Collaborative product taxonomy instantiation

Abstract

A method forms a collaborative product taxonomy instantiation by starting with or defining a base taxonomy instantiation and collaborating between trading parties to negotiate a collaborative product taxonomy instantiation. The taxonomy instantiation comprises a set of characteristics and values of a desired product. The method assigns a set of characters to the collaborative product taxonomy instantiation. The method uses the set of alphanumeric characters in an electronic trade exchange between a buyer software application and a seller software application. The seller software application may determine whether it has a product that is equivalent to the collaborative product taxonomy instantiation.

1 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . An electronic commerce exchange being configured to communicate with at least one product procurement software application and at least one product sales software application, the procurement software application having a first internal product identifier, the sales software application having a second internal product identifier, wherein the first and second product identifiers are different. 
     
     
         54 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , wherein the procurement and sales software applications are separated by at least one firewall. 
     
     
         55 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , wherein the procurement software application is configured to link the first internal product identifier to an exchange part number, the exchange part number representing a collaborative taxonomy instantiation, the collaborative taxonomy instantiation comprising form, fit and function characteristics and values. 
     
     
         56 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , being configured to convert the first internal product identifier from the procurement software application to an exchange part number. 
     
     
         57 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , wherein the procurement software application resides behind a first firewall and the sales software application resides behind a second firewall. 
     
     
         58 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , further comprising a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         59 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , further comprising an application program interface. 
     
     
         60 . The electronic commerce exchange of  claim 53 , being configured to transfer an electronic commerce document between the procurement and sales software applications, the electronic commerce document containing an exchange part number. 
     
     
         61 .- 76 . (canceled)