Interactive database systems and methods for environments with high concentrations of mobile users

• US 8,290,898 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing LLC
• Original Assignee: Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing Company
• Inventors: Bowlus, Charles C., Rice, James P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, HUBERT G
• Application Number:
  US11/034,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A database system usable in a high user concentration environment includes a central database containing content relating to associated users. Software is configured for loading onto associated portable computers carried by the users. The software when executed on one of the associated portable computers performs a method including: (i) downloading from the central database a selected sub-set of the content before the associated portable computer enters the high user concentration environment; (ii) generating modifications or additions to the downloaded sub-set of the content; and (iii) at least while the associated portable computer is within the high user concentration environment, occasionally wirelessly connecting with the central database to upload at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and to download other modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content.

Claims

1. A method used in a computing network with access to a database system for use in a high user concentration environment having over a hundred users concentrated in a retail marketing trade show environment comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) including wireless access points distributed throughout at least a portion of a trade show meeting area, the trade show meeting area defined as the interior of a building;

a plurality of portable computers configured to be wirelessly carried by the over a hundred users within the trade show meeting area, each of the plurality of portable computers configured to connect to the WLAN and to also operate independently of the WLAN and at least some of the portable computers are supplied to at least some of the over a hundred users at the trade show meeting area by a service provider;

a central database containing content relating to associated users at the trade show meeting area; and

software configured for loading onto associated portable computers of the plurality of portable computers carried by the over a hundred users, the software when executed on one of the portable computers performing steps comprising;

(i) downloading from the central database a selected sub-set of the content before the one of portable computers connects to the WLAN, the selected sub-set of the content being trade show content that is personalized to individual users and including information common to all users including a list of attendees and daily events, and specific information to a particular user, wherein prior to a connection to the WLAN each associated portable computer is configured according to a single configuration specific to only one participant, and wherein the specific information includes data to;

(1) generate proposals and agreements for purchase and sale of products;

(2) schedule meetings;

(3) perform recordkeeping; and

(4) identify and memorialize follow-up issues;

(ii) generating modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content; and

(iii) at least while the one of the portable computers is within the trade show meeting area, occasionally wirelessly connecting, via the WLAN, with the central database for synchronization, which includes uploading at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and downloading other modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content,

wherein the downloading operation (i) and the wirelessly connecting operation (iii) each include;

connecting the one of the portable computers with the central database via an Internet connection; and

wherein the connection of the one of the portable computers via the Internet connection permits the one of the portable computers (1) to retrieve product price, universal product code and inventory data, (2) to send a populated sales form to a seller'"'"'s office to begin processing of an order while the one of the portable computers is within the high user concentration environment, and (3) to update a seller'"'"'s inventory listing on a content sub-set database from data located on an inventory database, of the seller, remote from the high user concentration environment;

(iv) integrating a local information stored on the one of the portable computers with the downloaded selected sub-set of the content; and

(v) providing the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers with access to both the local information and the downloaded selected sub-set of the content, wherein contact information of the local information and/or the downloaded selected sub-set of the content is searchable; and

a local database located on the one of the portable computers carried by the particular user, the local database having local information not shared with or synchronized with the central database, the local information including all of;

names and contact information of other participants;

personal notes about other participants;

maximum per-unit price another participant is willing to pay for an item;

information for preferred buyers including preferred customer discounts, volume discounts and special available products;

private communications with a home office; and

statistics for product sales and purchases.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the individual users are buyers and sellers in the trade show meeting area, and

the selected sub-set of the content includes content selected from a group consisting of;

(i) information about selected buyers wherein the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers is a seller, and (ii) information about selected sellers wherein the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers is a buyer.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected sub-set of the content includes a form associated with a user other than the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, and the generating operation (ii) includes populating the form with information pertaining to the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, which the information was pre-loaded onto the one of the portable computers prior to the populating.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wirelessly connecting operation (iii) downloads the modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content previously uploaded to the central database by other associated portable computers.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method performed by execution of the software on the one of the portable computers further includes:

(iv) connecting with a remote database associated with the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, the remote database being different from the central database, and

(v) uploading the at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the remote database associated with the particular user.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the generating operation (ii) includes:

downloading the modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content from the connected remote database.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wirelessly connecting operation (iii) includes:

polling for a wireless connection at preselected time intervals.

