TRANSFERRING INFORMATION & RECORDS VIA A DATA STRUCTURE FOR A PHYSICAL ITEM IN THE CONTROL OF A USER

Abstract

An item data management server having the capability to transfer information and records via a physical item data record of an item data management server. The physical item data record transfer and/or cloning facilitates ready maintenance and upkeep of the inventory of physical items to other users to facilitate community/trade, and also provides a feature for providing information relating to the physical items to third-party service providers, such as insurers, and to governmental authorities, such as in the event of theft, to aid in the recovery of the physical items, et cetera.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a communication system with an item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that provides a system level overview of the item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system level operation illustrating a functional or client level operation of a user terminal with the item data management server across a data network according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting interaction between a user terminal and an item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an add physical item graphic user interface provided to the user for input and output through the user terminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a multiple item import graphic user interface that may be provided to a user for input and output through the user terminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a physical item data record according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a web page created by the item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a collection summary web page created by the item data management server according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an item view web page that the item data management server presents to the user via the user terminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an edit/create collection graphic user interface according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an illustration of a collection reference data structure according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is an illustration of a community reference data structure according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is an illustration of a collection web page according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is an illustration of a category graphic user interface according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 16 a and 16b are flow diagrams illustrating a method in an item data management server to capture, store, organize, and present information regarding a plurality of physical items in the control of a user according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for further engaging an ecommerce server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for further engaging in collection web page creation according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for further creating a collection web page according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for further creating a community reference data structure according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates a web page that includes commands presented to a user of the item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates cloning a physical item data record to generate a cloned physical item data record according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 illustrates a sell-buy web page according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 24 illustrates transferring a physical item data record to generate a transferred physical item data record according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 25 illustrates a portion of the add physical item GUI that includes insurance query, and a portion of the physical item data record that includes insurance server fields, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 26 a and 26b illustrate a signal flow relating to providing information based upon cloned or transferred physical item data records according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 27 illustrates an edit/create collection GUI with a collection ranking according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 28 illustrates a method for transferring information and records via a physical item data record of an item data management server according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for transferring information and records via a physical item data record of an item data management server, the physical item data record corresponding to a physical item in the control of a user, and the item data management server communicatively coupled to a user terminal and a plurality of servers via at least one data network, the method comprising: presenting a command query to the user terminal;receiving, in response to the command query, a command query response of a plurality of command query responses that corresponds to and identifies a physical item data record of a physical item of the plurality of physical items in the control of the user, wherein the command query response includes a physical item data record transfer command;when the physical item data record transfer command is a clone command, generating a cloned physical item data record of the physical item data record, wherein the cloned physical item data record includes a first plurality of data from the physical item data record; andgenerating a web page including the cloned physical item data record; andwhen the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, transferring the physical item data record upon completion of a transaction associated with the physical item data record, wherein the transferred physical item data record includes a second plurality of data that is greater than the first plurality of data; andgenerating a web page including the transferred physical item data record; andpresenting the web page to the user terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises, when the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, including with the second plurality of data chain-of-title data relating to previous user in control of the physical item.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises: presenting an insurer query to the user terminal;permitting, in response to the insurer query, access by an insurance server to either of the cloned physical item data record or the transferred physical item data record.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises: presenting an insurer query to the user terminal;composing, in response to the insurer query, a plurality of queries based upon the insurer query response;when the insurer query response identifies a plurality of insurance servers having a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issuing the plurality of queries to the plurality of insurance servers;receiving a plurality of responses to the plurality of queries from the plurality of insurance servers, wherein each response includes information relating to uploading the physical item data record to each of the insurance servers; andaltering the physical item data record to reflect the physical item data record as uploaded to the plurality of insurance servers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein: when the insurer query response identifies an insurance server without a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issuing the plurality of queries to the insurance server without the pre-existing business relationship;receiving a response to the query from the insurance server without the pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, wherein the query response includes an insurance quote relating to the physical item associated with the physical item data record; andpresenting the insurance quote to the user terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of data is attribute data relating to the physical item associated with the physical item data record.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction command includes at least one of gifting, selling, and buying the physical item in the control of the user.

