Machine, Methods, and Program Product for Electronic Inventory Tracking

• US 20120209734A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pathward National Association
• Original Assignee: MetaBank (Meta Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brooks, Jason, Wells, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• 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

Machine, methods, and computer program encoded on non-transitory memory for facilitating electronic inventory tracking and management of products through messaging over an existing financial services payment network are provided. An example includes an inventory management computer in communication with a merchant POS apparatus or terminal over an existing financial services payment network and configured to receive and process purchase transaction data associated with a product being purchased. The computer can also include, for example, electronic inventory management computer program configured to perform various operations including generating product identifiers, forming product look up tables to correlate the identifiers with the products, and providing inventory data to product providers.

Claims

1. A computer adapted to issue a plurality of identifiers to be positioned on a plurality of product apparatuses to facilitated electronic inventory management of a plurality of products through an existing electronic financial payment network to define an issuer processor computer, the issuer processor computer comprising:

one or more central processing units;

one or more input/output units operable to communicate with a plurality of merchant acquirer computers associated with a plurality of merchants through an existing electronic financial payment network, each of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers operable to receive a plurality of purchase requests from one or more of the plurality of merchants;

one or more non-transitory memories encoded with one or more computer programs operable by the one or more central processing units so that during operations thereof, an issuer processor computer operates to perform the following steps;

generating a plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers to be positioned on a plurality of product apparatuses to facilitate inventory management of a plurality of products;

forming one or more product look up tables to correlate the plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers with the plurality of products of a plurality product of providers responsive to receiving product data from the plurality of product providers, each of the plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers comprising an issuer identifier number (IIN) and a product identifier and being compatible with the existing electronic financial payment network;

determining, responsive to receiving one or more first purchase transaction messages comprising one or more of the plurality of identifiers and a flag indicating a capability of a point of sale terminal to support partial-authorization messaging, whether the one or more of the plurality identifiers are valid according to the one or more product look up tables, the one or more first purchase transaction messages being sent through the existing electronic financial payment network from one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers responsive to one or more purchase requests for one or more of the plurality of products from the point of sale terminal positioned remote from the issuer processor computer, the point of sale terminal interfacing with one or more of the plurality of plurality of product apparatuses to retrieve the one or more of the plurality of identifiers;

sending, responsive to the one or more of the plurality of product identifiers being valid, partial-authorization approval data to the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers to thereby indicate a requirement to tender funds to complete the purchase request of the one or more of the plurality of products; and

responsive to receiving one or more second purchase transaction messages indicating a purchase acknowledgement of the one or more of the plurality of products from the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers, providing inventory data of the plurality of products to the plurality of product providers, the inventory data indicating a number of the plurality of products purchased at the plurality of merchants.

2. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of identifiers in a single set have a common IIN that corresponds to one of the plurality of product providers.

3. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, the one or more second purchase transaction messages received by the issuer processor computer further indicates one or more of the following data items:

merchant category code, merchant identification number, terminal identification number, date purchased, time-of-day purchased, and product purchase location indicia.

4. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, the one or more computer programs operable by the issuer processing computer further operates to perform the step of:

notifying, by the issuer processor computer, one or more of the plurality of product providers associated with the one or more of the plurality of products purchased of updated inventory data.

5. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the IIN identifies an issuing institution associated with the one or more of the plurality of identifiers.

6. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the point of sale terminal interfaces with the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses to read the one or more of the plurality of identifiers via one or more of the following:

swiping a magnetic stripe positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, reading a RFID tag positioned on or in the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, or scanning a barcoded positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses.

7. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the one or more first purchase transaction messages is responsive to

the issuer processor computer receiving the one or more of the plurality of identifiers through the existing electronic financial payment network from the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers in communication therewith responsive to the existing electronic financial payment network identifying the issuer processor computer.

8. An issuer processor computer as defined in claim 1, wherein a partial authorization approved balance is zero dollars to thereby indicate a requirement to tender full payment to complete the purchase of the one or more of the plurality of products.

