Data structure and architecture for processing transaction data
First Claim
1. A network computer system (CS) comprising:
- a central CS including a central CS database;
at least a first retail store (RS) CS including a first RS CS database, for at least accounting for inventory in a first RS;
wherein said first RS CS database stores a RS product identification (PID) specification, wherein said RS PID specification includes at least an association between product identifications and descriptions of corresponding products; and
wherein said first RS CS database stores first RS CS transaction data, in said RS PID specification, for a first set of purchase transactions, wherein transaction data stored for each purchase transaction in said first set of purchase transactions includes PIDs of items purchased and a customer identification (CID);
wherein said central CS database stores transaction data for said first set of purchase transactions in a reduced PID tag set specification, such that transaction data stored for each purchase transaction of said first set of purchase transactions includes PIDs of items purchased and a CID;
wherein said reduced PID tag set specification specifies a number of PID tags identifying products in the tagged format specification that is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in said RS PID specification;
wherein said first RS CS is structured to convert said first RS CS transaction data stored in said RS PID specification to first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification, thereby losing association of product identifications with description of corresponding products, such that description of a product cannot be determined from said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification;
wherein said first RS CS is structured to transmit said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification to said central CS; and
wherein said central CS is structured to perform objective correlation analysis on those purchase transactions in said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification that said central CS received from said first RS CS, and that contain a specific CID, to determine whether to associate trigger data with said specific CID.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reduced PID tag set specification represents POS transaction data in a manner that is largely retail store product specification independent. A reduced PID tag set specification is a tagged format specification in which a number of PID tags in the tagged format specification is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in RS POS CSs PID specification. In a preferred embodiment, there is only one tag set defined for identifying product identification datum as such. As a result, the product descriptions of all of the product identifications that exist in a retailer'"'"'s product identification specification are lost when saving the same data in the preferred reduced PID tag set specification. However, saving the retailer'"'"'s transaction data in a reduced PID tag set specification moots the need to know the retailer'"'"'s product identification specification in order to receive, store, organize, and, to a certain extent, process the retailer'"'"'s transaction data.
14 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A network computer system (CS) comprising:
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a central CS including a central CS database; at least a first retail store (RS) CS including a first RS CS database, for at least accounting for inventory in a first RS; wherein said first RS CS database stores a RS product identification (PID) specification, wherein said RS PID specification includes at least an association between product identifications and descriptions of corresponding products; and wherein said first RS CS database stores first RS CS transaction data, in said RS PID specification, for a first set of purchase transactions, wherein transaction data stored for each purchase transaction in said first set of purchase transactions includes PIDs of items purchased and a customer identification (CID); wherein said central CS database stores transaction data for said first set of purchase transactions in a reduced PID tag set specification, such that transaction data stored for each purchase transaction of said first set of purchase transactions includes PIDs of items purchased and a CID; wherein said reduced PID tag set specification specifies a number of PID tags identifying products in the tagged format specification that is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in said RS PID specification; wherein said first RS CS is structured to convert said first RS CS transaction data stored in said RS PID specification to first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification, thereby losing association of product identifications with description of corresponding products, such that description of a product cannot be determined from said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification; wherein said first RS CS is structured to transmit said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification to said central CS; and wherein said central CS is structured to perform objective correlation analysis on those purchase transactions in said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification that said central CS received from said first RS CS, and that contain a specific CID, to determine whether to associate trigger data with said specific CID. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of using a network computer system (CS) comprising:
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storing in a first retail store (RS) CS database of a first RS CS a RS production identification (PID) specification, wherein said RS PID specification includes at least an association between product identifications and descriptions of corresponding products; and storing in said first RS CS database, in said RS PID specification, first RS CS transaction data for a first set of purchase transactions, wherein transaction data stored for each transaction in said first set of purchase transactions includes PIDs of items purchased and a customer identification (CID); storing in a central CS database of a central CS transaction data for said first set of purchase transactions in a reduced PID tag set specification; wherein said reduced PID tag set specification specifies a number of PID tags identifying products in the tagged format specification that is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in said RS PID specification; said first RS CS converting said first RS CS transaction data stored in said RS PID specification to first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification, thereby losing association of product identifications with description of corresponding products, such that description of a product cannot be determined from said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification; said first RS CS transmitting said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification to said central CS; and said central CS performing objective correlation analysis on those purchase transactions in said first RS CS transaction data represented in said reduced PID tag set specification that said central CS received from said first RS CS, and that contain a specific CID, to determine whether to associate trigger data with said specific CID. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification