System and method for third party management of product manufacture ordering by a sub-end-user based upon approved products of end-user

• US 20020143640A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Houle-Gillard, Yvonne M., Kilfoyl, Troy J., Yeung, Herbert K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method permit an end-user to effectively communicate its approved product information or product specifications to its sub-end-users for managing any program that it wishes to communicate and support with its sub-end-users. It is specifically contemplated that a third party can effectively manage the system and method, which is advantageous in that the interested third party can also market its services, materials or other products to the sub-end-users while facilitating the end-users need to communicate its program or approved information to its sub-end-users. Information may also be managed to/from other interested third parties, such as material suppliers or product manufacturers or material convertors. Such a system and method may also advantageously accommodate input or additional information from other parties like designers, consultants, and the like for the benefit of the end user and/or its sub-end-users.

Claims

1. A system for third party management of end-user approved product information to at least one sub-end-user and product ordering by a sub-end-user based upon the approved product information of the end-user, said system comprising a data storage device accessible via a network and having end-user approved product information stored in a first memory, a sub-end-user network interface providing network access by the sub-end-user to the end-user approved product information for ordering a selected product and by which a product order can be stored in a second memory, and a third party network interface having access to product orders stored within the second memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the third party network interface also permits a third party to communicate a product order to a manufacturer via the network.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a manufacturer network interface by which the manufacturer can communicate with the data storage device via the network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the manufacturer network interface further permits the manufacturer to review and process product orders, update job status, and communicate with the third party via the network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an end-user network interface by which the end-user can communicate with the data storage device via the network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the end-user network interface further permits the end-user to create and modify new programs with specified product information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the end-user network interface further permits the end-user to manipulate the end-user approved product information stored in the first memory.

8. The system of claim 7, further including a custom image gallery stored as end-user approved product information within the first memory of the data storage device.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a manufacturer network interface by which the manufacturer can communicate with the data storage device via the network and an end-user network interface by which the end-user can communicate with the data storage device via the network, wherein the sub-end-user network interface, the third party network interface, the manufacturer network interface and the end-user network interface are browser based web page interfaces stored on the data storage device and that are accessible via the network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data storage device is accessible via a public internet.

11. A method of ordering a product by a sub-end-user based upon end-user approved product information provided to the sub-end-user, the method comprising the steps of:

providing access via a network to a sub-end-user for permitted reviewing of an electronic catalog having product information of at least one product that is approved by the end-user;

a sub-end-user selecting a product from the electronic catalog and making a product order based upon product information that is approved by the end-user;

communicating the product order from the sub-end-user to a third party via the network; and

the third party submitting the product order to a product manufacturer.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of the third party building the electronic catalog with the end-user.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the sub-end-user selects and makes its product order via a network interface that includes access to the electronic product information, and wherein the product order is communicated to the third party from the network interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third party accesses the product order via a second network interface and submits the product order to a manufacturer via the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third party also reviews the product order for any product material and services that are supplied by the third party.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third party specifies at least one commercial material sold by the third party to be utilized by the manufacturer in making the ordered product.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the manufacturer issues a notice to the third party certifying compliance of manufacture with the specifications communicated to it by the third party.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third party begins warranty coverage of the manufactured product based upon the inclusion of commercial material of the third party.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the manufacturer issues the notice to the third party via the network, and the third party accesses the notice via the second network interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one communication provided via the network is a communication across a public network.