Facilitating electronic commerce transactions using a shared product data repository

• US 7,475,030 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tenorio, Manoel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,266
• Time in Patent Office: 2,792 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An electronic commerce system (10) includes a shared product data repository (34) that includes static product data for one or more products. The static product data is associated with dynamic product data stored in one or more seller databases (32). The system also includes a global content directory (42) that includes a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy. Each product class categorizes a number of products and is associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class. At least one of the product classes has one or more associated pointers that identify the shared product data repository (34). The system further includes a search interface (45) that communicates a search query to the shared product data repository (34) to search static product data stored in the shared product data repository (34) identified by one of the pointers. The system (10) also searches dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data and that is stored in one or more seller databases (32).

Claims

1. An electronic commerce system, comprising:

a storage medium stored therein a shared product data repository including static product data for one or more products, the static product data associated with dynamic product data stored in one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products;

a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from the one or more sellers to a plurality of user client computers in communication over a network, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more of the product classes having one or more associated pointers that identify a shared product data repository in which static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository associated with the product class is stored, the static product data associated with dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products, the global content directory server comprising at least a portion of contents of the shared product data repository and the one or more seller databases; and

a server search interface to communicate a search query to the shared product data repository for static product data and to initiate a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data;

wherein upon receiving a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository and in response to the selection of the product class by the user, the global content directory server initiates a search, the server search interface;

communicates a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicates a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository matching the search criteria; and

wherein the product search results are communicated to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more pointers identify static product data in the shared product data repository.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one product class includes one or more first pointers that identify static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify one or more seller databases having for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases dynamic product data that is associated with the identified static product data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared product data repository further comprises at least one pointer to a seller database having dynamic product data that is associated with static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server search interface communicates a first search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and to communicate a second search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises desired values, specified by a user of the global content directory, for one or more of the product attributes associated with the selected product class.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the server search interface further:

receives search results from the shared product data repository and one or more seller databases in response to the search query, the search results including static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases associated with one or more products satisfying the search query; and

communicates the search results to a user of the global content directory, wherein the search results include dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases representative of at least one of a price, an availability, and a lead time associated with the product.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the global content directory further:

receives a selection from the user of a product for which product data is included in the search results; and

communicates address information associated with a seller database that includes product data for the selected product, the address information enabling the user to communicate with a seller associated with the seller database to conduct a commerce transaction relating to the selected product.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server search interface further communicates the location of a user of the global content directory to the shared product data repository, so that the results of the search query may be communicated directly to the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository changes relatively infrequently and the dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases changes relatively frequently.

11. A method for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:

accessing by a plurality of users a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from one or more sellers, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more of the product classes having one or more associated pointers that identify a shared product data repository in which static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository associated with the product class is stored, the static product data associated with dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products, the global content directory server comprising at least a portion of contents of the shared product data repository and the one or more seller databases; and

a server search interface communicating a search query to the shared product data repository for static product data and initiating a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data;

receiving at the global content directory server a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository and in response to the selection of the product class by the user, the global content directory server initiating a search, the server search interface;

communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicating a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository matching the search criteria; and

communicating the product search results to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more pointers identify particular product data in the shared product data repository.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one product class includes one or more first pointers that identify static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify one or more seller databases having dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the identified static product data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating a search query comprises communicating a first search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and communicating a second search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the search query comprises desired values, specified by the user, for one or more of the product attributes associated with the selected product class.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving search results from the shared product data repository and one or more seller databases in response to the search query, the search results including static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases associated with one or more products satisfying the search query; and

communicating the search results to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the user of a product for which product data is included in the search results; and

communicating address information associated with a seller database that includes product data for the selected product, the address information enabling the user to communicate with a seller associated with the seller database to conduct a commerce transaction relating to the selected product.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating the location of the user to the shared product data repository, so that the results of the search query may be communicated directly to the user.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository changes relatively infrequently and the dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases changes relatively frequently.

20. Software for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction, the software embodied in a computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:

accessing by a plurality of users a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from one or more sellers, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more of the product classes having one or more associated pointers that identify a shared product data repository in which static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository associated with the product class is stored, the static product data associated with dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products, the global content directory server comprising at least a portion of contents of the shared product data repository and the one or more seller databases; and

a server search interface communicating a search query to the shared product data repository for static product data and initiating a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data;

receiving at the global content directory server a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository and in response to the selection of the product class by the user, the global content directory server initiating a search, the server search interface;

communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicating a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository matching the search criteria; and

communicating the product search results to the user.

