Inventory managing method for automatic inventory retrieval and apparatus thereof

Abstract

Individual attributes are designated to individual hierarchical levels of an inventory information tree stored in an inventory information tree on-memory structure storing unit. Each node that structures the inventory information tree defines at least the type of an attribute of a commodity, the value thereof, the inventory quantity of the commodity that satisfies a classification condition corresponding to the position on the tree, and the relation with another node. While an inventory retrieving unit is searching each node on the inventory information tree corresponding to a retrieving condition designated with a combination of the attribute of the commodity and the value thereof, the unit executes an inventory retrieving process for updating the inventory quantity of each node. The unit searches nodes with priority corresponding to their positions in hierarchical levels with attributes that are not included in a retrieving condition.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention relates to an inventory retrieving process in a sales circulation business.[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art[0004] An inventory managing technology using a database system is becoming common in sales circulation businesses.[0005] In a table of an inventory management database, each commodity item is registered as one record entry. Each record is composed of a plurality of fields of attributes such as color and size.[0006] When an inventory retrieving process is performed for extracting a desired commodity item that satisfies a particular condition from the database table, inquiry conditions are designated for individual attributes (fields) of the table.[0007] In such a conventional inventory retrieving process, designated attributes affect the result of the inventory retrieving process. In other words, attributes that have not been designated do not affect the result.[0008] Thus, all conditions for an inventory retr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] In the structure of the present invention, binary tree data in the memory unit can be effectively matched with the database table.

Problems solved by technology

In other words, the inventory retrieving process cannot be always flexibly performed.

Thus, conventionally, it is difficult to designate to the database an automatic inventory retrieving rule such as "unless a size is designated, commodity items of M size are allocated with higher priority than commodity items of L size".

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