Method and system for managing inventory information using a mobile device

• US 8,224,718 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Sholtis, Steven A., LeClair, Terry F., Del Favero, James R., Ihrie, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROJAS, HAJIME S
• Application Number:
  US11/495,858
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/23, 705/28, 705/29, 705/20, 705/21
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for managing inventory information that includes displaying the inventory information in a graphical user interface of a mobile device, and adding an item as part of the inventory information, using the mobile device, where adding the item includes adding descriptive metadata about the item to the inventory information.

Claims

1. A method for managing inventory information, comprising:

obtaining, from a peer-to-peer marketplace network, at least one item from a group consisting of traded items and items obtained for free;

obtaining descriptive metadata about the at least one item;

automatically updating, with the descriptive metadata about the at least one item, via a programmatic link of the peer-to-peer marketplace network, inventory information of inventory items owned by a household;

receiving a command, in response to updating the inventory information and in a graphical user interface of a mobile device from a user of the mobile device, to display the inventory information to determine whether to purchase a particular item;

displaying the inventory information in the graphical user interface of the mobile device responsive to receiving the command;

in response to receiving the command and displaying the inventory information resulting in a determination to purchase the particular item, obtaining a point-of-sale transaction notification via a wireless interface of the mobile device from a point-of-sale register, wherein the point-of-sale transaction notification relates to a transaction already completed by the point-of-sale register with respect to purchasing the particular item by the user of the mobile device, wherein the point-of-sale transaction notification comprises descriptive metadata about the particular item;

adding the particular item as part of the inventory information, using the mobile device, wherein adding the particular item comprises adding the descriptive metadata about the particular item to the inventory information based on the point-of-sale transaction notification; and

removing a portion of the inventory information for inventory items that are no longer owned by the household.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing the inventory information with a wired inventory application,

wherein the wired inventory application is configured to execute on a wired computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory information is stored in a remote server.

4. A system comprising:

a mobile device, configured to;

obtain, from a peer-to-peer marketplace network, at least one item from a group consisting of traded items and items obtained for free;

obtain descriptive metadata about the at least one item;

automatically update, with the descriptive metadata about the at least one item, via a programmatic link of the peer-to-peer marketplace network, inventory information of inventory items owned by a household;

receive a command, in response to updating the inventory information and in a graphical user interface of the mobile device from a user of the mobile device, to display the inventory information to determine whether to purchase a particular item;

display the inventory information in the graphical user interface of the mobile device responsive to receiving the command;

in response to receiving the command and displaying the inventory information resulting in a determination to purchase the particular item, obtain a point-of-sale transaction notification via a wireless interface of the mobile device from a point-of-sale register, the point-of-sale transaction notification relating to a transaction already completed by the point-of-sale register with respect to purchasing the particular item by the user of the mobile device, wherein the point-of-sale transaction notification comprises descriptive metadata about the particular item;

add the particular item as part of inventory information, wherein adding the particular item comprises adding the descriptive metadata about the particular item to the inventory information based on the point-of-sale transaction notification; and

remove a portion of the inventory information for inventory items that are no longer owned by the household.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a wired computer system,

configured to execute a wired inventory application,

wherein the mobile device is further configured to;

synchronize the inventory information with the wired inventory application.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a remote server configured to store the inventory information.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a method for managing inventory information, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a peer-to-peer marketplace network, at least one item from a group consisting of traded items and items obtained for free;

obtaining descriptive metadata about the at least one item;

automatically updating, with the descriptive metadata about the at least one item, via a programmatic link of the peer-to-peer marketplace network, inventory information of inventory items owned by a household;

receiving a command, in response to updating the inventory information and in a graphical user interface of a mobile device from a user of the mobile device, to display the inventory information to determine whether to purchase a particular item;

displaying the inventory information in the graphical user interface of the mobile device responsive to receiving the command;

in response to receiving the command and displaying the inventory information resulting in a determination to purchase the particular item, obtaining a point-of-sale transaction notification via a wireless interface of the mobile device from a point-of-sale register, wherein the point-of-sale transaction notification relates to a transaction already completed by the point-of-sale register with respect to purchasing the particular item by the user of the mobile device, wherein the point-of-sale transaction notification comprises descriptive metadata about the particular item;

adding the particular item as part of the inventory information, using the mobile device, wherein adding the particular item comprises adding the descriptive metadata about the particular item to the inventory information based on the point-of-sale transaction notification; and

removing a portion of the inventory information for inventory items that are no longer owned by the household.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

synchronizing the inventory information with a wired inventory application, wherein the wired inventory application is configured to execute on a wired computer system.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7,

wherein the inventory information is stored in a remote server.