Integrated online store

• US 8,635,113 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Relan, Arvind Peter, Borders, Louis H., Lloyd, Margaret Sue, Bhargava, Sunil, Wijaya, Joyo, Ham, Peter, Clossman, Gray Andrew, Mayya, Ajit Ramachandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US11/705,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,535 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• 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: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A technique for effecting electronic commerce using a data network is described. The data network includes a plurality of subsystems which, together, form an integrated system for receiving customer orders for selected items via a data network, fulfilling the customer orders, and delivering the ordered products to the customers. Moreover, according to a specific embodiment, the integrated nature of the system architecture of the present invention allows the on-line merchant to provide a guarantee to the customer that the ordered items will be available to be delivered to the customer at the specified delivery date, time, and location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for an online store to assist customers in ordering products online via a plurality of systems coupled together, the plurality of systems of the online store including a customer interface system and an order fulfillment system, and the method comprising:

providing, via the customer interface system using at least one computing device, at least two delivery windows for a customer to select, each delivery window indicating a different duration of time for receiving delivery of order, to assist the customer to place an order;

receiving, via the customer interface system, a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order including a plurality of products of the online store, wherein the customer order includes information regarding one of the provided delivery windows selected by the customer to receive delivery of the customer order;

receiving, via the customer interface system, a modification request from the customer for the customer order, subsequent to the online store receiving the customer order and reserving certain capacity in view of the customer order, but prior to delivery of the customer order;

determining whether the customer order is eligible to be modified in view of the modification request;

modifying the customer order in accordance with the modification request if the determining determines that the customer order is permitted to be modified, but denying modification of the customer order if the determining determines that the customer order is not permitted to be modified;

fulfilling the customer order or the modified customer order via the order fulfillment system using at least one computing device; and

arranging for delivery of the fulfilled customer order.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of systems includes a customer system configured to keep track of interactions with the customer after the customer order has been received, and

wherein the method further comprises enabling, via the customer system, at least one online store representative to service subsequent requests associated with the customer after the customer order has been received.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of systems includes a warehouse system, and wherein the method further comprises managing, via the warehouse system, a physical warehouse that stores a plurality of products of the online store.

10. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating a vendor purchase order for at least one product;

issuing an expected receipt to the order fulfillment system in response to the generation of the vendor purchase order, the expected receipt including information about the vendor purchase order; and

updating availability and price information at least for the at least one product associated with the vendor purchase order.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a publishing system for managing catalog data associated with a plurality of products of the online store.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the method further comprises using a resource capacity database for managing resource capacity data associated with at least one of the plurality of systems, the resource capacity data including available resource capacity data for at least one of the plurality of systems, and reserved resource capacity data for at least one of the plurality of the systems, and

wherein the method further comprises managing inflow of customer orders at a time of ordering using at least some of the resource capacity data.

13. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the customer order includes a customer delivery address, and

wherein the method further comprises determining whether delivery service is available based upon the customer delivery address.

14. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, using at least one computing device, returns data related to processed customer return transactions;

receiving, using at least one computing device, information regarding at least one returned product to a warehouse of the online store;

processing, using at least one computing device, information regarding the at least one returned product; and

generating, using at least one computing device, returned product confirmation data after information regarding the at least one returned product has been processed.

15. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer order is denied to be modified after a pre-determined cutoff time.

16. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 15 further comprising sending finalized customer order information to the order fulfillment system after the pre-determined cutoff time has passed.

17. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 15, wherein the pre-determined cutoff time depends on the delivery window selected by the customer to receive delivery of the customer order.

18. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises allowing the selected delivery window to be modified before the pre-determined cutoff time.

19. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 15 further comprising allowing the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

20. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 1 further comprising allowing the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

21. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 1 further comprising releasing at least a portion of the reserved certain capacity in view of the modification request if the determining determines that the customer order is permitted to be modified.

22. A computer-implemented method for an online store as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating customer order confirmation data after the fulfilled customer order has been delivered to the customer.

4. An integrated system for an online store to assist customers in ordering products online via an electrical network, the integrated system comprising:

a customer interface system using at least one computing device, the customer interface system being configured

to provide at least two delivery windows for a customer to select, each delivery window indicating a different duration of time for receiving delivery of order, to assist the customer to place an order,

to receive a customer order associated with the customer for a plurality of products from the online store, wherein the customer order includes information regarding one of the provided delivery windows selected by the customer to receive delivery of the customer order, and

to receive a modification request from the customer for the customer order, subsequent to the online store receiving the customer order and reserving certain capacity in view of the customer order, but prior to delivery of the customer order,

wherein the integrated system is configured to determine whether the customer order is eligible to be modified in view of the modification request, and to modify the customer order in accordance with the modification request if it is determined that the customer order is permitted to be modified, but denying modification of the customer order if it is determined that the customer order is not permitted to be modified;

an order fulfillment system, using at least one computing device, in communication with the customer interface system, the order fulfillment system being configured to fulfill the customer order or the modified customer order; and

a delivery system, using at least one computing device, in communication with the order fulfillment system, the delivery system being configured to arrange for delivery of the fulfilled customer order.

