Stock control computer system and method

• US 6,561,417 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gadd, Richard John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US09/348,567
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/376, 235/385, 705/22, 705/23, 705/26, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A stock control computer system includes a memory for storing a current stock list based on product codes. An electronic version of a store purchase receipt, including product codes for the items purchased, is sent from the store to the customer'"'"'s home computer where it is used to update the current stock list by addition of products purchased. Items are deleted from the current stock list as they are disposed of by the customer, in response to an electronic indication of the corresponding product codes produced, for example, by scanning product packaging with a bar code scanner. When the customer initiates a home stock check, the current stock list is compared with a predetermined stock level and an indication of which items need replacement is produced. This indication may be displayed, printed or transmitted electronically to the store. The electronic purchase receipt may also be used to generate and update a correlation between product codes, such as bar codes, and product descriptions, this correlation also being stored in memory.

Claims

1. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location comprising:

a point of sale computer server located at a sales outlet, having a customer interface which allows the inputing of customer identification data, said point of sale computer having a server which provides a product identification function, records data relating to products purchased by said customer, and generates a receipt identifying said purchased products, said point of sale computer having a first communication link having the capability of sending said receipt;

a customer computer located at said customer location, remote from said point of sale computer and having a second communication link for connecting to said first communication link to receive said receipt;

said customer computer further comprising;

a reader for identifying products as they are used and generating an output relative thereto;

a memory for storing a current stock list of the contents of customer'"'"'s stock of products; and

a product identification data base; and

a processor for receiving said receipt, comparing said products purchased to said current list of stock contents and updating said current list;

said processor further receiving said output of said reader and updating said current list of stock contents in response thereto.

2. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, as described in claim 1, wherein said memory further stores a desired stock list and said processor compares said desired stock list with said current stock list and generates a shopping list.

3. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, as described in claim 1, wherein said processor initially obtains the product identification data contained in the product identification data base from said receipt and compares the product identification data in a receipt to said product identification database in said memory and updates said product identification database.

4. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, as described in claim 1, wherein said communication links are connected through a network.

5. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, as described in claim 4, wherein said network comprises the Internet.

6. A computer system for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, as described in claim 1, wherein the products are identified by reading bar codes presented on each product and said product identification database contains data which correlates the bar codes to product descriptions.

7. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, comprising the steps of:

at a point of sale computer, generating a receipt containing product identification data of products purchased by said customer, and transmitting said receipt over a communications link;

receiving said receipt at a customer'"'"'s computer;

processing said product identification data of products purchased to generate a current stock list of the contents of customer'"'"'s stock of products; and

to generate a product identification database; and

updating said current stock list as receipts are received;

storing said current stock list and said product identification database in memory;

reading product identification data as products are removed from said customer'"'"'s stock of products and updating said current stock list in response thereto.

8. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location further, according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

storing a desired stock list in said customer'"'"'s computer; and

comparing said desired stock list with said current stock list and generating a shopping list of items to be bought.

9. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, according to claim 7, further comprising the step of comparing the product identification data in a receipt to said product identification database in said memory and updating said product identification database.

10. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, according to claim 7, wherein said receipt is transmitted via a network.

11. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, according to claim 10, wherein said network is the Internet.

12. In a computer system, a method for controlling a stock of products at a customers location, according to claim 7, wherein the products are identified by reading bar codes presented on each product and said product identification database contains data which correlates the bar codes to product descriptions.