We claim:
1. A method for determining the availability of an item requested by an on-line shopper, comprising the steps of:
determining an approximate quantity of an item available for purchase by an on-line shopper; and
adjusting the approximate quantity responsive to a quantity-held estimate of a number of units of the item held by in-person shoppers prior to checkout by the in-person shoppers.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity-held estimate is dependent upon an average number of the item purchased historically during a specified period of time.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity-held estimate is dependent upon a time of day.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity-held estimate is dependent upon a day of a week.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity-held estimate is dependent upon proximity to a holiday.
6. A method for determining the availability of an item requested by an on-line shopper, comprising the steps of:
identifying an item requested by an on-line shopper;
determining an approximate quantity of the item available for purchase by the on-line shopper by reading an inventory record;
adjusting the approximate quantity responsive to a quantity-held estimate of a number of units of the item held by in-person shoppers prior to check out by the in-person shoppers, to provide an adjusted quantity;
comparing the adjusted quantity with a first threshold; and
when the adjusted quantity is less than the first threshold, invoking a corrective action.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of invoking includes the step of prompting the on-line shopper to select an alternative item.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of invoking includes the steps of asking the on-line shopper to submit an order for the item; and, if the on-line shopper submits the order, removing the item from stock and revising the approximate quantity.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of invoking includes the steps of monitoring the approximate quantity when the adjusted quantity is less than the first threshold, and informing the on-line shopper when the approximate quantity falls below a second threshold.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of invoking includes the step of instructing an in-house shopping assistant to reserve the item for the on-line shopper.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A gas supply system that supplies gases to a plurality of processing devices that respectively perform processing using the gases, comprising:
a plurality of first gas generation apparatuses that respectively generate gases;
a plurality of first pipings respectively connected to said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses for supplying the gas generated by said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses to said plurality of processing devices;
a plurality of first openingclosing units respectively provided in said plurality of first pipings for opening and closing flow paths;
a second piping connected between each of the first pipings and the other first piping; and
a second openingclosing unit provided in said second piping for opening and closing a flow path.
2. The gas supply system according to claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls opening and closing of each of said first openingclosing units and said second openingclosing unit,
wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the first openingclosing unit provided in one of said plurality of first pipings is brought into a closed state, said second openingclosing unit into an open state so that the gas is supplied to the processing device connected to said one first piping from the first gas generation apparatus connected to the other first piping.
3. The gas supply system according to claim 2, wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the first openingclosing unit provided in said one first piping is brought into a closed state, said second openingclosing unit into an open state when pressure on the upstream side of said second openingclosing unit becomes higher than pressure on the downstream side thereof.
4. A gas supply system that supplies gases to a plurality of processing devices that respectively perform processing using the gases comprising:
a plurality of first gas generation apparatuses that generate gases;
a plurality of first pipings respectively connected to said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses for supplying the gas generated by said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses to said plurality of processing devices;
a plurality of first openingclosing units respectively provided in said plurality of first pipings for opening and closing flow paths;
a second gas generation apparatus that is provided in common among said plurality of processing devices and generates a gas;
a plurality of third pipings that respectively supply the gas generated by said second gas generation apparatus to said plurality of processing devices; and
a plurality of third openingclosing units respectively provided in said plurality of third pipings for opening and closing flow paths.
5. The gas supply system according to claim 4, further comprising a controller that controls an openingclosing operation of each of said plurality of first openingclosing units and said plurality of third openingclosing units,
wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the first openingclosing unit provided in one of said plurality of first pipings is brought into a closed state, said third openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping into an open state so that the gas is supplied from said second gas generation apparatus to the processing devices connected to said one first piping.
6. A gas supply system that supplies gases to a plurality of processing devices that respectively perform processing using the gases comprising:
a plurality of first gas generation apparatuses that respectively generate gases;
a plurality of first pipings respectively connected to said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses for supplying the gas generated by said plurality of first gas generation apparatuses to said plurality of processing devices;
a plurality of first openingclosing units respectively provided in said plurality of first pipings for opening and closing flow paths;
a third gas generation apparatus that is provided in common among said plurality of processing devices and generates a gas;
a fourth piping connected to said third gas generation apparatus;
a plurality of fifth pipings respectively connected between said fourth piping and portions, on the downstream side of said plurality of first openingclosing units, of said plurality of first pipings; and
a plurality of fourth openingclosing units respectively provided in said plurality of fifth pipings for opening and closing flow paths.
7. The gas supply system according to claim 6, further comprising a controller that controls an openingclosing operation of each of said first opening units and said plurality of fourth opening units,
wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the first openingclosing unit provided in one of said plurality of first pipings is brought into a closed state, the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping into an open state so that the gas is supplied from said third gas generation apparatus to the processing devices connected to said one first piping.
8. The gas supply system according to claim 7, wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the first openingclosing unit provided in said one first piping is brought into a closed state, said fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping into an open state when pressure on the upstream side of said fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping becomes higher than pressure on the downstream side thereof.
9. The gas supply system according to claim 7, wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping is brought into an open state, the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said other first piping into an open state so that the gas is supplied to the processing device connected to the one first piping from the first gas generation apparatus connected to said other first piping when pressure in said fourth piping is lower than a predetermined value.
10. The gas supply system according to claim 9, wherein said controller is configured to bring, when the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said one first piping is brought into an open state, the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said other first piping into an open state when pressure on the upstream side of the fourth openingclosing unit corresponding to said other first piping becomes higher than pressure on the downstream side thereof.