5. An integrated system as recited in claim 4, wherein the integrated system further comprises a customer system being configured to keep track of interactions with the customer after the customer has placed the customer order, and to enable at least one online store representative to service subsequent requests associated with the customer after the customer order has been received.

6. An integrated system as recited in claim 4 further comprising a warehouse system being configured to manage a physical warehouse that stores a plurality of products of the online store.

23. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 4, wherein the customer order is denied to be modified after a pre-determined cutoff time.

24. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 23, wherein finalized customer order information is sent to the order fulfillment system after the pre-determined cutoff time has passed.

25. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 23, wherein the pre-determined cutoff time depends on the delivery window selected by the customer to receive delivery of the customer order.

26. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 23, wherein the integrated system is configured to allow the selected delivery window to be modified before the pre-determined cutoff time.

27. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 23, wherein the integrated system is configured to allow the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

28. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 4, wherein the integrated system is configured to allow the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

29. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 4, wherein the integrated system is configured to release at least a portion of the reserved certain capacity in view of the modification request if it is determined that the customer order is permitted to be modified.

30. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 4, wherein the integrated system is configured to generate customer order confirmation data after the fulfilled customer order has been delivered to the customer.

39. An integrated system for an online store as recited in claim 4,

wherein the integrated system comprises a publishing system configured to manage catalog data associated with a plurality of products,

wherein the catalog data includes SKU identifiers and a UPC identifiers for a plurality of products,

wherein the publishing system includes an interface for allowing merchants to enter catalog data into the publishing system,

wherein the customer interface system includes a representation of at least one store catalog including information relating to at least a plurality of products,

wherein the integrated system is configured to cause the at least one store catalog to be automatically updated at pre-determined intervals using the catalog data from the publishing system,

wherein the integrated system comprises an inventory system comprising memory, the inventory system including an inventory database configured or designed to maintain inventory records of a plurality of products,

wherein the inventory system includes a master product database of products, the inventory system being configured or designed to cause the master product database to be automatically updated at pre-determined intervals using the catalog data from the publishing system,

wherein the customer interface system includes a representation of a customer catalog representing selected products to be displayed to a customer,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to automatically modify the customer catalog data based upon available inventory data,

wherein the inventory system is configured or designed to generate a new purchase order for at least one product included in the inventory records;

automatically determine new pricing information for the at least one product based upon data from the purchase order; and

automatically issuing, to the order fulfillment system, an expected receipt relating to the purchase order,

wherein the inventory system is configured or designed to automatically inform at least one vendor of the generated purchase order,

wherein the inventory system is configured or designed to automatically update available inventory data stored in the customer interface system using data from the generated purchase order,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to automatically modify a customer catalog to include any new products relating to the generated purchase order,

wherein the integrated system comprises a storefront inventory database for storing product inventory data, the product inventory data including product availability data and price data,

wherein the integrated system is configured or designed to automatically update the storefront inventory database at pre-determined intervals using inventory data from the inventory system,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to modify the product inventory data in response to a product being selected for purchase by a customer,

wherein the customer interface subsystem is configured or designed to manage customer orders and order modifications using product inventory data,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to allow customers to modify received orders until a pre-determined cutoff time has passed,

wherein the integrated system is configured or designed to automatically export customer order data from the customer interface system to the inventory system after a pre-defined cutoff time has passed,

wherein the integrated system is configured or designed to automatically export the order data from the inventory system to the order fulfillment system after a pre-defined cutoff time has passed,

wherein the integrated system is configured or designed to automatically update inventory records in the inventory system in response to an order shipment confirmation being received from the order fulfillment system,

wherein a product has associated with it a respective set of capacity attributes corresponding to an amount of capacity to be reserved in each system of the integrated system in response to the product being selected for purchase by a customer,

wherein the set of capacity attributes includes;

at least one inventory capacity attribute, at least one delivery capacity attribute, and at least one order fulfillment capacity attribute,

wherein the customer interface system comprises a capacity database for managing capacity data associated with a plurality of systems of the integrated system, the capacity data including available capacity data and reserved capacity data for systems of the integrated system, the customer interface system being configured or designed to manage inflow of customer orders at time of ordering using the capacity data,

wherein the capacity data for a selected product includes;

inventory type information relating to the selected product;

transportation information relating to the selected product; and

fulfillment information relating to the selected product,

wherein the integrated system is configured or designed to automatically update the capacity data at respective, pre-determined intervals using data from a plurality of systems of the integrated system,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to reserve a respective amount of capacity in the capacity database for a plurality of systems in the integrated system in response to a product being selected for purchase by a customer, the amount of capacity reserved for a selected system being related to the set of capacity attributes associated with the selected product,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to automatically modify reserved capacity associated with at least one ordered product in response to a customer modifying a desired quantity of the at least one ordered product,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to free reserved capacity associated with an ordered product when the customer cancels an associated order for the ordered product,

wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to use capacity data to indicate to a customer a product is available for purchase, and when the product can be delivered to the customer,

wherein the delivery system comprises;

a transportation system including a plurality of delivery vehicles and a delivery route management system;

at least one delivery courier; and

at least one mobile field device (MFD), the MFD including memory configured or designed to store delivery route information and order history data corresponding to selected customers,

wherein the delivery system includes a customer delivery mapping system, the customer delivery mapping system being configured or designed to determine whether delivery service is available to a customer based upon the customer'"'"'s delivery address,

wherein the delivery system comprises a delivery window scheduling system for generating delivery window data, and wherein the customer interface system is configured or designed to utilize the delivery window data for scheduling a delivery window for a product to be delivered to a customer,

wherein the order fulfillment system is configured or designed to transmit shipment confirmation data to the inventory system relating to orders for products which have been successfully fulfilled and shipped to customers,

wherein the order fulfillment system comprises;

a storage center for storing a plurality of products;

at least one collection container for receiving at least a portion of products associated with a customer order; and

an automated container transportation system for transporting the at least one container to various locations within the storage center for order fulfillment, and

wherein the integrated system includes a first business unit for servicing a first plurality of customers associated with a first geographic area, and a second business unit for servicing a second plurality of customers associated with a second geographic area.

7. A computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for ordering products online via a plurality of systems coupled together, the plurality of systems having at least a customer interface system, an order fulfillment system and a delivery system, said computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer program code for providing, via the customer interface system using at least one computing device, at least two delivery windows for a customer to select, each delivery window indicating a different duration of time for receiving delivery of order, to assist the customer to place an order;

computer program code for receiving, via the customer interface system using the at least one computing device, a customer order associated with the customer for a plurality of products from an online store, the customer order including information regarding one of the provided delivery windows selected by the customer to receiver delivery of the customer order;

computer program code for receiving, via the customer interface system using the at least one computing device, a modification request from the customer for the customer order, subsequent to the online store receiving the customer order and reserving certain capacity in view of the customer order, but prior to delivery of the customer order;

computer program code for determining whether the customer order is eligible to be modified in view of the modification request;

computer program code for modifying the customer order in accordance with the modification request if said computer program code for determining determines that the customer order is permitted to be modified, but denying modification of the customer order if said computer program code for determining determines that the customer order is not permitted to be modified;

computer program code for fulfilling the customer order or the modified order via the order fulfillment system using at least one computing device; and

computer program code for arranging for delivery of the fulfilled order to the customer via the delivery system.

8. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of systems further having a customer system to keep track of interactions with the customer after the customer order has been received, and wherein said computer readable storage medium further comprises computer program code for enabling, via the customer system, at least one online store representative to service subsequent requests associated with the customer after the customer order has been received.

9. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of systems further having a warehouse system, and wherein said computer readable storage medium further comprising computer program code for managing, via the warehouse system, a physical warehouse that stores a plurality of products of the online store.

31. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7 further comprising computer program code to deny modifying the customer order after a pre-determined cutoff time.

32. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 31 further comprising computer program code for sending finalized customer order information to the order fulfillment system after the pre-determined cutoff time has passed.

33. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the pre-determined cutoff time depends on the delivery window selected by the customer to receive delivery of the customer order.

34. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 31 further comprising computer program code for allowing the selected delivery window to be modified before the pre-determined cutoff time.

35. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 31 further comprising computer program code for allowing the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

36. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7 further comprising computer program code for allowing the customer order to be modified when the customer order is delivered to the customer.

37. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7 further comprising computer program code for releasing at least a portion of the reserved certain capacity in view of the modification request if said computer program code for determining determines that the customer order is permitted to be modified.

38. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising computer program code for generating customer order confirmation data after the fulfilled customer order has been delivered to the customer.