System and method for identifying a product
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a commercial transaction involving a product, the method performed using one or more computer systems each comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:
- using the one or more computer systems, communicating a globally unique identifier (GUID) for a particular product to a seller of the particular product, the GUID comprising;
a class identifier (CID) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized, along with a plurality of other products, within a class hierarchy of a global content directory server for a distributed plurality of seller databases, each seller database being associated with a corresponding seller and distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases, the product class defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class; and
a product identifier (PID) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID; and
using the one or more computer systems, specifying to the seller a desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID to facilitate the desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A product that is uniquely identifiable according to a globally unique identifier (GUID)(100) includes a class identifier (CID)(110) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized (along with a plurality of other products) within a class hierarchy of a global content directory (42). The product class defines one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class. The product also includes a product identifier (PID)(120) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID (110). The CID (110) and PID (120) collectively provide the GUID (100), which may be specified or determined to facilitate a commercial transaction involving the product.
96 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a commercial transaction involving a product, the method performed using one or more computer systems each comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:
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using the one or more computer systems, communicating a globally unique identifier (GUID) for a particular product to a seller of the particular product, the GUID comprising; a class identifier (CID) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized, along with a plurality of other products, within a class hierarchy of a global content directory server for a distributed plurality of seller databases, each seller database being associated with a corresponding seller and distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases, the product class defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class; and a product identifier (PID) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID; and using the one or more computer systems, specifying to the seller a desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID to facilitate the desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a commercial transaction involving a product, the method performed using one or more computer systems each comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:
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using the one or more computer systems, communicating to a globally unique identifier (GUID) for a particular product to a seller of the particular product, the GUID comprising; a class identifier (CID) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized, along with a plurality of other products, within a class hierarchy of a global content directory server for a distributed plurality of seller databases, each seller database being associated with a corresponding seller and distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases, the product class defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class, the CID comprising a class number of a first product class concatenated with class numbers of a plurality of parent product classes of the first product class which are at higher levels in the class hierarchy than the first product class; and a product identifier (PID) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID; using the one or more computer systems, specifying to the seller a desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID, to facilitate the desired commercial transaction involving the particular product uniquely identified by the GUID; and using the one or more computer systems, uniquely identifying the seller of the particular product according to a repository identifier (RID) associated with the GUID to further facilitate the desired commercial transaction involving he particular product uniquely identified by the GUID. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A global content directory server, comprising:
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a storage medium stored therein a directory structure comprising a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, each product class uniquely identified by a class identifier (CID), wherein one or more pointers are associated with each product class in the plurality of product classes, each pointer identifying a seller database in a distributed plurality of seller databases in which product data enabling a product transaction is stored for products associated with the product class, the seller database identified by the pointer being associated with its corresponding seller and being distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases; and a server search interface to communicate, in response to a selection of a product class by a user of the global content directory server, a search query for product data to the one or more seller databases identified by the one or more pointers associated with the selected product class, each seller database being associated with its corresponding seller and distinct from the other seller databases in the plurality of seller databases; wherein the server search interface receives, in response to the search query, search results comprising one or more product identifiers (PIDs) that each uniquely identify a particular product in the selected product class, the CID for the selected product class and the PID for a particular product collectively providing a globally unique identifier (GUID) for the particular product and communicates the search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A global content directory server, comprising:
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a storage medium stored therein a globally unique identifier (GUID), the GUID comprising; a class identifier (CID) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized, along with a plurality of other products, within a class hierarchy of a global content directory server, the product class defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class, the at least one product class being one of a plurality of product classes organized in the class hierarchy, each of the plurality of product classes categorizing a plurality of products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more pointers being associated with each product class in the plurality of product classes, each pointer identifying a seller database in a distributed plurality of seller databases in which product data enabling a commercial transaction is stored for products associated with the product class, the seller database identified by the pointer being associated with its corresponding seller and being distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases; and a product identifier (PID) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID; and a processor facilitating a commercial transaction involving the product uniquely identified by the GUID, wherein the CID and PID collectively provide the GUID. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A global content directory server, comprising:
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a storage medium stored therein a directory structure comprising a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, each product class uniquely identified by a class identifier (CID) comprising a class number of a first product class concatenated with class numbers of a plurality of parent product classes of the first product class which are at higher levels in the class hierarchy than the first product class, wherein one or more pointers are associated with each product class in the plurality of product classes, each pointer identifying the seller database in the distributed plurality of seller databases in which product data enabling a product transaction is stored for products associated with the product class, the seller database identified by the pointer being associated with its corresponding seller and being distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases; and a server search interface to communicate, in response to a selection of a product class by a user of the global content directory server, a search query for product data to the one or more seller databases identified by the one or more pointers associated with the selected product class, each seller database being associated with its corresponding seller and distinct from the other seller databases in the plurality of seller databases; wherein the server search interface receives, in response to the search query, search results comprising one or more product identifiers (PIDS) that each uniquely identify a particular product in the selected product class, the CID for the selected product class and the PID for a particular product collectively providing a globally unique identifier (GUID) for the particular product and communicates the search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A global content directory server, comprising:
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a storage medium stored therein a globally unique identifier (GUID), the GUID comprising; a class identifier (CID) that uniquely identifies at least one product class in which the product is categorized, along with a plurality of other products, within a class hierarchy of a global content directory server, product class defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the class, the CID comprising a class number of a first product class concatenated with class numbers of a plurality of parent product classes of the first product class which are at higher levels in the class hierarchy than the first product class, the at least one product class being one of a plurality of product classes organized in the class hierarchy, each of the plurality of products classes categorizing a plurality of product and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class, one or more pointers being associated with each product class in the plurality of product classes, each pointer identifying a seller database in a distributed plurality of seller databases in which product data enabling a commercial transaction is stored for products associated with the product class, the seller database identified by the pointer being associated with its corresponding seller and being distinct from the other seller databases in the distributed plurality of seller databases; and a product identifier (PID) that uniquely identifies the particular product from among the plurality of products categorized in the product class uniquely identified by the CID; and a processor facilitating a commercial transaction involving the product uniquely identified by the GUID, wherein the CID and PID collectively provide the GUID. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification