Self cancelling product order based on predetermined time period

• US 7,941,347 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Godwin, Lisa L., Swick, Bradley D., Gregor, Michael L., Lambert, Danna M., Boonie, E. Maria, Janey, Richard H. Jr., Seidell, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US11/867,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 380/55, 320/110, 345/619
• US Class Current: 705/26.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A provider server receives an order from a customer by way of a workstation for a customer selected configuration change of computing resources of an end user machine, the provider server having a predetermined time period and negotiates configuration change price for billing said customer for the purchase of said ordered customer selected configuration change, said negotiated configuration change price for billing said customer for the purchase of said ordered customer selected configuration change. If the customer takes delivery of said customer selected configuration change within said predetermined time period, the provider server billing said customer for said delivered customer selected configuration change, however if the customer does not take delivery of said customer selected configuration change within said predetermined time period, the provider server cancelling said order and cancelling said billing according to said configuration change price based on expiration of said predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A computer method for providing a configuration change of computing resources of an end user machine to a customer, the method comprising:

a computer provider server negotiating configuration change price with a customer for the purchase of ordered a customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, said negotiated configuration change price for billing said customer for the purchase of said customer selected configuration change of computing resource of the end user machine;

the computer provider server receiving an order from the customer by way of a workstation for the customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, the provider server having a predetermined time period for accepting the configuration change of the end user machine; and

responsive to the customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server billing said customer for said delivered customer selected configuration; and

responsive to the customer not taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server cancelling said order and cancelling said billing according to said configuration change price based on expiration of said predetermined time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein enabling the selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine comprises executing control code, wherein the customer taking delivery of said configuration change comprises the customer causing the control code to be downloaded.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the computer provider server generating an invoice upon customer download of said control code.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

the computer provider server receiving data prior to said downloading, said data indicative of a current hardware configuration of said end user machine, said data reflecting currently installed hardware resources, currently enabled hardware resources, and dormant hardware resources; and

modifying said received data upon customer installation of said configuration change, said modified received data indicative of a new hardware configuration of said customer computer system and reflecting hardware resources enabled by said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said dormant resources include one or more of processing units, memory and Input/Output hardware.

6. The method according claim 4, further comprising, prior to said customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, presenting to said customer, information describing a current hardware configuration of said upgradeable computer system, and information describing said set of dormant resources available to be enabled.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to said downloading, generating a pricing methodology for enabling said subset of dormant resources.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said generating pricing methodology comprises:

establishing a price per unit of performance of said end user machine;

storing a plurality of performance values, each of said performance values being indicative of the increase in performance expected to be achieved by enabling dormant resources; and

generating an order price by multiplying said price per unit of performance by a sum of performance values associated with said dormant resources.

9. At least one tangible program storage device readable by a computer system, embodying at least one program of instructions, executable by the computer system to perform a method of providing a configuration change of computing resources of an end user machine to a customer, the method comprising:

a computer provider server negotiating configuration change price with a customer for the purchase of ordered a customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, said negotiated configuration change price for billing said customer for the purchase of said customer selected configuration change of computing resource of the end user machine;

the computer provider server receiving an order from the customer by way of a workstation for the customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, the provider server having a predetermined time period for accepting the configuration change of the end user machine; and

responsive to the customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server billing said customer for said delivered customer selected configuration; and

responsive to the customer not taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server cancelling said order and cancelling said billing according to said configuration change price based on expiration of said predetermined time period.

10. The program storage device according to claim 9, wherein enabling the selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine comprises executing control code, wherein the customer taking delivery of said configuration change comprises the customer causing the control code to be downloaded.

11. The program storage device according to claim 10, further comprising the computer provider server generating an invoice upon customer download of said control code.

12. The program storage device according to claim 10, further comprising:

the computer provider server receiving data prior to said downloading, said data indicative of a current hardware configuration of said end user machine, said data reflecting currently installed hardware resources, currently enabled hardware resources, and dormant hardware resources; and

modifying said received data upon customer installation of said configuration change, said modified received data indicative of a new hardware configuration of said customer computer system and reflecting hardware resources enabled by said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine.

13. The program storage device according claim 12, further comprising, prior to said customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, presenting to said customer, information describing a current hardware configuration of said upgradeable computer system, and information describing said set of dormant resources available to be enabled.

14. The program storage device of claim 10, further comprising, prior to said downloading, generating a pricing methodology for enabling said subset of dormant resources.

15. The program storage device of claim 14, wherein said generating pricing methodology comprises:

establishing a price per unit of performance of said end user machine;

storing a plurality of performance values, each of said performance values being indicative of the increase in performance expected to be achieved by enabling dormant resources; and

generating an order price by multiplying said price per unit of performance by a sum of performance values associated with said dormant resources.

16. The program storage device according to claim 15, wherein said dormant resources include one or more of processing units, memory and Input/Output hardware.

17. A supplier computer system for providing a configuration change of computing resources of an end user machine to a customer, the supplier computer system comprising a processor in communications with a memory, the system configured to perform a method comprising:

a computer provider server negotiating configuration change price with a customer for the purchase of ordered a customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, said negotiated configuration change price for billing said customer for the purchase of said customer selected configuration change of computing resource of the end user machine;

the computer provider server receiving an order from the customer by way of a workstation for the customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, the provider server having a predetermined time period for accepting the configuration change of the end user machine; and

responsive to the customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server billing said customer for said delivered customer selected configuration; and

responsive to the customer not taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine within said predetermined time period, the computer provider server cancelling said order and cancelling said billing according to said configuration change price based on expiration of said predetermined time period.

18. The supplier computer system according to claim 17, wherein enabling the selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine comprises executing control code, wherein the customer taking delivery of said configuration change comprises the customer causing the control code to be downloaded.

19. The supplier computer system according to claim 18, further comprising the computer provider server generating an invoice upon customer download of said control code.

20. The supplier computer system according to claim 18, further comprising:

the computer provider server receiving data prior to said downloading, said data indicative of a current hardware configuration of said end user machine, said data reflecting currently installed hardware resources, currently enabled hardware resources, and dormant hardware resources; and

modifying said received data upon customer installation of said configuration change, said modified received data indicative of a new hardware configuration of said customer computer system and reflecting hardware resources enabled by said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine.

21. The supplier computer system according claim 20, further comprising, prior to said customer taking delivery of said customer selected configuration change of computing resources of the end user machine, presenting to said customer, information describing a current hardware configuration of said upgradeable computer system, and information describing said set of dormant resources available to be enabled.

22. The supplier computer system according to claim 18 further comprising, prior to said downloading, generating a pricing methodology for enabling said subset of dormant resources.

23. The supplier computer system according to claim 20, wherein said dormant resources include one or more of processing units, memory and Input/Output hardware.