Method and system for providing order status information using an update status flag

• US 8,630,914 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Fisher, Alan S., Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US13/469,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 707/999.001, 707/999.03
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system for providing status of a data item after receiving status information pertaining to the data item. It is determined whether the received status information is new relative to further status information pertaining to the data item. The status record is updated to include the received status information if the received status information is new. The updated message indicating the received status information is then composed and transmitted over a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a server comprising at least one computer processor, receiving, responsive to a periodic status query, a changed status of an order that comprises electronic data item;

by the server updating the electronic data item with the changed status;

by the server, generating, using the electronic data item, a message containing the changed status; and

by the server, transmitting the message over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes at least part of the data item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item is a record in a database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the record relates to at least one of an order, a shipment, and a delivery.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message includes at least part of the record.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the status includes a shipping status.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the status of the data item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing status in a database status storage area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically detecting that the status has been updated, the message being generated in response to the status having been updated.

10. A machine-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed, instruct one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:

at a server comprising at least one computer processor;

receiving, responsive to a periodic status query, a changed status of an order that comprises an electronic data item;

updating the electronic data item with the changed status;

generating, using the electronic data item, a message containing the changed status; and

transmitting the message over a network.

11. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10 wherein the message includes at least part of the data item.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10 wherein the data item is a record in a database.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the record relates to at least one of an order, a shipment, and a delivery.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12 wherein the message includes at least part of the record.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12 wherein the status includes shipping status.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, the operations further comprising requesting the status.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, the operations further comprising storing the status in a database storage area.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, the operations further comprising periodically detecting that the status has been updated, the message generated in response to the status having been updated.

19. A system comprising:

a server comprising at least one computer processor;

a first means for receiving, by the server, in response to a periodic status query, a changed status of an order that comprises an electronic data item;

a second means for updating, by the server, the electronic data item with the changed status;

a third means for generating, by the server, a message containing the changed status; and

a fourth means for transmitting, by the server, the message over a network.

20. A system comprising:

a server comprising one or more computer processors;

a status receiver module linked to the server to receive, responsive to a periodic status query, changed status of an order that comprises an electronic data item;

a status updater module linked to the server to update the electronic data item with the changed status; and

a messenger module linked to the server to generate a message containing the changed status and to transmit the message over a network.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the message includes at least part of the data item.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the data item is a record in a database.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the record relates to at least one of an order, a shipment, and a delivery.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the message includes at least part of the record.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the status includes a shipping status.

26. The system of claim 20, the at least one computer processor and storage further configured to execute a status requester module to request the status.

27. The system of claim 20, the at least one computer processor and storage configured to execute a status storing module to store the status in a database storage area.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the messenger module is configured to:

periodically detect that the status has been updated; and

generate the message in response to the status having been updated.