8. A method for transferring information and records associated with a physical item in the control of a user, the method comprising: based upon user input received from a user terminal, identifying a physical item data record corresponding to the physical item by an item data management server, the item data management server communicatively coupled to a user terminal via at least one data network;presenting a command query to the user terminal;receiving, in response to the command query, a command query response that corresponds to and identifies a physical item data record of a physical item of the plurality of physical items in the control of the user, wherein the command query response includes a physical item data record transfer command; andwhen the physical item data record transfer command is a clone command, retrieving a plurality of attribute values from the physical item data record;generating a cloned physical item data record of the physical item data record based upon the plurality of attribute values;generating a web page including the cloned physical item data record; andpresenting the web page to the user terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprises: when the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, transferring the physical item data record upon completion of a transaction associated with the physical item data record, wherein the transferred physical item data record includes a plurality of data that includes the plurality of attribute values;generating a web page including the transferred physical item data record; andpresenting the web page to the user terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises, when the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, including with the second plurality of data chain-of-title data relating to previous user in control of the physical item.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprises: presenting an insurer query to the user terminal;composing, in response to the insurer query, a plurality of queries based upon the insurer query response;when the insurer query response identifies a plurality of insurance servers having a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issuing the plurality of queries to a plurality of insurance servers;receiving a plurality of responses to the plurality of queries from the plurality of insurance servers, wherein each response having information relating to uploading the physical item data record to each of the insurance servers; andaltering the physical item data record to reflect the physical item data record as uploaded to the plurality of insurance servers.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein: when the insurer query response identifies an insurance server without a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issuing the plurality of queries to the insurance server without a pre-existing business relationship;receiving a response to the query from the insurance servers without a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, wherein the query response includes an insurance quote relating to the physical item associated with the physical item data record; andpresenting the insurance quote to the user terminal.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the transaction command includes at least one of gifting, selling, and buying the physical item in the control of the user.

14. An item data management server to transfer information and records of a physical item data record corresponding to a physical item in the control of a user, the item data management server communicatively coupled to a user terminal and a plurality of servers via at least one data network, the item data management server comprises: processing circuitry;a network interface operably coupled to the processing circuitry that supports data transmission with the at least one data network;a user interface operably coupled to the processing circuitry; andmemory operably coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing circuitry to:present a command query to the user terminal,receive, in response to the command query, a command query response of a plurality of command query responses that corresponds to and identifies a physical item data record of a physical item of the plurality of physical items in the control of the user, wherein the command query response includes a physical item data record transfer command;when the physical item data record transfer command is a clone command, generate a cloned physical item data record of the physical item data record, wherein the cloned physical item data record includes a first plurality of data from the physical item data record;generate a web page including the cloned physical item data record; andpresent the web page to the user terminal.

15. The item data management server of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores operational instructions that cause the processing circuitry to: when the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, transfer the physical item data record upon completion of a transaction associated with the physical item data record, wherein the transferred physical item data record includes a second plurality of data that is greater than the first plurality of data;generate a web page including the transferred physical item data record; andpresent the web page to the user terminal.

16. The item data management server of claim 15, wherein the memory further stores operational instructions that cause the processing circuitry, when the physical item data record transfer command is a transaction command, to: include chain-of-title data with the second plurality of data.

17. The item data management server of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores operational instructions that cause the processing circuitry to: present an insurer query to the user terminal;compose, in response to the insurer query, a plurality of queries based upon the insurer query response;when the insurer query response identifies a plurality of insurance servers having a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issue the plurality of queries to the plurality of insurance servers;receive a plurality of responses to the plurality of queries from the plurality of insurance servers, wherein each response includes information relating to uploading the physical item data record to each of the insurance servers; andalter the physical item data record to reflect the physical item data record as uploaded to the plurality of insurance servers.

18. The item data management server of claim 14 wherein the memory further stores operational instructions that cause the processing circuitry to: when the insurer query response identifies an insurance server without a pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, issue the plurality of queries to the insurance server without the pre-existing business relationship;receive a response to the query from the insurance servers without the pre-existing business relationship with the item data management server, wherein the query response includes an insurance quote relating to the physical item associated with the physical item data record; andpresent the insurance quote to the user terminal.

19. The item data management server of claim 14 wherein the first plurality of data is attribute data relating to the physical item associated with the physical item data record.

20. The item data management server of claim 14 wherein the transaction command includes at least one of gifting, selling, and buying the physical item in the control of the user.