Dennis D Haynes

US Patent:

7640188, Dec 29, 2009

Filed:

Aug 21, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/224975

Inventors:

Stephen E. Jaffe - Alpharella GA, US
Dennis Haynes - Plano TX, US
Perry R. May - Kennesaw GA, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06Q 30/00

US Classification:

705 26, 705 27, 705 1

Abstract:

The present invention comprises a software based method and apparatus for organizing, presenting and manipulating packages and bundles in electronic retailing that greatly reduces the number of SKUs an electronic retailer needs to assign and track in order to sell packages and bundles. This is accomplished by defining the relationships of sellable objects to each other at the product level, rather than the item level. In accordance with the invention, a parent SKU number is assigned for each bundle or package that an e-tailer defines. A plurality of interrelated tables or databases are maintained in which the individual products that comprise bundles and packages are defined at the product level, rather than the item level. The definitions are recursive in that a product may simultaneously be for sale individually as well as part of one or more packages and/or bundles. When any product is manipulated (e. g.