|Publication number||US7003548 B1|
|Application number||US 09/280,609|
|Publication date||Feb 21, 2006|
|Filing date||Mar 29, 1999|
|Priority date||Mar 29, 1999|
|Also published as||US20060167988, WO2000058854A1|
|Publication number||09280609, 280609, US 7003548 B1, US 7003548B1, US-B1-7003548, US7003548 B1, US7003548B1|
|Inventors||David Barck, Forrest Bentley, Kevin Hennelly|
|Original Assignee||Gelco Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (45), Referenced by (94), Classifications (7), Legal Events (6)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computerized configuration methods and systems. More particularly, this invention relates to computerized methods and systems for developing technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to a client. The methods and systems are implemented in computer hardware and software.
2. Background Information
Large amounts of data and programs for a great variety of tasks are currently available on the Internet. Some of these applications are useful for performing discrete logical tasks, while others are available to retrieve data. Still other applications are available that may aid in the selection and customization of products, such as vehicles or computers, or services, such as the availability of flights and corresponding fare information. In these selection/customization tools for products or services, the manufacturer of the product or the service provider may offer detailed options for the user's selection, and a large number of interrelationships may exist between the various options. When these options and interrelationships are complex, large and detailed software may be necessary for electronic configuration systems.
The Internet is a collection of computer networks that allows computer users to share files and other computer resources. Each computer connected to the Internet has a unique address whose format is defined by the Internet Protocol (“TCP/IP”). The Internet includes a public network using the TCP/IP and includes two kinds of computers: servers, which provide information and documents; and clients, which retrieve and display documents and information for users. Events that take place on the server machine are referred to as server-side activities, while events that take place on the client machine are known as client-side activities. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, as used throughout this specification the term “client” refers to a client computer (or machine) on a network, or to a process or programs, such as Web browsers, which run on a client computer in order to facilitate network connectivity and communications. Thus, for example, a “client machine” can store one or more “client processes.” The term “user” is used to refer broadly to one or more persons who use a particular client machine. Similarly, the term “server” will be used throughout this specification to refer to a server computer or computer system on a network, or to a process or programs which run on a server computer.
The “World Wide Web” (“Web”) is that collection of servers on the Internet that utilize the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users access to resources, which may be information in different formats such as text, graphics, images, sound, video, Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”), as well as programs. HTML is a standard page description language which provides basic document formatting and allows the developer to specify “links” to other servers and files. Links may be specified via a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”). Upon specification of a link by the user, the client makes a TCP/IP request to a Web server and receives information, which may be another “Web page” that is formatted according to HTML, from a server that was specified in the requested URL. The information returned to the client may be generated in whole or in part by a program that executes on the server. Such programs are typically Common-Gateway-Interface scripts (“CGI scripts”) and can be written using known programming languages or methods that the server supports, such as PERL or C++.
Servers include both Web servers and applications servers. Web servers are the software or computers responsible for accepting requests from clients and retrieving the specified file or specified CGI script, and returning its contents or the CGI script's results to the client. An application server is the actual software or computer which contains programs, CGI scripts, or data for a specific site. Servers run on a variety of platforms, including UNIX machines, although other platforms, such as Windows 95, Windows NT, and Macintosh may also be used.
Computer users can view information available on servers or networks on the Web through the use of browsing software, such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mosaic, or Lynx browsers. A typical Web page is an HTML document with text, “links” that a user may activate (e.g. “click on”), as well as embedded URLs pointing to resources, such as images, video or sound, that the client may activate to fully use the Web page in a browser. In some situations, these resources may not be located on the same server that provided the HTML document to the client. Furthermore, HTTP allows for the transmission of certain information from the client to a server. This information can be embedded within the URL, can be contained in HTTP header fields, or can be posted directly to the server using other known HTTP methods.
