Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
  • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Definitions

• This invention generally relates to the field of electronic commerce, and to a system and method for facilitating ⁇ equipment-related transactions that require a continuing relationship with a customer following installation of the equipment.
• the system and method of the invention may be used to facilitate sale or leasing of equipment, including follow-up service or supply, or the system and method of the invention may involve distribution of equipment incident to ' a post- installation supply or service contract.
• the invention relates to a system and method that enables a customer to, from a remote location using an open network such as the Internet, perform the following actions relating to sale, lease, and/or distribution of equipment: (i) remotely request a proposal or information related to equipment offered for sale, lease, or distribution as part of a bundled services/supply contract, (ii) place an order for the equipment; (iii) request information concerning accounting and/or status of the order from manufacture to installation; and (iv) monitor and/or control the equipment following installation and, if needed, (v) determine the location or coordinates of the equipment.
• the invention thus enables a customer to follow on a daily basis the progress of manufacture, shipping, and installation of the equipment, to monitor running and supply of the equipment following installation, and further to access to real costs associated with installation and running of the equipment.
• the invention relates to a system and method that enables not only the customer, but also the distributor or manufacturer of the equipment to monitor the progress of a sale, lease, or distribution of the equipment, including monitoring of the manufacture, shipping, and/or installation of the device, and to further monitor and/or control the equipment following installation in order to monitor and/or schedule the need for services or supplies related to use of the equipment.
• the sa,le of a product is only the beginning of a relationship between the seller and the customer. If the product is in the form of equipment, defined most broadly as any device requiring continuing service and/or supplies following distribution, the relationship may involve extensive pre- and post-installation contact between the customer and the supplier, between the customer and the equipment, and between the supplier and the equipment. In many cases, the supplier of equipment does not begin to manufacture the equipment until a sale is completed, and must keep the customer informed of progress in manufacture, as well as shipping and delivery or installation dates. In addition, the customer may require post-installation service or maintenance calls, or deliver of supplies over an extended period following installation.
• the Internet is used only to facilitate sales and to track shipping.
• Many electronic commerce sites offer the option of tracking shipping and delivery dates, but none offers the possibility of tracking progress in manufacture and of locating the coordinates of the equipment with fixed installation.
• the seller may schedule automatic deliveries or service calls, but deliveries or service calls at times other than those listed on the schedule must be initiated by the customer.
• the location of the customer or user of the equipment might not even be known and thus even automatic deliveries or service calls cannot be scheduled, there being no possibility using present systems of making use of WAP, GPS, or the Internet to locate the customer or user.
• an electronic commerce system featuring an Internet website that permits a customer to request information, request a proposal, and/or to order a device, which permits the customer to request accounting information on pending or existing orders, and on the status of manufacturing, delivery, and installation at the customer's plant of ordered equipment, and which further permits the customer and/or the manufacturer, distributor, or other interested party to monitor use of the equipment following installation.
• the equipment simply needs to be connected with a monitoring and/or controlling device, and the monitoring and/or controlling device needs to be connectable for data transfer over the Internet to the customer's website.
• an electronic commerce method featuring the provision of an Internet website that permits a customer to request information, request a proposal, and/or to order a device, which permits the customer to request accounting information on pending or existing orders, and on the status of manufacturing, delivery, and installation at the customer' s plant of ordered equipment, and which further permits the customer and/or the manufacturer, distributor, or other interested party to monitor and/or control use of the equipment following installation.
• the equipment may be sold or leased separately, or may be distributed as part of a supply or service contract, which may be negotiated through the website.
• the device in question may be a compressed air system
• the product provided following installation may be in the form of compressed air.
• the system and method of the invention enables the manufacturer or a distributor of compressors to monitor and/or control complete compressor installation of a number of customers through the intermediary of a device which monitors and/or controls compressed air usage and electricity/power consumption or requirements, and which
• the present invention still provides convenient options for selling services or supplies.
• Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for facilitating transactions relating to the sale, leasing, or manufacture of devices that involve a continuing relationship with the customer following the sale, lease, or distribution of .the device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and illustrating the specific example of a compressed air system.
• Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a website designed to implement the system and method of the invention, and in particular illustrating portions of the method of the invention.
• Figures 3-5 are schematic diagrams showing further aspects of the website of Fig. 2.
• a system for facilitating transactions relating to • the sale, leasing, or manufacture of devices that involve a continuing relationship with the customer following the sale, lease, or distribution of the device according to a preferred embodiment • of the invention includes an Internet connection 1 and a computer or server 2 arranged to be accessed from the Internet.
• the website presented by the server 2 will be described below in connection with Fig. 2.
• Fig. 1 Also illustrated in Fig. 1 are a plurality of device or machine installations in various plants 3.
• Each plant includes one or more devices or machines 4, and controllers 5 arranged to be connected to the Internet via a dial-up connection, or a virtual private network.
