallel on behalf of a company, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a managing server (100) to an global interconnected net-work (105), such as the Internet, the server including a storage means (140) and issuing means (150),

providing information to the storage means of the server about purchasing rules for individuals purchasing on behalf of their organization which information is provided by a client terminal (130) connected to the network,

generating a unique number by the issuing means, the number being is-sued and distributed to a purchasing individual in dependence on the purchasing rules,

in response to a purchase, providing information to the managing server relating to a purchase in progress, by means of a first communication terminal (120) operated by a provider,

examining by the server whether information provided is in accordance with the purchasing rules, as a result of which a notification is sent to the first communication terminal so as to validate the purchase.

12. Computer program for causing a computer apparatus to manage and audit purchases in progress which are made by a number of individuals belonging to a liable organization, such as employees making purchases in parallel on behalf of a company, comprising a computer readable code, which when run causes the computerized apparatus to perform the method steps comprising,

connecting a managing server (100) to an global interconnected net-work (105), such as the Internet, the server including a storage means (140) and issuing means (150);

providing information to the storage means of the server about purchasing rules for individuals purchasing on behalf of their organization which in-formation is provided by a client terminal (130) connected to the network;

generating a unique number by the issuing means, the number being is-sued and distributed to a purchasing individual in dependence on the purchasing rules;

in response to a purchase, providing information to the managing server relating to a purchase in progress, by means of a first communication terminal (120) operated by a provider; and

examining by the server whether information provided is in accordance with the purchasing rules, as a result of which a notification is sent to the first communication terminal so as to validate the purchase.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A computer program product in a computer readable medium having computer program code recorded thereon, wherein the program code includes sets of instructions to manage and audit purchases in progress which are made by a number of individuals belonging to a liable organization, such as employees making purchases in parallel on behalf of a company in a computer system, said instructions comprising steps for:

connecting a managing server (100) to an global interconnected net-work (105), such as the Internet, the server including a storage means (140) and issuing means (150);

providing information to the storage means of the server about purchasing rules for individuals purchasing on behalf of their organization which in-formation is provided by a client terminal (130) connected to the network;

generating a unique number by the issuing means, the number being is-sued and distributed to a purchasing individual in dependence on the purchasing rules;

in response to a purchase, providing information to the managing server relating to a purchase in progress, by means of a first communication terminal (120) operated by a provider; and

examining by the server whether information provided is in accordance with the purchasing rules, as a result of which a notification is sent to the first communication terminal so as to validate the purchase.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable medium is a propagated signal and the propagated signal is a carrier wave.