Efficient inventory and information management

• US 7,681,791 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: INTEGRATED DIGITAL IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Brett Beveridge
• Inventors: Beveridge, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/647,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/382, 235/381, 235/384, 235/375, 235/492, 235/385, 455/433, 455/404.2, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media provide for efficient inventory and information management over a wireless network. A form customized for a specific retail store is received at a wireless data input device. The form is completed and a command to send the completed form to a remote server is received. Stored Global Positioning System (“GPS”) data for the retail store corresponding to the form to be sent is compared to GPS data corresponding to the wireless data input device. If the two GPS coordinates are within a specified threshold distance, the wireless data input device is permitted to send the completed form to the server. If the GPS coordinates are outside the specified threshold distance, the wireless data input device is not permitted to send the completed form.

Claims

1. A method for servicing a business, comprising:

receiving an updated electronic data input form from a computing device associated with an account representative servicing the business, the updated electronic data input form comprising information about the business input into a plurality of fields of an electronic data input form on the computing device;

receiving a current geographic location of the computing device;

determining that the current geographic location of the computing device is within a pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business; and

in response to determining that the current geographic location of the computing device is within the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business, storing the updated electronic data input form in a repository;

storing statistical data corresponding to the account representative and the information about the business;

receiving a request for at least one performance metric corresponding to the statistical data; and

generating the performance metric in response to the request.

2. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

transmit an incomplete account management information form to the wireless communications device;

receive a request from a wireless communications device to store a completed account management information form associated with a business in a repository, wherein the request comprises a current geographic location of the wireless communications device, and wherein the completed account management information form comprises the incomplete account management information form with current inventory or employee training information corresponding to the business;

determine that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within a pre-defined perimeter encompassing a geographic location of the business; and

in response to determining that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within the pre-defined perimeter encompassing the geographic location of the business, store the completed account management information form associated with the business in the repository.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the incomplete account management information form comprises a plurality of account management data requests corresponding to the business.

4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request from a wireless communications device to store a completed account management information form associated with a business in a repository, wherein the request comprises a current geographic location of the wireless communications device, and wherein the completed account management information form comprises current inventory or employee training information corresponding to the business;

determine that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within a pre-defined perimeter encompassing a geographic location of the business;

in response to determining that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within the pre-defined perimeter encompassing the geographic location of the business, store the completed account management information form associated with the business in the repository;

receive a secondary request from the wireless communications device to store a completed secondary account management information form associated with a secondary business in the repository, wherein the secondary request comprises the current geographic location of the wireless communications device;

determine that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is not within a secondary pre-defined perimeter encompassing a geographic location of the secondary business; and

in response to determining that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is not within the secondary pre-defined perimeter encompassing the geographic location of the secondary business, reject the completed secondary account management information form associated with the secondary business from being stored in the repository.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request from a wireless communications device to store a completed account management information form associated with a business in a repository, wherein the request comprises a current geographic location of the wireless communications device, and wherein the completed account management information form comprises current inventory or employee training information corresponding to the business;

determine that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within a pre-defined perimeter encompassing a geographic location of the business;

in response to determining that the current geographic location of the wireless communications device is within the pre-defined perimeter encompassing the geographic location of the business, store the completed account management information form associated with the business in the repository;

associate a sales representative with data from the completed account management information form in the repository to create performance data;

receive a request for a performance metric corresponding to the sales representative;

retrieve performance data associated with the sales representative from the repository; and

create the performance metric.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the performance metric comprises a compliance measure associated with the sales representative at a designated time period.