Grouping and pooling of economic and design resources relating to products and services
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating group or pooled decisions by multiple different potential customer participants about a product or service design of a supplier and wherein there is a central database relating to design criteria of the product or service, and communicating through a data communication network between a central database processing resource and multiple remote participants, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) making available to the remote participants, via a communications link the remote participant being selectively a potential customer, the design criteria associated with a product or service;
b) transmitting to the remote participants via the communications link wherein the remote participants are authorized to access the database, the designated design data from the database;
c) obtaining a selection of the design criteria from the multiple potential customers; and
d) the multiple customer participants participating in creating collectively the product or service with the supplier.
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Abstract
A system for computerized management of products and services by pooling and grouping respective customers and involving these customers in the design and purchase of products or services. Using the Internet potential customers facilitate the design and purchase by volume of products to be manufactured or supplied by a producer. The criteria for the products or services are set by voting of members of the pool or group and the pool can determine the appropriate price and design criteria for products or services.
65 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating group or pooled decisions by multiple different potential customer participants about a product or service design of a supplier and wherein there is a central database relating to design criteria of the product or service, and communicating through a data communication network between a central database processing resource and multiple remote participants, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) making available to the remote participants, via a communications link the remote participant being selectively a potential customer, the design criteria associated with a product or service;
b) transmitting to the remote participants via the communications link wherein the remote participants are authorized to access the database, the designated design data from the database;
c) obtaining a selection of the design criteria from the multiple potential customers; and
d) the multiple customer participants participating in creating collectively the product or service with the supplier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11)
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9. A method of management by a remote participant of a product or service by facilitating group or pooled decisions by multiple different potential customer participants about a product or service design of a supplier comprising the steps of:
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a) making available to the remote participants, via a communications link the remote participant being selectively a potential customer, the design criteria associated with a product or service;
b) transmitting to the remote participants via the communications link wherein the remote participants are authorized to access the database, the designated design data from the database;
c) obtaining a selection of the design criteria from the multiple potential customers;
d) the multiple customer participants participating in creating collectively the product or service with the supplier;
e) receiving an access request message from a remote participant via a communications link the remote participant being selectively a potential customer;
f) transmitting an access enabling message to the remote participant via the communications link wherein the remote participant is authorized to access the database, the access enabling message permitting the remote participant to access the database and access designated data from the database related to the product or service;
g) compiling a report from the accessed database, the report including the data of the product or service;
h) transmitting the report of the data to the remote participant; and
i) wherein there is a hierarchy of remote users, different levels in the hierarchy having different weight for their respective decision, which decisions can be transmitted to the central database. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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12. A system for facilitating group decisions by customers about a decision to purchase a product or service meeting designated design criteria comprising providing over a computer network, preferably including the Internet, design criteria relating to a product or service, and designing the product or service according to a predetermined level of votes received for different criteria of the product;
- and permitting the customers to commit funds to purchase the product or service in terms of the decided design criteria.
- View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A system of facilitating or grouping or pooling of resources in the purchasing or investing in the manufacture, marketing and sales of a product or service comprises:
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a) opening an offer to potential customers for the product or service;
b) permitting potential customers input into the selected product or service design or manufacture;
c) permitting a supplier to receive criteria associated with the product and service;
d) permitting the potential customers to commit funds for the purchase of a product or service designed by the group or pool of customers;
e) permitting the supplier to receive the funds as a consequence of the pooled or grouped input and commitment of funds as a consequence of the pooled or grouped transaction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification