System, method, and computer-readable medium for automatic query and order processing via the internet

• US 8,655,745 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Ledet, David Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Haq, Naeem
• Application Number:
  US13/632,839
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.25, 705/26.3, 705/26.35, 705/26.4, 705 2641- 2644, 705/26.5, 705 2661- 2664, 705/26.7, 705/26.8, 705/26.81, 705/26.82, 705/26.9, 705/27.1, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for facilitating user interaction with numerous product suppliers to determine which supplier to utilize for ordering a product based on various parameters are provided. A user may interact with one or more suppliers using similar or different parameters for each supplier within the same application without having to switch to another external application. Results are provided in a visually appealing and logical manner and automate the ordering of an item if that item is found at a particular supplier within predefined thresholds specified by the user. In this manner, orders may be submitted at the moment order thresholds are met, and decisions may be made automatically by one or more of the system, the user, or on an interaction by the user and another individual.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a client data processing system, parameters associated with a product desired to be ordered;

issuing, by the client data processing system, a query to at least one product supplier data processing system, wherein the query is derived from the parameters;

receiving, by the client data processing system, results of the query issued by the at least one supplier data processing systems;

organizing, by the client data processing system, the results in a descending ordered list with at least a portion of the results matching the parameters at a top of the descending ordered list and the remaining results not matching the parameters at a bottom of the descending ordered list;

organizing the remaining results, by the client data processing system, into an additional list; and

retrieving, by the client data processing system, additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the parameters are satisfied by a product supplier of the product.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising responsive to determining that the parameters are satisfied by the product supplier, ordering the product from the product supplier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the parameters includes a respective equality condition associated therewith.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the respective equality condition comprises an equality condition applied to at least one of:

a product price, a product quantity, and a shipping delivery duration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client data processing system is configured to display a request control requesting additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request control comprises a plurality of controls that each allow selection of a communication mechanism for an additional request for the non-matching parameters.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising, responsive to determining that the parameters are satisfied by the product supplier, ordering the product from the product supplier.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:

receiving, from a client data processing system, parameters associated with a product desired to be ordered;

issuing, by the client data processing system, a query to at least one product supplier data processing system, wherein the query is derived from the parameters;

receiving, by the client data processing system, results of the query issued by the at least one supplier data processing systems;

organizing, by the client data processing system, the results in a descending ordered list with at least a portion of the results matching the parameters at a top of the descending ordered list and the remaining results not matching the parameters at a bottom of the descending ordered list;

organizing the remaining results, by the client data processing system, into an additional list; and

retrieving, by the client data processing system, additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for determining that the parameters are satisfied by a product supplier of the product.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein one or more of the parameters includes a respective equality condition associated therewith.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the respective equality condition comprises an equality condition applied to at least one of:

a product price, a product quantity, and a shipping delivery duration.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the client data processing system is configured to display a request control requesting additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request control comprises a plurality of controls that each allow selection of a communication mechanism for an additional request for the non-matching parameters.

15. A system, comprising:

a network system;

a client data processing system communicatively coupled with the network system; and

at least one product supplier data processing system communicatively coupled with the network system;

wherein the client data processing system is configured to;

receive parameters associated with a product, wherein at least one or more of the parameters includes a respective equality condition associated therewith;

issue a query to the at least one product supplier data processing systems, wherein the query is derived from the parameters;

receive results of the query issued by the at least one supplier data processing system;

organize the results in a descending ordered list with at least a portion of the results matching the parameters at a top of the descending ordered list and the remaining results not matching the parameters at a bottom of the descending ordered list;

organize the remaining results into an additional list; and

retrieve additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the client data processing system determines that the parameters are satisfied by a product supplier of the product.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the client data processing system orders the product from the product supplier responsive to the parameters being satisfied by the product supplier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein one or more of the parameters includes a respective equality condition associated therewith.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the respective equality condition comprises an equality condition applied to at least one of:

a product price, a product quantity, and a shipping delivery duration.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the client data processing system is configured to display a request control requesting additional results for the non-matching parameters based on the additional list, wherein the request control comprises a plurality of controls that each allow selection of a communication mechanism for an additional request for the non-matching parameters.