Methods and apparatus for on-line ordering

Abstract

Systems and methods for ordering supplies from suppliers or for other e-commerce activities are described. Standards for placing orders and registering catalog information in a database are described. Systems and methods for placing orders, preprocessing supplier information using geographic information, conducting data searches and analyses locally on user access devices, continuously updating displays of browser frames, tracking orders using accounting codes, placing graphical custom orders, submitting graphical orders to suppliers, placing group orders, reducing risks associated with delinquent accounts receivable, and combinations thereof are described.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 191,359, filed Mar. 22, 2000; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 191,205, filed Mar. 22, 2000; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 245,503, filed Nov. 3, 2000; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 245,826, filed Nov. 3, 2000; and [P. A. Burton] U.S. provisional application entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING CODES TO IDENTIFY OR GROUP ORDERS, filed Jan. 2, 2001, Attorney Docket No. ATG-6 PROV2.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to electronic commerce (“e-commerce”) systems. More particularly, this invention relates to systems and methods for providing suppliers' catalog information to purchasers and providing orders to suppliers. [0003] Electronic commerce systems, such as Internet-based shopping systems, allow purchasers to electronically purchase products and services without having to visit an actual store ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] When a supplier offers delivery to only part of the zone, and it is uncertain if the user's location falls into the delivery portion of the zone or the non-delivery portion of the zone, cartographic or geometric data and functions may be downloaded to the user's access device. These data and functions may automatically determine in which portion of the zone the user is located. Providing preprocessed lists and local computation functions for suppliers having undetermined delivery service may reduce database response times without reducing the amount of information provided to the user.

[0029] Some embodiments may provide systems and methods for avoiding the risk of bad debt. When a user purchases an item or service from a supplier, the purchase may be facilitated by an ordering service. The ordering service may receive a commission from the supplier, but there is a risk that the supplier may not pay the commission or may pay it late.

Problems solved by technology

Similarly, vast quantities of orders may be placed by users via access devices.

Because of the vast quantity of supplier information available on the Internet, it may be difficult for purchasers to find or identify suppliers that may provide supplies or services that meet the purchasers' needs.

Existing e-commerce systems may benefit from being able to offer purchasers a larger selection of supplies and a wider range of categories of supplies, but it may be costly to incorporate new catalog information if the new information does not conform to formats and protocols used by the systems.

Searches for suppliers, supplier-related information, catalog information, or any other type of information may be slowed by processes required to extract information from databases, data transmission delays, and other uncontrollable delays.

Such a search may be inherently slow because it may require a purchaser to search numerous databases, each of which may cause processing and transmission delays.

When an ordering system manages large numbers of orders, it may difficult to “supervise” the progression of an order from initial reception, through internal processing, submission to a supplier, and fulfillment by the supplier.

Purchasers, customer service representatives, and suppliers using user access devices may not be able to remotely “view” orders and related information as they enter the system, pass through it, or arrive at a supplier's warehouse without repeatedly downloading information from a database server.

Repeated downloading may be slow, inefficient, and may degrade a viewer's ability to analyze information on the user access device display.

When members of organizations (e.g., employees of a firm or company) order supplies or services on line in connection with, it may be difficult to track orders placed by a given member.

This shortcoming may lead to losses in efficiency or abuses of the system.

When purchasers select items and customized features for the items, it may be difficult for a user to envision how the item would appear as modified by the customization features.

It may be cumbersome or impossible to provide different stock displays showing every possible combination of options for a given feature.

Items with multiple customized features or with customized features that overlap or intermingle with each other, such as the toppings of a pizza, may be difficult to describe.

Such items may be difficult for a supplier to create or assemble in accordance with a description even if the description is accurate.

There may be a risk that some of the suppliers will not pay due commissions.

It may be costly to reduce the risk by researching the credit-worthiness of suppliers or taking measures to coerce payments from delinquent suppliers.

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