Supply-chain side assistance

• US 7,694,881 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Malamud, Mark A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US11/061,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 235/376
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An apparatus, device, method, computer program product, and system that identifies an item having a presence within a geographic locale in response to a signal indicative of the item, obtains a first instance of a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtaining a second instance of a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and aggregates the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a) receiving a signal indicative of an item and generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographical locale;

b) identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale in response to the signal indicative of the item;

c) in direct response to the identifying the item, obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and

d) aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes

identifying at least one of a product, a raw material, or a manufactured good having a presence within the geographic locale.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes

identifying the item having a presence within at least one of a distribution center premises, a retail store storage premises, or a warehouse premises.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes

identifying the item having a presence within a conveyance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source over the network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network that includes at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, a private network, a public network, or the Internet.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network that includes at least one of a private global computer network or a public global computer network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first domain and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second domain.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source that is independent from the first source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first information corresponding to a history of the item during a presence of the item in a supply chain.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second information corresponding to a history of the item during a presence of the item in a supply chain.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a third party database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a third party database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a trade association.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a trade association.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a regulatory agency.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a regulatory agency.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first security interest information corresponding to the identified item from a first source.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second security interest information corresponding to the identified item from a second source.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first commercial interest information corresponding to the identified item from a first source.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtaining a second commercial interest information corresponding to the identified item from a second source.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtaining a first stolen property status information corresponding to the item from a first source.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes obtaining a first storage information corresponding to the item from a first source.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes

aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance into a user interface.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes

translating the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item using a mutually agreed protocol.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes

translating the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first native data format.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) enabling a supply-chain user to request at least one supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) broadcasting the aggregated first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) causing the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item to be obtained from the first source and the second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item to be obtained from the second source.

31. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a) receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale; and

b) identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale in response to the signal indicative of the item; and

c) enabling a supply-chain user to request a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item having a presence within a geographic locale

d) in response to receiving a user request for a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item having a presence within a geographic locale, obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a first source and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a second source;

e) aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance; and

f) broadcasting the aggregated supply-chain assistance.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes

receiving a signal indicative of an optically readable product code associated with an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes

receiving a signal indicative of an electronically transmitted product code associated with an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes

receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a premises.

35. A system comprising:

a) a computing device operable to receive signals indicative of identifying information of items; and

b) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) identify an item having present within a geographic locale in response to a received signal indicative of identifying information of the item, the received signal generated directly in response to a presence of the item within the geographic locale;

(ii) obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtain a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and

(iii) facilitate saving an aggregation of the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes

obtain in direct response to the identity of the item in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over the network.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes

obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source over the network.

38. A system comprising:

a) a sensor operable independent of human action to generate signals indicative of items present within a geographic locale;

b) a computing device including a storage medium, and operable to receive the signals indicative of items present within the geographic locale and to access a computer network; and

c) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) receive a signal generated by the sensor and indicative of an item present within the geographic locale;

(ii) in response to a received user request for a supply-chain assistance, obtain a first a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a first source and obtain a second a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a second source from the network; and

(iii) aggregate the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the instructions further include:

(iv) broadcast the aggregated supply-chain assistance.