E-commerce based method and system for manufacturer hosting of virtual dealer stores and method for providing a systemization of machine parts

• US 20080262947A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Driscoll, Daniel T., Hartman, Richard I., Buzzell, Thomas T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer is disclosed. This method and system includes sending a request for detailed dealer information to a manufacturer server system using a client system and displaying real-time detailed dealer information on the client system based on the request, the real-time detailed dealer information received from the manufacturer server system, the manufacturer server system accessing the real-time detailed dealer information from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An e-commerce based method of providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, said method comprising the steps of:

collecting information from said consumer regarding a machine;

selecting a system of machine parts from at least two available systems, wherein each of said available systems includes at least two available components of machine parts;

selecting a component of machine parts from said at least two available components, wherein each of said available components includes at least one group of machine parts;

selecting a group of machine parts from said at least one group of machine parts, and wherein each of said at least two available systems, said at least two available components, and said at least one group, are adapted to correspond to machine parts within said machine; and

providing information to said consumer regarding machine parts included in said selected system of machine parts, said selected component of machine parts, and said selected group of machine parts.

30. The e-commerce based method of claim 29, wherein collecting information from said consumer includes collecting product, model, and configuration information for said machine.

33. The e-commerce based method of claim 29, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected group of machine parts.

34. The e-commerce based method of claim 33, wherein displaying said graphic includes displaying at least one individual part of machine parts in said selected group of machine parts.

35. The e-commerce based method of claim 33, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including at least one of a group identifier identifying said selected group of machine parts, and an individual part identifier identifying at least one individual part of machine parts in said selected group of machine parts.

36. The e-commerce based method of claim 35, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying one or more reference numerals on said graphic that correspond to one or more reference numerals on said list.

31. An e-commerce based method of providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, said method comprising:

collecting information from said consumer regarding a machine;

selecting a system of machine parts from at least two available systems, wherein each of said available systems includes at least two different components of machine parts, each of said at least two different components includes at least two different groups of machine parts, and each of said at least two different groups is comprised of at least one individual part of machine parts;

selecting a component of machine parts from said at least two different components;

selecting a group of machine parts from said at least two different groups;

selecting an individual part of machine parts from said at least one individual part, and wherein each of said at least two available systems, said at least two different components, said at least two different groups, and said at least one individual part, are adapted to correspond to machine parts within said machine; and

providing information to said consumer regarding machine parts which make up said selected system of machine parts, said selected component of machine parts, said selected group of machine parts, and said selected individual part of machine parts.

32. The e-commerce based method of claim 31, wherein collecting information from said consumer includes collecting a product, model, and configuration, for said machine.

37. The e-commerce based method of claim 31, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected group of machine parts.

38. The e-commerce based method of claim 37, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including a group identifier identifying said selected group of machine parts.

39. The e-commerce based method of claim 31, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected individual part of machine parts.

40. The e-commerce based method of claim 39, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including an individual part identifier identifying said selected individual part of machine parts.

41. An e-commerce based system for providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, the system comprising:

a manufacturer server hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer'"'"'s web sites, the manufacturer server being operable to;

collect information from the consumer regarding a machine,

identify one or more systems of machine parts in the machine,

identify one or more components of machine parts in the one or more systems,

identify one or more groups of machine parts in the one or more components,

receive a selection of;

one of the one or more systems of machine parts,

one of the one or more components of machine parts, and

one of the one or more groups of machine parts, from the consumer; and

provide information to the consumer regarding machine parts included in the selected one of the one or more systems of machine parts, the selected one of the one or more components of machine parts, and the selected one of the one or more selected groups of machine parts.

42. The e-commerce based system of claim 41, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to identify one or more individual parts of machine parts in the one or more groups of machine parts.

43. The e-commerce based system of claim 42, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to receive a selection of one of the one or more individual parts of machine parts from the consumer.

44. The e-commerce based system of claim 43, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a graphic of the selected one of the one or more individual parts of machine parts.

45. The e-commerce based system of claim 41, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a graphic of the selected one of the one or more groups of machine parts.

46. The e-commerce based system of claim 45, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a list of machine parts in the graphic.

47. The e-commerce based system of claim 46, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to display one or more reference numerals on the list that correspond to one or more reference numerals on the graphic.

48. The e-commerce based system of claim 47, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to allow the consumer to compose an order for machine parts by selecting machine parts from the list.