Electronic catalog system and method

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a product from the memory of the remote computer for which product information is desired prior to the step of transmitting the remote revision status from the remote computer to the main computer.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of automatically connecting the remote computer to the main computer after the selecting step.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of automatically disconnecting the remote computer from the main computer after the variable data related to the selected product is transmitted from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the information related to the product generated by the remote computer during the integrating step.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of printing the information related to the product generated by the remote computer during the integrating step.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein the constant data stored in the memory of the main computer and the constant data stored in the memory of the remote computer includes both graphics data and textual data.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a request for variable data related to the a selected product from the remote computer to the main computer prior to the step of transmitting variable data from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a map from the main computer to the remote computer along with the variable data to permit the remote computer to perform the integrating step.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, wherein the constant data updating step includes the steps of: determining updated portions of the constant data stored in the main computer that are different than the constant data stored in the remote computer; transmitting the updated portions of the constant data stored in the main computer from the main computer to the remote computer; and replacing portions of the constant data stored on the remote computer with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10, wherein the updating step further includes the step of transmitting a new remote revision status identical to the main revision status from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: storing a program and a remote program revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer; maintaining the latest revisions of the program and a main program revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the main computer; transmitting the remote program revision status from the remote computer to the main computer; comparing the remote program revision status to the main program revision status; and updating portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer that are different from the program stored and maintained in the memory of the main computer.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12, wherein the program updating step includes the steps of: determining updated portions of the program stored in the main computer that are different from the program stored in the remote computer; transmitting the updated portions from the main computer to the remote computer; and replacing portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer with the updated portions received from the main computer.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12, wherein the remote program revision status is transmitted to the main computer each time a communication session is initiated between the remote computer and the main computer.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of automatically connecting the remote computer to the main computer after the selecting step.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of automatically disconnecting the remote computer from the main computer after the variable data related to the selected product is transmitted from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying the information related to the product generated by the remote computer during the integrating step.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of printing the information related to the product generated by the remote computer during the integrating step.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15, wherein the constant data stored in the memory of the main computer and the constant data stored in the memory of the remote computer includes both graphics data and textual data.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: storing and maintaining a main revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main revision status indicating the last time the constant data stored in the main computer was revised; and storing a remote revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote revision status indicating the last time the constant data stored in the remote computer was revised.

Claim 24

The method of claim 21, wherein the step of comparing constant data in the memory of the remote computer with constant data in the memory of the main computer includes the step of comparing the remote revision status with the main revision status maintained in the main computer.

Claim 25

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting a request for variable data related to a selected product from the remote computer to the main computer prior to the step of transmitting variable data from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 26

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting a map from the main computer to the remote computer along with the variable data to permit the remote computer to perform the integrating step.

Claim 27

The method of claim 15, wherein the constant data updating step includes the steps of: determining updated portions of the constant data stored in the main computer that are different than the constant data stored in the remote computer; transmitting the updated portions of the constant data stored in the main computer from the main computer to the remote computer; and replacing portions of the constant data stored on the remote computer with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer.

Claim 28

The method of claim 25, wherein the constant data updating step further includes the step of transmitting a new remote revision status identical to the main revision status from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 29

The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: storing a program and a remote program revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer; maintaining the latest revisions of the program and a main program revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the main computer; transmitting the remote program revision status from the remote computer to the main computer; comparing the remote program revision status to the main program revision status; and updating portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer that are different from the program stored and maintained in the memory of the main computer.

Claim 30

The method of claim 27, wherein the program updating step includes the steps of: determining updated portions of the program stored in the main computer that are different from the program stored in the remote computer; transmitting the updated portions from the main computer to the remote computer; and replacing portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer with the updated portions received from the main computer.

Claim 31

The method of claim 27, wherein the remote program revision status is transmitted to the main computer each time a communication session is initiated between the remote computer and the main computer.

Claim 32

An electronic catalog system comprising: a main computer including a main memory for storing variable data, constant data and a main revision status related to at least one product, the main revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the main memory; a remote computer including a remote memory for storing constant data and a remote revision status related to the at least one product, the constant data being a subset of information data related to the at least one product, the remote revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting the remote revision status from the remote computer to the main computer; means for comparing the remote revision status with the main revision status; means for selecting portions of the constant data stored in the main memory that are different from the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; means for replacing portions of the constant data stored in the remote memory with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer; means for transmitting variable data related to a selected product stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; and means for integrating constant data related to the selected product stored in the remote memory with the variable data related to the selected product received from the main computer to generate said information data related to the selected product including both constant data and variable data.

