E-commerce based method and system for manufacturer hosting of virtual dealer stores and method for providing a systemization of machine parts

• US 8,175,927 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel T. Driscoll, Richard I. Hartman, Thomas T. Buzzell
• Original Assignee: Daniel T. Driscoll, Richard I. Hartman, Thomas T. Buzzell
• Inventors: Buzzell, Thomas T, Driscoll, Daniel T, Hartman, Richard I
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/213,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 715/764
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 of providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, said method comprising the steps of:

collecting, via a computer system, information from said consumer regarding a machine;

selecting a system of machine parts from at least two available systems of machine parts, wherein each of said available systems includes at least two available components of machine parts; and

wherein said selected group of machine parts is selected from at least two different groups of machine parts;

selecting a component of machine parts from said selected system parts, wherein each of said available components includes at least one group of machine parts and said at least one group of machine parts comprises at least one individual part of machine parts;

providing said consumer with a first option of purchasing said at least one group of machine parts entirely and a second option of separately purchasing said at least one individual part of machine parts;

selecting a group of machine parts from said selected component of machine parts, and wherein each of said at least two available systems, said at least two available components, and said at least one group, are adapted to correspond to machine parts within said machine; and

providing information to said consumer via said computer system regarding machine parts included in said selected system of machine parts, said selected component of machine parts, and said selected group of machine parts.

2. The e-commerce based method of claim 1, wherein collecting information from said consumer includes collecting product, model, and configuration information for said machine.

5. The e-commerce based method of claim 1, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected group of machine parts.

6. The e-commerce based method of claim 5, wherein displaying said graphic includes displaying at least one individual part of machine parts in said selected group of machine parts.

7. The e-commerce based method of claim 5, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including at least one of a group identifier identifying said selected group of machine parts, and an individual part identifier identifying at least one individual part of machine parts in said selected group of machine parts.

8. The e-commerce based method of claim 7, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying one or more reference numerals on said graphic that correspond to one or more reference numerals on said list.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of machine configuration types based on the information collected from the consumer, and receiving, from the consumer, a selection of one of the displayed configuration types.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected system of machine parts comprises a system of the machine, the selected system being carried by the machine and configured to perform a machine operation.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected group of machine parts includes a unique identifier indicative of said selected group, whereby the consumer can identify said selected group via the identifier.

3. An e-commerce based method of providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, said method comprising:

collecting, via a computer system, information from said consumer regarding a machine;

selecting a system of machine parts from at least two available systems of machine parts, wherein each of said available systems includes at least two different components of machine parts, each of said at least two different components includes at least two different groups of machine parts, and each of said at least two different groups is comprised of at least one individual part of machine parts;

providing said consumer with a first option of purchasing at least one of said at least two different groups of machine parts entirely and a second option of separately purchasing said at least one individual part of machine parts;

selecting a component of machine parts from said at least two different components;

selecting a group of machine parts from said at least two different groups;

selecting an individual part of machine parts from said at least one individual part, and wherein each of said at least two available systems, said at least two different components, said at least two different groups, and said at least one individual part, are adapted to correspond to machine parts within said machine; and

providing information to said consumer via said computer system regarding machine parts which make up said selected system of machine parts, said selected component of machine parts, said selected group of machine parts, and said selected individual part of machine parts.

4. The e-commerce based method of claim 3, wherein collecting information from said consumer includes collecting a product, model, and configuration, for said machine.

9. The e-commerce based method of claim 3, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected group of machine parts.

10. The e-commerce based method of claim 9, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including a group identifier identifying said selected group of machine parts.

11. The e-commerce based method of claim 3, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a graphic of said selected individual part of machine parts.

12. The e-commerce based method of claim 11, wherein providing information to said consumer includes displaying a list with said graphic, said list including an individual part identifier identifying said selected individual part of machine parts.

24. The method of claim 3, wherein said selected group of machine parts includes a unique identifier indicative of said selected group, whereby the consumer can identify said selected group via the identifier.

13. An e-commerce based system for providing a systemization of machine parts to a consumer, the system comprising:

a manufacturer server hosting a manufacturer'"'"'s web site and a plurality of dealer'"'"'s web sites, the manufacturer server being operably connected to a plurality of dealer server systems via an intermediate web application server, the manufacturer server being operable to;

collect information from the consumer regarding a machine, identify one or more systems of machine parts in the machine, identify one or more components of machine parts in the one or more systems, identify one or more groups of machine parts in the one or more components, receive a selection of;

one of the one or more systems of machine parts, one of the one or more components of machine parts, and one of the one or more groups of machine parts, from the consumer; and

provide information to the consumer, from at least one of the plurality of dealer server systems via the web application server, regarding machine parts included in the selected one of the one or more systems of machine parts, the selected one of the one or more components of machine parts, and the selected one of the one or more selected groups of machine parts, wherein said selected group of machine parts is selected from at least two different groups of machine parts without interfacing the consumer directly the at least one dealer server system.

14. The e-commerce based system of claim 13, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to identify one or more individual parts of machine parts in the one or more groups of machine parts.

15. The e-commerce based system of claim 14, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to receive a selection of one of the one or more individual parts of machine parts from the consumer.

16. The e-commerce based system of claim 15, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a graphic of the selected one of the one or more individual parts of machine parts.

17. The e-commerce based system of claim 13, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a graphic of the selected one of the one or more groups of machine parts.

18. The e-commerce based system of claim 17, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to provide information to the consumer by displaying a list of machine parts in the graphic.

19. The e-commerce based system of claim 18, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to display one or more reference numerals on the list that correspond to one or more reference numerals on the graphic.

20. The e-commerce based system of claim 19, wherein the manufacturer server is further operable to allow the consumer to compose an order for machine parts by selecting machine parts from the list.