Method and system for configuring and ordering consumer product

• US 7,596,508 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2000
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Burns, John W., Vasconi, J. Kevin, Liedel, Jeffrey M., Darley, Leo W., McGuffie, David A., Cornellier, Thomas D., Ibsen, Thor
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US09/561,644
• Time in Patent Office: 3,437 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method (100, 310, 510) of inventory tracking and custom ordering over a computer network (316). The system includes a multimedia user interface (318) delivered over the computer network to a user, and a configuration and pricing database (324) storing product pricing data according to user-entered product configuration. An inventory database (322) stores product availability data in inventory of retail sales facilities, in-transit from product manufacturing facilities to the retail sales facilities, in-plant at the product manufacturing facilities, and on a ordering bank at the product manufacturing facilities. The user is able to search, via the multimedia user interface (318), the inventory database (322) for the user-entered product configuration and receive pricing data and product availability data. A sales processor (332) is operable to receive, via the multimedia user interface (318), user reservation of an available product determined by the search. An order processor (352) is operable to receive, via the multimedia user interface, a custom order for a product not available in inventory from the user. A status processor (354) also provides the user product availability status report.

Claims

1. A system for ordering and tracking a consumer product over a computer network, comprising:

a multimedia user interface delivered over the computer network to a user;

a configuration and pricing database that stores product pricing data according to user-entered product configuration;

an inventory database that stores product availability data associated with products that are in inventory of retail sales facilities, in-transit from product manufacturing facilities to the retail sales facilities, in-plant at the product manufacturing facilities, and on an ordering bank at the product manufacturing facilities;

one or more processors collectively operable to;

in response to receiving a search request for the user-entered product configuration via the multimedia user interface, facilitate a search of the product availability data stored in the inventory database for the user-entered product configuration; and

communicate pricing data and product availability data based on the search;

a sales processor operable to receive, via the multimedia user interface, user reservation of an available product determined by the search of the product availability data stored in the inventory database;

an order processor operable to receive, via the multimedia user interface, a custom order for a product not available in inventory from the user; and

a status processor operable to provide the user product availability status reports.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia user interface includes a web server having access to a plurality of multimedia web pages containing dynamic data retrieved from the inventory database and product configuration and pricing database.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the multimedia user interface includes a web browser application operable to communicate with the web server over the Internet, receive and display the multimedia web pages to the user, and transmit user inputs to the web server.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a prospective buyer database operable to store product configuration data and user data received via the multimedia user interface.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the status processor is operable to transmit product availability status data to the user via electronic mail.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the status processor is operable to transmit product availability status data to the user via a web page.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a financing processor operable to receive and verify user financial information for product reservation or custom order submission.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein configuring a desired product, searching for the desired product and yielding at least one found product, ordering the desired product, and providing substantially real-time status and tracking information are performed using a computer network.

10. A method of inventory tracking and custom ordering over a computer network, comprising:

providing a multimedia user interface delivered over the computer network to a user;

receiving user input indicative of desired product configuration;

displaying available product configuration and product pricing data according to the user-entered product configuration;

searching product availability data associated with products that are in inventory of retail sales facilities, in-transit from product manufacturing facilities to the retail sales facilities, in-plant at the product manufacturing facilities, and on an ordering bank at the product manufacturing facilities for one or more products substantially matching a product configuration entered by the user; and

displaying product availability via the multimedia user interface based on the search of the product availability data;

receiving, via the multimedia user interface, user reservation of an available product determined by the search of the product availability data;

receiving, via the multimedia user interface, a custom order for a product not available in inventory from the user; and

generating and transmitting to the user product availability status reports.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the receiving and displaying steps are transmitted over the Internet.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the receiving and displaying data to the user steps comprise:

accessing relevant data from the product availability data and product configuration and pricing database; and

downloading over the Internet at least one web page containing dynamic data retrieved from the product availability data and product configuration and pricing database.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising accessing a prospective buyer database to retrieve and store product configuration data and user data.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising transmitting product availability status data to the user via electronic mail.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising transmitting product availability status data to the user via a web page.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving and verifying user financial information for product reservation or custom order submission.

17. A method of web-based vehicle inventory tracking and custom ordering over the Internet, comprising:

accessing a portal web page linked to a plurality of web pages;

selecting, by making input on the plurality of web pages, vehicle make, model, configuration and options;

accessing a product configuration and pricing database and displaying available product configuration and product pricing data according to user input;

searching product availability data associated with products that are in inventory of at least one dealership, in-transit from at least one product manufacturing facility to the at least one dealership, in-plant at the at least one product manufacturing facility, and on an ordering bank at the at least one manufacturing facility, for one or more products substantially matching a product configuration entered by a user;

displaying to the user on a web page product availability, data for products substantially matching the product configuration entered by the user based on the search of the product availability data; and

receiving user reservation of an available product.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a custom order from a user for the product not available in inventory; and

generating and transmitting to the user at least one product availability status report.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the receiving and displaying steps are transmitted over the Internet.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the receiving and displaying data to the user steps comprise:

accessing relevant data from the product availability data and product configuration and pricing database; and

downloading over the Internet at least one web page containing dynamic data retrieved from the product availability data and product configuration and pricing database.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising accessing a prospective buyer database to retrieve and store product configuration data and user data.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising transmitting product availability status data to the user via electronic mail.

23. The method according to claim 17, further comprising transmitting product availability status data to the user via a web page.

24. The method according to claim 17, further comprising receiving and verifying user financial information for product reservation or custom order submission.