Web activity begins on the client side, when a user sends a request to a server over the Internet. When a user's browser requests information from a server, the server may send information including graphics, instruction sets, sound and video files in addition to HTML documents (Web pages) to the requesting client. In order to view and use information from the Web using a browser, the entire HTML document must be downloaded from the Internet server to the client's machine and then processed by the browser before the consumer can fully see and access it. A user may become impatient waiting for a graphics-oriented Web page or detailed data to appear on his/her computer screen. Information delivery on the Internet can be frustrating, because it is much slower than delivery of data from the consumer's computer hard drive or main memory.
In a server-side application, the client must repeat the process described above, sending a request to a server over the Internet and receiving information from the server in return, in order for the client to interact with a server over the Internet. For instance, a user may supply information in response to queries in a Web page. When the client clicks on a “submit” button, which initiates interaction over the Internet, the information is passed to the server. As explained above, programs such as CGI scripts may process the information, and the server may then return a Web page containing the information requested by the user.
The Web page received by the client from the server may create or set an ID field, known as a “client ID” or “cookie,” located in a file on the client machine to include information about the user's preferences. When the user later returns to a specified URL on the same server, the “client ID” or “cookie” with the previously-set preference information is transmitted in the HTTP request header to the server, which may then return a Web page that is assembled according to the user-specific information. This interactive model for processing information over the Internet is a server-side application, in which most of the logic and data processing is performed on the server side.
There are problems associated with both client-side and server-side computational and interactive systems. If a client-side approach is used, a large amount of time and/or bandwidth may be used sending information to the client, a majority of which may not be necessary to the end result desired by the user. When a large amount of time is spent transferring data over the Internet, this may not only be annoying to the user, but it may also clog the network with unnecessary data transfer. Additionally, only a limited amount of space in the memory of the client is available. In view of these constraints, client-side programs are typically only used for simple validations of information entered by the user or to generate graphic effects on the client. Large tasks requiring extensive processing (by reason of large executable files or extensive data files, or both) are usually not performed on the client. One result of this may be that interface and options offered to the client are limited. The client's sense of control over the transaction may therefore be less than desired.
Server-side programs may also have undesirable attributes. Much like client-side systems, a large amount of time may be spent transferring data to and from the server. In a pure server-side system, each time a user performs an operation on the client machine, a request is sent to the server to validate the request and perform an operation for transfer back to the client. A great deal of time may therefore be spent on the network validating information and processing data on the server. Such a system puts a heavy load on the server. In addition to these drawbacks, the user may be annoyed by the large amount of time necessary to interact with the server and update information on the client machine.
It is therefore important to allocate appropriately the processing load and data transfers between the browser and the server. Some tasks, such as forms processing and index searches may be better left to the server side, while others, such as user interface enhancements, real-time data presentation, and input validation may be better suited for local processing on the client. A system and method is needed for interactive network applications to reduce the load on a server, reduce the amount of time required to transfer information over the network, and to save the user time in performing tasks over the network.
Such a system and method may be particularly useful for complex technical configuration tasks in which large amounts of both logic and data may be necessary to successfully configure a product or service. For such technical configuration tasks, a number of constraints or desirable system attributes exist. First, the user's desired configuration must be viable, meaning that the manufacturer or service provider can assemble the various options desired by the user into a product. Second, it is desirable to indicate the price of the fully assembled configuration at the time of the order. Third, it is desirable to present all or most of the available options for a given product to a user on the client machine.
For some technical configuration tasks, such as products where manufacturers offer detailed option choices for configuration, configuring the product may be further complicated by the complex interrelationships and links between different options. Although in some configuration tasks it would be desirable to provide at the client an environment that is as option-rich as possible, technical limitations are encountered that limit the amount of logic and data that may be transferred to the client. For complex configuration tasks, the transmission of all of the logic to the client may be both time consuming and impractical due to memory space; on the other hand, a pure server-side embodiment may require a large amount of interaction between the server and the client as well as a heavy load on the server.
One embodiment of the invention is a method for developing a technical configuration and electronically delivering to a client from a server an order report for the technical configuration. The method comprises interactively eliciting and electronically receiving from a user on the client a desired technical configuration, wherein the act of interactively eliciting and electronically receiving comprises providing to the client from the server a limited configuration engine and performing a first, limited check on the viability of the desired technical configuration on the client using the limited configuration engine; performing a second, final check on the viability of the desired technical configuration using a full configuration engine on the server; and, in response to the final check, preparing and outputting on the client an electronic order report.
A second embodiment of the invention is a method for creating technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client in a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client. The method comprises interactively eliciting from a user on the at least one client a desired subset of possible products having technical configurations; in response to the user's desired subset of possible products having technical configurations, downloading from the at least one server to the at least one client limited configuration information and limited configuration programs; interactively eliciting from the user on the at least one client a desired technical configuration and preliminarily checking at the at least one client the viability of the desired technical configuration using the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs; uploading the desired technical configuration from the at least one client to the at least one server and performing a full check on the viability of the desired technical configuration using full configuration information and full configuration programs on the at least one server; and, responsive to the full check, preparing and outputting on the at least one client an electronic order report.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for creating vehicle configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client in a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client. The method comprises interactively eliciting from a user on the at least one client a desired make, model, and series for a vehicle; in response to the user's desired make, model, and series for a vehicle, downloading from the at least one server to the at least one client limited configuration information and limited configuration programs; interactively eliciting from the user on the at least one client a desired vehicle configuration and preliminarily checking at the at least one client the viability of the desired vehicle configuration using the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs; uploading the desired vehicle configuration from the at least one client to the at least one server and performing a full check on the viability of the desired vehicle configuration using full configuration information and full configuration programs on the at least one server; and, responsive to the full check, preparing and outputting on the at least one client an electronic order report.
The above methods offer a number of advantages. Because limited configuration information and limited configuration programs are sent to the client, the client is able to do a significant amount of the processing involved in creating a technical configuration. At the same time, interaction with the server may be decreased. In addition, the data downloaded to the client is properly allocated so that not all of the configuration information or configuration programs that exist on the server are sent to the client. The above methods aid in the allocation of information to the client. The client, therefore, is not overloaded with processing, and data transfer time is kept to a minimum.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for developing a product configuration in a client-server environment, wherein the server has full option attributes and full option rules. The method in this embodiment comprises receiving initial product configuration data from a user on a client; in response to the initial product configuration data, allocating limited option attributes and limited option rules to the client by downloading such limited option attributes and limited option rules to the client; receiving from the client a first proposed product configuration developed from client processing of the limited option attributes and limited option rules; in response to the proposed product configuration and application at the server of the full option attributes and full option rules to the proposed product configuration, allocating and downloading to the client additional option rules; and, receiving from the client a second proposed product configuration developed from client processing of the limited option attributes and additional option rules.
One advantage of the above method is that data is properly allocated between the client and the server. Limited option attributes and limited option rules are sent from the server to the client, so the client is able to do a significant amount of the processing involved in creating a technical configuration. In addition, the data downloaded to the client is properly allocated so that not all of the full option attributes and full option rules that exist on the server are sent to the client. The client, therefore, is not overloaded with processing, and data transfer time is kept to a minimum. After a full check of the viability of the proposed product configuration is determined on the server, additional option rules may be sent to the client from the server so that the user may properly configure the product.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises an apparatus for creating technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client in a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client. In this embodiment, the apparatus comprises a limited configuration engine, wherein the limited configuration engine is downloaded from the at least one server to the at least one client in response to data elicited from the at least one client, and wherein the limited configuration engine contains programs to interactively elicit from a user a desired configuration to be uploaded to the at least one server, and a full configuration engine on the at least one server, wherein the full configuration engine contains instructions for performing a full check on the viability of the desired configuration.
Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises a computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a procedure for developing a product configuration in a client-server environment, the computer-readable medium having client programs and server programs with functions for invocation. In this embodiment, the computer-readable medium allows for the interactively eliciting from a user on the client a desired subset of possible products having technical configurations, in response to the user's desired subset of possible products having technical configurations, downloading from the server to the client limited configuration information and limited configuration programs, interactively eliciting from the user on the client a desired technical configuration and preliminarily checking at the client the viability of the desired technical configuration using the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs, uploading the desired technical configuration from the client to the server and performing a full check on the viability of the desired technical configuration using full configuration information and full configuration programs on the server, and responsive to the full check, preparing and outputting on the client an electronic order report.
Much like the methods of the invention above, the above apparatus and computer-readable medium properly allocate data and information between the server and the client. The limited configuration engine which is sent to the client contains enough data to allow the user to enter a desired configuration, yet a full configuration engine exists on the server to ensure that the desired configuration is viable. The client, therefore, is not overloaded with processing, and data transfer time is kept to a minimum.
The teachings of the present invention are applicable to many different types of computer networks and may also be used, for instance, in conjunction with direct on-line connections to databases. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, while the following discussion sets forth various preferred implementations of the method and system of the present invention, these implementations are not intended to be restrictive of the appended claims, nor are they intended to imply that the claimed invention has limited applicability to one type of computer network. In this regard, the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable for use in Local Area Networks (“LANs”) of all types, Wide Area Networks (“WANs”), private networks, and public networks including the Internet and the Web. While the principles underlying the Internet and the Web are described in some detail above and below in connection with various aspects of the present invention, this discussion is provided for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to imply any limiting aspects to the broadly claimed methods and systems of the present invention.
The accompanying Figures depict embodiments of the configuration systems and methods of the present invention, and features and components thereof. With regard to references in this specification to computers, the computers may be any standard computer including standard attachments and components thereof (e.g., a disk drive, hard drive, CD player or network server that communicates with a CPU and main memory, a sound board, a keyboard and mouse, and a monitor). The processor of the CPU in the computer may be any conventional general purpose single- or multi-chip microprocessor such as a Pentium® processor, a Pentium® Pro processor, a 8051 processor, a MIPS® processor, a Power PC® processor, or an ALPHA® processor. In addition, the processor may be any conventional special purpose processor such as a digital signal processor or a graphics processor. The microprocessor has conventional address lines, conventional data lines, and one or more conventional control lines. With regard to references to software, the software may be standard software used by those skilled in the art or may be coded in any standard programming language to accomplish the tasks detailed below.
a. General Overview
1. The Client-Side
Referring again to
The limited configuration information 44 is essentially a set of data for specifying a particular product or service (throughout the remainder of this specification, the term product will be used to refer to a product or service). For instance, the data may consist of a set of limited option attributes 46 and limited option rules 47 for a given product. An option attribute 46 may be a feature or option of a product, such as a type of engine or transmission in a vehicle along with the corresponding price, from which a user chooses in configuring a product. The data may also consist of a set of limited option rules 47 for a product. The option rules 47 consist of a set of logic rules that links or defines relationships between certain of the option attributes 46. For instance, if the configuration system and method is for a vehicle, a certain type of emissions system or transmission may only be available for certain engine types, or certain interior color schemes may only be available for certain exterior color packages. If A, B, and C are three different option attributes 46 for a product or service, various option rules 47 may include, but are not limited to, the following:
The limited configuration engine 40 may be downloaded from the server 10 to the client 12 in response to requests from the user or based on server 10 logic, both of which will be explained in more detail below. Once resident on the client machine 12, the limited configuration engine 40 may reside in memory 22 or within a storage device 26. In some cases, the client 12 may “cache” a limited configuration engine 40 or other resource obtained over the network so that it is temporarily stored on the client machine 12 in either the main memory 22 or on disk or on another storage device 26. The cached copy of the resource may then remain resident on the client 12 for a defined period and may be easily accessed instead of obtaining it over the Internet or network when the resource is needed at a later time. In such cases where cached programs are used, neither the basic operations nor functions of the configuration systems and methods nor the transmission of information to a server 10, differ from the cases where cached copies are not used.
