Method and system for evaluating consumer demand for multiple products and services at remotely located equipment
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for estimating consumer demand for a product based on sales data for the product at remotely located equipment comprising:
- receiving in an application server first inventory level data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the first inventory level data represents product inventory levels in the remotely located equipment, the product inventory levels recorded at multiple time intervals;
receiving in the application server equipment operating status data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the equipment operating status data represents equipment operating status of the remotely located equipment, the equipment operating status recorded at multiple time intervals;
arranging in the application server the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data in associated levels of a data hierarchy of reliability, quality and quantity;
storing in the application server the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data and associated levels of the data hierarchy; and
calculating in the application server a consumer demand estimate for the product based on the levels of the data hierarchy of the stored first inventory level data and the stored equipment operating status data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system are provided for estimating consumer demand at remotely located equipment and establishing dispatch schedules for servicing the remotely located equipment. Data from the remotely located equipment may be classified into a hierarchy or various levels of reliability for use in calculating a consumer demand estimate for each product and/or each service available at the remotely located equipment. A full set of sales data for each product or service over multiple time intervals with no equipment problems, no out of stock conditions and no other operating problems may be classified as the highest level of reliability and predictability possible for calculating a consumer demand estimate. The lowest level of data used to calculate a consumer demand estimate may be a historical average of daily sales for all products or services sold over a long period of time at the remotely located equipment.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for estimating consumer demand for a product based on sales data for the product at remotely located equipment comprising:
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receiving in an application server first inventory level data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the first inventory level data represents product inventory levels in the remotely located equipment, the product inventory levels recorded at multiple time intervals; receiving in the application server equipment operating status data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the equipment operating status data represents equipment operating status of the remotely located equipment, the equipment operating status recorded at multiple time intervals; arranging in the application server the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data in associated levels of a data hierarchy of reliability, quality and quantity; storing in the application server the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data and associated levels of the data hierarchy; and calculating in the application server a consumer demand estimate for the product based on the levels of the data hierarchy of the stored first inventory level data and the stored equipment operating status data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for estimating consumer demand for a service based on sales data for the service at remotely located equipment comprising:
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receiving in an application server first inventory level data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the first inventory level data represents service inventory levels in the remotely located equipment recorded at multiple time intervals; receiving in the application server equipment operating status data from the remotely located equipment, wherein the equipment operating status data represents equipment operating status of the remotely located equipment recorded at multiple time intervals; arranging in the application sever the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data in associated levels of a data hierarchy of reliability, quality and quantity; storing in the application server the received first inventory level data and the received equipment operating status data and associated levels of the data hierarchy; and calculating in the application server a consumer demand estimate for the service based on the levels of the data hierarchy of the stored first inventory level data and the stored equipment operating status data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for acquiring product sales data from remotely located equipment and calculating a consumer demand estimate for at least one product sold at the remotely located equipment, the system comprising:
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a network operations center; and an external network operable to communicate information between the network operations center and the remotely located equipment, wherein the network operations center is operable to; send a request for data to the remotely located equipment; receive product sales records and equipment operating status records from the remotely located equipment; arrange the product sales records and equipment operating status records in associated levels of a data hierarchy of reliability, quality and quantity; store the product sales records and equipment operating status records and associated levels of the data hierarchy; analyze product sales records and equipment operating status records; and calculate a consumer demand estimate for each product sold at the remotely located equipment based on the levels of the data hierarchy of the stored product sales records and the equipment operating status records. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for acquiring service sales data from remotely located equipment and calculating a consumer demand estimate for at least one service provided at the remotely located equipment, the system comprising:
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a network operations center; and an external network operable to communicate information between the network operations center and the remotely located equipment, wherein the network operations center is operable to; send a request for data to the remotely located equipment; receive service sales records and equipment operating status records from the remotely located equipment; arrange the service sales records and equipment operating status records in associated levels of a data hierarchy of reliability, quality and quantity; store the service sales records and equipment operating status records and associated levels of the data hierarchy; analyze product sales records and equipment operating status records; and calculate a consumer demand estimate for each service sold at the remotely located equipment based on the levels of the data hierarchy of the stored service sales records and the equipment operating status records. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification