Patent ID: 7356491
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. Method for transferring large supplier catalogs in a data transmission system including the Internet network, a marketplace site able to be addressed through said Internet network, a plurality of customers connected to said Internet network and a plurality of suppliers connected to said Internet network, each of said suppliers having a catalog file of available goods to be supplied to any one of said customers; said method comprising the following steps: a) Requesting by one of said suppliers the transfer of its catalog file to said marketplace site through a business to business (B2B) gateway using a catalog control protocol, b) Transferring said catalog file to said marketplace site through a catalog gateway using the catalog transfer protocol, the supplier segmenting the catalog file into a plurality of sequential segments and sending the catalog file segments to the catalog gateway, wherein each catalog file segment is numbered and includes a flag denoting whether or not the catalog segment is the last catalog file segment, the catalog gateway acknowledging each catalog file segment received from the supplier, the catalog gateway reassembling the catalog file segments into the catalog file and storing the catalog file in a local storage, c) Aggregating said catalog file received from said supplier to a general catalog to provide an updated general catalog, and d) Publishing the updated general catalog onto a storefront web site so that any one of said customers can view the goods of said supplier.