Personalization format converter system and method

• US 7,016,865 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deluxe Corp.
• Original Assignee: Deluxe Corp.
• Inventors: Sax, Michael N., Narayan, Krishna, Weber, Richard C., Squires, Fred H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/550,010
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 700/95, 700/96, 700/115
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A system and method for conveying information about a personalized product are disclosed. A web server processes product personalization information for a vendor. The web server accepts the personalization that a customer has provided and performed on a product. The web server further accepts a submission from the customer for an order for the production of that personalized product. The web server determines the vendors capable of producing the personalized product and may accept either customer selection of a vendor or automatic selection of a vendor to produce the personalized item. The web server can describe the personalized product in a manner consistent with a data specification or a production request format as defined by the vendor.

Claims

1. An internet-based personalized product order system comprising:

a computer configured to communicate with a network;

an acceptance module configured to communicate with the computer, and to accept a personalized product order;

a vendor selection module configured to select a vendor from a plurality of vendors, the selected vendor being capable of producing the personalized product, and each vendor having a preferred personalized product order format, said preferred personalized product order format for each said vendor on file in a vendor database accessible to said computer, each said product order format operative to cause the corresponding vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order;

a conversion module configured to determine the format preferred by the selected vendor based on information in the vendor database pertaining to the selected vendor; and

the conversion module configured to convert the personalized product order into the format preferred by the selected vendor, and to send the converted personalized product order to the selected vendor, the converted personalized product order operative to cause the selected vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a job ticket module configured to create a job ticket for the selected vendor from the file.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a personalization module configured to display a personalizable product selected from a plurality of personalizable products, wherein each displayed personalizable product is available for purchase from a plurality of vendors.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sort and batch module configured to group similar orders by vendor into a personalized product order.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vendor database containing vendor pricing information for a plurality of products for a plurality of vendors, wherein the pricing information provided by each vendor for each product is intended for a plurality of customers.

6. A method of producing a personalized product comprising:

accepting a personalized product order from a customer;

selecting a manufacturer capable of producing the personalized product from a plurality of manufacturers, each manufacturer having a preferred personalized product order format, said preferred personalized product order format for each said manufacturer on file in a manufacturer database, each said personalized product order format operative to cause the corresponding manufacturer'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order;

determining the format preferred by the selected manufacturer based on information in the manufacturer database pertaining to the selected manufacturer;

converting the personalized product order into the format preferred by the selected manufacturer; and

transmitting the converted personalized product order to the selected manufacturer, the converted personalized product order operative to cause the selected manufacturer'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order.

7. A method for receiving and processing orders for personalized products, for use in a system where a user on a user computer provides a request for a personalized product to an order fulfillment system via a communications network, the order fulfillment system including a server in communication with a vendor database containing information pertaining to vendors of products available for personalization, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a product to be personalized;

selecting from the vendor database at least one vendor capable of producing the product;

determining whether the selected at least one vendor can produce the product with the requested personalization based upon the request and information in the vendor database;

determining a production request format preferred by the selected at least one vendor based on the information in the vendor database pertaining to the selected at least one vendor;

creating a production request in the format preferred by the selected at least one vendor; and

transmitting the created production request to the selected at least one vendor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising grouping related production requests and transmitting them together to a vendor, the created production request operative to cause the selected vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said personalization includes a graphic image incorporated onto the product.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said request includes an image file in a first format and creating the production request further comprises converting the image file to a second format.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the production request to a single vendor based upon predetermined criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the predetermined criteria is included in the request.

13. A method for receiving and processing orders for personalized products comprising:

receiving a request for a product to include a requested personalization via a communications network;

selecting at least one vendor capable of producing the product from a vendor database comprising information pertaining to vendors of products available for personalization;

determining whether the selected at least one vendor can produce the product with the requested personalization based upon the request and information in the vendor database;

determining a production request format preferred by the selected at least one vendor based on the information in the vendor database pertaining to the selected at least one vendor;

creating a production request in the format preferred by the selected at least one vendor; and

transmitting the production request to the selected at least one vendor, the transmitted production request operative to cause the selected vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the personalization.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising grouping related production requests and transmitting them together to a vendor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalization includes a graphic image incorporated onto the product.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said request includes an image file in a first format and creating the production request further comprises converting an the image file to a second format.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the production request to a single vendor based upon predetermined criteria.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the predetermined criteria is included in the request.

19. A system for receiving and processing orders for personalized products, the system comprising:

a server configured to communicate with a network;

a vendor database configured to communicate with said server, said vendor database comprising product categories and vendor requirements;

a manufacturing analysis module configured to communicate with said vendor database, said manufacturing analysis module configured to receive a request for a product to be personalized, select from the vendor database at least one vendor capable of producing the product, and determine whether the selected at least one vendor can produce the product with the requested personalization based upon the request and information in the vendor database; and

a content adaptation module configured to determine a production request format preferred by the selected at least one vendor based on the information in the vendor database pertaining to the selected at least one vendor, and to create a production request in the format preferred by the selected at least one vendor, the production request operative to cause the selected vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the received request.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a batch grouping module configured to group related production requests and transmit them together to a vendor.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a tracking module configured to track the progress of a product manufactured in response to the production request through a manufacturing process of a vendor.

22. A system for allowing a user to order personalized products, the system accessible to a user on a user computer via a communications network, the system comprising:

a server in communication with a communications network;

a vendor database in communication with said server, said vendor database comprising product categories and vendor requirements;

a manufacturing analysis module operating on said server and configured to communicate with said vendor database,

receive a request for a product to be personalized,

select from the vendor database a vendor capable of producing the product, and

determine whether the selected vendor can produce the product with the requested personalization based upon the request and information in the vendor database; and

a content adaptation module configured to determine a production request format preferred by the selected vendor based on the information in the vendor database pertaining to the selected vendor, and to create a production request in the format preferred by the selected vendor, the production request operative to cause the selected vendor'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the received request.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a batch grouping module configured to group related production requests and transmit them together to a vendor.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a tracking module configured to track the progress of a product manufactured in response to the production request through a manufacturing process of a vendor.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a personalization system configured to allow a user to create a request for a product to be personalized.

26. A program storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer perform the method of producing a personalized product comprising:

accepting a personalized product order from a customer;

selecting a manufacturer capable of producing the personalized product from a plurality of manufacturers, each manufacturer having a preferred personalized product order format;

determining the format preferred by the selected manufacturer based on information in a manufacturer database pertaining to the selected manufacturer, the manufacturer database accessible to the computer;

converting the personalized product order into the format preferred by the selected manufacturer; and

transmitting the converted personalized product order to the selected manufacturer, the converted personalized product order operative to cause the selected manufacturer'"'"'s manufacturing facilities to manufacture a desired personalized product in accordance with the personalized product order.