International Business Machines Corporation

Brian E Taylor

Amy Jeanne Snavely

Susan Bumgardner Cirulli

Sherry Lee Wilson

Michael Randy May

Carl Steven Baumann

Glenn Paul Modrak

John Allard

A method of optimizing attribute information of a product attribute stored in a product database is provided. The product database includes update information comprising a time that the attribute information has last been updated and correction history information including recorded samples of new attribute information. The attribute information is used as a security measure in a self-checkout purchasing system to confirm that a purchased product is the same product identified by the system after identification information of the product is input by a user of the system. The method includes conducting a query of the database for any products having said update information older than a predetermined period of time, having correction history information, and where the history information includes a plurality of recorded samples greater than a predetermined amount. The query establishes a query result, whereby revised attribute information is then calculated using the plurality of the recorded samples as data. The revised attribute information is then stored as the current attribute information at a time which replaces the time information contained in the database relating to the time the attribute information was last updated.

Method and apparatus for optimizing a security database for a self-service checkout system

A system and method for procuring non-production commodities for use by employees of a commercial enterprise includes associating the employee with a user profile comprising information relating a status of the employee within the enterprise, automatically generating a requisition for the employee indicating a desired commodity and quantity thereof, and, utilizing the user profile information and the desired commodity to enable employee searching of specific catalogs provided in a database storage device for indication of the desired commodity in a requisition. The system and method further provides for the automatic generation of a purchase order based on the requisition, the forwarding of the purchase order to the vendor for processing the order without a third party intervenor, and provides a mechanism for receiving vendor purchase order acknowledgments and approving vendor initiated changes to the purchase order without third party intervention.

System and method for ordering items using a electronic catalog via the internet

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Newark, CA, United States of America

Brian E Taylor