System for providing collaborative communications environment for manufacturers and potential customers
First Claim
1. A method of providing web-based industry specific services comprising the steps of:
- (A) establishing a web portal on a computer;
(B) providing said web portal with an associated database that maintains information regarding products offered by manufacturers in a specific industry, each manufacturer being different than a customer;
(C) providing an interface by which the customer can set up a query about needed products offered by the one or more manufacturers for use in a particular engineering design project of the customer, the query specifying design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer;
(D) providing a search engine coupled to said associated database that, in response to the design criteria of the customer'"'"'s query for needed products offered by the one or more manufacturers, searches said database and returns, to the customer, a list of manufacturers'"'"' products offered by the one or more manufacturers that meet the design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer;
(E) in response to the customer'"'"'s query to the search engine, and absent additional action by the customer, providing a manufacturer of one of the products on said list that meets the design criteria for the particular engineering design project with an interface showing a description of the customer'"'"'s query; and
(F) providing a hyperlink in the interface provided to the manufacturer of one of the products on said list that meets the design criteria for the particular engineering design project, using which the manufacturer of one of the products on said list can post a message on a message board to contact the customer to communicate about said manufacturer'"'"'s products.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A software program and associated web-based portal is provided for industry-specific product comparison. The program and an associated web portal allows the user the ability to search multiple manufacturers'"'"' catalogs and to enter a query based upon customized search criteria. Query results are returned of products that satisfy the user'"'"'s search criteria. The query is made available to manufacturers whose products are identified in the query results and a communication link is provided whereby such manufacturers can contact the user to discuss the product identified in the search. The user can respond using the message board associated with the web portal. The program and portal can also integrate updates to pump manufacturers'"'"' catalogs and can also produce best-fit solutions for users'"'"' design criteria.
71 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of providing web-based industry specific services comprising the steps of:
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(A) establishing a web portal on a computer; (B) providing said web portal with an associated database that maintains information regarding products offered by manufacturers in a specific industry, each manufacturer being different than a customer; (C) providing an interface by which the customer can set up a query about needed products offered by the one or more manufacturers for use in a particular engineering design project of the customer, the query specifying design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer; (D) providing a search engine coupled to said associated database that, in response to the design criteria of the customer'"'"'s query for needed products offered by the one or more manufacturers, searches said database and returns, to the customer, a list of manufacturers'"'"' products offered by the one or more manufacturers that meet the design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer; (E) in response to the customer'"'"'s query to the search engine, and absent additional action by the customer, providing a manufacturer of one of the products on said list that meets the design criteria for the particular engineering design project with an interface showing a description of the customer'"'"'s query; and (F) providing a hyperlink in the interface provided to the manufacturer of one of the products on said list that meets the design criteria for the particular engineering design project, using which the manufacturer of one of the products on said list can post a message on a message board to contact the customer to communicate about said manufacturer'"'"'s products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of providing web-based industry specific services comprising:
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providing a web portal on a computer; providing said web portal with information regarding products offered by manufacturers in a specific industry, each manufacturer being a different entity than a customer; providing an interface to said web portal by which the customer can enter a query for needed products offered by one or more manufacturers for use in a particular engineering design project of the customer, the query specifying design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer; providing a search engine coupled to said web portal, that, in response to the design criteria of the query from the customer for needed products offered by the one or more manufacturers, searches for manufacturers'"'"' products offered by the one or more manufacturers that meet design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer, and returns, to the customer, a list of one or more manufacturers'"'"' products that meet the design criteria for the particular engineering design project of the customer; in response to the query from the customer at the search engine and absent additional action by the customer, providing a manufacturer of one of the products on said list that meets the design criteria for the particular engineering design project with an interface that shows a description of the query entered by the customer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for providing web-based industry specific services comprising:
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a computer; a web portal operating on the computer; an interface to said web portal that is configured to receive a query from a customer for one or more hydraulic pumps offered by one or more manufacturers in the hydraulic pump industry for use in a particular water distribution project of the customer, the query specifying design criteria for the particular water distribution project of the customer, the design criteria including at least one of a target flow rate, a target head or a power requirement for a hydraulic pump in the particular water distribution project of the customer; a search engine coupled to said web portal, that, in response to the design criteria for the particular water distribution project of the customer specified in the query from the customer for one or more hydraulic pumps offered by the one or more manufacturers, is configured to search for hydraulic pumps offered by the one or more manufacturers that meet the design criteria for the particular water distribution project of the customer, and return a list of one or more manufacturers'"'"' hydraulic pumps that meet the design criteria for the particular water distribution project of the customer; an interface that is provided to a manufacturer of one of the hydraulic pumps on said list in response to the query from the customer at the search engine and absent additional action by the customer, and that shows a description of the query from the customer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification