Method and sytem for developing technical configurations
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Abstract
A method for developing a technical configuration and electronically delivering to a client from a server an order report for the technical configuration. The method comprises interactively eliciting and electronically receiving from a user on the client a desired technical configuration, wherein the act of interactively eliciting and electronically receiving comprises providing to the client from the server a limited configuration engine and performing a first, limited check on the viability of the desired technical configuration on the client using the limited configuration engine; performing a second, final check on the viability of the desired technical configuration using a full configuration engine on the server; and, in response to the final check, preparing and outputting on the client an electronic order report.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1-40. -40. (canceled)
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41. A method for creating technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to a computer network client comprising:
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receiving on-line from a user on the client a selection of a desired product selected from a set of products, wherein the selection represents initial product configuration data of the desired product;
downloading to the client from a server limited configuration information that is a subset of a full set of configuration information and limited configuration programs that are a subset of a full configuration programs, the limited configuration information including option attributes of the desired product and limited option rules that define relationships therebetween, wherein the limited configuration information and limited configuration programs are determined at the server based on the initial product configuration data of the desired product, and wherein the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs are downloaded to the client responsive to the user selection;
requesting a desired technical configuration of the desired product from the user on the client, wherein selections for the option attributes of the desired product are elicited from the user;
preliminarily checking the viability of the desired technical configuration of the desired product at the client, wherein the limited configuration programs verify conformity of the user selections for the option attributes with the limited option rules;
receiving at the server the desired technical configuration from the client subsequent to preliminarily checking viability of the desired technical configuration;
performing a full check at the server on the viability of the desired technical configuration, wherein the full set of configuration programs verify conformity of the user selections for the option attributes with the full set of option rules;
preparing and transmitting to the client an electronic order report, if the full check at the server is successful; and
downloading to the client from the server additional option rules that are a subset of the full set of option rules and receiving from the client at the server a second desired technical configuration developed on the client and verified on the client for conformity with the additional option rules, if the full check at the server is not successful.
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42. In a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client, a method for creating vehicle configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client, the method comprising:
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(a) interactively eliciting from a user on the at least one client a desired make, model, and series for a vehicle;
(b) in response to the user'"'"'s desired make, model, and series for a vehicle, downloading from the at least one server to the at least one client limited configuration information and limited configuration programs;
(c) interactively eliciting from the user on the at least one client a desired vehicle configuration and preliminarily checking at the at least one client the viability of the desired vehicle configuration using the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs;
(d) uploading the desired vehicle configuration from the at least one client to the at least one server and performing a full check on the viability of the desired vehicle configuration using full configuration information and full configuration programs on the at least one server; and
(e) responsive to the full check, preparing and outputting on the at least one client an electronic order report.
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43. A method for developing a product configuration in a client-server environment, wherein the server has full option attributes and full option rules, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving initial product configuration data from a user on a client;
(b) in response to the initial product configuration data, allocating limited option attributes and limited option rules to the client by downloading such limited option attributes and limited option rules to the client;
(c) receiving from the client a first proposed product configuration developed from client processing of the limited option attributes and limited option rules;
(d) in response to the proposed product configuration and application at the server of the full option attributes and full option rules to the proposed product configuration, allocating and downloading to the client additional option rules; and
(e) receiving from the client a second proposed product configuration developed from client processing of the limited option attributes and additional option rules. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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47. In a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client, an apparatus for creating technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a limited configuration engine, wherein the limited configuration engine is downloaded from the at least one server to the at least one client in response to data elicited from the at least one client, and wherein the limited configuration engine contains programs to interactively elicit from a user a desired configuration to be uploaded to the at least one server; and
(b) a full configuration engine on the at least one server, wherein the full configuration engine contains instructions for performing a full check on the viability of the desired configuration. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a procedure for developing a product configuration in a client-server environment, the computer-readable medium having client programs and server programs with functions for invocation, by performing the acts of:
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(a) interactively eliciting from a user on the client a desired subset of possible products having technical configurations;
(b) in response to the user'"'"'s desired subset of possible products having technical configurations, downloading from the server to the client limited configuration information and limited configuration programs;
(c) interactively eliciting from the user on the client a desired technical configuration and preliminarily checking at the client the viability of the desired technical configuration using the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs;
(d) uploading the desired technical configuration from the client to the server and performing a full check on the viability of the desired technical configuration using full configuration information and full configuration programs on the server; and
(e) responsive to the full check, preparing and outputting on the client an electronic order report. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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Specification