Methods and apparatus for on-line ordering
First Claim
1. A method for conveying an order from a user to a supplier, said user inputting said order into an access device in communication with an ordering system via an electronic communication system, said ordering system conveying said order to said supplier, said method comprising:
- electronically providing to said user a locally searchable data set comprising supplier information; and
electronically receiving an order from said user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for ordering supplies from suppliers or for other e-commerce activities are described. Standards for placing orders and registering catalog information in a database are described. Systems and methods for placing orders, preprocessing supplier information using geographic information, conducting data searches and analyses locally on user access devices, continuously updating displays of browser frames, tracking orders using accounting codes, placing graphical custom orders, submitting graphical orders to suppliers, placing group orders, reducing risks associated with delinquent accounts receivable, and combinations thereof are described.
190 Citations
165 Claims
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1. A method for conveying an order from a user to a supplier, said user inputting said order into an access device in communication with an ordering system via an electronic communication system, said ordering system conveying said order to said supplier, said method comprising:
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electronically providing to said user a locally searchable data set comprising supplier information; and
electronically receiving an order from said user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for transferring catalog information and order information between consumers and suppliers using an electronic communication network, said method comprising:
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qualifying at least one consumer entity;
distributing catalog information to at least one consumer entity, said catalog information received from at least one supplier;
receiving order information from at least one qualified consumer entity; and
delivering at least a portion of said order information to one of said at least one supplier. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 112, 113, 114)
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16. A method for selectively replacing content in a display of a web page, said web page having content displayed using a browser running on an access device, said access device communicating with a web server via an electronic communication network, said method comprising:
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storing data from said server in a frame in said browser; and
replacing at least a portion of said content with at least a portion of said data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for selectively replacing content in a display of a web page, said web page having content displayed using a browser running on an access device, said access device communicating with a food ordering system web server via an electronic communication network, said method comprising:
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storing data from said server in a frame in said browser; and
replacing at least a portion of said content with at least a portion of said data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for selecting food suppliers for a user of a food supplies ordering system, said user having a location, said ordering system using an electronic communications network, each of said suppliers having a geographic address, said method comprising:
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defining a region;
selecting at least one food supplier having an address substantially inside said region. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for determining if an entity lies within an area, a service provider offering a service in said area, said entity having a location and a zone, said location lying within said zone, said zone lying partially inside said area and partially outside said area, said method comprising:
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transferring geographic information to a user access device browser, said geographic information corresponding to at least a portion of an intersection between said area and said zone; and
transferring a function to said browser, said function configured for determining if said location lies within said intersection. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165)
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39. A method for sorting food suppliers for a user of a food supplies ordering system, said user having a first location, said ordering system using an electronic communications network, each of said suppliers having a corresponding additional location, said method comprising:
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calculating a distance between said first location and each of said additional locations; and
ranking said suppliers by said distances, wherein said ranking is selected from a group consisting of;
a. an ascending order; and
b. a descending order. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A method for indicating that a supplier delivers to a user of an ordering system, said user communicating with said system via an electronic communication network, said supplier having a delivery area, said user having a location and a zone, said location within said zone, said method comprising:
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determining if said zone is within said area; and
recording an indication selected from a group consisting of;
a. an indication that said supplier delivers to said user if said zone is within said area; and
b. an indication that said supplier does not deliver to said user if said zone is not within said area. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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44. A method for managing orders placed by users of an on-line food supplies ordering system, said users associating codes with said orders, each of said users using an access device to place at least one order via an electronic communications network, said method comprising:
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electronically obtaining at least one code from at least one user, said at least one code corresponding to said at least one order; and
indexing said at least one order using said at least one code for subsequent identification of said at least one order using said at least one code. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for using an electronic communication network for ordering a customized food item from a supplier, wherein a user selects said item and at least one option for customizing said item, said method comprising:
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electronically receiving an indication of said at least one option from said user via a user access device;
displaying a graphical representation of said item as modified by said at least one option using said device; and
transmitting an order describing said item as modified by said at least one option to said supplier. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method for placing a group order with a supplier, said group order comprising a host order selected by a host and at least one guest order selected by at least one guest, said at least one guest selected by said host, said host order and said at least one guest order input into an ordering system via at least one access device, said group order transmitted to said supplier by said ordering system, said at least one access device and said ordering system in electronic communication via an electronic communication network, said method comprising:
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forming a group order from said host order and said at least one guest order; and
transmitting said group order to said supplier. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A machine-readable data storage medium encoded with a set of machine-executable instructions for carrying out, with a machine capable of executing said instructions, a method for automatically placing a group order with a supplier, said group order comprising a host order selected by a host and at least one guest order selected by at least one guest, said at least one guest selected by said host, said host order and said at least one guest order input into an ordering system via at least one access device, said group order transmitted to said supplier by a server, said supplier receiving said group order using an access device, said access devices and said server in electronic communication with each other via an electronic communication network, said method comprising:
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electronically obtaining said host order and said at least one guest order;
forming a group order from said host order and said at least one guest order; and
transmitting said group order to said supplier.
