EP1094414A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Order fulfillment processing system
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 2000-08-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2020-08-31
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for processing a customer generated order for a product, more particularly to a method for one or more client computers connected through a server to a plurality of supplier computers to fulfill a customer generated order. The method includes the client creating an order event with a preferred supplier, the server routing the order event to the preferred supplier, the server monitoring status of the order event from the preferred supplier, the preferred supplier processing the order event, and the server periodically synchronizing inventory between the client and all suppliers.
Inventors
- 👤 Carole L. Henning
- 👤 Melody Peters
- 👤 Gary Brandt
- 👤 Carolyn M. Nickey
- 👤 Eric Price
- 👤 Marjie Sladek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:53
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; G06Q10/087; G06Q10/0874; G06Q10/08744; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q10/0877; G06Q10/08772
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for processing a customer generated order for a
product, wherein the customer order is received by at least one client operably
connected through at least one server to a plurality of suppliers via a network,
the method comprising the steps of: the client creating an order event with a preferred supplier; the server routing said order event to the preferred supplier; the server monitoring status of said order event from the
preferred supplier; the preferred supplier processing said order event; and, the server periodically synchronizing inventory between the
client and the plurality of suppliers independently of the foregoing steps.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of the
client creating an order event with a preferred supplier further comprises the
steps of: the client determining a preferred supplier according to
geographical location and inventory availability of the suppliers; the client validating the information from the customer generated
order; and, the client assigning a purchase order number for said order event.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of
creating an order event with a preferred supplier further comprises the steps of: determining a first preferred supplier having an inventory of
available product that is favorably geographically located to minimize the time
and expense of shipment of the product to the customer; and, determining a second preferred supplier having an inventory of
available product in the event that the inventory of available product of said
first preferred supplier is not sufficient to fill the customer order.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
110 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of the
server routing said order event to the preferred supplier further comprises the
steps of: the server monitoring the client for an order event; the server obtaining said order event; the server validating the order event prior to identifying the
preferred supplier of the product; the server then determining the existence and identification of the
preferred supplier of the product; the server then sending the order event to the existing and
identified preferred supplier when the preferred supplier exists; and, the server sending a rejection event to the client that generated
the purchase order when no existing supplier is identified.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method according to claim 4 wherein said step of the
server then sending the order event to the existing and identified preferred
supplier further comprises the steps of: the preferred supplier assigning a tracking number for the order
event if the preferred supplier accepts the order event; and, the server sending a rejection event back to the client if the
preferred supplier does not accept the order event.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 5 wherein said step of the
preferred supplier assigning a tracking number for the order event further
comprises the steps of the server saving the order event with the tracking
number as an open status.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of the
server monitoring status of said order event from the preferred supplier further
comprises the steps of: the server composing a list of order events with open status; the server determining the preferred supplier for each order event
with open status; the server requesting a status message for each order event with
open status from the preferred supplier; the preferred supplier sending a status message with the most
current status for the order event to the server; the server starting a timeout if the order event is open; the server sending a confirmation event to the client if the order
event is closed; and the server sending a rejection event to the client if the order event
is rejected.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 7 wherein said step of the
server sending a confirmation event to the client further comprises the steps of: the server changing the order event from an open to a closed
status; the server starting a timeout; and, the client sending an invoice to the customer for shipment.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as defined in claim 8 wherein said timeout is
configurable for each supplier and is preferably of sufficiently short duration to
ensure reliable communications relating to the operation of the processing
method are maintained.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 7 wherein said step of the
server sending a rejection event to the client further comprises the steps of: the server changing the order event from an open to a rejected
status; and, the server starting a timeout.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of the
preferred supplier processing said order event further comprises the steps of: the preferred supplier shipping the product to the customer; and the preferred supplier creating a confirmation event.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of the
server synchronizing inventory between the client that routed the order event
and the preferred supplier further comprises the steps of: the server retrieving the most updated inventory from the
preferred supplier; the server sending an inventory-synchronization event with the
updated inventory to the client; the client updating the current inventory for the preferred
supplier; and, the server starting a timeout to initiate the server.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the server is
initiated at the expiration of said timeout.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the network is the
Internet.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
207 words
A method for processing a customer generated order for
purchasing a quantity of at least one of a plurality of products and specifying a
delivery location for the purchased quantity, wherein the customer order is
received by at least one client operably connected through at least one server to
a plurality of suppliers located throughout a large geographical area via a
network such as the Internet, the method comprising the steps of: the client creating an order event with a first supplier, said first
supplier being determined as a function of having an available inventory of the
purchased one product and the location of the first supplier being proximate the
delivery location specified by the customer so as to minimize at least one of the
time and cost of delivery of the product; the server routing said order event to the first supplier for
processing by the first supplier; the server periodically communicating with the first supplier to
monitor the status of said order event being processed by the first supplier; the first supplier processing said order event by doing one of
accepting and rejecting the order event; and, the server periodically synchronizing inventory between the
client and the plurality of suppliers independently of the foregoing steps.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the large
geographical area comprises any portion of the world that is accessible by the
Internet.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as defined in claim 15 further comprises the
client creating an order event with a second supplier in the event said first
supplier has an insufficient inventory of the purchased one product, said second
supplier being determined as a function of the location of the second supplier
being proximate the delivery location specified by the customer so as to
minimize at least one of the time and cost of delivery of the product.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the periodic
communication with the first supplier is configurable and preferably occurs at
sufficiently short intervals to ensure that adequate information relating to the
reliable operation of the processing method is provided.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the step of the
first supplier processing said order event further comprises: the first supplier assigning a tracking number for the order event;
and, the server saving the order event with the tracking number as an
open status.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the step of the
first supplier processing said order event and rejecting the same further
comprises: the server changing the order event from an open to a rejected
status; and, the server starting a timeout.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the step of
synchronizing inventory comprises updating the available inventory of the first
supplier after reducing the amount of the available inventory by the amount of
product purchased by the customer.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
97 words
A system for fulfilling a customer generated order by at
least one client, wherein the customer order is received by at least one client
operably connected through at least one server to a plurality of suppliers via a
network, said system comprising: means for creating an order event with a preferred supplier in the
client; means for routing said order event to the preferred supplier; means for monitoring status of said order event from the
preferred supplier; means for processing said order event; and, means for periodically synchronizing inventory between the
client and the plurality of suppliers.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
113 words
A system for fulfilling a customer generated order by at
least one client, wherein the customer order is received by at least one client
operably connected through at least one server to a plurality of suppliers via a
network, said system comprising: the client being adapted to create an order event with a preferred
supplier in the client; the server being adapted to route said order event to the preferred
supplier; the server being adapted to monitor status of said order event
from the preferred supplier; the preferred supplier being adapted to process said order event;
and, the server being adapted to periodically synchronize inventory
between the client and the plurality of suppliers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as defined in claim 22 further comprising the
supplier shipping the product ordered by the customer immediately after the
order event has been processed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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