Supply-chain side assistance
An apparatus, device, method, computer program product, and system that identifies an item having a presence within a geographic locale in response to a signal indicative of the item, obtains a first instance of a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtaining a second instance of a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and aggregates the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
a) receiving a signal indicative of an item and generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographical locale;
b) identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale in response to the signal indicative of the item;
c) in direct response to the identifying the item, obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and
d) aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes
identifying at least one of a product, a raw material, or a manufactured good having a presence within the geographic locale.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes
identifying the item having a presence within at least one of a distribution center premises, a retail store storage premises, or a warehouse premises.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale includes
identifying the item having a presence within a conveyance.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source over the network.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network that includes at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, a private network, a public network, or the Internet.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over a network that includes at least one of a private global computer network or a public global computer network.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first domain and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second domain.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source that is independent from the first source.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first information corresponding to a history of the item during a presence of the item in a supply chain.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second information corresponding to a history of the item during a presence of the item in a supply chain.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a third party database.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a third party database.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a trade association.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a trade association.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a regulatory agency.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a regulatory agency.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first security interest information corresponding to the identified item from a first source.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second security interest information corresponding to the identified item from a second source.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first commercial interest information corresponding to the identified item from a first source.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtaining a second commercial interest information corresponding to the identified item from a second source.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtaining a first stolen property status information corresponding to the item from a first source.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes obtaining a first storage information corresponding to the item from a first source.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes
aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance into a user interface.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes
translating the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item using a mutually agreed protocol.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance includes
translating the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first native data format.
28. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
e) enabling a supply-chain user to request at least one supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item.
29. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
e) broadcasting the aggregated first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.
30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
e) causing the first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item to be obtained from the first source and the second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item to be obtained from the second source.
31. A computer-implemented method comprising:
a) receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale; and
b) identifying the item having a presence within the geographic locale in response to the signal indicative of the item; and
c) enabling a supply-chain user to request a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item having a presence within a geographic locale
d) in response to receiving a user request for a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item having a presence within a geographic locale, obtaining a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a first source and obtaining a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a second source;
e) aggregating the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance; and
f) broadcasting the aggregated supply-chain assistance.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes
receiving a signal indicative of an optically readable product code associated with an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes
receiving a signal indicative of an electronically transmitted product code associated with an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale.
34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a geographic locale includes
receiving a signal indicative of an item and machine generated directly in response to the item having a presence within a premises.
35. A system comprising:
a) a computing device operable to receive signals indicative of identifying information of items; and
b) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:
(i) identify an item having present within a geographic locale in response to a received signal indicative of identifying information of the item, the received signal generated directly in response to a presence of the item within the geographic locale;
(ii) obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source and obtain a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source; and
(iii) facilitate saving an aggregation of the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.
36. The computer program product of claim 35 , wherein the obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source includes
obtain in direct response to the identity of the item in direct response to the identity of the item a first supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a first source over the network.
37. The computer program product of claim 35 , wherein the obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source includes
obtain in direct response to the identity of the item a second supply-chain assistance corresponding to the identified item from a second source over the network.
38. A system comprising:
a) a sensor operable independent of human action to generate signals indicative of items present within a geographic locale;
b) a computing device including a storage medium, and operable to receive the signals indicative of items present within the geographic locale and to access a computer network; and
c) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:
(i) receive a signal generated by the sensor and indicative of an item present within the geographic locale;
(ii) in response to a received user request for a supply-chain assistance, obtain a first a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a first source and obtain a second a supply-chain assistance corresponding to the item from a second source from the network; and
(iii) aggregate the first supply-chain assistance and the second supply-chain assistance.
39. The system of claim 38 , wherein the instructions further include:
(iv) broadcast the aggregated supply-chain assistance.