E-commerce based method and system for manufacturer hosting of virtual dealer stores

• US 7,395,223 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Driscoll, Daniel T, Buzzell, Thomas T, Hartman, Richard I
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S.
• Application Number:
  US09/648,656
• Time in Patent Office: 2,867 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer is disclosed. This method and system includes sending a request for detailed dealer information to a manufacturer server system using a client system and displaying real-time detailed dealer information on the client system based on the request, the real-time detailed dealer information received from the manufacturer server system, the manufacturer server system accessing the real-time detailed dealer information from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system.

Claims

1. An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the method comprising:

sending a request for detailed dealer information to a manufacturer server system hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer web sites, using a client system;

displaying real-time detailed dealer information on said client system based on said request;

receiving said real-time detailed dealer information from said manufacturer server system;

accessing said real-time detailed dealer information with said manufacturer server system from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system;

sending a quote number from said remote dealer server system with said detailed dealer information for identifying said request; and

purchasing an item with said client system, including the steps of;

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system;

sending said quote number with said manufacturer server system to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system;

completing said purchasing with said remote dealer server system;

sending a confirmation number to said manufacturer server system; and

sending said confirmation number with said manufacturer server system to said client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said real-time detailed dealer information is selected from the group consisting of dealer-level inventory, pricing, and sales information.

3. The method of claim 1, further including displaying consumer personalized data received from said manufacturer server system on said client system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said consumer personalized data information is selected from the group consisting of weather, investments, stock portfolio, news and links.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said news is selected from the group consisting of local, national, international and industrial.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system from said remote dealer server system; and

sending said quote number from said manufacturer server system to said client server system.

6. An e-commerce based system for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the system comprising:

a client system;

a manufacturer server system in communication with said client system, said manufacturer server system having a middleware application system, said manufacturer server system hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer'"'"'s web sites;

a remote dealer server system in communication with said middleware application system to provide real-time dealer information to said manufacturer server system via said middleware application system, with said manufacturer server system able to send said real-time detailed dealer information to said client system for displaying;

said remote dealer server system being configured to send a quote number with said detailed dealer information to said manufacturer server system via said middleware application system; and

said client system being configured to purchase an item by sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system, said manufacturer server system being configured to send said quote number to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system, said remote dealer server system being configured to complete said purchase and send a confirmation number to said manufacturer server system, and said manufacturer server system being configured to send said confirmation number to said client system.

7. The system of claim 6, said real-time detailed dealer information is selected from the group consisting of dealer-level inventory, pricing, and sales information.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said client system displays consumer personalized data received from said manufacturer server system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said consumer personalized data information is selected from the group consisting of weather, investments, stock portfolio, news and links.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said news is selected from the group consisting of local, national, international and industrial.

11. An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the method comprising:

creating an item list using a client system;

sending said item list to a manufacturer server system, said manufacturer server system hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer'"'"'s web sites;

displaying real-time detailed dealer information on said client system based on said item list;

receiving said real-time detailed dealer information from said manufacturer server system;

accessing said real-time detailed dealer information with said manufacturer server system from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system;

sending a quote number from said remote dealer server system with said detailed dealer information to identify the items listed on said item list; and

purchasing said items with said client system, including the steps of;

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system;

sending said quote number with said manufacturer server system to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system;

completing said purchasing with said remote dealer server system;

sending a confirmation number to said manufacturer server system, and

sending said confirmation number with said manufacturer server system to said client system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said real-time detailed dealer information is selected from the group consisting of dealer-level inventory, pricing, and sales information.

13. The method of claim 11, further including displaying consumer personalized data received from said manufacturer server system on said client system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said client system consumer personalized data information is selected from the group consisting of weather, investments, stock portfolio, news and links.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said news is selected from the group consisting of local, national, international and industrial.

