US 11,893,072 B2 · Methods and apparatus for automatically servicing item data requests

Abstract

This application relates to apparatus and methods for automatically servicing item data requests in data management systems, such as in retail management systems. The apparatus and methods employ a throttling technique to service data requests from one or more entities. In some examples, a computing device initializes assigns a counter for each entity, and initializes each counter with an initial value. The computing device also occasionally (e.g., periodically) resets each counter to the initial value. The computing device may receive a data request from one of the entities, and determines whether the counter corresponding to the entity identifies a count that is beyond a threshold. If the counter identifies a count beyond the threshold, the computing device adjusts the counter, and processes the data request. If the counter does not identify a count beyond the threshold, the computing device responds to the entity with an error.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a computing device comprising at least one processor and configured to:
receive a first data request from a first entity;
satisfy the first data request by obtaining data from, or storing data to, a database, when throttling is not enabled for the first entity;
determine whether a timer has expired, when throttling is enabled for the first entity;
when the timer has expired, reset the timer and satisfy the first data request by obtaining data from, or storing data to, the database;
when the timer has not expired,
determine whether a first counter corresponding to the first entity is above a first threshold,
generate a first response to the first data request based on the determination of whether the first counter is above the first threshold, wherein the first response is generated based on:
satisfying the first data request when the first counter is above the first threshold by obtaining data from, or storing data to, the database, and
indicating a time value of the timer and an error to the first data request in the first response when the first counter is not above the first threshold, and
transmit the first response to the first entity.

8 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause a device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first data request from a first entity;
satisfying the first data request by obtaining data from, or storing data to, a database, when throttling is not enabled for the first entity;
determining whether a timer has expired, when throttling is enabled for the first entity;
when the timer has expired, resetting the timer and satisfying the first data request by obtaining data from, or storing data to, the database;
when the timer has not expired,
determining whether a first counter corresponding to the first entity is above a first threshold,
generating a first response to the first data request based on the determination of whether the first counter is above the first threshold, wherein generating the first response comprises:
satisfying the first data request when the first counter is above the first threshold by obtaining data from, or storing data to, the database, and
indicating a time value of the timer and an error to the first data request in the first response when the first counter is not above the first threshold, and
transmitting the first response to the first entity.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatus for automatically servicing item data requests

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for automatically servicing item data requests

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18