9. A computer-implemented method to facilitate electronic inventory management of a plurality of products through an existing electronic financial payment network, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer associated with a financial institution and adapted to issue identifiers to define an issuer processor computer, a plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers to be positioned on a plurality of product apparatuses to facilitate inventory management of a plurality of products;

forming, by the issuer processing computer, one or more product look up tables to correlate the plurality of plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers with the plurality of products of a plurality product of providers responsive to receiving product data from the plurality of product providers, each of the plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers comprising an issuer identifier number (IIN) and a product identifier and being compatible with an existing electronic financial payment network;

determining, responsive to the issuer processing computer receiving one or more first purchase transaction messages comprising one or more of the plurality of identifiers and a flag indicating a capability of a point of sale terminal to support partial-authorization messaging, whether the one or more of the plurality identifiers are valid according to the one or more product look up tables, the one or more first purchase transaction messages being sent through the existing electronic financial payment network from one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers responsive to one or more purchase requests for one or more of the plurality of products from the point of sale terminal positioned remote from the issuer processor computer, the point of sale terminal interfacing with one or more of the plurality of plurality of product apparatuses to retrieve the one or more of the plurality of identifiers;

sending, by the issuer processing computer, responsive to the one or more of the plurality of identifiers being valid, partial-authorization approval data to the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers to thereby indicate a requirement to tender funds to complete the purchase request of the one or more of the plurality of products; and

responsive to receiving one or more second purchase transaction messages indicating a purchase acknowledgement of the one or more of the plurality of products from the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers, providing inventory data of the plurality of products to the plurality of product providers, the inventory data indicating a number of the plurality of products purchased at the plurality of merchants.

10. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 9, wherein the point of sale terminal interfaces with the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses to read the one or more of the plurality of identifiers via one or more of the following:

swiping a magnetic stripe positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, reading a RFID tag positioned on or in the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, or scanning a barcoded positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses.

11. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 9, wherein the IIN identifies an issuing financial institution associated with the one or more of the plurality of product identifiers.

12. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 9, the one or more second purchase transaction messages received by the issuer processor computer includes one or more of the following data items:

merchant category code, merchant identification number, terminal identification number, date purchased, time-of-day purchased, and product purchase location indicia.

13. Non-transitory memory encoded with one or more computer programs operable an issuer processing computer so that during operations thereof, an issuer processor computer operates to perform the following steps:

generating, by a computer adapted to issue a plurality of identifiers to be placed on a plurality of product apparatuses to facilitated electronic inventory management of a plurality of products through an existing electronic financial payment network to define an issuer processor computer, by a plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers to be positioned on a plurality of product apparatuses to facilitate inventory management of a plurality of products;

forming, by the issuer processing computer, one or more product look up tables to correlate the plurality of plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers with the plurality of products of a plurality product of providers responsive to receiving product data from the plurality of product providers, each of the plurality of financial payment network compatible identifiers comprising an issuer identifier number (IIN) and a product identifier and being compatible with the existing electronic financial payment network;

determining, responsive to receiving one or more first purchase transaction messages comprising one or more of the plurality of identifiers and a flag indicating a capability of a point of sale terminal to support partial-authorization messaging, whether the one or more of the plurality identifiers are valid according to the one or more product look up tables, the one or more first purchase transaction messages being sent through the existing electronic financial payment network from one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers responsive to one or more purchase requests for one or more of the plurality of products from the point of sale terminal positioned remote from the issuer processor computer, the point of sale terminal interfacing with one or more of the plurality of plurality of product apparatuses to retrieve the one or more of the plurality of identifiers;

sending, by the issuer processing computer, responsive to the one or more of the plurality of identifiers being valid, partial-authorization approval data to the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers to thereby indicate a requirement to tender funds to complete the purchase request of the one or more of the plurality of products; and

responsive to receiving one or more second purchase transaction messages indicating a purchase acknowledgement of the one or more of the plurality of products from the one or more of the plurality of merchant acquirer computers, providing inventory data of the plurality of products to the plurality of product providers, the inventory data indicating a number of the plurality of products purchased at the plurality of merchants.

14. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, wherein the point of sale terminal interfaces with the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses to read the one or more of the plurality of identifiers via one or more of the following:

swiping a magnetic stripe positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, reading a RFID tag positioned on or in the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses, or scanning a barcoded positioned on the one or more of the plurality of product apparatuses.

15. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, wherein the IIN identifies an issuing financial institution associated with the one or more of the plurality of product identifiers.

16. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, the one or more second purchase transaction messages received by the issuer processor computer includes one or more of the following data items:

merchant category code, merchant identification number, terminal identification number, date purchased, time-of-day purchased, and product purchase location indicia.

17. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, wherein a partial authorization approved balance is zero dollars to thereby indicate a requirement to tender full payment to complete the purchase of the one or more of the plurality of products.

18. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of identifiers in a single set have a common IIN that corresponds to one of the plurality of product providers.

19. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, the one or more computer programs operable further operates to perform the step of:

notifying, by the issuer processor computer, one or more of the plurality of product providers associated with the one or more of the plurality of products purchased of updated inventory data.

20. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 13, wherein a set of the plurality of products are of a same type and quantity, and from one of the plurality of product providers;

and wherein the set of the plurality of products have a common IIN and product identifier.