US2006167742A1PendingUtilityA1

Categorizing and analyzing sales of particular products

42
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 31, 2002Filed: Mar 28, 2006Published: Jul 27, 2006
Est. expiryDec 31, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Todd BrackenKimberly Chowning
G06Q 30/0201G16H 50/80G06Q 10/10G06Q 30/0204G06Q 30/0205G06Q 30/02
42
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Claims

Abstract

A system and method for identification and notification of elevated over-the-counter medication sales is disclosed. Localized alerts of elevated sales of specified over-the-counter medications and graphical views of historical sales intensity by medication category are provided. Intervention instructions to manage responses to factors causing the elevation of sales are provided. The system analyzes sales volume from stores that sell the identified medications to determine if sales volume exceeds expected thresholds. Data from individual products are combined into meaningful categories for tracking, and alerts are sent to users of data anomalies and of intervention messages or tasks requiring attention. Users view a geographic area and define their own notification events and mode. User interaction includes: a graphical representation of their geographic area with indicators of all current alerts; historical sales trend charts per category; graphical time-lapse representations of sales intensity per category; and task management to coordinate action and response.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for creating and maintaining a categorization schedule related to a plurality of public health conditions, comprising the steps of: 
 identifying at least one product from a plurality of products, the sale of which is indicative of at least one of said public health conditions;    obtaining information pertaining to said identified products;    determining a unique product identifier for each of said identified products;    using said information to provide an association of each of said unique product identifiers to at least one of a plurality of categories, said at least one of said plurality of categories being related to at least one of said public health conditions to form a categorization schedule; and    utilizing said categorization schedule to associate information related to the sale of at least one of said identified products with said at least one of said plurality of categories.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information pertaining to said identified products is obtained from an individual.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information pertaining to said identified products is obtained from a multi-national organization.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information pertaining to said identified products is obtained from a commercial company.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information pertaining to said identified products is obtained from a government agency.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said identified products comprises an over-the-counter medication product.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said identified products comprises a personal care product.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said identified products comprises a prescription medication product.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said identified products comprises an herbal medication product.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said identified products comprises a food product.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said product identifiers are based on universal product codes.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said product identifiers are based on European article number codes.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said product identifiers are based on radio frequency identification information.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said product identifiers are based on the names of said identified products.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said product identifiers are based on the description of said identified products.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a physical form of said identified products.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a manner of administration of said identified products.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a therapeutic classification of said identified products.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a syndrome of said at least one of said public health conditions.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a body system.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a patient target age range for said identified products.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of categories comprises a promotional status of said identified products.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of using said information to provide an association utilizes a computer program.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of using said information to provide an association is performed manually.  
     
     
         25 . A method for providing detection of at least one of a plurality of public health conditions, comprising the steps of: 
 utilizing a categorization schedule for a plurality of products, said schedule incorporating product identifiers uniquely corresponding to said plurality of products, each of said product identifiers being associated with at least one of a plurality of categories, wherein said schedule is used to associate information related to the sale of at least one of said products with the contents of at least one of said plurality of categories; and    conditioning at least a portion of said contents of said at least one of said plurality of categories.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step of conditioning comprises the steps of: 
 determining a threshold based, at least in part, on said contents of said at least one of said plurality of categories, said threshold indicative of the presence of at least one of said public health conditions;    detecting when said threshold for said at least one of said plurality of categories is exceeded; and    generating, in response to said detecting, an indication that said threshold was exceeded.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step of conditioning is performed in accordance with at least one criteria.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said at least one criteria comprises a geographic area.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 distributing said portion of said conditioned content.    
     
     
         30 . A method for managing products comprising the steps of: 
 utilizing a categorization schedule for a plurality of products, said schedule incorporating product identifiers uniquely corresponding to said plurality of products, each of said product identifiers being associated with at least one of a plurality of categories related to at least one ingredient contained in said corresponding one of said plurality of products, wherein said schedule is used to associate information related to the sales of at least one of said plurality of products with the contents of at least one of said plurality of categories, said at least one of said plurality of categories indicative of said at least one health condition;    determining a threshold for said at least one of said plurality of categories;    detecting when said threshold is exceeded;    generating a notification as an indication of the presence of said at least one health condition; and    initiating an action in response to said notification.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said step of initiating comprises: 
 modifying inventory quantities of at least one product related to at least one of said plurality of products.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said step of initiating comprises: 
 promoting the sale of at least one product related to at least one of said plurality of products.

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