• the controllers 5 are arranged to monitor and control machines 4 to determine, by way of example, when service or supplies are required and what combination of machines to use, thus maximizing the efficiency of the installation.
• the machines 4 and controllers 5 are connected to each other via, for example, local area networks. Controllers 5 transfer data concerning operation of the machines 4 to server 2 via a secure connection over the Internet (or alternatively, over a non-Internet-based communications path such as a satellite link) .
• Controllers 5 provide access by the customer and/or the compressed air provider concerning how much air is being consumed, how much energy is consumed, and how much money the customer owes for the energy consumed.
• controllers 5 may be arranged to transmit information concerning when service, such as replacement of a filter, an adsorbing agent in a dryer, and so forth, is needed, and also machine operation parameters such as temperatures and pressure.
• the controllers 5 may also be arranged to receive commands from the main office, for example to give the compressed air provider the ability to start and shut down compressor elements as necessary for service, or because of non-payment.
• the customer can use the information provided by a controller 5 to choose which ' machines or elements are used to produce the demanded compressed air. This can be done automatically by the controller or manually by the customer so that energy is minimized and/or so that all compressor elements have approximately a same total time of activity.
• the invention enables remote monitoring, administration, billing and advice by the manufacturer, a supplier, a sales agent (illustrated) , or a service provider, at any convenient time, eliminating the need for regular visits to the customer.
• the invention provides an integrated website at server 2.
• the integrated website has the capability of entertaining new orders, changes in orders, and other services associated with the sale, leasing, and/or distribution of equipment, as well as post-distribution service and supply made possible by the inclusion of controllers 5, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
• Access to the website is gained though registration, during which the customer is given a registration number or code which enables the customer to access the ⁇ Internet site" and request information, request a proposal, and/or place an order for equipment.
• the invention provides for acceptance of the purchase order, monitoring of equipment manufacturing, and remote monitoring of installation, to the point of locating the coordinates of the installation, viewing a live video feed from the installation, and listening to the sound emitted from the equipment and installation, as well as setting up service contracts or supply accounts, and monitoring of and technical support for the installed equipment .
• the public area of the website includes a customer registration form, which is used to set up a record in a customer database.
• a customer registration form which is used to set up a record in a customer database.
• a copy may be given to a sale agent, and a password is given to the customer.
• a registered customer may then enter the site using the password and submit an enquiry concerning available equipment, .including financial calculations and the like, or solicit a proposal and submit a purchase order, possibly with assistance of the sales agent.
• the customer may re-enter the website, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in order to view data resulting from the monitoring equipment.
• the customer may view an air consumption profile, an air consumption flow accumulation, power accumulation, and such factors as dew point, pressure, and temperature at the plant. The ari consumption of the plant corresponds to the air delivery by the compressors.
• the customer may also view a live video feed from the installation, and listen to the sound emitted from the equipment and installation. This information is used to update the customer's account, which may be viewed at the same time.
• payments may be made through the website using well-known techniques for securing the payment information, the customer may request technical support, and orders may be changed or reviewed.
• the purchase order is initially acknowledged by the company responsible for supply, which in turn contracts for manufacture of the equipment, and also for shipping, installation, and commissioning.
• the controller connected to the Internet at least periodically or in response to a call-up, the operation of the machinery is monitored and/or controlled and, in case of a service warning, shutdown, and the local sales company or service technician is contacted by e-mail, SMS, GPS, or similar communications over the Internet or over another communications medium.
• service planning or scheduling can use the following information: unit running hours or unit accumulated volume, measured and calculated parameters, previous service history, customer and customer location, other units within a specified area, and service personnel availability and location.
• the website may be implemented on a single server or multiple servers, the equipment may include machines other than compressors, and the operator of the website may be a product distributor, servicer or supplier of the equipment.
• Purchase orders may be eliminated entirely 'in favor of service contracts for the products supplied to the equipment, such as air to compressors, fuel to electric generators, toner cartridges to printers, gas to furnaces, and so forth.

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• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
• Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
• Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
• Quality & Reliability (AREA)
• Operations Research (AREA)
• Educational Administration (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=24567576

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2001
  • 2001-08-16 CA CA002419323A patent/CA2419323A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-08-16 BR BRPI0113322-5A patent/BR0113322C1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-08-16 PL PL36117701A patent/PL361177A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-08-16 AU AU2001283719A patent/AU2001283719A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-08-16 NZ NZ524188A patent/NZ524188A/en unknown
  • 2001-08-16 EP EP01962491A patent/EP1370994A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-08-16 HU HU0302877A patent/HUP0302877A3/hu unknown
  • 2001-08-16 CZ CZ2003693A patent/CZ2003693A3/cs unknown
  • 2001-08-16 JP JP2002520119A patent/JP2004506287A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-08-16 WO PCT/BE2001/000136 patent/WO2002015059A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2001-08-16 CN CN01815779A patent/CN1459069A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-08-16 KR KR10-2003-7002325A patent/KR20030051622A/ko not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-02-14 NO NO20030722A patent/NO20030722L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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