US 7,430,528 B2
25
ent Computer Systems 13, and the data communication net
works 14 of the enabling technology platform shown in FIGS.
2-1 and 2-2. Preferably, the product inventory management
services delivered by the Sale Analysis and Forecasting Infor
mation Subsystem 5 are provided by the prior art QRSolu
tions Sale Analysis and Forecasting Information Services
currently being implemented by QuickResponse Services,
Inc.
The Collaborative Replenishment Information Subsystem
4 is realized using information storage/processing center 17,
Client Computer Systems 13 and the data communication
networks 114 of the enabling technology platform shown in
FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2. Preferably, the product inventory manage
ment services delivered by the Collaborative Replenishment
Information Subsystem 6 are provided by the prior art QRSo
lutions Replenishment Services currently being implemented
by QuickResponse Services, Inc.
The Transportation and Logistics Information Subsystem
7 is realized using information storage/processing center 17,
Client Computer Systems 13, and the data communication
networks 14 of the enabling technology platform shown in
FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2. Preferably, the product distribution man
agement services delivered by the Transportation and Logis
tics Information Subsystem 7 are provided by the prior art
QRSolutions EDI and Logistics Management Services cur
rently being implemented by QuickResponse Services, Inc.
In the illustrative embodiment of the system of the present
invention, each Client Computer Subsystem 13 has a conven
tional Java GUI-based web browser program (e.g. Netscape,
Internet Explorer, Mosaic, etc.) with a plug-in type module,
such as CyberFinderTM navigational software by Aladdin
Systems, Inc., of Watsonville, Calif., that provides an on
screen graphical icon for a “IPI Web-site Find' function. An
exemplary display screen 18 produced by such a Java GUI
based web browser program is set forth in FIG. 3B. Alterna
tively, the URL of the home page of the IPI Web-site can be
recorded as a browser “bookmark” for easy recall and access
through a conventional Java GUI-based Internet browser.
Once at the home page of the IPI Web-site, an Internet user
can find product-related information on the Internet in essen
tially the same way as when using the web browser program
of FIG.3B. As shown, the on-screen radio button 19 functions
as an “IPI Web-site Find” Button (or Consumer Product Infor
mation Button) for instantly connecting the client Subsystem
to a particular IPI Web-site (i.e. hosted on each mirrored IPD
Server) and especially adapted for carrying out the IPI finding
and serving method of the present invention. As will be
described in greater detail hereinafter, examples of “IPI Web
sites’ can include, but are not limited to: (1) one or more
mirrored UPC Request Central Web-sites from which con
Sumer product information from all manufacturers is avail
able for access to consumers from predetermined Internet
domains; and (2) an UPC Request Retail Web-site, for each
retailer, wherein consumer product information associated
with only manufacturers of products offered by the retailer is
available for access to consumers from predetermined Inter
net domains within physical retail “brick and mortar stores
and “electronic commerce enabled stores.
In general, each IPI Web-site can be sponsored by a retail
store Subscribing to the consumer product information ser
Vice hereof, or by one or manufacturers and/or service pro
viders. The URL for the home page of any particular IPI
Web-site can be selected with marketing considerations in
mind, for example, "http://www.ipf.com’ or “http://ww
w.upcrequest.com similar in form with the URLs of other
information search-engines and directories currently avail
able on the Internet. Upon selecting the IPI Web-site Find
26
Button 19 (e.g. by a clicking of the mouse thereon shown in
FIGS. 3B and 3C), the user is automatically connected to the
home-page of the IPI Web-site (hosted on each mirrored IPD
Server) which, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, supports a
Netscape-style “framework', within which web pages
accessed through the IPI web-site are displayed. An excellent
tutorial on “framing” entitled “The Netscape Frames Tuto
rialTM (2nd edition) by Charlton D. Rose set forth at the
URL: “http://www.newbie.net/frames/, last visited by
10 Applicant on Mar. 26, 1997.
In general, the HTML-encoded documents served from the
IPD Servers 11 hereof to the client subsystems 13 hereofwill
preferably have a three-field Netscape-style display frame
work which provides a unique and effective way of satisfac
15 torily addressing the needs of consumers, hosting retailers,
manufacturers and the IPI provider(s)/publishers alike. In
practice, the Netscape-style browser “framework' can simul
taneously accommodate the needs of the consumers using the
particular Client Subsystems of the present invention, as well
as the needs of the retailers who typically will host client
subsystems hereof either (1) physically within their stores,
and/or (2) electronically on their WWW sites using Web
browser framing techniques as well.
As shown in FIG. 3C, the first (top-most) display field, the
25 sponsor frame 20A, can be used to display to the consumer, a
Web page (e.g. HTML-encoded document) containing a mes
sage that the IPI Finding and Serving Subsystem is being
delivered to the consumer by the IPI Provider under, for
example, the sponsorship of either: (1) the hosting retailer; (2)
30 one or more advertisers posting advertising "banners' in the
display frame 20A; or (3) the consumer himself/herself by
paying a subscription fee or the like. Understandably, the
method of sponsorship employed will vary from embodiment
to embodiment of the present invention. An exemplary mes
35 sage for this display screen might read, for example, as fol
lows:
“Welcome to the UPC RequestTM Consumer Product
Information Finding and Serving System Spon
sored by RETAILERX for your Shopping Con
40 venience and Pleasure.
The height of the sponsor frame 20A need only be a small
fraction of the consumer's display screen (e.g. 34 inches) to
convey this message to the consumers during use of the IPI
45 Finding and Serving Subsystem of the present invention
within the retailer's real (or virtual/electronic) shopping envi
rOnment.
As shown in FIG. 3C, the second (left-most) display field,
the control frame 20B, is used to display an HTML-encoded
50 document containing a Java GUI-based “control panel 21 for
the consumer product information finding and serving Sub
system of the present invention. In the illustrative embodi
ment, this control panel 21 includes six Check Box type
buttons, namely: a first Check Box type button 21A which,
55 when selected, automatically activates the Manufacturer/
Product Registration Mode of the subsystem; a second Check
Box type button 21B which, when selected, automatically
activates the Manufacturer Website Search Mode of the sub
system; a third Check Box type button 21C which, when
60 selected, automatically activates the UPN-Directed Informa
tion Access Mode of the subsystem; a fourth Check Box type
button 21D which, when selected, automatically activates the
Trademark-Directed Search Mode; a fifth Check Box type
button 21E which, when selected, automatically activates the
65 Product-Description Directed Search Mode of operation of
the subsystem; and a sixth Check Box type button 21 F which,
when selected, automatically activates the UPC-Encoded