METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURATING PRODUCTS

• US 20100106621A1
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Verchere
• Original Assignee: David Verchere
• Inventors: Verchere, David
• Application Number:
  US12/608,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106621A1
• 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 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A system comprises a product database, a vendor interface and a reseller interface. The vendor interface is capable of receiving product information for the product database that is related to at least one promotional product. The reseller interface is coupled to the product database, and is capable of allowing at least one reseller to select at least one product for presentation to at least one customer. An interface is capable of presenting at least one selected product to at least one customer, such as a branded promotional products interface, a company logo store interface, or a reseller showcase interface, or combinations thereof. Additionally, an interface is capable of receiving a request from the at least one customer for obtaining the at least one selected branded product from a reseller associated with the interface capable of presenting the at least one selected product to the at least one customer.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system, comprising:

a product database;

a vendor interface coupled to the product database, the vendor interface being capable of receiving into the product database product information related to a promotional product; and

a reseller interface coupled to the product database, the reseller interface being capable of allowing a reseller to select the promotional product from the product database for display to a customer.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a customer interface capable of displaying the promotional product to the customer.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the customer interface comprises a promotional products interface, a company logo store interface, or a reseller showcase interface, or combinations thereof.

24. The system according to claim 22, further comprising a request interface that is capable of receiving a customer request from the customer for obtaining the promotional product from the reseller.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the vendor interface, the reseller interface or the customer interface, or combinations thereof, are capable of providing order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or a vendor, or combinations thereof.

26. The system according to claim 24, further comprising a back office processor capable of receiving a credit-card request from credit-card processing for the promotional product, checking a credit account, creating a voucher, calculating a finance charge, sending a customer email message to the customer when the promotional product is shipped, sending a reseller email message to the reseller when the promotional product is shipped, or combinations thereof.

27. The system according to claim 24, further comprising a bidding interface capable of receiving a bid from a vendor in response to the customer request or a reseller request from the reseller for obtaining the promotional product.

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein the product information comprises general product information or imprinting information, or combinations thereof.

29. The system according to claim 24, further comprising a bidding interface capable of receiving a bid from a vendor in response to the customer request or a reseller request from the reseller for obtaining the promotional product.

30. The system according to claim 22, wherein the vendor interface, the reseller interface or the customer interface, or combinations thereof, are capable of providing order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or a vendor, or combinations thereof.

31. The system according to claim 22, wherein the customer interface or the reseller interface, or a combination thereof, is further capable of receiving a service request over a communication network from the customer or the reseller for accessing service information related to a service associated with the promotional product, the service information supplied by a media partner or a business partner, or a combination thereof.

32. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a back office processor capable of receiving a credit-card request from credit-card processing for the promotional product, checking a credit account, creating a voucher, calculating a finance charge, sending a customer email message to the customer when the promotional product is shipped, sending a reseller email message to the reseller when the promotional product is shipped, or combinations thereof.

33. The system according to claim 21, wherein the product information comprises general product information or imprinting information, or combinations thereof.

34. The system according to claim 21, further comprising an artwork library interface capable receiving logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, for storage in an order, current balance information, account summary information artwork database.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the artwork library interface is further capable of receiving an artwork request from the customer for associating logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, with the promotional product.

36. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a processor capable of sending a reminder of an event to the customer.

37. A method, comprising:

receiving product information related to a promotional product over a communication network from a vendor for storage in a product database; and

displaying the product information to a customer through a reseller interface, the product information selected from the product database by a reseller for display to the customer.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the reseller interface comprises a promotional products website, a company logo store, or a reseller showcase, or combinations thereof.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising receiving a customer request from the customer over the communication network for obtaining the promotional product from the reseller.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising providing order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or the vendor, or combinations thereof.

41. The method according to claim 39, further comprising receiving a credit-card request from credit-card processing for the promotional product, checking a credit account, creating a voucher, calculating a finance charge, sending a customer email message to the customer when the promotional product is shipped, sending a reseller email message to the reseller when the promotional product is shipped, or combinations thereof.

42. The method according to claim 39, further comprising receiving a bid from a vendor in response to the customer request or a reseller request from the reseller for obtaining the promotional product.

43. The method according to claim 39, wherein the product information comprises general product information or imprinting information, or combinations thereof.

44. The method according to claim 39, further comprising providing order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or the vendor, or combinations thereof.

45. The method according to claim 39, further comprising receiving a credit-card request for the promotional product from credit-card processing, checking a credit account, creating a voucher, calculating a finance charge, sending a customer email message to the customer when the promotional product is shipped, sending a reseller email message to the reseller when the promotional product is shipped, or combinations thereof.

46. The method according to claim 39, further comprising receiving a bid from a vendor in response to the customer request or a request from the reseller for obtaining the promotional product.

47. The method according to claim 39, wherein the product information further comprises general product information or imprinting information, or combinations thereof.

48. The method according to claim 37, further comprising receiving logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, for storage in an artwork database.

49. The method according to claim 48, further comprising receiving an artwork request from the customer for associating logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, with a selected product.

50. The method according to claim 37, further comprising sending to the customer a reminder of an event.

51. The method according to claim 37, further comprising receiving a service request from the communication network from the customer or the reseller for accessing service information related to a service associated with the promotional product, the service information related to a service supplied by a media partner or a business partner, or a combination thereof.

52. A method, comprising:

receiving a customer display request from a customer over a communication network for product information related to a promotional product contained in a product database, the product information being supplied to the product database by a vendor; and

providing the product information to the customer over the communication network, the product information selected for the customer by a reseller.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising receiving, in response to providing the product information to the customer, a customer product request from the customer over the communication network for obtaining the promotional product from the reseller.

54. The method according to claim 53, further comprising providing a reseller request from the reseller to the vendor over the communication network for obtaining the promotional product from the vendor.

55. The method according to claim 53, further comprising providing over the communication network order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or the vendor, or combinations thereof.

56. The method according to claim 53, wherein receiving the customer product request from the customer comprises receiving a credit-card request for the promotional product from credit-card processing, checking a credit account, releasing the customer product request to the reseller or the vendor, creating a voucher, calculating a finance charge, sending a customer email message to the customer when the promotional product is shipped, sending a reseller email message to the reseller when the promotional product is shipped, or combinations thereof.

57. The method according to claim 53, further comprising receiving a bid over the communication network from the vendor in response to the customer product request from the customer or a reseller request from the reseller for obtaining the promotional product.

58. The method according to claim 52, further comprising receiving from the communication network the product information from the vendor.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein the product information comprises general product information or imprinting information, or a combination thereof.

60. The method according to claim 52, further comprising receiving from the communication network the product information from the vendor.

61. The method according to claim 60, wherein the product information comprises general product information or imprinting information, or combinations thereof.

62. The method according to claim 52, further comprising providing over the communication network order status information, customer history information, reseller history information, vendor order status information, due date information, shipping information for an order, current balance information, account summary information, a web hit habit report, or market information, or combinations thereof, to the customer, the reseller, or the vendor, or combinations thereof.

63. The method according to claim 52, further comprising receiving logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, for storage in an artwork database.

64. The method according to claim 63, further comprising receiving an artwork request from the communication network from the customer for associating logo artwork, or branding artwork, or a combination thereof, with a selected product.

65. The method according to claim 52, further comprising sending to the customer a reminder of an event.

66. The method according to claim 52, further comprising:

receiving a service request from the communication network from the customer or the reseller for accessing service information related to a service associated with the promotional product, the service information supplied by a media partner or a business partner, or a combination thereof; and

providing the service information to the communication network in response to the service request.