Data Processing System For Providing An Efficient Market For Specialty Chemicals - II

Abstract

A data processing system that facilitates the buying and selling of specialty chemicals. A uniform standard and specification is established for each specialty chemical that is being offered for sale via the system. The uniform standard and specification is advantageously supplier independent so that a prospective purchaser can directly compare offerings from different suppliers. A prospective purchaser defines a requirement for a specialty chemical that it wishes to purchase. The requirement, which defines acceptable ranges for the characteristics that make up the standard, is input into the data processing system. The requirement is compared, in the data processing system, with analyses of batches of the specialty chemical that are available for purchase through the data processing system in an attempt to find a batch that satisfies the requirement. An indicium of a batch satisfying the requirement is output, from the data processing system, to the prospective purchaser.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for use in conjunction with a data processing system including a computer and a data storage device, wherein the method comprises:
 receiving, at the data processing system, a requirement from a prospective purchaser for a first chemical, wherein the requirement is based on a uniform standard for the first chemical;   comparing, by the computer, the requirement to analyses of batches of the first chemical to identify a batch that satisfies the requirement, wherein the analyses are stored in the data storage device and the batches are available for purchase from at least two suppliers through the data processing system; and   outputting, from the data processing system, an indicium of the identified batch to the prospective purchaser.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising compiling statistics in the data processing system, wherein the statistics comprise information about purchases of the first chemical and purchases of other chemicals facilitated by the data processing system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising outputting the statistics to an entity that pays money to receive the statistics. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising developing the uniform standard, wherein the uniform standard is developed by owners/operators of the data processing system. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising pricing the identified batch of the first chemical at a price below a price at which the first chemical is normally sold, and wherein the indicium does not provide any information that identifies the supplier of the identified batch. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20  comprising:
 obtaining further analyses of further batches of the first chemical, wherein the further batches are analyzed in accordance with the uniform standard established for the first chemical; and 
 updating an inventory database contained in the data storage device by inputting the further analyses into the inventory database. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  comprising:
 obtaining analyses of batches of a second chemical, wherein the batches are analyzed in accordance with a uniform standard established for the second chemical; and 
 updating the inventory database by inputting the analyses of batches of the second chemical into the inventory database. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20  comprising storing the requirement in a requirements database in the data storage device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the requirement comprises an allowable range of values for at least some physical and chemical characteristics that define the uniform standard, wherein the method further comprises:
 assigning a rank to at least one of the physical characteristics or chemical characteristics in the requirement, wherein a value of the rank indicates a relative importance of satisfying the one physical characteristic or chemical characteristic in determining whether or not a batch satisfies the requirement. 
 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a data processing system, analyses of batches of a first chemical;   storing the analyses in an inventory database, wherein a data storage device in the data processing system stores the database;   offering the batches of the first chemical for sale through the data processing system, wherein the offering enables a prospective purchaser to submit a requirement for the first chemical;   receiving, at the data processing system, the requirement from the prospective purchaser in response to the offering; and   identifying, using the data processing system, a batch of the first chemical offered for sale through the data processing system that satisfies the requirement by comparing the requirement, using a computer in the data processing system, to the analyses stored in the inventory database.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising transmitting an indicium of the identified batch to the prospective purchaser. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the indicium does not provide the name of the supplier of the identified batch. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the indicium does not provide a brand name of the first chemical in the identified batch. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the batches of the first chemical are from at least two suppliers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising compiling statistics in said data processing system, wherein the statistics comprise information about purchases of the first chemical and purchases of other chemicals facilitated by the data processing system. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising outputting the statistics to an entity that pays money to receive the statistics. 
     
     
         36 . A data processing system comprising:
 a data storage device for storing an inventory database comprising analyses of each batch of a plurality of batches of a first chemical, wherein each analysis is the result of testing a sample from each batch in accordance with a uniform standard established for the first chemical;   a network interface for communicating between the data processing system and at least one of a testing facility that performs the testing according to the uniform standard, a supplier of a batch of the first chemical, a prospective purchaser, and a subscriber; and   a computer for:
 (i) offering for sale the batches of the first chemical, 
 (ii) receiving requirements according to the uniform standard for the first chemical, wherein the requirements are submitted by the prospective purchaser via the network interface, and 
 (iii) identifying, from the analyses of the first chemical in the inventory database, a batch of the first chemical that satisfies the requirement from the prospective purchaser. 
   
     
     
         37 . The data processing system of  claim 36  wherein the computer is also for transmitting an indicium of the identified batch to the prospective purchaser. 
     
     
         38 . The data processing system of  claim 37  wherein the indicium does not provide any information that identifies the supplier of the identified batch. 
     
     
         39 . The data processing system of  claim 36  wherein the batches of the first chemical are from at least two suppliers.