Method and apparatus for optimizing orders for goods or services to increase a discount

• US 6,078,897 A
• Filed: 02/02/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexera Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Intraware Inc. (Flexera Software LLC)
• Inventors: Geller, Mark S, Rubin, David R
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US09/018,025
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1, 705/8, 705/9, 705/10, 705/22, 705/27, 705/28, 705/35, 705/36, 702/194
• US Class Current: 705/14.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and apparatus accepts a proposed order for products and/or services directed toward a vendor and identifies one or more additional orders that can be combined with the proposed order to obtain a higher volume discount than would be obtained submitting the proposed order by itself. One or more additional orders may contain a quantity of one product available from the vendor that, when combined with the proposed order, will qualify for the next discount higher than would be obtained by the proposed order alone and costs lower than cost of achieving the same discount using another product available from the vendor. One or more additional order may contain a quantity of one product in the proposed order that, when combined with the proposed order, will qualify for the next discount higher than would be obtained by the proposed order alone and costs lower than the cost of achieving the same discount using another product in the proposed order. One or more additional orders may contain all of the products in the proposed order that, when combined with the proposed order, will qualify for the next discount higher than would be obtained by the proposed order alone and is scaled so that the quantities of the products in the additional order are approximately the same as the quantity of products in the proposed order. The user can add one or more additional orders to the proposed order, and then submit the new proposed order.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying at least one additional order having a first volume and comprising a description of a first set of at least one of a plurality of products, each product having a volume contribution and at least one quantity, the apparatus comprising:

at least one input for receiving;

a proposed order having a second volume and comprising a description of at least one of a second set of at least one of the plurality of products; and

a plurality of volume discount thresholds, each comprising a threshold volume;

at least one output for providing the additional order;

a next threshold calculator having a first input coupled to the at least one input to receive the proposed order and a second input coupled to the at least one input to receive the plurality of volume discount thresholds, the next threshold calculator for calculating the second volume responsive to the proposed order received at the next threshold calculator first input and for identifying and providing at an output an identifier of at least a portion of at least one of the volume discount thresholds having a threshold volume at least as high as the second volume; and

at least one additional order calculator having a set of at least one inputs coupled to the at least one input to receive at least a portion of the proposed order and to the next threshold calculator output to receive the at least one identifier of the threshold volume of the volume discount thresholds provided by the next threshold calculator output, each additional order calculator for identifying and providing at an output coupled to the apparatus output at least one quantity of the at least one of the products in the first set responsive to the products in the proposed order and to at least one of the threshold volumes received at the at least one additional order calculator input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the volume discount thresholds corresponding to the identifiers identified by the next threshold calculator comprises a volume discount threshold having a threshold volume nearer to the second volume than each of the threshold volumes of all volume discount thresholds having a threshold volume above the second volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

each of the products in the proposed order has a price;

the set of at least one additional order calculator inputs is coupled to receive the price of the products in the proposed order;

at least one of the at least one additional order calculator comprises a least expensive in proposed order additional order calculator for identifying a first product having a price substantially lowest among the prices of the products in the proposed order; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the least expensive in proposed order additional order calculator is the first product.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising:

a storage for storing information related to a third set of a plurality of products comprising the first set of products and a fourth set of at least one product, each of the products in the third set having a price; and

wherein;

the set of at least one order calculator inputs is coupled to receive the price of the products in the proposed order;

at least one of the at least one additional order calculator comprises a least expensive additional order calculator for identifying a quantity of a first product wherein the price of the first product multiplied by the quantity of the first product is substantially lowest among the prices multiplied by a quantity of the products in the third set, wherein the quantity of each of the products in the third set and first product is at least as high as the second volume divided by the volume contribution of said product; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the least expensive additional order calculator is the first product.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising:

a storage for storing information related to a third set of a plurality of products comprising the first set of products and a fourth set of products, each of the products in the third set having a price stored in the storage;

the set of at least one order calculator inputs is coupled to receive the price of the products in the proposed order; and

wherein at least one of the at least one additional order calculator additionally comprises a least expensive additional order calculator for identifying a first product having a price substantially lowest among the prices of the products in the fourth set; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the least expensive additional order calculator is the first product.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the additional order calculators comprises a scale proposed order calculator additional order calculator; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the scale proposed order additional order calculator comprises the second set of products.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

at least one of the additional order calculators comprises a scale proposed order additional order calculator; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the scale proposed order additional order calculator comprises the second set of products.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the additional order calculators comprises a scale proposed order additional order calculator; and

the first set of products in at least one of the at least one order having a quantity output by the least expensive in scale proposed order additional order calculator comprises the second set of products.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proposed order and each of the at least one additional orders has a price, each of the volume discount thresholds has a threshold discount, the apparatus additionally comprising a difference calculator having an input for receiving information related to the price of the proposed order, at least one of the additional orders and at least one threshold discount, the difference calculator for calculating and presenting at the at least one output at least one difference in price between the proposed order and at least one of the additional orders, said difference responsive to at least a plurality of threshold discounts related to the information received at the discount calculator input.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 additionally comprising a discount calculator having an input operatively coupled to receive information related to a threshold discount of a volume discount threshold having a threshold volume corresponding to the volume of the proposed order, and at least one additional threshold discount having a threshold volume corresponding to the volume of at least one of the additional orders, the discount calculator for identifying and providing to an output coupled to the discount calculator input a threshold discount corresponding to the volume discount threshold having a threshold volume corresponding to the proposed order and at least one of threshold discount corresponding to the volume discount threshold having a threshold volume corresponding to the additional orders.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the next threshold calculator calculates the second volume additionally responsive to prior order information received at a next threshold calculator third input.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one apparatus input is coupled to the next threshold calculator third input and the prior order information is received at the at least one apparatus input.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 additionally comprising a prior order storage having an output coupled to the next threshold calculator third input, the prior order storage for storing the prior storage information.

14. A method of identifying at least one additional order comprising information related to products, the method comprising:

receiving information related to a plurality of products;

receiving a plurality of sets of discount threshold information, each set comprising information related to at least one threshold volume and information related to at least one discount;

receiving a proposed order comprising at least one identifier of at least one product and having at least one volume;

identifying at least one of the volumes of the proposed order;

identifying at least one of the threshold volumes of at least one set of the discount threshold information received exceeding at least one of the volumes of the proposed order identified; and

identifying at least one additional order, each of the additional orders having a volume at least as great as a difference between one of the threshold volumes identified and one of the volumes of the proposed order received.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

each of the product identifiers in the proposed order received has a weight;

the receiving information related to a plurality of products step comprises, for each of a plurality of products, receiving an identifier of the product and a price of the product; and

the identifying at least one additional order step comprises;

identifying at least one of the product identifiers of the proposed order received wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to the said other identifiers of the proposed order received; and

calculating at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor;

the receiving information related to a plurality of products step comprises, for each of a plurality of products, receiving an identifier of the product and a price of the product; and

the identifying at least one additional order step comprises;

identifying at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to said other product identifiers having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

calculating at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the identifying the at least one additional order step comprises:

identifying a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

multiplying at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the identifying the at least one additional order step additionally comprises:

identifying a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

multiplying at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor; and

the identifying at least one additional order step additionally comprises;

identifying at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other product identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to said product identifiers having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

calculating at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the identifying the at least one additional order step additionally comprises:

identifying a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

multiplying at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor;

the identifying at least one additional order step additionally comprises;

identifying at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other product identifiers divided by the weight of said other product identifier having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

calculating at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

22. The method of claim 14 comprising the additional steps of:

identifying a discounted price of the proposed order received;

identifying at least one discounted price of an order comprising the proposed order received and each of at least one of the additional orders identified;

subtracting the discounted price of the proposed order received from the discounted price of the order comprising the proposed order received and each of at least one of the additional orders identified to produce at least one result; and

displaying the at least one result.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising the additional steps of:

prompting a user to select at least one additional order;

receiving a selection corresponding to at least one additional order; and

building a new proposed order comprising the proposed order and the at least one additional order corresponding to the selection received.

24. The method of claim 23 comprising the additional step of placing an order corresponding to the new proposed order.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one threshold volumes identified exceed the sum of at least one of the volumes of the proposed order and a volume of at least one prior order.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising the additional step of receiving at least one indicator of the at least one prior order.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for identifying at least one additional order comprising information related to products, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive information related to a plurality of products;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a plurality of sets of discount threshold information, each set comprising information related to at least one threshold volume and information related to at least one discount;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a proposed order comprising at least one identifier of at least one product and having at least one volume;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one of the volumes of the proposed order;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one of the threshold volumes of at least one set of the discount threshold information received exceeding at least one of the volumes of the proposed order identified; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one additional order, each of the additional orders having a volume at least as great as a difference between one of the threshold volumes identified and one of the volumes of the proposed order received.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein:

each of the product identifiers in the proposed order received has a weight;

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive information related to a plurality of products comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to, for each of a plurality of products, receive an identifier of the product and a price of the product; and

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one additional order comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to;

identify at least one of the product identifiers of the proposed order received wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to the said other identifiers of the proposed order received; and

calculate at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

29. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor;

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive information related to a plurality of products comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to, for each of a plurality of products, receive an identifier of the product and a price of the product; and

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one additional order step comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to;

identify at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to said other product identifiers having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

calculate at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

30. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify the at least one additional order comprise:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to multiply at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

31. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify the at least one additional order step additionally comprise:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to multiply at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

32. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor; and

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one additional order step additionally comprise;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other product identifiers divided by the weights corresponding to said product identifiers having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to calculate at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

33. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein each of the product identifiers in the proposed order has a quantity, and the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify the at least one additional order additionally comprise:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify a multiplier at least as great as a quotient having a numerator equal to the difference between the threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order received; and

a denominator equal to the volume of the proposed order identified; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to multiply at least one of the quantities of the proposed order received by the multiplier identified.

34. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein:

each of the product identifiers received has a weight and a vendor;

the proposed order has a vendor;

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one additional order step additionally comprise;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one of the product identifiers received having a vendor corresponding to the vendor of the proposed order wherein, for each product identifier identified, the price corresponding to said product identifier divided by the weight corresponding to said product identifier is not greater than substantially all of the prices received corresponding to other product identifiers divided by the weight of said other product identifier having the vendor of the proposed order received; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to calculate at least one lowest quantity of the at least one product identifiers identified wherein a sum of a multiplication product of the quantity of said product identifier and the weight of said product identifier is not less than the difference of the at least one threshold volume identified and the volume of the proposed order.

35. The computer program product of claim 27 additionally comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify a discounted price of the proposed order received;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to identify at least one discounted price of an order comprising the proposed order received and each of at least one of the additional orders identified;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to subtract the discounted price of the proposed order received from the discounted price of the order comprising the proposed order received and each of at least one of the additional orders identified to produce at least one result; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to display the at least one result.

36. The computer program product of claim 35 additionally comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to prompt a user to select at least one additional order;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a selection corresponding to at least one additional order; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build a new proposed order comprising the proposed order and the at least one additional order corresponding to the selection received.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to place an order corresponding to the new proposed order.

38. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the at least one threshold volumes identified exceed the sum of at least one of the volumes of the proposed order and a volume of at least one prior order.

39. The computer program product of claim 38 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive at least one indicator of the at least one prior order.