Method and system for collectively generating user-created designs of products and property via a communications network

• US 6,694,355 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Constructive Designs LLC
• Original Assignee: Reuben Bahar
• Inventors: Bahar, Reuben
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/524,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 345/733, 345/783, 345/329, 345/346, 345/2, 345/330
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for mass-generating new or modified designs of products and other items over a communications network, such as the Internet. Users in the public may remotely access and run a computer design program on a remote host system where they may select and manipulate product parts for designated products, in order to create a new design for planned or existing products. Additionally, an award incentive is preferably provided to winning designs. In this manner, the remote host computer system may collect a multitude of design submissions from a great number of users.

Claims

1. A method of collectively generating for acquisition user-created designs of products via a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing graphic design software on a remote host system connected to said communications network, said graphic design software having a database module containing product data for at least one product, and a graphic tool module for visually affecting graphic images, said graphic design software configured to run multiple, concurrent, and independent program sessions on said remote host system;

providing public access to said graphic design software by remote interface means,

wherein a plurality of users may each run independent program sessions of said graphic design software on said remote host system from respective client systems connected to said communications network;

running an independent program session of said graphic design software on said remote host system in response to each of said plurality of users, said step of running an independent program session including the steps of, under control of each of said plurality of users, each user selecting from said database module at least one target product to be designed, each user creating a final design of said at least one target product using said graphic tool module, and each user submitting the respective user'"'"'s final design to said remote host system; and

storably receiving each respective user'"'"'s final design on data storage means of said remote host system.

2. The method recited by claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

upon storably receiving a plurality of respective user'"'"'s final designs, selecting at least one winner using selection criteria; and

providing said at least one winner a corresponding award.

3. The method recited by claim 1,

wherein the step of each user creating a final design of said at least one target product comprises the step of providing an option to save an unfinished design of each such respective user.

4. A method of collectively generating for acquisition user-created designs of products via a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing graphic design software on a remote host system connected to said communications network, said graphic design software having a database module containing product data for at least one product, said product data including a plurality of parts images associated with said at least one product, and a graphic tool module for visually affecting graphic images, said graphic design software configured to run multiple, concurrent, and independent program sessions on said remote host system;

providing public access to said graphic design software by remote interface means,

wherein a plurality of users may each run independent program sessions of said graphic design software on said remote host system from respective client systems connected to said communications network,

running an independent program session of said graphic design software on said remote host system in response to each of said plurality of users, said step of running an independent program session including the steps of, under control of each of said plurality of users, selecting from said database module at least one target product to be designed, each user selecting from said database module at least one target parts image associated with said at least one target product, each user creating a final design of said at least one target product using said graphic tool module including visually affecting said at least one target parts image, and each user submitting the respective user'"'"'s final design to said remote host system; and

storably receiving each respective user'"'"'s final design on data storage means of said remote host system.

5. The method recited by claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

upon storably receiving a plurality of respective user'"'"'s final designs, selecting at least one winner using selection criteria; and

providing said at least one winner a corresponding award.

6. The method recited by claim 4,

wherein the step of each user creating a final design of said at least one target product comprises the step of providing an option to save an unfinished design of each such respective user.

7. A system for collectively generating for acquisition user-created designs of products via a communications network, said system comprising:

in a remote host system connected to the communications network, computer processor means for processing data;

data storage means for storing data;

graphic design software having a database module containing product data for at least one product, and a graphic tool module for visually affecting graphic images, said graphic design software configured to run multiple, concurrent, and independent program sessions on said remote host system; and

remote interface means for providing public access to said graphic design software by a plurality of users via a respective plurality of client systems,

wherein the plurality of users may each run an independent program session of said graphic design software on said remote host system from respective client systems connected to said communications network in response to each of said plurality of users, and wherein each of said plurality of users may select from said database module at least one target product to be designed, each of said plurality of users creates a final design of said at least one target product using said graphic tool module, and each of said plurality of users submits the respective user'"'"'s final design to said remote host system where it may be storably received on said data storage means.

