Patent ID: 8392261
Filing Date: 2013-03-05
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for providing a product availability indicator, comprising: receiving, by a computer, point of sale (POS) data, the POS data identifying a product that was sold, a quantity of the product that was sold, a store at which the product was sold, and a first timestamp corresponding to the time at which the product was sold; determining, by the computer, based at least on the quantity of the product that was sold and the first timestamp, a rate of sales (r receiving, by the computer, an inventory snapshot, wherein the inventory snapshot reflects the inventory (Q) of the product at the store at a first time (T determining, by the computer, a probability that fewer than Q products were sold between times T and providing, by the computer, a product availability indicator based at least on the probability, the product availability indicator being an “in stock” indicator when the probability is greater than a first probability threshold, and the product availability indicator being an “out of stock” indicator when the probability is less than a second probability threshold.