Claim 33

An electronic catalog system comprising: a main computer including a main memory for storing variable data, constant data and a main revision status related to at least one product, the main revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the main memory; a remote computer including a remote memory for storing constant data and a remote revision status related to the at least one product, the constant data being a subset of information data related to the at least one product, the remote revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting the remote revision status from the remote computer to the main computer; means for comparing the remote revision status with the main revision status; means for selecting portions of the constant data stored in the main memory that are different from the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; means for replacing portions of the constant data stored in the remote memory with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer; means for transmitting variable data related to a selected product stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; and means for integrating constant data related to the selected product stored in the remote memory with the variable data related to the selected product received from the main computer to generate said information data related to the selected product including both constant data and variable data.

Claim 34

The system of claim 30, further comprising means for generating a map at the main computer and means for transmitting the map from the main computer to the remote computer along with the variable data to permit the integrating means to generate information related to the selected product including both constant data and variable data.

Claim 35

The system of claim 30, wherein the means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer also transmits an updated remote revision status identical to the main revision status from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 36

The system of claim 30, further comprising means for storing a program and a remote program revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer, means for maintaining the latest revisions of the program and a main program revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the main computer, means for transmitting the remote program revision status from the remote computer to the main computer, means for comparing the remote program revision status to the main program revision status, and means for determining updated portions of the program stored in the main computer that are different from the program stored in the remote computer, means for transmitting the updated portions from the main computer to the remote computer, and means for replacing portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer with the updated portions received from the main computer.

Claim 37

The system of claim 30, wherein the means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer also transmits an updated remote revision status identical to the main revision status from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 38

An electronic catalog system comprising: a main computer including a main memory for storing variable data and constant data related a plurality of products; a remote computer including a remote memory for storing constant data related to a plurality of products, the constant data being a subset of product information data related to the plurality of products; means for transmitting a request for variable data related to a selected product from the remote computer to the main computer; means for comparing constant data in the remote memory with constant data in the main memory; means for determining which portions of the constant data stored in the main memory are different from the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; means for replacing portions of the constant data stored in the remote memory with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer; means for transmitting variable data related to the selected product stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; and means for integrating constant data related to the selected product stored in the remote memory with the variable data related to the selected product received from the main computer to generate the product information data related to the selected product including both constant data and variable data.

Claim 39

An electronic catalog system comprising: a main computer including a main memory for storing variable data and constant data related a plurality of products; a remote computer including a remote memory for storing constant data related to a plurality of products, the constant data being a subset of product information data related to the plurality of products; means for transmitting a request for variable data related to a selected product from the remote computer to the main computer; means for comparing constant data in the remote memory with constant data in the main memory; means for determining which portions of the constant data stored in the main memory are different from the constant data stored in the remote memory; means for transmitting updated portions of the constant data stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; means for replacing portions of the constant data stored in the remote memory with the updated portions of constant data received from the main computer; means for transmitting variable data related to the selected product stored in the main memory from the main computer to the remote computer; and means for integrating constant data related to the selected product stored in the remote memory with the variable data related to the selected product received from the main computer to generate the product information data related to the selected product including both constant data and variable data.

Claim 40

The system of claim 35, further comprising means for automatically connecting the remote computer to the main computer.

Claim 41

The system of claim 36, further comprising means for automatically disconnecting the remote computer from the main computer after the variable data related to the selected product is transmitted from the main computer to the remote computer.

Claim 42

The system of claim 35, further comprising means for storing and maintaining a main revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the main computer, and means for storing a remote revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote revision status indicating the revision level of the constant data stored in the remote computer.

Claim 43

The system of claim 38, wherein the means for comparing constant data in the remote memory with constant data in the main memory compares the remote revision status with the main revision status maintained in the main computer.

Claim 44

The system of claim 35, further comprising means for storing a program and a remote program revision status in the memory of the remote computer, the remote program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer, means for maintaining the latest revisions of the program and a main program revision status in the memory of the main computer, the main program revision status indicating the revision level of the program stored in the memory of the main computer, means for transmitting the remote program revision status from the remote computer to the main computer, means for comparing the remote program revision status to the main program revision status, means for determining updated portions of the program stored in the main computer that are different from the program stored in the remote computer, means for transmitting the updated portions from the main computer to the remote computer, and means for replacing portions of the program stored in the memory of the remote computer with the updated portions received from the main computer.