US 7,065,499 B1Granted

Intelligent order promising

Assigneei2 Technologies US, Inc.

InventorsVineet Seth, Aamer Rehman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An order promising system (10) includes a commerce module (16) that receives a product inquiry from a user. The product inquiry includes a product configuration that includes a product identifier, one or more option values, and the delivery location for the product. The system (10) also includes one or more inventory engines (12) that receive the product configuration from the commerce module (16) and identify one or more products in the inventory of one or more sellers that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules. The inventory engines (12) also determine a delivery date for each matching product and communicate the matching products and associated delivery dates to the commerce module (16). The commerce module (16) communicates the matching products and associated delivery dates to the user, receives a request for one of the matching products from the user, and communicates the request to the inventory engine (12), which receives the request and commits the requested product to the user.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented intelligent order promising system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the system comprising:

a commerce module operable to, using one or more processing units and one or more memory units, receive a product inquiry from a user, the product inquiry including a product configuration that comprises a product identifier, one or more option values, and a delivery location for the product;
one or more inventory engines each operable to, using one or more processing units and one or more memory units:
receive the product configuration from the commerce module;
identify one or more products in the inventory of one or more sellers that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
determine a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the inventory location of the product and the delivery location for the product;
and
communicate the matching products and associated delivery dates;
dates to the commerce module;
one or more production engines each operable to, using one or more processing units and one or more memory units:
receive the product configuration from the commerce module;
identify one or more products in current or planned production that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
determine a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the production lead time, production location of the product, and the delivery location for the product;
and
communicate the matching products and associated delivery dates to the commerce module;
the commerce module further operable to, using one or more processing units and one or more memory units:
communicate the consolidated matching products and associated delivery dates to the user;
receive a request for at least one of the matching products from the user;
and
communicate the request to the inventory or production engine that identified the matching product;
and
the inventory or production engine further operable to, using one or more processing units and one or more memory units, receive the request and to commit the requested product to the user.

18 more elements

A computer-implemented method for intelligent order promising, using a computer system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:

using the computer system, receiving a product inquiry from a user, the product inquiry including a product configuration that comprises a product identifier, one or more option values, and a delivery location for the product;
using the computer system, identifying one or more products in the inventory of one or more sellers that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
using the computer system, determining a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the inventory location of the product and the delivery location for the product;
using the computer system, identifying one or more products in current or planned production that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
using the computer system, determining a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the production lead time, production location of the product, and the delivery location for the product;
and
using the computer system, communicating the consolidated matching products and associated delivery dates to the user;
using the computer system, receiving a request for at least one of the matching products from the user;
and
using the computer system, committing the requested product to the user.

7 more elements

Intelligent order promising software embodied in a computer-readable medium and, when executed, operable to:

receive a product inquiry from a user, the product inquiry including a product configuration that comprises a product identifier, one or more option values, and a delivery location for the product;
identify one or more products in the inventory of one or more sellers that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
determine a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the inventory location of the product and the delivery location for the product;
identify one or more products in current or planned production that exactly or partially match the product configuration based on one or more matching rules, the matching rules defining penalties that are incurred if one or more options of the matching product do not exactly match the option values received from the user;
determine a delivery date for each matching product based, at least in part, on the production lead time, production location of the product, and the delivery location for the product;
and
communicate the consolidated matching products and associated delivery dates to the user;
receive a request for at least one of the matching products from the user;
and
commit the requested product to the user.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/949,378Filed 7 Sep 2001 · us provisional application
Priority: 19 Mar 2001
Granted: 20 Jun 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06Q 10/08
Administration; Management: logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G06Q 30/0621
Electronic shopping [e-shopping]: by configuring or customising goods or services
G06Q 30/0625
By investigating goods or services: by formulating product or service queries, e.g. using keywords or predefined options
G06Q 30/0635
Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists: replenishment orders; recurring orders