8. A database system for use in a high user concentration environment having over a hundred users concentrated in a retail marketing trade show environment, the database system comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) including wireless access points distributed throughout at least a portion of a trade show meeting area, the trade show meeting area defined as the interior of a building;

a plurality of portable computers configured to be wirelessly carried by the over a hundred users within the trade show meeting area, each of the plurality of portable computers configured to connect to the WLAN and to also operate independently of the WLAN;

a central database containing content relating to associated users at the trade show meeting area, at least some content of the central database being seller'"'"'s data obtained from a seller'"'"'s database, at least some of the seller'"'"'s data being automatically formatted to the central database'"'"'s format;

software configured for loading onto associated portable computers of the plurality of portable computers carried by the over a hundred users, the software when executed on one of the portable computers configured to;

(i) download from the central database a selected sub-set of the content before the one of the portable computers connects to the WLAN, the selected sub-set of the content being trade show content personalized to individual users and including information common to all users including a list of attendees, hotel information, meal schedules, and daily events, and specific information to a particular user, wherein the specific information includes data to;

(1) generate proposals and agreements for purchase and sale of products;

(2) schedule meetings;

(3) perform recordkeeping; and

(4) identify and memorialize follow-up issues;

(ii) generate modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content; and

(iii) at least while the one of the portable computers is within the trade show meeting area, occasionally wirelessly connect, via the WLAN, with the central database for synchronization, which includes uploading at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and download other modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content,

wherein the download operation (i) and the wirelessly connect operation (iii) each are configured to;

connect the one of the portable computers with the central database via an Internet connection; and

wherein connection of the one of the portable computers via the Internet connection permits the one of the portable computers (1) to retrieve product price, universal product code and inventory data, (2) to send a populated sales form to a seller'"'"'s office to begin processing of an order while the one of the portable computers is within the high user concentration environment, and (3) to update a seller'"'"'s inventory listing on a content sub-set database from data located on an inventory database, of the seller, remote from the high user concentration environment;

(iv) integrate a local information stored on the one of the portable computers with the downloaded selected sub-set of the content; and

(v) provide the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers with access to both the local information and the downloaded selected sub-set of the content, wherein contact information of the local information and/or the downloaded selected sub-set of the content is searchable;

wherein the generation operation (ii) enables a modification or addition to the local information, but the wirelessly connect operation (iii) does not upload the local information to the central database; and

a local database located on the one of the portable computers carried by the particular user, the local database having the local information not shared with or synchronized with the central database, the local information including all of;

names and contact information of other participants;

personal notes about other participants;

maximum per-unit price another participant is willing to pay for an item;

information for preferred buyers including preferred customer discounts, volume discounts and special available products;

private communications with a home office; and

statistics for product sales and purchases.

9. The database system as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

the individual users are buyers and sellers in the trade show meeting area, and

the selected sub-set of the content includes content selected from a group consisting of;

(i) information about selected buyers wherein the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers is a seller, and (ii) information about selected sellers wherein the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers is a buyer.

10. The database system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the selected sub-set of the content includes a form associated with a user other than the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, and the generation operation (ii) includes populating the form with information pertaining to the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, which the information was pre-loaded onto the one of the portable computers prior to the populating.

11. The database system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the wirelessly connect operation (iii) downloads the modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content previously uploaded to the central database by other associated portable computers.

12. The database system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the software on the one of the portable computers is further configured to:

(vi) connect with a remote database associated with the particular user carrying the one of the portable computers, the remote database being different from the central database, and

(vii) upload the at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the remote database associated with the particular user.

13. The database system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the generation operation (ii) is further configured to:

download the modifications or additions to the downloaded selected sub-set of the content from the connected remote database.

14. The database system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the wirelessly connect operation (iii) is further configured to:

poll for a wireless connection at preselected time intervals.