2. The Server-Side
Referring now to
The server 10 may receive the full option attributes 65 and full option rules 66 in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the technical information for the product or service may be received in paper form from the manufacturer or dealer of the product or service, or from an information provider that may receive and compile information for different technical products and services. The full option attributes 65 and full option rules 66 may then be entered into the system by human beings. In another embodiment, a manufacturer, dealer, or information provider may transmit an electronic file which includes technical configuration information for a product or service. This technical configuration information may then be electronically processed and entered into the system as full option attributes 65 and full options rules 66.
The full configuration engine 52 on the server 10 also contains the full configuration programs 68, which may include of the client-side programs 50 and HTML forms 52 which may be sent to the client 12 as limited configuration programs 48 during a configuration session, as well as server-side programs 70 which process the information and rules in the full configuration engine 52 on the server 10. Although the client-side programs 50 and HTML forms 52 on the server 10 may be the same versions as those downloaded to the client 12 during a configuration session, the server-side programs 70, which may be CGI scripts as depicted as numeral 62 on
As explained in the background section of this specification, it is generally desirable to send only a limited amount of information to the client 12 due to data transfer time and client 12 response limitations. For this reason, only limited option rules 47 are sent to the client 12 in the limited configuration information 44, while a full set of option rules 66 exist on the server 10. In one embodiment, all of the option attributes 65 on the server 10 are transferred within the limited configuration information 44 to the client 12, but less than all of the option rules 66 on the server 10 are sent to the client 12. In this embodiment, a set of the full option rules 66, which may be much more complex than the option rules 47 sent to the client 12, resides only on the server 10. The user on the client 12 in this embodiment, therefore, may be able to see each potential option attribute 65 for a product, but not all of the links between each option attribute 65 and other option attributes 65 will be present on the client 12. The user on the client 12, therefore, may be able to select different option attributes 46 through an HTML Web page and certain of the option rules 47 on the client 12 and client-side programs 50 may specify interrelationships among the option attributes 46, yet a full application of the option rules 66 may be reserved for the server-side.
b. Operation of the Invention
The operation of the configuration systems and methods will first be illustrated as a broad application for any variety of product configurations in reference to
1. Tight Configuration Embodiment
a. Subset Selection
To begin a configuration session, the user may access the page on the server 10 associated with the configuration system to initiate a session. In an embodiment of the invention using the Web, such a page may be an HTML Web page. A registration or enrollment session may require the user to submit certain information about himself or herself in order to use the configuration system. The server 10 may then send to the client 10 a variety of subset choices 100 of products from which to assemble a configuration. The subset choices 100 may be presented to the user on the client 10 through an HTML Web page on the client's monitor 28. Because a limited amount of space may be available in the main memory 22 of the client 12, the amount of information presented for each subset choice 100 may be limited to a discrete amount. As previously noted, each subset may represent a different make, model, or series of a product. After the user selects a desired subset 102, which may then be uploaded to the server 10 as shown in
The user's desired subset 102 represents initial product configuration data, which the server 10 uses to allocate a limited configuration engine 40 to the client 12. Different limited configuration engines 40 will be downloaded to the client 12 from the server 10 for each different desired subset 102.
b. Preliminary Viability Check
After a small enough segment of data to operate a configuration session on the client 12 may be downloaded to the client 12, a limited configuration engine 40 (shown as numeral 104 in
In one embodiment, it is important to note that the limited configuration engine 40 downloaded to the client 12 (as shown as numeral 104 in
c. Full Viability Check
When the user has completed entering his or her desired configuration, the user can click on the “submit” button to upload the desired configuration 106 to the server 10, as shown in
In one embodiment, all option attributes for a given subset may be presented to the user on the client 12, and it may be only a detailed processing of the user's desired configuration that is uniquely carried out on the server 10, in part because the client-side programs 50 and option rules 47 provided to the client 12 may not be sophisticated enough to carry out this processing on the client 12 due to limited space. After the viability status of the desired configuration 106 is determined at the server 10, the viability status of the configuration 108 may be downloaded to the client 12 as shown in
If the desired configuration 106 is viable, an order report 112 may also be downloaded to the client 12. This order report 112, which may be downloaded to the client 12 in place of or in addition to the downloading of the viability of the configuration 108, may report the final price of the configuration as well as a summary of each of the options selected by the user.
