Method and apparatus for pricing products in multi-level product and organizational groups
Patent 5878400 Issued on March 2, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date: 
June 17, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
June 17, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 3806711 Electronic cash register having discount prices selected by customer level Automated system for generating procurement lists Patent #: 5224034 InventorAssigneeApplicationNo. 664837 filed on 06/17/1996US Classes:705/20, Price look-up processing (e.g., updating)235/61M, Volume and price computers235/378, Price determination700/238Price adjustmentExaminersPrimary: Voeltz, Emanuel T.Assistant: Hughet, William N. Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassG06F 017/60AbstractThe invention organizes various pricing tables and price adjustment tables and various products and purchasing organizations based on "who" (i.e. which purchasing organization) is purchasing "what" (i.e. which product). The invention utilizes a denormalized table to relate the "who" to the "what" using denormalized numbers. The invention further organizes various purchasing organizations and products into hierarchical tables. These hierarchical tables are called organizational groups and product groups. Various price adjustments may be specified for each level of the organizational groups and product groups hierarchies. The price adjustments for a particular purchasing organization are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular purchasing organization as well as the price adjustments for organizational groups above the particular purchasing organization in the organizational groups hierarchy. Likewise, the price adjustments for a particular product are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular product as well as the price adjustments for product groups above the particular product in the product groups hierarchy. The invention sorts the various pricing adjustments applicable to a particular product offered to a particular purchasing group based on several criteria. After the sorting is accomplished the pricing adjustments are applied in sequence to arrive at a final price at which a particular product can be sold to a particular purchasing organization.Other References
| |
