Centralized database supported electronic catalog and order system for merchandise distribution

• US 20100191618A1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dan Zhu
• Original Assignee: Dan Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Dan
• Application Number:
  US12/383,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

A system that permits a retailer to have an in-store computer terminal that is connected to the Internet and configured to access a set of pages on a supplier'"'"'s server. The accessible pages show a set of merchandise items selected by the retailer and tagged with prices set by the retailer. The terminal is either made available for direct ordering by a retail customer, or ordering by store personnel at the request of a retail customer. Changes in wholesale price or models offered may cause an automatic updating of the display pages, to avoid suboptimal pricing, inaccurate display and orders of unavailable items.

Claims

1. A system for permitting a commercial location to offer remote third-party-stocked items, chosen by a representative of said commercial location, to shoppers:

(a) a client computer terminal connected to the Internet in said commercial location;

(b) a third-party server; and

(c) wherein said client computer terminal has sent identifying indicia to said third-party server over the Internet, said server thereupon permitting a user of said client computer terminal to search through a set of merchandise items chosen by a representative of said commercial location, said searchable items being available for purchase at prices set by said representative of said commercial location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying indicia is stored in nonvolatile memory on said client computer terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said client computer terminal is configured to automatically log onto said third-party server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said client computer terminal is locked from use other than being connected to said third-party server.

5. The system of claim 1, including additional client computer terminals all having identifying indicia for said specified set of web pages.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said additional client computer terminals are all in said commercial location.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of said additional client computer terminals is in an alternative commercial location.

8. The system of claim 1, further including additional client computer terminals having different identifying indicia and wherein said third-party server makes available different specified sets of web pages for said additional client computer terminals.

9. A system for permitting an authorized user to assemble an online catalog dataset hosted on a third party server system:

(a) a client computer;

(b) a set of product descriptions hosted on said third-party server system; and

(c) wherein said authorized user may connect said client computer to said third-party server system and may use said client computer to select products for inclusion in said online catalog dataset.

10. The system of claim 9, including a display computer terminal connected to said online catalog dataset.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said display computer terminal is said client computer.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein an online catalog dataset theme may also be selected though use of said client computer.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein an online catalog dataset logo may be uploaded from said client computer onto said online catalog dataset.

14. An electronic catalog system comprising:

(a) a first dataset having a set of product listings, each including product information and a wholesale price of said product;

(b) a second dataset listing for each one of a set of stores, a subset of said set of product listings, said subset being offered in said store'"'"'s electronic catalog, said second data set also listing a retail price for each listing of a product in each subset; and

(c) wherein a change in said first dataset may cause an automatic change in said second dataset.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a change to the wholesale price for one of said products automatically causes a change in a said retail price corresponding to a said listing of said product in a said subset.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a change to the wholesale price for one of said products automatically causes a change in a plurality of said retail prices corresponding to listings of said products in a plurality of said subsets.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein at least some of said retail prices listed in said second dataset are based on a general pricing rule that is based on said wholesale price.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said wholesale dataset also lists a manufacturers suggested retail price for each item.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein at least some of said retail prices are based on a general pricing rule based on said manufacturers suggested retail price.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein a change in said manufacturers suggested retail price for a product automatically results in changes to said retail prices that are based on a general pricing rule based on said manufacturers suggested retail price.