If the desired configuration 106 is not viable, the viability status of the configuration 108 sent from the server 10 to the client 12 may report the unresolved viability issues to the user on the client 12. For instance, the Web page used for presenting the options to the user on the client 12 may again be presented to the user on the client 12 with certain option attributes 46 highlighted with a note describing a problem with the desired configuration. Similarly, if the user does not select a choice from certain option attributes 46 for which a selection is mandatory, the user may be presented with a reminder to select one or more of those option attributes 46. In one embodiment, if the desired configuration is not viable, the server 10 may download updated limited configuration information 44 and updated limited configuration programs 48 to the client 12. The server 10, therefore, may allocate and download additional information to the client 12, which may include additional limited option attributes 46 and limited option rules 47, so that the user may assemble a viable configuration. In another embodiment, only additional option rules 47 may be allocated to the client 12 at this time. The updated limited configuration engine 40 may then be used on the client 12 by the user for entering a desired configuration.
In this manner, the user will be prompted to assemble a viable configuration on the client 12 through any number of communications with the server 10. This new desired configuration 110 may then be uploaded to the server 10. When such a viable configuration has been entered by the user, submitted to the server 10, and approved as being viable by the server 10, an order report 112 may be sent to the client 12.
The configuration methods and systems of the present invention may present any number of Web pages with various option attributes 46 to the client 12 in the manner described above, such that the acts described above may be repeated any number of times with different option attribute choices until a full and viable configuration has been assembled. When such a full and viable configuration has been assembled, an order 114 may be electronically sent from the server 10 to the manufacturer or service provider so that the configuration may be assembled or ordered.
2. Pre-Configuration Embodiment
After the pre-configuration data is uploaded to the server 10, the server 10 performs a viability check on that data, much like described above for the tight configuration embodiment. This information sent from the client 12 to the server 10, which may also be called initial product configuration data, should typically result in a viable configuration in this embodiment, because a pre-configured product has been chosen by the user. The pre-configuration option may, however, only select some of the options of the product in one embodiment, such that the user may still need to complete the configuration by selecting the rest of the options. Numeral 108 b in
3. Loose Configuration Embodiment
Much like the embodiments described above, in this embodiment the server 10 may send to the client 12 a variety of subset choices 100 c of product embodiments from which to assemble a configuration. The user then selects a loose fit option, as denoted by numeral 103 in
Numeral 108 c in
c. Vehicle Ordering Embodiment
1. Business Context
As an introduction to a vehicle ordering system,
At step 200, the server 10 receives make and model information including details on options for makes, models, and series, from the vehicle manufacturers 180. It is important to note that the manufacturer sets the options and interrelationships between options, including pricing, for various makes and models. The complexity of these options and interrelationships may make it impractical to perform all of the logic associated with a vehicle configuration on the client 12. This information may be updated periodically, as depicted in step 202, so that all of the latest options may be available on the server 10. At step 204, the server 10 may send information to the client 12 regarding vehicle ordering. At block 206, the client 12 orders a vehicle using a vehicle ordering system, which will be explained in greater detail below. At block 208, a vehicle price is delivered to the client 12 for such a vehicle, and the client 12 then reports the decision back to the server 10 to order the vehicle at step 210. After the vehicle configuration is delivered to the manufacturer at step 212, the status of the vehicle construction and/or delivery is delivered to the server 10.
At step 216, the server 10 inquires with the dealer as to the delivery of the vehicle. A contract may be delivered to the server 10 at step 218 and confirmation of the vehicle order may be delivered to the dealer at step 220. At step 222, the status of the vehicle configuration may be delivered to the server 10. At step 224, the vehicle is delivered to the dealer for delivery to the client 12 at step 226. Finally, the client 12 may deliver an old vehicle to the dealer at step 228.