21. The software of claim 20, wherein one or more of the pointers identify static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository.

22. The software of claim 20, wherein at least one product class includes one or more first pointers that identify static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify one or more seller databases having dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the identified static product data.

23. The software of claim 20, wherein communicating a search query comprises communicating a first search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and communicating a second search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases.

24. The software of claim 20, wherein the search query comprises desired values, specified by the user, for one or more of the product attributes associated with the selected product class.

25. The software of claim 20, further:

receives search results from the shared product data repository and one or more seller databases in response to the search query, the search results including static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases associated with one or more products satisfying the search query; and

communicates the search results to the user.

26. The software of claim 25, further:

receives a selection from the user of a product for which product data is included in the search results; and

communicates address information associated with a seller database that includes product data for the selected product, the address information enabling the user to communicate with a seller associated with the seller database to conduct a commerce transaction relating to the selected product.

27. The software of claim 20, further communicates the location of the user to the shared product data repository, so that the results of the search query may be communicated directly to the user.

28. The software of claim 20, wherein the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository changes relatively infrequently and the dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases changes relatively frequently.

29. A system for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:

means for providing a plurality of users access to a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from one or more sellers, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more of the product classes having one or more associated pointers that identify a shared product data repository in which static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository associated with the product class is stored, the static product data associated with dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products, the global content directory comprising at least a portion of contents of the shared product data repository and the one or more seller databases; and

a server search interface communicating a search query to the shared product data repository for static product data and initiating a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data;

means for receiving at the global content directory server a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository;

means for communicating, in response to the selection of the product class by the user, a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, means for communicating a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data matching the search criteria; and

means for communicating the product search results to the user.

30. An electronic commerce system, comprising:

a storage medium stored therein a shared product data repository including static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository, the static product data associated with dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases each associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products;

a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from the one or more sellers to a plurality of user client computers in communication over a network, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, at least one product class including one or more first pointers that identify particular static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify the one or more seller databases having dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the identified static product data;

a server search interface to communicate a search query to the shared product data repository to initiate a search of static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository identified by one of the pointers, for one or more of the product attributes associated with the selected product class; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicate a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data matching the search criteria; and

wherein the product search results are communicated to the user.

31. A method for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:

accessing by a plurality of users a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from one or more sellers, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, at least one product class including one or more first pointers that identify particular static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify one or more seller databases having dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the identified static product data; and

a server search interface communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to initiate a search of static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository identified by one of the pointers, and initiating a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data; and

receiving at the global content directory server a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository and in response to the selection of the product class by the user, the global content directory server initiating a search, the server search interface;

communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicate a search query to one or more seller databases to search dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the static product data matching the search criteria; and

communicating the product search results to the user.

32. Software for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction, the software embodied in a computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:

accessing by a plurality of users a global content directory server providing a global content directory of products available from one or more sellers, the global content directory server comprising;

a storage medium stored therein a directory structure including a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, at least one product class including one or more first pointers that identify particular static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and one or more second pointers that identify one or more seller databases having dynamic product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases that is associated with the identified static product data, each seller database being associated with one or more sellers, the static product data and associated dynamic product data identifying products available from the one or more sellers, the static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository and associated dynamic product for at least one of the one or more products stored in the one or more seller databases data comprising values of attributes of the one or more available products, the global content directory server comprising at least a portion of contents of the shared product data repository and the one or more seller databases;

a server search interface communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to initiate a search of static product data stored in the shared product data repository identified by one of the pointers, and initiating a search of one or more seller databases for dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data; and

receiving at the global content directory server a selection of a product class from one of the plurality of users, the product class having a pointer identifying the shared product data repository and in response to the selection of the product class by the user, the global content directory server initiating a search, the server search interface;

communicating a search query to the shared product data repository to search static product data for at least one of the one or more products stored in the shared product data repository; and

for static product data matching the search criteria, communicating a search query to a seller database to search dynamic product data that is associated with the static product data matching the search criteria; and

communicating the product search results to the user.