8. A system for collectively generating for acquisition user-created designs of products via a communications network, said system comprising:

in a remote host system connected to the communications network, computer processor means for processing data;

data storage means for storing data;

graphic design software having a database module containing product data for at least one product, said product data including a plurality of parts images associated with said at least one product, and a graphic tool module for affecting graphic images, said graphic design software configured to run multiple, concurrent, and independent program sessions on said remote host system; and

remote interface means for providing public access to said graphic design software by a plurality of users via a respective plurality of client systems,

wherein the plurality of users may each run an independent program session of said graphic design software on said remote host system from respective client systems connected to said communications network in response to each of said plurality of users, and wherein each of said plurality of users may select from said database module a target product to be designed, each of said plurality of users selects from said database module at least one parts image associated with said at lest one target product, each of said plurality of users creates a final design using said graphic tool module including visually affecting said at least one target parts image, and each of said plurality of users submits the respective user'"'"'s final design to said remote host system where it may be storably received on said data storage means.

9. A method of generating product designs via a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

providing graphic design software and product data for at least one product on a remote host system connected to said communications network, said graphic design software associated with said product data and having a graphic tool module for visually affecting graphic images;

providing public access to said graphic design software and said product data by remote user client systems connected to said communications network;

permitting a plurality of independent users to independently operate upon said product data with said graphic design software, each user selecting at least one target product to be designed, each user creating a final design of said at least one target product, and each user submitting the respective user'"'"'s final design to the remote host system.

10. The method recited by claim 9 including the step of offering an award to the user who submits a selected final design.

11. The method recited by claim 9 wherein each user submits the respective user'"'"'s final design to the remote host system over the communications network.

12. A system for generating product designs via a communications network, said system comprising:

in a remote host system connected to the communications network and hosted by a host provider,

(i.) computer processor means for processing data;

(ii.) data storage means for storing data;

(iii.) graphic design software and product data for at least one product, said graphic design software associated with said product data and having a graphic tool module for visually affecting graphic images; and

(iv.) remote interface means for providing public access to said graphic design software and said product data by remote user client systems connected to said communications network;

wherein each of said plurality of users may independently operate upon said product data with said graphic design software, each of said plurality of users selecting at least one target product to be designed, each of said plurality of users creating a final design of said at least one target product, and each of said plurality of users submitting the respective user'"'"'s final design to said host provider.

13. The system recited by claim 12 wherein each user submits the respective user'"'"'s final design to the host provider over the communications network.

14. A method of generating product designs, said method comprising the steps of:

providing product data for at least one target product on a remote host system connected to a communications network and hosted by a host provider, said product data being associated with a graphics design software;

providing public access to said product data by remote user client systems connected to said communications network;

permitting a plurality of independent users to independently operate upon said product data with said graphics design software, each user independently creating a final design of said at least one target product; and

receiving the respective user'"'"'s final design for said at least one target product from each of the plurality of users.

15. The method recited by claim 14 including the further step of offering an award to the user who submits a selected final design.

16. The method recited by claim 14 wherein each user submits the respective user'"'"'s final design to the host provider over the communications network.

17. The method recited by claim 14 wherein said graphics design software is provided to each of the plurality of independent users via said communications network.

18. A system for generating product designs for a target product via a communications network, said system comprising:

a. a remote host system connected to the communications network and hosted by a host provider, said remote host system including;

i. a computer processor for processing data;

ii. a data storage which stores product data for at least one target product; and

iii. a network interface for coupling said remote host system to the communications network and providing public access to said product data stored in said data storage via said communications network; and

b. a plurality of remote user client systems connected to said communications network, each of said remote user client systems having access to said product data over the communications network, and each of said remote user client systems independently operating graphic design software upon said product data to create a final design for said at least one target product for submission to said host provider.

19. A method of generating product designs, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing product data for at least one target product on a remote host system connected to a communications network and hosted by a host provider;

b. providing public access to said product data by remote user client systems connected to said communications network;

c. permitting a plurality of independent users to independently utilize said product data with a graphic design software, each user independently creating a final design of said at least one target product; and

d. receiving the respective independent user'"'"'s final design for said at least one target product from each of the plurality of users.

20. A method of generating a preferred design for a target project, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing product data for said target project on a remote host system connected to a communications network;

b. providing public access to said product data by a plurality of remote users each operating remote user client systems connected to said communications network;

c. permitting each of said plurality of remote user to independent utilize said product data with a graphic design software, each creating a final design of said at least one target project;

d. receiving a plurality of independent user'"'"'s final designs for said target project; and

e. selecting a best design for the target project from among the plurality of received designs.