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77. A method for reducing the risk of bad debt, said debt accruing to a provider of an on-line ordering system, said service conveying orders to said supplier, at least one of said orders comprising a price and a payment instruction instructing a financial institution to remit funds corresponding to said price, said method comprising:
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submitting said payment instruction to said financial institution;
receiving a first amount from said financial institution, said first amount equal to said funds reduced by a second amount; and
remitting to said supplier a third amount, said third amount equal to said funds reduced by a fourth amount, said fourth amount comprising at least said commission. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
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80. A display comprising:
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an information feature; and
an ordering bar, wherein the ordering bar comprises 4 ordering tabs. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A system for conveying an order from a user to a supplier, comprising:
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means for electronically providing to said user a locally searchable data set comprising supplier information; and
means for electronically receiving an order from said user, said means for electronically providing and said means for electronically receiving in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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97. A system for transferring catalog information and order information between consumers and suppliers, said system comprising:
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means for qualifying at least one consumer entity;
means for distributing catalog information to at least one consumer entity, said catalog information received from at least one supplier;
means for receiving order information from at least one qualified consumer entity; and
means for delivering at least a portion of said order information to one of said at least one supplier, said means for qualifying, said means for distributing, and said means for receiving in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A system for selectively replacing content in a display of a web page, comprising:
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means for storing data from a web server in a frame in a web page having content displayed using a browser running on an access device; and
means for replacing, via an electronic communication network, at least a portion of said content with at least a portion of said data, said means for storing and said means for replacing in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)
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110. A system for selecting food suppliers for a user of a food supplies ordering system, said user having a location, each of said suppliers having a geographic address, said system comprising:
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means for defining a region;
means for selecting at least one food supplier having an address substantially inside said region, said means for defining and said means for selecting in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (111, 115)
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116. A system for determining if an entity having a location and a zone lies within an area comprising:
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means for identifying a polygon defined by the intersection of a zone and an area, said zone lying partially inside said area and partially outside said area; and
means for determining if said location, which lies within said zone, lies within said polygon, said means for identifying and said means for determining in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (117, 118, 119)
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120. A system for sorting suppliers for a user of a supplies ordering system, comprising:
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means for calculating a distance between a first location of said user and each of one or more additional locations of said suppliers; and
means for ranking said suppliers by said distances, wherein said ranking is selected from a group consisting of;
a. an ascending order; and
b. a descending order;
said means for calculating and said means for ranking in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (121)
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122. A system for indicating that a supplier delivers to a user of an ordering system, said supplier having a delivery area, said user having a location and a zone, said location within said zone, comprising:
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first means for determining if said zone is within said area; and
means for recording an indication selected from a group consisting of;
a. an indication that said supplier delivers to said user if said zone is within said area; and
b. an indication that said supplier does not deliver to said user if said zone is not within said area, said means for determining and said first means for recording in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (123, 124)
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125. A system for managing orders placed by users of an on-line food supplies ordering system, said users associating codes with said orders, said system comprising:
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means for electronically obtaining at least one code from at least one user, said at least one code corresponding to said at least one order; and
means for indexing said at least one order using said at least one code for subsequent identification of said at least one order using said at least one code, said means for obtaining and said means for indexing in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134)
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135. A system for ordering a customized food item from a supplier, wherein a user selects said item and at least one option for customizing said item, said system comprising:
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means for electronically receiving an indication of said at least one option from said user via a user access device;
means for displaying a graphical representation of said item as modified by said at least one option using said device; and
means for transmitting an order describing said item as modified by said at least one option to said supplier, said means for receiving, said means for displaying, and said means for transmitting in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148)
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149. A system for placing a group order with a supplier, said group order comprising a host order selected by a host and at least one guest order selected by at least one guest, said system comprising:
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means for forming a group order from said host order and said at least one guest order; and
means for transmitting said group order to said supplier, said means for forming and said means for transmitting in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156)
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157. A system for automatically placing a group order with a supplier, said group order comprising a host order selected by a host and at least one guest order selected by at least one guest, said at least one guest selected by said host, said host order and said at least one guest order input into an ordering system, said group order transmitted to said supplier, said supplier receiving said group order, said system comprising:
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means for electronically obtaining said host order and said at least one guest order;
means for forming a group order from said host order and said at least one guest order; and
means for transmitting said group order to said supplier, said means for electronically obtaining, said means for forming, and said means for transmitting in communication via an electronic communication system.
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158. A system for reducing the risk of bad debt, said debt accruing to a provider of an on-line ordering system, said system conveying orders to said supplier, at least one of said orders comprising a price and a payment instruction instructing a financial institution to remit funds corresponding to said price, said system comprising:
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means for submitting said payment instruction to said financial institution;
means for receiving a first amount from said financial institution, said first amount equal to said funds reduced by a second amount; and
means for remitting to said supplier a third amount, said third amount equal to said funds reduced by a fourth amount, said fourth amount comprising at least said commission, said means for submitting, said means for receiving, and said means for remitting in communication via an electronic communication system. - View Dependent Claims (159, 160)
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Specification