Patent ID: 6519572
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method of collecting marketing information, comprising:collecting, at a point-of-sale operated by a retailer, line item data pertaining to a first transaction; establishing a communication link between the point-of-sale and a credit authorization location operated by a credit authorization authority distinct from the retailer; transmitting a credit authorization request from the point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the communication link; transmitting the line item data pertaining to the transaction from the sale to the credit authorization location via the communication link; and storing the transmitted line item data pertaining to the transaction in a searchable database operated by an entity that is distinct from the retailer, wherein the line item data comprises a plurality of line items, each line item comprising one or more pieces of information regarding a product including at least a product identifier; defining a plurality of hierarchical identifiers; associating each hierarchical identifier with a single product type, each hierarchical identifier identifying both the product type and a class of items to which the product type belongs; associating each hierarchical identifier with a plurality of product identifiers; matching at least one hierarchical identifier to each line item; storing the hierarchical identifier in the database in linked association with the line item to which it has been matched; and querying the database to recover information concerning line items matched to a plurality of distinct hierarchical identifiers by specifying in the query a class of items associated with all of the plurality of hierarchical identifiers.