2. Vehicle Ordering System and Methods
If the user chooses a loose match 304 between the desired options and viable configurations, a freeflow text screen may be presented to the user at block 308 on the client 12 to enter desired vehicle option attributes in free text form. When the user clicks the submit button the desired configuration is uploaded to the server 10 (denoted by block 310 in
In the typical scenario where a user desires to select all of the desired option attributes of a vehicle in the tight configuration embodiment (as in
The user may then select a series of vehicle, as shown in scroll box 402 in
Block 324 in
The server 10 performs a check on the viability of the desired configuration using the full configuration engine 52. As indicated above, this full configuration engine 52 on the server 10 contains more detailed option rules 66 and full configuration programs 68 to check the viability of the desired configuration. If the desired configuration is viable, the server 10 may download another limited configuration engine 40 to the client 12 so that the user may select the desired color scheme for the vehicle, as indicated in block 330 in
If the desired configuration is viable, i.e., if the selected option attributes in the desired configuration may be combined to form a valid vehicle configuration, the server 10 may download to the client 12 an order report 112 summarizing the selected configuration and/or a document detailing the viability of the desired configuration. If the desired configuration is not viable, i.e., where the full option rules are not met and option attributes must therefore be changed to build a viable configuration, the document detailing the viability of the desired configuration may be a version of the HTML form used for option selection (as shown in
This process of uploading a desired configuration (numeral 106 in
After a configuration session has been completed and a viable configuration has been assembled, an order may be sent from the server 10 to the vehicle manufacturer or vehicle dealer to order the vehicle. This order is represented by numeral 114 in
The present invention provides methods and systems for computerized configurations in network systems containing one or more servers 10 and one or more clients 12. The methods and systems allocate the load between the server-side and the client-side of such a network and reduce the amount of time spent uploading or downloading information between the client 12 and the server 10. The systems and methods utilize existing computer systems and software packages. The methods and systems accomplish these tasks by sending only a limited configuration engine 40 from the server 10 to the client 12 to perform a discrete amount of logic on the client 12. The user's interaction with the client 12, which may be through an HTML Web page using client-side programs 50, will not require communication with the server 10 while the user enters configuration options and limited logic is performed on those options. Because only a limited configuration engine 40 is sent from the server 10 to the client 12, a final check on the viability of the desired configuration may be performed on the server 10 after a desired configuration is uploaded to the server 10 from the client 12.
The methods and systems of the present invention are particularly useful for technical and complex configurations, such as vehicle or computer configurations, where a large number of option attributes exist and a large number of option rules and interrelationships exist between options. For such systems, it may be unpractical to transmit the full logic of the configuration system from the server 10 to the client 12, yet it may be undesirable to have repeated communications with the network as associated with common server-side systems. The methods and systems of the present invention aid in the allocation of data and information between the server 10 and the client 12, so that only a limited amount of information and data will be downloaded to the client 12 from the server 10. The full data and information is retained on the server 10 for a final check on the viability of desired configurations.
While the present invention has been described with reference to several embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will recognize various changes that may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, this invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims. Any numbering or ordering of elements in the following claims is merely for convenience and is not intended to suggest that the ordering of the elements of the claims has any particular significance other than that otherwise expressed by the language of the claims.
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|U.S. Classification||709/203, 709/220|
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|Aug 6, 1999||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: G.E. CAPITAL FLEET SERVICES, MINNESOTA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BARCK, DAVID;BENTLEY, FORREST;HENNELLY, KEVIN;REEL/FRAME:010147/0539
Effective date: 19990727
|Feb 8, 2002||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GELCO CORPORATION, MINNESOTA
Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 010147, FRAME 0539;ASSIGNORS:BARCK, DAVID;BENTLEY, FORREST;HENNELLY, KEVIN;REEL/FRAME:012597/0617;SIGNING DATES FROM 20011130 TO 20020102
|Aug 1, 2006||CC||Certificate of correction|
|Apr 9, 2009||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GELCO CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:022520/0756
Effective date: 20090408
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