Method and apparatus for creation and maintenance of database structure

• US 7,885,982 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: myList Corp.
• Original Assignee: Channel Intelligence Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Santiago, Anibal, Couch, Dale, Tryzbiak, Timothy, Schrader, David M., Crossmier, David A. III, Wight, Robert, Griffin, Josh, Benson, Edward H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US12/133,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/102, 707/200, 707/802, 707/999.01, 707/999.102, 707/999.202, 709/203, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The invention provides a method for configuring a database system to store information regarding a plurality of items, the method comprising: establishing a database on a computer system; establishing within the database a first object corresponding to a first item of the plurality of items; generating within the first object at least one field; associating a field identifier with each the field; and storing at least a portion of the information within each the field; the database system configured to store information regarding a plurality of items, each item in the plurality of items having at least one item attribute, the database system comprising a computer having memory, a database stored in said memory, a first object in said database corresponding to one item of the plurality of items, said first object corresponding to the first item, at least one field in said first object, a field identifier associated with each said field, and information regarding said first item stored in said first object.

Claims

1. A method for offering products and services for sale, the method comprising:

(a) establishing a first list of goods or services on a server of a manufacturer related to a website of the manufacturer, wherein the first list of goods or services includes a first list object, wherein the first list object includes a first list field, and wherein the first list field has a first list field identifier;

(b) establishing a direct link from the first list to a second list of goods and services on a server of a retailer related to a website of the retailer;

(c) presenting at least a portion of the first list of goods or services to a consumer at the website of the manufacturer;

(d) receiving an indication of interest in a good or service, wherein the good or service corresponds to a first list object in the first list of goods or services;

(e) linking directly to the second list of goods and services at the website of the retailer without leaving the website of the manufacturer, wherein the second list of goods and services has a plurality of second list objects wherein each of the plurality of second list objects includes a second list field, and wherein the second list field has a second list field identifier and the second list field identifier is the same as the first list field identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) automatically updating the first list of goods or services on the server of the manufacturer when the second list is updated.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the updating of (f) occurs each time the first list of goods or services is accessed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing of (b) includes:

i) generating a second list identifier corresponding to the second list of goods and services; and

ii) associating the second list identifier with the first list identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second list identifier is unique.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first list object is a copy of at least a portion of a second list object contained in the second list of goods or services.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first list field contains a pointer referencing a second object in the second list of goods or services.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) establishing a first plurality of additional lists of products or services at the manufacturer server;

(h) establishing a plurality of direct links from the first plurality of additional lists to a second plurality of additional lists of goods and services on a plurality of retail servers; and

(i) associating each of the first list and the first plurality of additional lists with a corresponding list identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each list identifier is associated with a particular product.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second list field is one of a plurality of list fields corresponding to each of the plurality of second list objects further comprising:

(f) displaying less than all of the plurality of list fields according to the selection of the manufacturer.

11. A method for a manufacturer to link to products for sale through manufacturer websites, the method comprising:

(a) establishing a list database on a manufacturer server, the list database including a first plurality of lists, each associated with a corresponding list identifier, the first plurality of lists including a first list associated with a first list identifier, wherein each list identifier and each list of the first plurality relates to a product, wherein each of the plurality of first lists includes a first list object, wherein the first list object includes a first list field, and wherein the first list field has a first list field identifier;

(b) establishing a plurality of direct links from the first plurality of lists to a second plurality of lists on a plurality of vendor servers related to a plurality of vendors, wherein the first list has a first direct link to a second list;

(c) receiving an indication, from a consumer at a manufacturer website, related to a desired product corresponding to the first list; and

(d) linking directly to the second list according to the first direct link, wherein the user remains at the manufacturer website, wherein only those objects having a second list field identifier matching the first list field identifier are retrieved.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first direct link is formed by:

i) generating a second list identifier corresponding to the second list; and

ii) associating the second list identifier with the first list object.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the associating includes storing the second list identifier in the first list field.

14. A method implemented by a server computer operatively coupled across a network to a client computer, the method comprising:

(a) responsive to receipt of data from a management tool executing on the client computer, establishing a first list associated with the user on a list database, said list database including a plurality of lists, each associated with a corresponding list identifier, the first list being associated with a first list identifier;

(b) receiving the first list identifier from the client computer system;

(c) responsive to receiving the first list identifier;

i) retrieving the first list from the list database; and

ii) communicating the first list to the management tool for presentation to the user, the management tool allowing the user to revise the first list to generate a revised first list; and

(d) responsive to receiving data from the client computer corresponding to the revised first list, updating the first list in the list database to reflect the revised first list.