Patent ID: 7353189

Claim:
A method for processing an order based on order-related inputs from an ordering user, comprising the steps of: creating an order-related structure for an order from the user, including: creating a plurality of order-related objects based on a plurality of order-related inputs obtained from the user, the plurality of order related objects including an object of a first type representing one or more units of one or more items ordered by the user; and a plurality of objects of a second type representing different alternative mechanisms to process a first requirement of the order necessary to complete ordering and delivering of the one or more units of one or more items; establishing a first relationship between the object of a first type and a first of the plurality of objects of a second type; and establishing a second relationship between the object of a first type and a second of the plurality of objects of a second type, wherein the first relationship indicates that the first requirement of a first portion of the one or more units will be processed by the alternative mechanism represented by the first of the plurality of objects of a second type, and the second relationship indicates that the first requirement of a second portion of the one or more units will be processed by the alternative mechanism represented by the second of the plurality of objects of a second type, and wherein the first portion is determined by a property of the first relationship as defined based on said order-related inputs from the user, independent of the object of a first type or the first of the plurality of objects of a second type, and the second portion is determined by a property of the second relationship as defined based on said order-related inputs from the user, independent of the object of a first type or the second of the plurality of objects of a second type; and processing the order based on the order-related structure by identifying the first portion of the one or more units to be processed by the alternative mechanism represented by the first of the plurality of objects of a second type, and identifying the second portion of the one or more units to be processed by the alternative mechanism represented by the second of the plurality of objects of a second type.