# US 2013/0159145 A1 · System and Method for Processing Product Orders > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0159145 A1 - Document ID: US20130159145A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/765,645 - Filed: 2013-02-12 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2001-09-11 - Assignees: Shopatron, Inc. - Inventors: Edward Allen Stevens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159145A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders} - G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents} - G06Q 30/08: Auctions - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method of processing a product order is disclosed. The method includes receiving a product order from a consumer and selecting a fulfiller to fulfill the product order. A system for processing a product order is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A method performed by a computer system, the method comprising: presenting to a customer an offer for the customer to purchase one or more products; receiving a product order from the customer for the one or more products; receiving from one or more fulfillers one or more offers to fulfill the received product order, wherein the received one or more offers to fulfill indicate an agreement by the one or more fulfillers to fulfill the received product order; and selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order based at least in part on the received offers to fulfill. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order is based on one or more criteria specified by a manufacturer of the ordered one or more products. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers comprises identifying a fulfiller from the one or more fulfillers that is located closest to the customer. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the selecting one of the fulfillers comprises comparing costs associated with each fulfiller to fulfill the product order. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 further comprising electronically notifying the selected fulfiller that the selected fulfiller has been selected to fulfill the product order. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 further comprising, prior to receiving from one or more fulfillers one or more offers to fulfill the received product order: assigning a price that the customer will pay for the one or more ordered products; completing the received order including a check-out process; posting the completed product order at a location accessible to the one or more fulfillers; and waiting a predetermined period of time to enable the one or more fulfillers to view the posted product order. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein received offers to fulfill are independent of the assigned price. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the one or more offers to fulfill comprises: enabling the one or more fulfillers to access a website using a log-in process that includes validating a username and a password for each fulfiller; in response to validating the user name and password, enabling the one or more fulfillers with validated user name and password to view the product order and one or more additional product orders available for fulfilling; and enabling the one or more fulfillers with validated user name and password to offer to fulfill the product order or the one or more additional product orders. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order comprises selecting a default fulfiller to fulfill the product order. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 further comprising: receiving the product order for more than one of the products; selecting more than one of the fulfillers to fulfill the received product order for the more than one product, each selected fulfiller fulfilling at least one product from the product order; identifying additional shipping costs associated with selecting more than one fulfiller to fulfill the received product order; notifying the customer of the identified additional shipping costs; enabling the customer to send a request to cancel the product order in response to receiving the notification; and canceling the product order if the request to cancel the purchase order is received in response to the notification of the additional shipping costs. ### Claim 31 A method performed by a computer system, the method comprising: presenting to a customer an offer for the customer to purchase one or more products of a manufacturer; receiving a product order from the customer for the one or more products of the manufacturer; based on one or more criteria specified by the manufacturer, determining whether to (i) select the manufacturer to fulfill the received product order, or (ii) select one or more fulfillers, other than the manufacturer, to fulfill the received product order; if the one or more fulfillers are determined to be selected, then: receiving from the one or more fulfillers one or more offers to fulfill the received product order, wherein the received one or more offers to fulfill indicate an agreement by the one or more fulfillers to fulfill the received product order; and selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order based at least in part on the received offers to fulfill. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order is based on one or more criteria specified by the manufacturer of the ordered one or more products. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers comprises identifying a fulfiller from the one or more fulfillers that is located closest to the customer. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein the selecting one of the fulfillers comprises comparing costs associated with each fulfiller to fulfill the product order. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 further comprising electronically notifying the selected fulfiller that the selected fulfiller has been selected to fulfill the product order. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 further comprising, prior to receiving from one or more fulfillers one or more offers to fulfill the received product order: assigning a price that the customer will pay for the one or more ordered products; completing the received order including a check-out process; posting the completed product order at a location accessible to the one or more fulfillers; and waiting a predetermined period of time to enable the one or more fulfillers to view the posted product order. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36 wherein received offers to fulfill are independent of the assigned price. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein receiving the one or more offers to fulfill comprises: enabling the one or more fulfillers to access a website using a log-in process that includes validating a username and a password for each fulfiller; in response to validating the user name and password, enabling the one or more fulfillers with validated user name and password to view the product order and one or more additional product orders available for fulfilling; and enabling the one or more fulfillers with validated user name and password to offer to fulfill the product order or the one or more additional product orders. ### Claim 39 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein selecting one of the fulfillers to fulfill the product order comprises selecting a default fulfiller to fulfill the product order.