User Interface For A Complex Order Processing System

• US 20080270256A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carlos Alejandro Sandrea, Mark David Lewis, Richard Joseph Caballero
• Original Assignee: Carlos Alejandro Sandrea, Mark David Lewis, Richard Joseph Caballero
• Inventors: Caballero, Richard Joseph, Lewis, Mark David, Sandrea, Carlos Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

The method and apparatus of the present invention include generating a list of orders associated with an account. The list of orders comprises orders that are open. Selection of one of the orders is detected. A request to change the selected order is detected. Changes in the open and pending orders to reflect the future state of an asset are applied. A quote based on the future state of an asset is generated. A user is allowed to change the configuration of the future state of the asset, and the change is incorporated in the quote.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. An apparatus for processing orders in a computerized order processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a list of orders associated with an account, wherein the list of orders comprises orders that are open;

means for detecting selection of one of the orders;

means for detecting a request to change the selected order;

means for applying changes in the open and pending orders to reflect the future state of an asset;

means for generating a quote based on the future state of an asset;

means for allowing a user to change the configuration of the future state of the asset; and

means for incorporating the change in the quote.

17. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating a list of items comprising the selected order;

means for determining whether each item in the list of items has been delivered;

means for detecting selection of one of the items; and

means for allowing the user to reconfigure the selected item if the selected item has not been delivered.

18. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

means for changing the status of the selected item to indicate that the selected item has been changed.

19. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

means for changing the status of the selected order to indicate that the order has been updated.

20. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating a list of accounts;

means for detecting selection of one of the accounts;

means for generating a list of quotes associated with the selected account.

21. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating a list of accounts;

means for detecting selection of one of the accounts;

means for generating a list of quotes associated with the selected account;

means for detecting selection of one of the quotes;

means for detecting a request to change the selected quote; and

means for incorporating the change in the quote.

22. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

means for generating a list of assets associated with the selected account;

means for detecting selection of one of the assets;

means for detecting a request to change the selected asset; and

means for incorporating the change to the asset in a quote.

23. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

means for submitting the quote to an order.

24. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating a list of items comprising the selected asset;

means for detecting selection of one of the items; and

means for allowing a user to reconfigure the selected item.

25. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising:

means for ungrouping the selected item with a quantity of more than one to a corresponding multiple of items;

means for allowing the user to reconfigure each item of the multiple of items individually.

26. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 25, further comprising:

means for detecting selection of an option to update potential revenue based on the price of items in the selected quote.

27. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 26, further comprising:

means for detecting selection of an option to create a quote for a new asset, wherein the quote is associated with the selected account;

means for generating a list assets comprising products and services available;

means for detecting selection of an asset;

means for invoking a product configurator to allow the user to configure the selected asset.

28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein the change comprises disconnecting the asset.

29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein the change comprises transferring the asset, the apparatus further comprising:

means for detecting selection of an option to transfer the asset;

means for copying information about the configuration of the asset to a quote; and

means for setting the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be included in a service profile at a new address.

means for copying information about the asset to.

30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

means for copying the information about the configuration of the asset to a second quote; and

means for setting the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be disconnected in a service profile at an old address.

31-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method, comprising:

generating a list of orders associated with an account, wherein the list of orders comprises orders that are open;

detecting selection of one of the orders;

detecting a request to change the selected order;

applying changes in the open and pending orders to reflect the future state of an asset;

generating a quote based on the future state of an asset;

allowing a user to change the configuration of the future state of the asset; and

incorporating the change in the quote.

46. The method, as set forth in claim 45, further comprising:

generating a list of items comprising the selected order;

determining whether each item in the list of items has been delivered;

detecting selection of one of the items; and

allowing the user to reconfigure the selected item if the selected item has not been delivered.

47. The method, as set forth in claim 46, further comprising:

changing the status of the selected item to indicate that the selected item has been changed.

48. The method, as set forth in claim 45, further comprising:

changing the status of the selected order to indicate that the order has been updated.

49. The method, as set forth in claim 45, further comprising:

generating a list of accounts;

detecting selection of one of the accounts;

generating a list of quotes associated with the selected account.

50. The method, as set forth in claim 45, further comprising:

generating a list of accounts;

detecting selection of one of the accounts;

generating a list of quotes associated with the selected account;

detecting selection of one of the quotes;

detecting a request to change the selected quote; and

incorporating the change in the quote.

51. The method, as set forth in claim 50, further comprising:

generating a list of assets associated with the selected account;

detecting selection of one of the assets;

detecting a request to change the selected asset; and

incorporating the change to the asset in a quote.

