METHOD OF REQUESTING A CUSTOMIZED INSTANCE OF AN OBJECT USING INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN AN EXISTING INSTANCE

• US 20100088195A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malkin, Peter K., Bellamy, Rachel K. E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system for reselling an object in a client-server environment is disclosed. The method and system also enables a user using a client device can order an object, order a customized object, order a composite object, and order a customized composite object. The system includes an object order form handler, an object order handler, a view objects handler, a reseller form handler, a reseller handler, a reseller permission handler, an add object handler and a server database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing an object in a client-server environment including a plurality of client devices comprising:

a computer-implemented reseller form handler for receiving from a client device a request of a reseller form corresponding to the object, generating the reseller form corresponding to the object and providing the reseller form to the client device;

a computer-implemented reseller handler for receiving a request to be a reseller from the client device that completed the reseller form and forwarding the request to be the reseller to an original seller; and

a computer-implemented reseller permission handler for receiving a determination of the request to be the reseller from the original seller, storing the determination in a database and sending the determination to the client device, wherein if the determination indicates an approval of the request to be the reseller, a user of the client device is able to resell the object to other users at other client devices.

2. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 1, further comprising:

a computer-implemented view objects handler for receiving a request of viewing the object from a client device, finding the object on a web page, modifying the web page by adding a mark-up to indicate the object can be resold and sending the modified web page to the client device;

a computer-implemented object order form handler for receiving a request of an object order form associated with the object in the modified web page from the client device, generating the object order form of the object and providing the object order form of the object to the client device; and

a computer-implemented object order handler for receiving an order of the object from the client device that completed the object order form of the object and sending the order of the object to a seller.

3. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 2, wherein the object order form specifies customizations of the object in the modified web page.

4. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 2, wherein the object order form is provided to the client device via one or more of:

a web site, an email, a phone call, a fax, an instant messaging, a postal mail and a carrier service.

5. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 2, wherein the object order form includes information of the seller, information of the user of the client device and information of the object.

6. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 2, wherein the object order form is associated with one or more of:

a template of the object, an owner of the object, a price of the object, other instances of the object and a version of the object.

7. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for automatically charging an amount of money to the client device based on the price of the object.

8. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 2, wherein the object comprises one or more subobjects.

9. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 8, wherein the object order form specifies customizations of the one or more of subobjects.

10. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for retrieving instances of the subobjects modified based on the specified customizations; and

means for sending the an instance of the object made of the instances of the subobjects to the client device.

11. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 1, wherein the object is one or more of:

software, hardware and a service.

12. The computer-implemented server device for reselling and customizing according to claim 1, wherein the object include a unique ID.

13. A computer-implemented method in a server device for reselling and customizing an object in a client-server environment including a plurality of client devices comprising:

receiving from a client device a request of a reseller form corresponding to the object, generating the reseller form corresponding to the object and providing the reseller form to the client device;

receiving a request to be a reseller from the client device that completed the reseller form and forwarding the request to be the reseller to an original seller; and

receiving a determination of the request to be the reseller from the original seller, storing the determination in a database and sending the determination to the client device, wherein if the determination indicates an approval of the request to be the reseller, a user of the client device is able to resell the object to other users at other client devices.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request of viewing the object from a client device, finding the object on a web page, modifying the web page by adding a mark-up to indicate the object can be resold and sending the modified web page to the client device;

receiving a request of an object order form associated with the object in the modified web page from the client device, generating the object order form of the object and providing the object order form of the object to the client device; and

receiving an order of the object from the client device that completed the object order form of the object and sending the order of the object to a seller.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the object order form specifies customizations of the object in the modified web page.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the object order form is provided to the client device via one or more of:

a web site, an email, a phone call, a fax, an instant messaging, a postal mail and a carrier service.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the object order form includes information of the seller, information of the user and information of the object.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the object order form is associated with one or more of:

a template of the object, an owner of the object, a price of the object other instances of the object and a version of the object.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for automatically charging an amount of money to the client device based on the price of the object.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the object comprises one or more subobjects.

21. The computer-implemented method according to claim 20, wherein the object order form specifics customizations of the one or more of subobjects.

22. The computer-implemented method according to claim 20, further comprising:

retrieving instances of the subobjects modified based on the specified customizations; and

sending the an instance of the object made of the instances of the subobjects to the client device.

23. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein the object is one or more of:

software, hardware and a service.

24. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein the object includes an unique ID.

25. A program storage device, readably by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for reselling an object in a client-server environment including a plurality of client devices, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 13.

26. A method of deploying a computer program product including a program of instructions in a computer readable medium for reselling an object in a client-server environment including a plurality of client devices, wherein, when the program of instructions is executed by a processor, the computer program product performs the steps of claim 13.