System for ordering and manufacturing a tangible device

• US 20010032111A1
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Jensen, Elmer W. Jr., Cook, Lee Melbourne, Budinger, William D.
• Application Number:
  US09/749,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032111A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus by which a customer determines ordering, manufacturing at a selected site and delivery without shipping of a tangible device sold by using a seller'"'"'s computer (3) receiving an order for a tangible device from a customer, selecting manufacturing process commands to manufacture the device as ordered, verifying that the site has the capability and an open schedule to manufacture the device, scheduling the manufacturing during the open schedule, and providing an order fulfillment schedule and status tracking of the order, a manufacturing control computer (4) providing manufacturing process commands to a production unit (5) at the site, and providing a record of maintenance fulfillment indicating capability and readiness of the production unit to manufacture the tangible device.

Claims

1. A system by which a customer determines ordering, manufacturing at a selected site and delivery without shipping of a tangible device sold by a seller, comprising:

a seller'"'"'s computer receiving an order for a tangible device from a customer, selecting manufacturing process commands to manufacture the device as ordered, verifying that the site has the capability and an open schedule to manufacture the device as ordered, scheduling the manufacturing during the open schedule, and providing an order fulfillment schedule and status tracking of the order,

a manufacturing control computer providing manufacturing process commands to a production unit at the site, the manufacturing control computer providing a site schedule and a record of maintenance fulfillment indicating capability and readiness of the production unit to manufacture the tangible device, and

a production unit at the site adapted for manufacture of the tangible device substantially without human intervention upon direction of manufacturing process commands supplied by the manufacturing control computer.

2. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the production unit comprises a stereolithography forming machine.

3. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the production unit comprises an inkjet printer adapted to deposit droplets of liquid phase polymer material.

4. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the manufacturing control computer comprises;

a manufacturing processes processor storing and retrieving information from a manufacturing processes data base, and adapted for use by the seller'"'"'s computer to verify the property interest of the customer in the production unit.

5. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the manufacturing control computer comprises;

a supply chain fulfillment processor storing and retrieving information from a supply chain fulfillment data base and providing a record of supply chain managers and a supply chain fulfillment report indicating completion of supply chain instructions and the readiness of the production unit.

6. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the manufacturing control computer comprises;

a site schedule processor storing and retrieving information from a site schedule data base, and providing the seller'"'"'s computer with a maintenance schedule, a production schedule and an open schedule for the production unit.

7. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the manufacturing control computer comprises;

a production fulfillment processor storing and retrieving information from a production fulfillment data base, and adapted for use by the seller'"'"'s computer to provide the customer with an order tracking and order fulfillment report.

8. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the production unit comprises;

a maintenance fulfillment processor storing and retrieving information from a maintenance fulfillment data base, and adapted to provide a record of maintenance fulfillment.

9. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the seller'"'"'s computer comprises;

a device attributes processor storing and retrieving information from a device attributes data base, and adapted to provide a customer with numerous tangible devices for selection by the customer according to the device attributes.

10. The system according to

claim 1

wherein, the seller'"'"'s computer comprises;

a billing and payment processor and a billing and payment data base verifying payment for the tangible device ordered by the customer, and for determining the property interest of the customer in the production unit.

18. The process according to

claim 1

, further including the step of;

providing a record of maintenance fulfillment indicating readiness of the production unit.

11. A process by which a customer determines ordering, manufacturing at a selected site and delivery without shipping of a tangible device sold by a seller, comprising:

receiving an order for a tangible device from a customer,

selecting manufacturing process commands to manufacture the device as ordered,

verifying that the site and a production unit at the site have the capability and an open schedule to manufacture the device as ordered,

scheduling the manufacturing during the open schedule,

providing an order fulfillment schedule and status tracking of the order,

providing a site schedule and a record of maintenance fulfillment indicating capability and readiness of the production unit to manufacture the tangible device,

providing manufacturing process commands to a production unit at the site, and

manufacturing the tangible device substantially without human intervention upon direction of manufacturing process commands supplied by a seller'"'"'s computer to a manufacturing control computer.

12. The process according to

claim 11

wherein, the step of manufacturing the tangible device substantially without human intervention further includes the step of forming the device by a stereolithography forming machine.

13. The process according to

claim 11

wherein, the step of manufacturing the tangible device substantially without human intervention further includes the step of successive molecular deposition onto an area pattern.

14. The process according to

claim 11

, and further including the steps of verifying the property interest of the customer in the production unit, and apportioning according to the property interest the income, interest, depreciation, taxes, insurance and financial accounting adjustments.

15. The process according to

claim 11

, further including the steps of;

providing a record of supply chain managers, and providing a supply chain fulfillment report indicating completion of supply chain instructions and the readiness of the production unit.

16. The process according to

claim 11

, further including the step of;

providing a maintenance schedule, a production schedule and an open schedule for the production unit.

17. The process according to

claim 11

, further including the steps of;

storing and retrieving information from a production fulfillment data base, and providing the customer with an order tracking and order fulfillment report.

19. The process according to

claim 11

, further including the step of;

providing a customer with numerous tangible devices for selection by the customer according to device attributes of the tangible devices.

20. The process according to

claim 11

, further including the step of;

verifying payment for the tangible device ordered by the customer, and determining the property interest of the customer in the production unit.