The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 13, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 09, 2008
Timothy Alan Dietz, Austin, TX (US);
Ira R. Forman, Austin, TX (US);
Carol Angela Logan, Austin, TX (US);
Nadeem Malik, Austin, TX (US);
Subhash Rasiklal Vohra, Round Rock, TX (US);
Charles Gorham Ward, Austin, TX (US);
Timothy Alan Dietz, Austin, TX (US);
Ira R. Forman, Austin, TX (US);
Carol Angela Logan, Austin, TX (US);
Nadeem Malik, Austin, TX (US);
Subhash Rasiklal Vohra, Round Rock, TX (US);
Charles Gorham Ward, Austin, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
In one aspect, a method for comparing suppliers includes sending survey questions for receipt by supplier computer systems. Programming instructions are also sent for receipt and execution by the supplier computer systems. The programming instructions are for causing the supplier computer systems to return supplier survey answers to a server. The answers are included in responding documents and are defined in a certain format as data elements included in the responding documents. The data elements are then parsed from the responding documents responsive to predetermined programming instructions and evaluated the data elements responsive to a predetermined set of rules.