Efficient inventory and information management

• US 8,235,290 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• 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:
  US12/703,509
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/381, 235/384, 235/375, 235/492, 235/385
• 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

Methods and computer-readable media provide for efficient inventory and information management over a wireless network. A form customized for a specific business 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 location data for the business corresponding to the form to be sent is compared to location data corresponding to the wireless data input device. If the comparison indicates that the wireless input device is within a specified threshold distance of the business, the wireless data input device is permitted to send the completed form to the server. If the wireless input device is 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 account management information form at a data input device, the account management information form comprising a plurality of customized information requests corresponding to the business;

receiving response data corresponding to the plurality of customized information requests;

populating the account management information form with the response data;

sending a request to submit the account management information form to a server computer;

determining a current geographic location of the data input device;

sending the current geographic location of the data input device to the server computer;

receiving a response to the request to submit the account management information form from the server computer;

determining whether the response comprises an acceptance of the request to submit the account management information form has been received from the server computer;

if the response comprises the acceptance of the request to submit the account management information form, sending the account management information form to the server computer for storage in a repository; and

if the response does not comprise the acceptance of the request to submit the account management information form, resubmitting the request to submit the account management information form to the server computer when the current geographic location of the data input device is within a pre-defined perimeter of the business.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the account management information form comprises pre-populated response data when received at the data input device, the pre-populated response data corresponding to historical data stored in the repository.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the current geographic location of the data input device is within a pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business;

wherein sending the request to submit the account management information form to the server computer occurs if the current geographic location of the data input device is within the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business; and

if the current geographic location of the data input device is not within the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business, saving the account management information form in memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the current geographic location of the computing device is within the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business comprises determining if the current geographical location of the computing device is equal to or less than a threshold distance from a geographical location of the business.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the current geographic location of the data input device enters within a pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business;

tracking an amount of time elapsed since the data input device entered the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business; and

sending the amount of time elapsed since the data input device entered the pre-defined perimeter surrounding the business with the request to submit the account management information form to the server computer.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.