16. An e-commerce based system for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the system comprising:

a client system for creating an item list;

a manufacturer server system for receiving said item list, said manufacturer server system hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer'"'"'s web sites;

a remote dealer server system for sending real-time detailed dealer information to said manufacturer server system via a middleware application system based on said item list received from said manufacture server system via said middleware application system, and said manufacturer server system for sending said real-time detailed dealer information to said client system for displaying;

said remote dealer server system being configured to send a quote number to identify the item listed on said list with said detailed dealer information to said manufacturer server system via said middleware application system; and

said client system being configured to purchase said item listed on said item list by sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system, with said manufacturer server system being configured to send said quote number to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system, said remote dealer server system being configured to complete said purchase and send a confirmation number to said manufacturer server system, said manufacturer server system being configured to send said confirmation number to said client system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said real-time detailed dealer information is selected from the group consisting of dealer-level inventory, pricing, and sales information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said client system displays consumer personalized data received from said manufacturer server system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said client system consumer personalized data information is selected from the group consisting of weather, investments, stock portfolio, news and links.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said news is selected from the group consisting of local, national, international and industrial.

24. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said client system creates said item list in response to interacting with one of said plurality of dealer web sites located on said manufacturer server system.

22. An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the method comprising:

accessing a dealer'"'"'s web site from a manufacturer'"'"'s web site, both web sites being located on a manufacturer server system;

sending a request for detailed dealer information to the manufacturer server system using a client system;

accessing said real-time detailed dealer information with said manufacturer server system from a remote dealer server system via said dealer web site;

receiving said real-time detailed dealer information from said manufacturer server system;

displaying said real-time detailed dealer information on said client system based on said request;

sending a quote number from said remote dealer server system with said detailed dealer information for identifying said request; and

purchasing an item with said client system, including the steps of;

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system;

sending said quote number with said manufacturer server system to said remote dealer server system;

completing said purchasing with said remote dealer server system;

sending a confirmation number to said client system via said manufacturer server system.

23. An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the method comprising:

receiving at a manufacturer server system, a request for detailed dealer information sent by a client system, said manufacturer server system hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer web sites;

accessing said real-time detailed dealer information with said manufacturer server system from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system;

sending said real-time detailed dealer information from said manufacturer server system to said client system;

displaying said real-time detailed dealer information on said client system based on said request;

sending a quote number from said remote dealer server system with said detailed dealer information for identifying said request; and

purchasing an item with said client system, including the steps of;

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system;

sending said quote number with said manufacturer server system to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system;

completing said purchasing with said remote dealer server system;

sending a confirmation number with said manufacturer server system to said client system.

25. An e-commerce based method for requesting information and purchasing products from a dealer through a manufacturer, the method comprising:

accessing a dealers'"'"' web site located on a manufacturer server system from a client system, via a manufacturer'"'"'s web site located on said manufacturer server system;

sending a request for said a detailed dealer information from said client system to said manufacturer server system;

accessing said detailed dealer information with said manufacturer server system from a remote dealer server system via a middleware application system;

sending said real-time detailed dealer information from said manufacturer server system to said client system;

displaying said real-time detailed dealer information on said client system based on said request;

sending a quote number from said remote dealer server system with said detailed dealer information for identifying said request; and

purchasing an item with said client system, including the steps of;

sending said quote number to said manufacturer server system;

sending said quote number with said manufacturer server system to said remote dealer server system via said middleware application system; and

completing said purchasing with said remote dealer server system.

26. A method, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the step of establishing detailed dealer information in response to accessing said dealer'"'"'s web site further comprises the steps of:

selecting a product characteristic;

establishing a plurality of systems in response to said product characteristic;

selecting a desired system in response to said plurality of systems;

establishing a plurality in parts in response to said desired system;

selecting one or more of said plurality of parts; and

establishing said detailed dealer information in response to said one or more selected parts.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein the step of establishing a plurality of parts further comprises the step of providing an electronic link to at least one of a picture, a schematic, and a video associated with one or more of said plurality of parts.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said product characteristic includes at least one of a product type, product model, and a product configuration.