52. The method, as set forth in claim 51, further comprising:

submitting the quote to an order.

53. The method, as set forth in claim 52, further comprising:

generating a list of items comprising the selected asset;

detecting selection of one of the items; and

allowing a user to reconfigure the selected item.

54. The method, as set forth in claim 53, further comprising:

ungrouping the selected item with a quantity of more than one to a corresponding multiple of items;

allowing the user to reconfigure each item of the multiple of items individually.

55. The method, as set forth in claim 54, further comprising:

detecting selection of an option to update potential revenue based on the price of items in the selected quote.

56. The method, as set forth in claim 55, further comprising:

detecting selection of an option to create a quote for a new asset, wherein the quote is associated with the selected account;

generating a list assets comprising products and services available;

detecting selection of an asset;

invoking a product configurator to allow the user to configure the selected asset.

57. The method as set forth in claim 56, wherein the change comprises disconnecting the asset.

58. The method as set forth in claim 57 wherein the change comprises transferring the asset, the method further comprising:

detecting selection of an option to transfer the asset;

copying information about the configuration of the asset to a quote; and

setting the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be included in a service profile at a new address.

copying information about the asset to.

59. The method as set forth in claim 58, further comprising:

copying the information about the configuration of the asset to a second quote; and

setting the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be disconnected in a service profile at an old address.

60. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of orders associated with an account, wherein the list of orders comprises orders that are open;

a second set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the orders;

a third set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect a request to change the selected order,

a fourth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to apply changes in the open and pending orders to reflect the future state of an asset;

a fifth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a quote based on the future state of an asset;

a sixth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to allow a user to change the configuration of the future state of the asset; and

a seventh set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to incorporate the change in the quote.

61. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 60, further comprising:

an eighth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of items comprising the selected order;

a ninth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to determine whether each item in the list of items has been delivered;

a tenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the items; and

an eleventh set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to allow the user to reconfigure the selected item if the selected item has not been delivered.

62. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 61, further comprising:

a twelfth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to change the status of the selected item to indicate that the selected item has been changed.

63. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 60, further comprising:

a thirteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to change the status of the selected order to indicate that the order has been updated.

64. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 60, further comprising:

a fourteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of accounts;

a fifteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the accounts;

a sixteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of quotes associated with the selected account.

65. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 60, further comprising:

a seventeenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of accounts;

an eighteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the accounts;

a nineteenth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of quotes associated with the selected account;

a twentieth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the quotes;

a twenty-first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect a request to change the selected quote; and

a twenty-second set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to incorporate the change in the quote.

66. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 65, further comprising:

a twenty-third set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of assets associated with the selected account;

a twenty-fourth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the assets;

a twenty-fifth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect a request to change the selected asset; and

a twenty-sixth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to incorporate the change to the asset in a quote.

67. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 66, further comprising:

a twenty-seventh set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to submit the quote to an order.

68. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 67, further comprising:

a twenty-eighth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list of items comprising the selected asset;

a twenty-ninth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of one of the items; and

a thirtieth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to allow a user to reconfigure the selected item.

69. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 68, further comprising:

a thirty-first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to ungroup the selected item with a quantity of more than one to a corresponding multiple of items;

a thirty-second set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to allow the user to reconfigure each item of the multiple of items individually.

70. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 69, further comprising:

a thirty-third set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of an option to update potential revenue based on the price of items in the selected quote.

71. The computer readable storage medium, as set forth in claim 70, further comprising:

a thirty-fourth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of an option to create a quote for a new asset, wherein the quote is associated with the selected account;

a thirty-fifth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to generate a list assets comprising products and services available;

a thirty-sixth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of an asset;

a thirty-seventh set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to invoke a product configurator to allow the user to configure the selected asset.

72. The computer readable storage medium as set forth in claim 71, wherein the change comprises disconnecting the asset.

73. The computer readable storage medium as set forth in claim 72 wherein the change comprises transferring the asset, the computer readable storage medium further comprising:

a thirty-eighth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to detect selection of an option to transfer the asset;

a thirty-ninth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to copy information about the configuration of the asset to a quote; and

a fortieth set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to set the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be included in a service profile at a new address.

a forty-first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to copy information about the asset to.

74. The computer readable storage medium as set forth in claim 73, further comprising:

a forty-second set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to copy the information about the configuration of the asset to a second quote; and

a forty-third set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to set the status of items in the quote to indicate that the items are to be disconnected in a service profile at an old address.