Method and apparatus for encoding or decoding a human readable representation of options differentiating products or services

• US 6,466,836 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Astarabadi, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US09/301,046
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 700/115, 700/116, 700/215, 700/216, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 705/26, 705/23
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a unique and reversible human readable number is disclosed. The human readable number is comprised of human readable symbols for representing a specific combination of selected options in differentiated products in built-to-order systems or differentiated services in an overall customized service package. The human readable number preferably represents many possible permutations of available options, which are selectable by a customer. The human readable number maintains its uniqueness and reversibility when the number of options are increased, or when new differentiated products or services are added.

Claims

1. A method of representing a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the method comprising:

presenting a user with said plurality of options;

representing in a computer readable medium an association of each of said plurality of options with one or more binary bit field values;

receiving signals representative of selection of at least one of said options associated with said product;

combining binary bit field values corresponding to each of the at least one selected options associated with said product into a string of bits in an ordered sequence;

partitioning the string of bits into fixed length partitions; and

representing each of the fixed length partitions with a human readable symbol in a human readable medium to identify said product.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said human readable symbols is selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the string of bits and a second string of bits have binary bit field values, each binary bit field value having an associated bit length being associated with each one of the differentiated products, the string of bits and the second string of bits having binary bit field values according to a format in which each of the binary bit field values have a set length, wherein the string of bits and the second string of bits differ by at least one of the binary bit field values having a different set length, the string of bits and the second string of bits being distinguishable by a version number stored as one of the binary bit field values in the string of bits and the second string of bits.

4. A method for extracting data from a part number having human readable symbols representing a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the method comprising:

representing each one of the human readable symbols as a fixed length bit segment in a computer readable memory;

combining each fixed length bit segment into a string of bits;

partitioning the string of bits into one or more binary bit field values;

associating each of the binary bit field values with a selected option associated with said product; and

identifying the one or more options associated with said product.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

associating one of the binary bit field values with a version number for the part number.

7. An apparatus for producing a human readable part number representing a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an input device for receiving a signal representative of a selection of at least one of the plurality of options, said at least one selected options associated with said product;

a processor that combines one or more binary bit field values in an ordered sequence to provide a string of bits, each of the binary bit field values representing said at least one selected options, partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions and represents each of the fixed length partitions as a human readable symbol; and

an output device that presents each of the human readable symbols in a human readable medium to identify said product.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of the binary bit field values represents a version number of the human readable part number.

10. An apparatus for determining from a human readable part number a selection of at least one option in a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an input device to receive a representation of the human readable part number comprised of human readable symbols;

a processor that represents the human readable symbols of the human readable part number as fixed length bit segments in a computer readable memory, combines the fixed length bit segments into a string of bits, partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions to provide one or more binary bit field values, and determines the selection of at least one option associated with said product from the binary bit field values; and

an output device for displaying information identifying the one or more options associated with said product.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor further determines a version number of the human readable part number from one of the binary bit field values.

13. An apparatus for producing a human readable part number representing a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing one or more binary bit field values representing one or more options that are selected;

a processor that combines the binary bit field values in an ordered sequence to provide a string of bits, each of the binary bit field values representing a selected option and having a length associated therewith;

a memory for storing the string of bits;

a processor that partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions;

a memory for storing the fixed length partitions;

a processor that represents each of the fixed length partitions as a human readable symbol to form said human readable part number; and

an output device that presents said human readable part number to identify said product.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein one of the binary bit field values represents a version number of the human readable part number.

16. An apparatus for determining from a human readable part number a selection of an option in a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the human readable part number comprised of human readable symbols;

a processor that represents the human readable symbols of the human readable part number as fixed length bit segments;

a memory for storing the fixed length bit segments;

a processor that combines the fixed length bit segments into a string of bits;

a memory for storing the string of bits;

a processor that partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions to provide one or more binary bit field values;

a memory for storing the binary bit field values;

a processor that determines the selection of an option associated with said product from the binary bit field values; and

an output device for displaying information identifying the one or more options associated with said product.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the process further determines a version number of the human readable part number from one of the binary bit field values.

