System and method for distributing in real-time, inventory data acquired from in-store point of sale terminals

• US 7,475,024 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Phan, Cung Ngoc
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US09/736,554
• Time in Patent Office: 2,946 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/26, 705/27, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for providing real-time point-of-sale inventory data transmission over a distributed computer network is herein disclosed. The distributed computer network includes a plurality of consumer computers in communication with a processor and memory apparatus by a first communication link. The processor and memory apparatus capable of being connected by one or more communications links to a plurality of merchants'"'"' point-of-sale systems. The process and memory machine includes a database having a capability to store data and a web server having a capability to store data and process requests for merchant inventory data by consumer computers. The process and memory machine executes real-time inventory transmission with a plurality of merchants and a plurality of consumers over the distributed network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for distributing in real-time, inventory data acquired from point-of-sale systems at any one of a plurality of retail systems, comprising:

a plurality of in-store systems, each in-store system located at a place of business of a given merchant and comprising;

at least one point-of-sale device used to process sales transactions for generating sales transaction data and generating inventory data;

a memory database used to store a merchant identifier, the sales transaction data and the inventory data;

an in-store communicator used to transmit the merchant identifier, a merchant network address and the inventory data over a communication network;

a host system operably coupled to the in-store systems over the communication network and comprising;

a host system database for indexing and storing the inventory data, the merchant identifier and the merchant network address for each in-store system;

a host system communicator used to receive and transmit data;

a data distributor for processing requests for inventory data by accessing the inventory data stored in the host system database or retrieving inventory data from one of the in-store systems;

a subscriber system operably coupled to the host system over the communication network and comprising;

a virtual store server configured to request the host system for inventory data indicative of the given merchant, to receive inventory data from the host system and to process online sales of goods or services offered for sale by the given merchant; and

a browser component useable by a consumer to view the requested inventory data from the host system by accessing the requested inventory data on a web page generated by the data distributor.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the in-store systems, the subscriber systems and the host system are coupled to one another through a communication network configured to transmit and receive data among the in-store systems, the subscriber systems, and the host system, and to support one of a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) and hypertext transfer protocol (http).

3. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the inventory data is sent periodically from the in-store systems to the host system, and wherein the host system is configured to either forward the inventory data to the subscriber system or store the inventory data in the host system for later access by the subscriber system.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the host system looks up the merchant network address from the host system database using the merchant identifier to initiate a connection to one of the in-store systems for retrieving the inventory data.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the data distributor processes requests for inventory data by accessing the inventory data stored in the host system database for the merchant if the in-store system that corresponds to the merchant can not be reached.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the data distributor processes requests for inventory data by requesting one of the in-store systems for inventory data if the in-store system that corresponds to the merchant can be reached.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the browser component is further able to point to a web page generated by the data distributor to search for quantity and pricing information for a desired item.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the browser component is further able to point to a web page generated by the data distributor to a search which merchants who are in communication with the host system have desired items in stock.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the host system comprises a permanent connection to the Internet while the in-store system fails to be connected to the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving inventory data from the in-store system in response to receiving a request for the inventory data comprises retrieving inventory data if the in-store system that corresponds to the merchant can be reached.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a permanent connection to the Internet while the in-store system fails to be connected to the Internet.