Managing the purchase of multiple items with multiple modes of fulfillment

• US 9,760,941 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar, Sangireddy, Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOHARIKAR, ANAND R
• Application Number:
  US14/993,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272, 705 1416, 705319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

Processing items is provided. Multiple modes of fulfillment are identified for the items. The items are processed with the multiple modes of fulfillment in a single transaction for a customer.

Claims

1. A method for processing multiple items of an electronic purchase, the method comprising:

identifying, by a data processing system, a device functionality item, a software item, a first mode of fulfillment, and a second mode of fulfillment at a single user interface in response to a customer activation of first selections from a first column and second selections from a second column in the single user interface, wherein the first selections comprise the device functionality item and the software item and the second selections comprise the first mode of fulfillment and the second mode of fulfillment;

determining, by the data processing system, a specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase;

responsive to the data processing system determining the specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase, assigning, by the data processing system, the first mode of fulfillment comprising device enablement to the device functionality item and the second mode of fulfillment comprising electronic distribution to the software item;

determining, by the data processing system, a schedule for the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment; and

fulfilling, by the data processing system, the electronic purchase based on the schedule such that;

in accordance with the first mode of fulfillment, the data processing system enables one or more features of a device associated with a customer of the electronic purchase, changes a clock speed of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase, or changes a storage capacity of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase; and

in accordance with the second mode of fulfillment, the data processing system electronically distributes the software item to the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fulfilling, by the data processing system, of the electronic purchase comprises:

identifying, by the data processing system, at least one of sources of the multiple items, delivery mechanisms for the multiple items, and destinations for the multiple items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fulfilling, by the data processing system, of the electronic purchase comprises:

processing, by the data processing system, a single payment for the electronic purchase of the multiple items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment are selected from an online retailer.

5. A data processing system for processing multiple items of an electronic purchase, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

one or more computer readable storage devices connected to the bus system, wherein at least one of the one or more computer readable storage devices stores program instructions; and

one or more processor units connected to the bus system, wherein at least one of the one or more processor units executes the program instructions to;

identify a device functionality item, a software item, a first mode of fulfillment, and a second mode of fulfillment at a single user interface in response to a customer activation of first selections from a first column and second selections from a second column in the single user interface, wherein the first selections comprise the device functionality item and the software item and the second selections comprise the first mode of fulfillment and the second mode of fulfillment;

determine a specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase;

assign the first mode of fulfillment comprising device enablement to the device functionality item and the second mode of fulfillment comprising electronic distribution to the software item in response to determining the specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase;

determine a schedule for the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment; and

fulfill the electronic purchase based on the schedule such that;

in accordance with the first mode of fulfillment, the data processing system enables one or more features of a device associated with a customer of the electronic purchase, changes a clock speed of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase, or changes a storage capacity of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase; and

in accordance with the second mode of fulfillment, the data processing system electronically distributes the software item to the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein fulfilling the electronic purchase comprises the at least one of the one or more processor units further executing the program instructions to:

identify at least one of sources of the multiple items, delivery mechanisms for the multiple items, and destinations for the multiple items.

7. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein fulfilling the electronic purchase comprises the at least one of the one or more processor units further executing the program instructions to:

process a single payment for the electronic purchase of the multiple items.

8. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment are selected from an online retailer.

9. A computer program product for processing multiple items of an electronic purchase, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a data processing system to cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

identifying, by the data processing system, a device functionality item, a software item, a first mode of fulfillment, and a second mode of fulfillment at a single user interface in response to a customer activation of first selections from a first column and second selections from a second column in the single user interface, wherein the first selections comprise the device functionality item and the software item and the second selections comprise the first mode of fulfillment and the second mode of fulfillment;

determining, by the data processing system, a specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase;

responsive to the data processing system determining the specific mode of fulfillment for each item in the electronic purchase, assigning, by the data processing system, the first mode of fulfillment comprising device enablement to the device functionality item and the second mode of fulfillment comprising electronic distribution to the software item;

determining, by the data processing system, a schedule for the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment; and

fulfilling, by the data processing system, the electronic purchase based on the schedule such that;

in accordance with the first mode of fulfillment, the data processing system enables one or more features of a device associated with a customer of the electronic purchase, changes a clock speed of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase, or changes a storage capacity of the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase; and

in accordance with the second mode of fulfillment, the data processing system electronically distributes the software item to the device associated with the customer of the electronic purchase.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the fulfilling, by the data processing system, of the electronic purchase comprises:

identifying, by the data processing system, at least one of sources of the multiple items, delivery mechanisms for the multiple items, and destinations for the multiple items.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the fulfilling, by the data processing system, of the electronic purchase comprises:

processing, by the data processing system, a single payment for the electronic purchase of the multiple items.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first mode and the second mode of fulfillment are selected from an online retailer.