Patent ID: 6078897
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
An apparatus for identifying at least one additional order having a first volume and comprising a description of a first set of at least one of a plurality of products, each product having a volume contribution and at least one quantity, the apparatus comprising:at least one input for receiving:a proposed order having a second volume and comprising a description of at least one of a second set of at least one of the plurality of products; anda plurality of volume discount thresholds, each comprising a threshold volume;at least one output for providing the additional order;a next threshold calculator having a first input coupled to the at least one input to receive the proposed order and a second input coupled to the at least one input to receive the plurality of volume discount thresholds, the next threshold calculator for calculating the second volume responsive to the proposed order received at the next threshold calculator first input and for identifying and providing at an output an identifier of at least a portion of at least one of the volume discount thresholds having a threshold volume at least as high as the second volume; andat least one additional order calculator having a set of at least one inputs coupled to the at least one input to receive at least a portion of the proposed order and to the next threshold calculator output to receive the at least one identifier of the threshold volume of the volume discount thresholds provided by the next threshold calculator output, each additional order calculator for identifying and providing at an output coupled to the apparatus output at least one quantity of the at least one of the products in the first set responsive to the products in the proposed order and to at least one of the threshold volumes received at the at least one additional order calculator input.