ePlus sues SAP for patent infringement

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Patent number 6,505,172 I guess Filed March 22, 2000, CNET infringes?

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,505,172.WKU.&OS=PN/6,505,172&RS=PN/6,505,172

Looks like CNET shopping infringes with one, lucky for you Wayback machine shows you predate their 'innovative patent'.


1. An electronic sourcing system comprising:
a database containing data relating to items associated with at least two vendors maintained so that selected portions of the database may be searched separately;

means for entering product information that at least partially describes at least one desired item;

means for searching for matching items that match the entered product information in the selected portions of the database;

means for generating an order list that includes at least one matching item selected by said means for searching;

means for building a requisition that uses data obtained from said database relating to selected matching items on said order list;

means for processing said requisition to generate purchase orders for said selected matching items.

2. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, wherein the means for searching comprises:

means for searching the database for segments of data relating to items associated with a vendor that contain vendor items that match the product information for said at least one desired item;

means for generating a hit list of such vendor segments; and

means for selectively viewing the vendor segments identified for said hit list, and

wherein the means for generating an order list comprises means for selecting desired items from a vendor segment identified by said hit list.

3. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, wherein the means for entering product information fully describes at least one desired item.

4. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining the applicable price of a selected matching item.

5. The electronic sourcing system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether a selected matching item is available in inventory.

Posted by: Nigel Johnstone   Posted on: 09/08/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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