Multiply-integrated system for product inventory, sales, and distribution
First Claim
1. A method for multiply-integrated product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
- under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product suppliers and entering the information into a supplier database, the supplier database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product suppliers, wherein;
the multiple independent participating product suppliers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, and participating product retailers,the multiple independent participating product suppliers include at least one participating product distributor and at least one participating product retailer,the multiple independent participating product suppliers include at least two participating product distributors or at least two participating product retailers, andthe multiple independent product suppliers offer products of a common product category;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product suppliers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product suppliers;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining topending orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, andfulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product suppliers;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the supplier database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product supplier;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby causing fulfillment of the order;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product;
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the supplier database; and
under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating and transmitting a financial accounting record for each delivered product,wherein;
at least a portion of the delivery instructions for order fulfillment are transmitted to one participating product retailer in response to an order placed with another of the participating product retailers;
orat least a portion of the delivery instructions for order fulfillment are transmitted to one participating product distributor in response to an order placed with or delivery instructions received by another of the participating product distributors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multiply-integrated system for inventory, sales, and distribution of products comprises a supplier database, an order database, and a programmed order processor. The supplier database includes inventory/pricing information for multiple independent participating product suppliers, which may include: product manufacturers, distributors, and/or retailers. The order database includes order information received by the multiple participating product suppliers from multiple independent product purchasers. The multiple product purchasers may include any or all of: product manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and/or purchasers. The order processor is linked to the databases and programmed for implementing a multiply-integrated method comprising the steps of: a) receiving/entering pricing/inventory information for the supplier database; b/c) receiving/entering order information for multiple product purchasers into the order database; d) searching for ordered products available from a supplier; e) issuing instructions for delivery of each ordered and located product; f) updating the order database; and g) creating a financial accounting record for delivered products.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for multiply-integrated product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
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under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product suppliers and entering the information into a supplier database, the supplier database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product suppliers, wherein; the multiple independent participating product suppliers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, and participating product retailers, the multiple independent participating product suppliers include at least one participating product distributor and at least one participating product retailer, the multiple independent participating product suppliers include at least two participating product distributors or at least two participating product retailers, and the multiple independent product suppliers offer products of a common product category; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product suppliers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining to pending orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, and fulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the supplier database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product supplier; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby causing fulfillment of the order; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the supplier database; and under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating and transmitting a financial accounting record for each delivered product, wherein; at least a portion of the delivery instructions for order fulfillment are transmitted to one participating product retailer in response to an order placed with another of the participating product retailers;
orat least a portion of the delivery instructions for order fulfillment are transmitted to one participating product distributor in response to an order placed with or delivery instructions received by another of the participating product distributors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for multiply-integrated system for product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
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under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product retailers and entering the information into a retailer database, the retailer database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product retailers, wherein the multiple independent product retailers offer products of a common product category; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product retailers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product retailers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining to pending orders placed with multiple participating product retailers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, and fulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product retailers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product retailers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the retailer database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product retailer; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby causing fulfillment of the order, wherein at least a portion of the delivery instructions for order fulfillment are transmitted to one participating product retailer in response to an order placed with another of the participating product retailers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the retailer database; and under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating a financial accounting record for each delivered product.
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11. A method for multiply-integrated product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
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under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product suppliers and entering the information into a supplier database, the supplier database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product suppliers, wherein; the multiple independent participating product suppliers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, and participating product retailers, and the multiple independent product suppliers offer products of a common product category; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product suppliers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining to pending orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, and fulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the supplier database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product supplier; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby fulfilling the order; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the supplier database; and under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating a financial accounting record for each delivered product, further comprising; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, enabling a first participating product supplier to conceal its identity from a selected subset of the multiple participating product suppliers for which ordered products, listed in orders placed with the eligible subset of the multiple participating product suppliers, are available for delivery from the first participating product supplier to a product purchaser; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, enabling the first participating product supplier to conceal its identity from a selected subset of the multiple participating product suppliers from which ordered products, listed in orders placed with the first participating supplier, may be delivered to a product purchaser;
orunder control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, enabling the first participating product supplier to conceal the identity of a product purchaser from another participating product supplier from which an ordered product, listed in an order placed with the first participating provider by the product purchaser, is delivered to the product purchaser.
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12. A method for multiply-integrated product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
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under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product suppliers and entering the information into a supplier database, the supplier database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product suppliers, wherein; the multiple independent participating product suppliers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, and participating product retailers, and the multiple independent product suppliers offer products of a common product category; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product suppliers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining to pending orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, and fulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the supplier database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product supplier; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby fulfilling the order; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the supplier database; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating a financial accounting record for each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically aggregating in real time order information pertaining to multiple orders placed by multiple product purchasers; and under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery of ordered products, listed in the aggregated order, from a selected participating product supplier, the selected participating product supplier being selected based on a supplier figure-of-merit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for multiply-integrated product inventory, sales, and distribution, comprising the steps of:
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under control of a programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving product identifying information, product pricing information, and product inventory information from multiple participating product suppliers and entering the information into a supplier database, the supplier database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including product identifying information, product inventory information, and product pricing information for the multiple independent participating product suppliers, wherein; the multiple independent participating product suppliers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, and participating product retailers, and the multiple independent product suppliers offer products of a common product category; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically receiving, from multiple participating product suppliers, order information pertaining to orders placed by multiple product purchasers with the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically entering the received order information into an order database, the order database being operatively linked to the programmed computer processor and including order information pertaining to pending orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple independent product purchasers, wherein the multiple independent product purchasers may include any of participating product manufacturers, participating product distributors, participating product retailers, non-participating product manufacturers, non-participating product distributors, non-participating product retailers, and retail product purchasers, and fulfilled orders placed with multiple participating product suppliers by multiple product purchasers and fulfilled by the multiple participating product suppliers; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically searching, for each order placed by each product purchaser, the supplier database to attempt to locate each ordered product listed in the placed order and available for delivery from a corresponding participating product supplier; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically transmitting instructions for delivery, for each order placed by each product purchaser, of each ordered and located product to the product purchaser from the corresponding participating product supplier, thereby fulfilling the order; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating order information in the order database pertaining to each delivered product; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically updating the product inventory information pertaining to each delivered product in the supplier database; and under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically creating a financial accounting record for each delivered product, further comprising; under control of the programmed computer processor, the programmed computer processor being programmed therefor, automatically adjusting local product inventory for the multiple participating product suppliers by automatically monitoring in real time local product inventory information in the supplier database, in response to local product inventory information in the supplier database, automatically transmitting instructions for transfer of products out of local product inventory of a first participating product retailer into local product inventory of a second participating product retailer, and in response to the transfer of local product inventory, automatically updating the local product inventory information in the supplier database. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification