Product information providing apparatus, product information providing method, and program and recording medium therefor

• US 6,920,463 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kishimoto, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Christian D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/051,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20020103562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 5, 707/10, 707/104.1, 705 26- 28, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A product information providing apparatus is connected to a product information management apparatus having product information management data. The product information providing apparatus is capable of bidirectional communication via a communication network to a remote terminal, and includes receiving means for receiving from the remote terminal a request command requesting transmission of product information management data concerning a specified product via the communication network. Also, the product information providing apparatus includes obtaining means for obtaining from the product information management apparatus, in response to the request command, the product information management data concerning the specified product. The product information providing apparatus further includes transmitting means for transmitting to the remote terminal the obtained product information management data concerning the specified product.

Claims

1. A product information providing apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving data through a communication network, comprising:

a communication link to a product information management apparatus having product information management data;

a receiver for receiving, through said conununication network from a remote terminal, a request coinniand requesting transmission of product information management data related to a specified product comnrised of a plurality of sub-components;

wherein said communication link is effective for obtaining from said product information management apparatus, in response to said request command, the information management data related to said specified product and its sub-components; and

a transmitter for transmitting the product information management data related to at least one of said sub-components to said remote terminal.

2. A product information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said product information management data of said product information management apparatus includes completion status information regarding the incremental progress of a multi-stage construction operation.

3. A product information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, depending on the identification of the user of said remote terminal, the remote terminal is optionally provided with viewable only information management data, or viewable and editable data to permit the remote terminal to freely submit design changes to the information management data of the specified product and its sub-comnonents, or viewable and partially editable data to permit the remote terminal to submit design changes only to information management data previously submitted by the identified user.

4. The product information providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said specified product is a technical design drawing comprised of a plurality of other sub-drawings.

5. The product information providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said specified product is a device comprised of a plurality of other device sub-components.

6. The product information providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said product information management data includes a pictorial timeline of completed tasks and tasks scheduled for completion.

7. The product information providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said product information management data includes at least one of design progress information, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said specified product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said specified product.

8. The product information providing apparatus of claim 1, being further effective for accepting, from said remote terminal, design or manufacturing changes to said specified product, and for incorporating said changes to an appropriate one of a design schedule or manufacturing schedule.

9. A product information providing method for obtaining product information management data from a product information management apparatus having said product information management data, said product information providing method being further effective for transmitting said product information management data through a communication network, said method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving, from a remote terminal through said communication network, a request command requesting transmission of product information management data concerning a specified product comprised of a plurality of sub-components;

an obtaining step of obtaining from said product information management apparatus, the information management data concerning said specified product and its sub-comnonents in response to said request command; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to said remote terminal the obtained product information management data concerning at least one of said sub-components.

10. A product information providing method according to claim 9, wherein said product information management data of said product information management apparatus includes completion status information regarding the incremental progress of a multi-stage construction operation.

11. A product information providing method according to claim 9, wherein depending on the identification of the user of said remote terminal, the remote terminal is optionally provided with viewable only product information management data, or viewable and editable data to permit the remote terminal to freely submit design chances to the information management data of the specified product and its sub-components, or viewable and partially editable data to permit the remote terminal to submit design changes only to information management data previously submitted by the identified user.

12. A computer program for causing a computer to execute the method steps as set forth in claim 9.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein the computer program as set forth in claim 12.

14. The product information providing method of claim 9, wherein said specified product is a technical design drawing comprised of a plurality of other sub-drawings.

15. The product information providing method of claim 9, wherein said specified product is a device comprised of a plurality of other device sub-components.

16. The product information providing method of claim 9, wherein said product information management data includes a pictorial timeline of completed tasks and tasks scheduled for completion.

17. The product information providing method of claim 9, wherein said product information management data includes at least one of design progress information, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said specified product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said specified product.

18. The product information providing method of claim 9, further including an accepting step for accepting, from said remote terminal, design or manufacturing changes to said specified product, and for incorporating said changes to an appropriate one of a design schedule or manufacturing schedule.

19. A product information providing apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving data through a communication network, comprising:

a receiver for receiving, through said communication network from a remote terminal, a request command requesting transmission of product information management data related to a specified product, wherein said product information management data includes at least one of design progress information, or design drawings, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said product;

wherein in response to said request command, said product information providing apparatus transmits the requested product information management data to said remote terminal.

20. The product information providing apparatus of claim 19, being further effective for accepting, from said remote terminal, design or manufacturing changes to said specified product, and for incorporating said changes to an appropriate one of a design schedule or manufacturing schedule.

21. The product information providing apparatus of claim 20, being further effective for associating the identification of the user of the remote terminal with said changes;

and

wherein as determined from the identification of the user of said remote terminal, said product information providing apparatus limits access to said identified user to one of only viewing said product information management data, viewing and editing a previously predetermined part of said product information management data, or viewing said product information management data but editing only product information data associated with said identified user.

22. The product information providing apparatus of claim 19, wherein said specified product is comprised of a plurality of sub-components, and said product information management data relates to said specified product and its individual plurality of sub-components.

23. A product information providing method for transmitting/receiving data through a communication network, comprising:

a receiving, through said communication network from a remote terminal, a request command requesting transmission of product information management data related to a specified product, wherein said product information management data includes at least one of design progress information, or design drawings, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said product;

in response to said request command, transmitting the requested product information management data to said remote terminal.

24. The product information providing method of claim 23, further including;

accepting, from said remote terminal, design or manufacturing changes to said specified product; and

incorporating said changes to an appropriate one of a design schedule or manufacturing schedule.

25. The product information providing method of claim 24, further including:

associating the identification of the user of the remote terminal with said changes; and

limiting the access of the identified user to one of only viewing said product information management data, viewing and editing a previously set part of said product information management data, or viewing said product information management data but editing only product information data associated with said identified user.

26. The product information providing method of claim 23, wherein said specified product is comprised of a plurality of sub-components, and said product information management data relates to said specified product and its individual plurality of sub-components.

27. A product information providing apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving data through a communication network, comprising:

a communication link to a product information management apparatus having product information management data;

a receiver for receiving, through said communication network from a remote terminal, a request command requesting transmission of product information management data related to a specified product;

wherein said communication link is effective for obtaining from said product information management apparatus, in response to said request command, the information management data related to said specified product including at least one of design progress information, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said specified product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said specified product; and

a transmitter for transmitting the product information management data related to said specified product to said remote terminal.

28. A product information providing apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving data through a communication network, comprising:

a communication link to a product information management apparatus having product information management data;

a receiver for receiving, through said communication network from a remote terminal, a request command requesting transmission of product information management data related to a specified product;

wherein said communication link is effective for obtaining from said product information management apparatus, in response to said request command, the information management data related to said specified product; and

a transmitter for communication with said remote terminal, wherein depending on the identification of a user of said remote terminal, the remote terminal is optionally provided with viewable only information management data, or viewable and editable data to permit the remote terminal to freely to submit design changes to the information management data of the specified product and its sub-components, or viewable and partially editable data to permit the remote terminal to submit design changes only to information management data previously submitted by the identified user.

29. The product information providing method of claim 28, wherein said product information management data includes at least one of design progress information, or completion status of accepted submissions of design modifications, or specification of work department in charge of sub-components within said specified product, or a listing of individual persons in charge of sub-components within said specified product.