Method and system for custom manufacture and delivery of a data product

• US 6,496,744 B1
• Filed: 01/11/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: David Philip Cook
• Inventors: Cook, David Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/228,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95-103, 700/48, 705/26-30, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/51-52, 705/64, 705/75-77, 395/200.42, 395/200.36, 395/200.47, 395/200.59, 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 707/104, 707/3, 707/6
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32022 Ordering, remote ordering, enter article and operations needed, create jobfile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32024 Remote ordering, electronic selection article and fitting to form of client
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32035 Compose, configure article and order
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32038 Client can develop programs, parts on remote server located by manufacturer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A system for selling, manufacturing and distributing a custom digital data product from retail stores, over the Internet, over the telephone, or by electronic means (e.g., fax, e-mail, and the like) wherein a customer is provided (e.g., by electronic mail verification) order tracking information. After a customer selects a “set” of sound recordings or data from a library or catalog of such recordings or data and payment or credit is received or verified, an image of the “set” is assembled from a storage or “disk” farm. The image is preferably assembled at a manufacturing facility, e.g., a CD-ROM burner farm, where the product is then made. Every data object on the product may have a code associated therewith for later reference. The disk and burner farms communicate via a high speed communications subsystem to facilitate continuous processing. Upon assembly and manufacture, the product is packaged and shipped. Throughout the manufacture and distribution, the customer may track the process by activating a hyperlink in one or more e-mail confirmation messages provided by the service provider, or by entering order/tracking numbers from retail terminals or by telephone, or the like.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a digital data product, the digital data product having digital information retrieved from across a network connection, the digital information stored in one or more information storage devices connected to the network, one or more burner machines connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more digital data files from the one or more information storage devices;

identifying one of the one or more burner machines to manufacture the digital data product;

transferring each of the digital data files of the set to the identified burner machine;

recording the digital data files of the set to a physical medium; and

concurrently with the step of recording, reducing the number of network requests to the identified burner from any of the other devices communicatively coupled to the network.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the one or more digital data files comprise sound recording tracks.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein one or more digital data files comprise a movie.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the physical medium is selected from a group of physical media consisting of CD-ROM, DVD, digital audiotape, and other digital storage devices.

5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein the one or more digital data files in the disk farm are selected by a customer accessing the network from a terminal.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the one or more digital data files in the disk farm are selected by a customer accessing the network through an electronic communication.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of verifying a customer payment method.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of providing a notification to the customer that an order has been accepted.

9. The method as described in claim 1, the step of reducing performed by another computing device communicatively coupled to the network.

10. The method as described in claim 1, the step of reducing performed by the identified burner machine.

11. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

upon completion of the step of recording, allowing further network requests to the identified burner machine.

12. A method of manufacturing a digital data product on a data writer, the digital data product having digital information retrieved from one or more information storage devices connected to a network, one or more data writers connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more digital data files from the one or more information storage devices;

identifying one of the one or more data writers to manufacture the digital data product;

transferring each of the digital data files of the set to the identified data writer;

recording the digital data files of the set to a physical medium;

minimizing the number of interruptions on the data writer; and

the step of minimizing occurring immediately prior to or concurrently with the step of recording.

13. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the one or more digital data files comprise sound recording tracks.

14. The method as described in claim 12 wherein one or more digital data files comprise a movie in digital format.

15. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the physical medium is selected from a group of physical media consisting of CD-ROM, DVD, digital audiotape, and other digital storage devices.

16. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the one or more digital data files in the one or more information storage devices are selected by a customer accessing the network from a terminal.

17. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the one or more digital data files in the disk farm are selected by a customer accessing the network through an electronic communication.

18. The method as described in claim 12 further including the step of verifying a customer payment method.

19. The method as described in claim 18 further including the step of providing a notification to the customer that an order has been accepted.

20. The method as described in claim 12, the step of minimizing performed by another computing device communicatively coupled to the network.

21. The method as described in claim 12, the step of minimizing performed by the identified burner machine.

22. The method as described in claim 12 further comprising:

upon completion of the step of recording, allowing further network requests to the identified data writer.

23. A method of manufacturing a digital data product on a digital recording device, the digital data product having digital information retrieved from one or more information storage devices connected to a network, one or more digital recording devices connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more digital data files from the one or more information storage devices;

identifying one of the one or more digital recording devices to manufacture the digital data product;

transferring each of the digital data files of the set to the identified digital recording device;

recording the digital data files of the set to a physical medium through the use of a first software operating on the digital recording device;

reducing a number of softwares operating on the digital recording device to a number that allows the successful completion of the step of recording.

24. The method as described in claim 23 wherein the one or more digital data files comprise sound recording tracks.

25. The method as described in claim 23 wherein one or more digital data files comprise a movie.

26. The method as described in claim 23 wherein the physical medium is selected from a group of physical media consisting of CD-ROM, DVD, digital audiotape, and other digital storage devices.

27. The method as described in claim 23 wherein the one or more digital data files in one or more information storage devices are selected by a customer accessing the network from a terminal.

28. The method as described in claim 23 wherein the one or more digital data files in one or more information storage devices are selected by a customer accessing the network through an electronic communication.

29. The method as described in claim 23 further including the step of verifying a customer payment method.

30. The method as described in claim 23 further including the step of providing a notification to the customer that an order has been accepted.

31. The method as described in claim 23, the step of reducing performed by the identified digital recording device.

32. The method as described in claim 23 further comprising:

upon completion of the step of recording, allowing the number of software on the identified digital recording device to increase.