System and Method for Calculating Parameters for a Commerce System

• US 20080222006A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dunn, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method and system for processing a parameter for an item in an electronic order processing system is provided. The method has a first step of associating a calculation code with the item. The second step of the method is applying the calculation rule to the item to produce an amount. The third step of the method is providing the amount to an output device. Each operation within each of the first step, the second step and the third step may be modified and flow of execution amongst the first step, the second step and the third step remains the same.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. An electronic order processing system for use in an ordering system responsive to a transaction request associated with an item, said electronic order processing system comprising:

a computer receiving the transaction request; and

a program executed on the computer for processing the transaction request and processing a parameter for the item, the program comprising;

a plurality of calculation rules for calculating amounts for parameters of items;

an association module for associating a calculation code with the item, wherein the calculation code has an associated qualifying method that is used to determine whether the calculation code is to be applied to the item;

a calculation module for applying the calculation code to the item to produce an amount for a parameter for the item, wherein the calculation module initially associates one or more calculation rules with the calculation code;

responsive to initiating application of the calculation code to the item, uses the qualifying method to determine whether to apply the calculation code to the item; and

, responsive to a determination that the calculation code is to be applied to the item, uses the one or more calculation rules to produce the amount for the parameter for the item; and

an application module for providing the amount to an output device.

11. An electronic order processing system as in claim 10, wherein the calculation rule may be modified and initiating application of the calculation code to the item remains the same.

12. An electronic order processing system as in claim 10, wherein said output device is one of (a) a printer, (b) a display device, (c) a storage medium, (d) a database and (e) a connection device.

13. An electronic order processing system as in claim 10, wherein the item is one of a plurality of items, the calculation code is one of a plurality of calculation codes associated with the item and the one or more calculation rules are selected from a plurality of calculation rules associated with the calculation code.

14. An electronic order processing system as in claim 10, wherein said association module selectively associates said calculation code with said item.

15. An electronic order processing system as in claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of calculation rules has an associated allowable calculation attribute that determines whether the calculation rule may be combined with other calculation rules.

16. An electronic order processing system as in claim 15, wherein the allowable calculation attribute has a value selected from the group consisting essentially of in combination with, no in combination with, and in addition to.

17-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer program product, in a recordable-type computer readable medium, embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of calculation rules for calculating amounts for parameters of items;

associating one or more calculation rules from the plurality of calculation rules with a calculation code, wherein the one or more calculation rules are used to produce an amount for a parameter;

associating the calculation code with the item;

responsive to initiating application of the calculation code to the item, using the one or more calculation rules to produce an amount for the parameter for the item; and

providing the amount to an output device.

27. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 26, wherein the calculation rule may be modified and initiating application of the calculation code to the item remains the same.

28. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 26, wherein said output device is one of (a) a printer, (b) a display device, (c) a storage medium, (d) a database and (e) a connection device.

29. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 26, wherein the item is one of a plurality of items, the calculation code is one of a plurality of calculation codes associated with the item and the one or more calculation rules are selected from a plurality of calculation rules associated with the calculation code.

30. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 26, wherein said associating said calculation code further comprises selectively associating said calculation code with said item.

31. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of calculation rules has an associated allowable calculation attribute that determines whether the calculation rule may be combined with other calculation rules.

32. A computer program embodying a method for processing a parameter for an item as in claim 31, wherein the allowable calculation attribute has a value selected from the group consisting essentially of in combination with, not in combination with, and in addition to.

33. (canceled)

34. An electronic order processing system comprising:

a computer-readable information storage medium;

a procedure encoded on said storage medium for processing a parameter for an item, said procedure comprising;

providing a plurality of calculation rules for calculating amounts for parameters of items;

associating one or more calculation rules from the plurality of calculation rules with a calculation code, wherein the one or more calculation rules are used to produce an amount for a parameter and wherein the calculation code has an associated qualifying method that is used to determine whether the calculation code is to be applied to the item;

associating the calculation code with the item;

responsive to initiating application of the calculation code to the item, using the qualifying method to determine whether to apply the calculation code to the item;

responsive to a determination that the calculation code is to be applied to the item, using the one or more calculation rules to produce an amount for the parameter for the item; and

providing the amount to an output device.

35. An electronic order processing system as in claim 34, wherein the calculation rule may be modified and initiating application of the calculation code to the item remains the same.

36. An electronic order processing system as in claim 34, wherein said output device is one of (a) a printer, (b) a display device, (c) a storage medium, (d) a database and (e) a connection device.

37. An electronic order processing system as in claim 34, wherein the item is one of a plurality of items, the calculation code is one of a plurality of calculation codes associated with the item and the one or more calculation rules are selected from a plurality of calculation rules associated with the calculation code.

38. An electronic order processing system as in claim 34, wherein said associating said calculation code further comprises selectively associating said calculation code with said item.

39. An electronic order processing system as in claim 34, wherein each of the plurality of calculation rules has an associated allowable calculation attribute that determines whether the calculation rule may be combined with other calculation rules.

40. An electronic order processing system as in claim 39, wherein the allowable calculation attribute has a value selected from the group consisting essentially of in combination with, not in combination with, and in addition to.

41-44. -44. (canceled)