System and method for generating a product order from a product sample

• US 7,577,591 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dhawan, Puneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen; William J.
• Application Number:
  US11/625,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A product order is automatically generated from a product sample by an indication made at the product sample. For example, configuration information of an information handling system is communicated through a network to an order engine that applies the configuration information to generate an order for a similarly-configured information handling system. The order is communicated from the order engine for presentation at the information handling system to allow alterations to the order configuration, purchase of an information handling system with the order or storage of the order for subsequent alteration or purchase.

Claims

1. A method for generating a product order from a product sample, the product sample having a configuration of components, the method comprising:

initiating the product order at an operating product sample;

retrieving configuration information from the product sample, the configuration information identifying the configuration of components;

communicating the configuration information from the product sample through a network to a network location;

applying the configuration information at the network location to generate a product order for a product having the product sample configuration of components;

determining an alert associated with the generated product order;

wherein the alert is provided in response to differences between components of the product sample configuration and a configuration of the generated product order.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product sample comprises an information handling system and the components comprise a CPU.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the product order configuration of components comprises a CPU related to the product sample CPU.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the product order at the product sample;

receiving alterations to the product order at the product sample; and

communicating the alterations to the network location to generate a product order having the alterations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises a delay associated with the product order.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration information comprises a unique identifier associated with the product sample, the method further comprising:

retrieving a configuration of components associated with the unique identifier at the network location; and

applying the retrieved configuration of components to generate the product order.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the product order at the network location, the product order associated with an end user;

retrieving the product order with an information handling system through a network by reference to the end user; and

placing the product order for purchase of the product by the end user.

8. A system for generating a product order from a product sample, the system comprising:

a processing device associated with the product sample and having instructions for;

an order module operable to run on the product sample processing device to determine configuration information associated with the product sample and to communicate the configuration information through a network;

an order engine running at a network location, the order engine operable to interface with the order module to receive the configuration information and to apply the configuration information to generate an order for a product having the configuration of the product sample;

an alert engine operable to determine an alert regarding the generated product order, wherein the alert engine is operable to determine an alert in response to differences between components of the product sample configuration and a configuration of the generated product order.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the product sample comprises an information handling system and the configuration information comprises components used to build the information handling system.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the product sample comprises an information handling system and the configuration information comprises a unique identifier of the information handling system, and wherein the order engine is farther operable to apply the unique identifier to determine components used to build the information handling system to generate an order for an information handling system having related components.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the product sample comprises an information handling system.