Customer-based product design module

• US 20040177002A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lodsys Group LLC (Lodsys LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ferrara Ethereal LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Abelow, Daniel H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards

Abstract

A network of data processing-based and telecommunications-based apparatuses and systems are disclosed, including a product sub-system that interacts with a user, gathers information from the user, communicates the information to the product'"'"'s vendor, and receives new pre-programmed interactions from the vendor for future interactions with the user. In addition to this computing/networking apparatus which is a sub-system in or attached to a product or service, other components of this invention include a data processing system for constructing and downloading pre-programmed interactions to the product sub-system; a communications sub-system for transmitting the data directly from the product sub-system to the vendor'"'"'s computer; a communications apparatus for reading the product sub-system'"'"'s data, transmitting it to the vendor'"'"'s computer, and downloading new pre-programmed interactions to the product sub-system; a data processing system that resides in the product sub-system and conducts numerous types of interactions with a user; and a data processing system that resides in the vendor'"'"'s computer and analyzes and reports the information gathered from product users. This invention may be built into a variety of products and services to establish networks of customer-vendor interactions and communications. It makes possible new customer roles and contributions to the design and development of products and services, and the nature of customer-vendor relationships. A variety of functions are enabled by this invention, which include (depending on the configuration of a particular product sub-system) inquiries, reports, suggestions, help, interactive services, transactions and two-way real-time communications. As a complete system, this invention-may be viewed as a new medium through which customers interact directly with products and services at the time they are using them, to describe their conception of what the product or service should be and how the vendor should work with them to satisfy their needs better. The customer data, suggestions and other information are transmitted to the product vendor'"'"'s computer where they are collected, analyzed by automated means and presented in automated reports to product managers, product designers and other decision makers. This source of continuous customer-based information may assist in improving products, services and customer relationships both sooner and more accurately, thereby producing strategic business advantages over competitors who do not engage in a similar improvement dialog with their customers. Over time, the cost of incorporating such sub-systems may fall and the impact from using them may rise, producing a greater reliance on customer involvement and customer input into a growing range of business decisions. This may produce a gradual transfer, from vendors to customers, of conceptual commercial guidance, both in individual cases and in aggregate. This invention suggests the emergence of a “partnership capitalist” economy in which a variety of interactive products and services link customers and vendors with networks that are built into those products and services, producing greater understanding, efficiency and accuracy in designing, manufacturing and selling the products, services and lifestyles that customers truly want.

Claims

1. A system for use with a product, comprising

a user interface which is associated with the product and enables local bidirectional communication, between a user of the product and the product, of local information concerning use of the product,

product information which is related to the local information and is communicated between the product and a remote party other than the user, and

means for for taking action with respect to the product or the user interface based on the product information.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an authoring system for use by the remote party for managing the content of the local information and of the product information.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an analyzer of product information received at the remote party, and

means for controlling the taking of action with respesct to the product or the user interface in response to the analyzer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the product information includes hew interface elements and is communicated from the remote party to the product.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a product module which may be disabled and enabled selectively.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the module may be enabled in respones to a trigger event.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the trigger event is initiated locally at the product.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the trigger event is initiated by the remote party.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the local information concerning use of the product is generated during use of the product.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface communicates queries to the user during use of the product.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the queries are determined by the nature of the use of the product.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein responses to the queries are stored in the product.

13. The system of claim 5 wherein the module comprises hardware and software.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a display screen, a keyboard, a keyboard, a microphone, and a speaker.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for taking action changes the interactions permitted with the user.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication between the product and the remote party passes via one or more of braodcast transmission, wire, or a removable memory device.

17. The system of claim 3 wherein the analyzer analyzes product information for received at the remote party from multiple users with respect to multiple products.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a natural language component.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the user interface includes multiple natural languages, selectable by the user.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the occurrences of communication between the user and the product are controlled by the user.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the user is enabled to terminate a communication with the product at will.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a user control for selectively enabling or disabling the user interface.

23. A method for aiding design of a product comprising

creating a first version of the product,

including with the first version a user feedback element which accumulates information on use of the product by a user,

recovering the information from the user feedback element,

analyzing the information, and

redesigning the product in accordance with the results of the analyzing step.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to problems in use of the product.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to solutions to problems in use of the product.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to usability of the product.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes demographic marketing information about the user of the product.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includ s information about the user'"'"'s use patterns for the product.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes information about business processes using the product.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes analysis of tasks performed by the user with the product.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes analysis of the performance of the user with the product.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes transactions performed by the user with the product.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes user-suggested expansion of business relationships.

34. The method of claim 23 wherein the information includes user-suggested improvements of processes.

35. The method of claim 23 further comprising enabling the user to set a priority for response to information entered by the user via the user interface.

36. The method of claim 23 wherein the information recovered from the user feedback element comprises information developed in the course of interactive learning by the user.

37. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of analyzing includes running user tests of information recovered from the user feedback element.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising, prior to redesigning the product,

delivering to the user via the feedback element, proposed redesigns of the product, and

recovering information about the proposed redesigns via the feedback element.

39. The method of claim 23 further comprising

electronically sharing the information from the user feedback element with a third party.

40. The method of claim 23 further comprising

providing a mechanism for compensating a user for information accumulated in the feedback element.

41. The method of claim 23 further comprising

providing a mechanism for buying and selling results of the analyzing step.

42. The method of claim 23 further comprising giving access to the feeback element to a third party.

43. A method for providing information to a user of a product, comprising

including with the product a user interface which enables local communication of information to the user concerning use of the product, and

delivering product information from a remote location to the user interface,

delivering local information, based on the product information, to the user via the user interface.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the local information is marketing information.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the local information is sales information.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the local information is customer service information, and further comprising conveying user requests for customer service information via the user interface and by remote communication to a service provider.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein the local information is training information.