19. A method for representing a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall customized service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the method comprising:

representing in a computer readable medium an association of each of said options with one or more binary bit field values;

receiving signals representative of selection of at least one of said one or more

options associated with said product;

combining binary bit field values corresponding to each of the at least one

selected options associated with said service, into a string of bits in an

ordered sequence;

partitioning the string of bits into fixed length partitions;

representing each of the fixed length partitions with a human readable symbol in

a human readable medium; and

identifying said service to a user by said human readable symbols.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein each of said human readable symbols is selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the string of bits and a second string of bits have binary bit field values, each binary bit field value having an associated bit length being associated with each one of the differentiated services, the string of bits and the second string of bits having binary bit field values according to a format in which each of the binary bit field values have a set length, wherein the string of bits and the second string of bits differ by at least one of the binary bit field values having a different set length, the string of bits and the second string of bits being distinguishable by a version number stored as one of the binary bit field values in the string of bits and the second string of bits.

22. A method for extracting data from a number having human readable symbols representing a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall customized service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the method comprising:

representing each one of the human readable symbols as a fixed length bit segment in a computer readable memory;

combining each fixed length bit segment into a string of bits;

partitioning the string of bits into one or more binary bit field values;

associating each of the binary bit field values with a selected option associated with said product; and

identifying the one or more options associated with said service to a user.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

associating one of the binary bit field values with a version number for the number having human readable symbols.

25. An apparatus for producing a human readable number representing a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall customized service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an input device for receiving a signal representative of a selection of at least one of the plurality of options associated with said service;

a processor that combines one or more binary bit field values in an ordered sequence to provide a string of bits, each of the binary bit field values representing said at least one selected options, partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions, and represents each of the fixed length partitions as a human readable symbol; and

an output device that presents each of the human readable symbols to a user to identify said service.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein one of the binary bit field values represents a version number of the human readable number.

28. An apparatus for determining from a human readable number a selection of an option in a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an input device to receive a representation of the human readable number comprised of human readable symbols;

a processor that represents the human readable symbols of the human readable number as fixed length bit segments in a computer readable memory, combines the fixed length bit segments into a string of bits, partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions to provide one or more binary bit field values, and determines the selection of at least one option associated with said service from the binary bit field values, and

an output device for displaying to a user information identifying the at least one option associated with said service.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the processor further determines a version number of the human readable number from one of the binary bit field values.

31. An apparatus for producing a human readable number representing a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing one or more binary bit field values representing one or more options that are selected,

a processor that combines the binary bit field values in an ordered sequence to provide a string of bits, each of the binary bit field values representing a selected option in each one of the differentiated services and having a length associated therewith;

a memory for storing the string of bits;

a processor that partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions;

a memory for storing the fixed length partitions;

a processor that represents each of the fixed length partitions as a human readable symbol to form said human readable number; and

an output device that presents said human readable number to a user to identify said service to said user.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein one of the binary bit field values represents a version number of the human readable number.

34. An apparatus for determining from a human readable number a selection of an option in a service from a group of differentiated services in an overall service package, the group of differentiated services having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the human readable number comprised of human readable symbols;

a processor that represents the human readable symbols of the human readable part number as fixed length bit segments;

a memory for storing the fixed length bit segments;

a processor that combines the fixed length bit segments into a string of bits,

a memory for storing the string of bits;

a processor that partitions the string of bits into fixed length partitions to provide one or more binary bit field values;

a memory for storing the binary bit field values;

a processor that determines the selection of an option associated with said service from the binary bit field values; and

an output device for displaying to a user information identifying the option associated with said service.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the human readable symbols are selected from a plurality of base-32 symbols.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the process further determines a version number of the human readable number from one of the binary bit field values.

37. An apparatus for producing a human readable part number representing a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with an association of each option with one or more binary bit field values, each of the binary bit field values corresponding to one or more options associated with one of the differentiated products;

a processor adapted to combine selected ones of the one or more binary bit field values in an ordered sequence to provide a string of bits, to partition the string of tits into fixed length partitions, and to represent each of the fixed length partitions as a human readable symbol; and

an output device that presents said human readable part number to a user to identify said product to said user.

38. An apparatus for determining from a human readable part number a selection of an option in a product from a group of differentiated products in a built-to-order system, the group of differentiated products having a plurality of options associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a processor adapted to represent each of the human readable symbols of the human readable part number as fixed length bit segments in the computer readable medium, to combine the fixed length bit segments into a string of bits, to partition the string of bits into fixed length partitions to provide one or more binary bit field values, and to determine the selection of the option in each one of the differentiated products in the built-to-order system from the binary bit field values; and

an output device for displaying to a user information identifying the one or more options associated with said product.