Network architecture-based design-to-order system and method
First Claim
1. A system for allowing participants of a product community to interact with product definition data pertinent to at least a portion of a lifecycle of the product, the system comprising:
- a community server accessible via a network by the participants of the product community and which uses the product definition data;
plural application suites executed by the community server for permitting interaction with the product definition data by corresponding plural differing types of participants.
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Abstract
A product design server system which forms the heart of a design-to-order product community. The design-to-order product community is an on-line community that provides a dynamic environment in which community participants can interact on the fly and instantaneously respond to product changes. The architecture of the product design server system, and the special product definition data structure utilized thereby, is network-based (e.g., web-based). The product design server system of the present invention goes beyond web-enabled and IP-based architectures by providing a pure internet architecture approach. Interaction with the product definition data, and thus participation in the design-to-order product community, is enabled through browser-application service suites. These application service suites, described subsequently in more detail, enable community participants, as individuals or teams, to use a standard web browser to create, find, access, understand, manipulate, and publish product information (e.g., the product definition data 60) to enhance their unique roles in the product lifecycle.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A system for allowing participants of a product community to interact with product definition data pertinent to at least a portion of a lifecycle of the product, the system comprising:
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a community server accessible via a network by the participants of the product community and which uses the product definition data;
plural application suites executed by the community server for permitting interaction with the product definition data by corresponding plural differing types of participants. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A network-based product development community system comprising:
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a network node for storing product definition data pertinent to at least a portion of a lifecycle of the product;
a network node for each of plural participants of the product development community through which the respective participants interact with the product definition data;
a community server situated at a node of the network which, when a change affecting the product definition data occurs as a result of interaction by a first participant, notifies others of the plural participants of the change. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification