MXPA05000295A - Method and system for a computer network based customer interface. - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for conveniently dealing with various customer-related transactions over a computer network (11), comprises one or more customer interface web sites which permit remote users to establish accounts and run user sessions that involve paperless invoicing, shipment status tracking, customized data summaries and other related customer services.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A CUSTOMER INTERFACE BASED ON A COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to a system and method for conducting business through a computer network and, more specifically, to a complete client interface that provides billing without paperwork, tracking of shipping status, organization of personalized data and summaries and other services related to the client through a computer network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many individuals and businesses currently use different traditional "paper-based" methods to conduct business between distributors and customers. Such traditional methods include, for example, the use of paper invoices, purchase orders and billing summaries. In addition, when specific information regarding an existing transaction or business relationship is desired, the methods for discovering such specific information tend to involve the use of the telephone and / or research of paper files that can sometimes be bulky.

Unfortunately, these traditional paper-based methods can be time-consuming or uncomfortable in some instances, which has a negative impact on the cost and / or ability to conduct business. In some cases, the procedure of discovering specific information, such as the status of an order, amounts payable and receivable, etc., can represent such an obstacle that a client can desist from obtaining such information. However, without a real-time understanding of the entire business relationship with the distributor, individuals or business customers may be hampered in the effective planning of different aspects of their business, especially those with respect to that particular distributor. This problem has only been partially solved through specialized business software programs that facilitate the storage and dissemination of information from a distributor's organization. These specialized business software programs are used by some distributors and customers, but such use often generates stationery that is sent to the customer. Distributor-based software programs can also cause electronic files, such as spreadsheets, to be sent, but it is likely that the organization and storage of such files on a customer's computer systems is unknown to a distributor. Because such organization is generally unknown, it is unlikely that the distributor will be able to provide electronic files in a way that presents a complete meaning beyond the information contained in a particular file. Therefore, under the specialized business software scheme, real-time data sufficient to understand the entire relationship between a customer and a distributor are generally not available upon request to the customer. The emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web ("WWW") has provided a new way for individuals and businesses to communicate and has also provided a convenient way to store and access information. A large number of individuals and businesses now have access to the Internet and the WWW. Since such access has become widespread, an opportunity has now evolved to allow better tracking, storage and access to various business-related data, as well as facilitating a more convenient interaction between client and distributor. A basic customer interface capable of facilitating some interaction between distributor and customer has been created by the National Gypsum Company ("NGC") of Charlotte, North Carolina and has been made available to customers during December. of the year 2000 at www.ngc4me.com. At the time of its introduction, this basic customer interface provided NGC customers with the ability to access the NGC Internet webpage and perform various activities. These activities included visualization, search and print reports or cumulative sales data by month, year, previous year, gross sales, net sales and / or quantity of product delivered to a customer by all entities through which that customer had purchased a product from NGC Also included were the display and search of invoiced and unbilled orders by purchase order number, billing number, work number, catalog code, size code, user product number and time frame, as well as the display of prices of products according to the price list of the day and by truck or railway as the desired shipping method. These activities also included the ability to visualize available shipping methods and to track specific information from different jobs, such as the specific price of a job, the authorized purchase quantities of a customer for a job, the quantities of the product currently purchased with respect to to a job and the details of the price increase. In addition, it included the display of a client's credit summaries, which could include information about the existing credit limit, the credit payable, the amount of the pending order, the extension of the credit, the available credit and the amount of payments delayed, as well as the ability to contact NGC through the provision of photographs, data and email links of different NGC administrative support staff. Viewing sales reports allowed users to access and search for sales volumes broken down by locations, acquisition dates, products and number of shipments; and users were allowed to personalize and name specific reports to include different locations that a given user was authorized to view. The links within the reports with respect to the number of shipments also allowed access to individual orders included in the report. Additional features of this basic customer interface for December 2000 also included customer websites that contained hyperlinks to invoices for the day and to orders delivered, sent or entered for the day, as well as the site's ability to determine the company or customer associated with a particular individual user and the level of access to the site corresponding to that individual user corresponding to the corporate structure of the company or customer associated with that individual user. It also included the ability for NGC to maintain and send messages addressed to users. Other capabilities added during the spring of 2001 included the ability to track shipments online, in real time, as well as the ability for some authorized users to view data from an entire client organization beyond the assigned location of those particular users. However, despite the usefulness of this basic customer interface, many perceived customer needs that had not been met, so that it was desirable to have a more advanced client interface that included additional features. Accordingly, there is a need to have a client interface based on a computer network that, among other things, track and store data related to the business, generate, summarize and automatically transfer this data upon request, provide different business transactions electronically and allow customers to specify how their data is organized and presented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An advantage of the present invention is to provide a system and method for conveniently maintaining information about the relations between the distributor and the customer, so that said information is readily available to customers and / or distributors through a computer network, such as the Internet. . In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a system and method allows remote users to establish individual or business accounts, store data securely to be retrieved and analyzed upon request, customize the organization and summaries of the specific information of their business, as well as conducting business transactions electronically. These functions can be implemented using any suitable computer equipment available in the market, such as software running on a server connected to the network and designed to provide the desired functionality. Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention and be protected by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve exclusively to provide examples of possible structures for the client interface electronic page of the described invention. These drawings do not in any way limit any change in form and detail that could be made to the invention by one skilled in the art without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Figure 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates a public HTML home page for a client interface electronic page provided by the system shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure for operating the computer interface electronic page . Figure 4 illustrates an example of a custom HTML client start page provided by the electronic page of the client interface.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of a page of personalized HTML pricing data sheets provided by the customer interface page. Figure 6 illustrates an example of a shipping status tracking page provided by the customer interface page.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In this section an application example of a system and method according to the invention is described. This example is provided exclusively to add context and help understand the invention. Since other applications are possible, this example should not be considered as limiting. In the following detailed description, reference is made to the appended drawings, which form part of the description and in which specific embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustration. Although these modalities are described in sufficient detail to enable the person skilled in the art to practice the invention, it is understood that these examples are not limitative, so that other modalities could be used and changes could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. invention. Modern technologies such as computer networks and other similar ones, and especially the Internet, offer new opportunities for businesses and individuals to conduct, track and analyze different business transactions. The present invention provides a system and method for conveniently handling electronically stored data for such transactions and for updating different business status, particularly those involving dealer-client relationships., through a computer network such as the Internet. An advantage of the present invention is that it facilitates tracking, storage, summarization and retrieval at the request of different business status and transactions on a computer network site created for convenient use and reference by a distributor or customer. Another advantage of the present invention is that it facilitates standard business transactions more conveniently through the same computer network created. The present invention provides a system and method for conveniently organizing and tracking data concerning dealer-client relationships through a computer network, such as the Internet. This system and method for carrying out said transactions and business includes providing one or more computer servers capable of creating one or more network locations. These servers can include conventional features such as the ability to register clients, initiate sessions with clients, send orders to start a client's program, receive orders from a remote computer, transfer orders to a software session, and transmit data to and from a remote computer. In addition to these conventional features, this system and method also includes capabilities that allow remote users to establish individual or business accounts, store data in a secure manner to be retrieved and analyzed upon request, customize the organization and summaries of information specific to their organization. business, as well as performing standard business transactions electronically.

Hardware, software and web page domain In accordance with the present invention, the tracking and storage of data, as well as the different results generated, customized organizations and facilitated transactions, can be achieved and produced in any suitable computer hardware available in the market. For example, a server hardware configuration for creating a network location or electronic page and performing the system and method described herein may include one or more Pentium computers or another 700 Megahertz clone-type chip or more using hard disks from 00 to 400 megabytes with a random access memory of 32 megabytes or more. This hardware is joined with switching equipment that allows an uninterrupted transmission to other servers and at least one backup domain server together with the corresponding transfer of data from the electronic page or network location of the invention and one or several sites or similar mirror locations. Additional equipment may also be used to provide firewall security and faster data downloads, not only for users of the network or web page, but also for the website or network itself, regardless of any limitations or hardware or software configurations in the response team. However, these specifications are provided as an example only, since other hardware configurations can also be used, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The server can include an HTTP server program running on Windows 2000® through the Internet Information Server ("US"). The files and templates in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Visual Basic Script code and all other application components (GIFs, JPGs, etc.) are stored in Active Server Pages, which are managed and deployed through Source Safe and Visual Studio. A Practical Extraction and Reporting Language (PERL) is also used that runs on a Linux Red Hat® Server, PHP and an Anywhere® SQL database to administer the site. Visual Basic®, VBScript®, Java® and / or one or several derived languages, such as C ++, are the preferred computer languages for writing the various software programs for the site, although alternative computer languages may be used. The various functions of the system of the invention can be implemented using software written in one or several of the preceding languages and directed for execution to the server hardware and operating systems described herein.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the organization, tracking and review of various business data or the performance of specific business transactions can be performed in various electronic addresses or computer network locations or, alternatively, in a brand or page of unique Internet, such as, for example, www.ngc4me.com, whose electronic page has been developed, operated and owned by NGC. The page www.ngc4me.com combines, among other activities, the establishment of individual or business accounts, the safe storage and organization of business data, as well as the organization and personalized summary of said data and the ability to create and deliver purchase orders, invoices, payments and shipping status surveys in a single electronic page that offers a more convenient forum with which to conduct business transactions between distributor and customer. An electronic page designed in accordance with the present invention provides both customers and distributors with a greater opportunity to perform such transactions and track the results in a convenient manner. The Internet website of the invention is created by a distributor entity, that has access to the page that is made available exclusively to the distributor and at selective levels for different clients of that distributor, whose result is achieved by the electronic page www.ngc4me.com. The website can be used as a supplementary device to facilitate better data storage and retrieval, as well as more convenient transactions between distributors and customers who already have traditional business relationships. In addition, or alternatively, other uses are contemplated, such as those linked to strictly business relationships based on the network. Turning now to Figure 1, this illustrates a mode of a computer network and web page and Internet created in accordance with the present invention. A remote user uses an appropriate computer 10 that has access to the Internet to connect to an electronic page 11, such as www.ngc4me.com, and the system created 12 there. When connecting to the host electronic page, the user finds one of two switches 20, which are used to actively load balance and provide fault tolerant Internet links. These switches can be, for example, LinkProof ™ hardware switches, although other switches suitable for the desired functionality can also be used. Two separate and different T-1 circuits of the main Internet network providers are linked to the host page from different municipalities. These switches 20 constantly monitor the welfare of their respective connections and can route client requests through the 'best route' to any of the links. If one fails, the other is capable of handling the load. In addition, if a particular area of the Internet is completely congested, a client can be routed 'around' the congestion and continue to get good service from the host page. These switches are also adapted to automatically suppress and prevent Denial of Service ("DOS") attacks and / or SYN Flood attacks, if they occur, through conventional means and methods. Preferably, users of the page communicate with an intermediary server that handles network connections and user authentication requests, as well as session management. This intermediary server can be, for example, a customary version of the network server Planet ™, so that there are no services or Internet Information Servers ("US") exposed on the host page. Preferably, this intermediary server generates a URL masking system so that no external party knows what the internal addresses are and so that the creator of the page can avoid the use of temporary files or other session state devices when providing their application solution. . Preferably, this intermediary also imposes the logical syntax of HTML / Port 80, so that attacks that try to use memory overflow or malformed packets are rejected. Referring again to Figure 1, a network firewall 21 may be observed. Said firewall may be, for example, a Raptor / Symantec Enterprise Firewall ™, although other suitable firewalls may also be employed. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a firewall 21 links three different subnets: the links to the public Internet through the switches 20; a small internal Demilitarized Zone ("DMZ") / service network 22; and an internal private corporate network 23 for the creator of the page. Preferably, firewall 21 is an application broker that decodes most requests packet by packet, which provides a high degree of integrity. Preferably, firewall 21 also rejects at least known bad files and attachments, most malformed requests, attempts to invade memory with large volumes of data and the like. The rules in the firewall 21 control all access to and from the private host network, linking the public Internet and the service network. In addition to the foregoing, the electronic page of the invention may use other devices and security layers mentioned elsewhere herein, as well as those that are commonly known to the person skilled in the art as well. In one embodiment, a separate "emergency" firewall (not shown) can also be used. Preferably, said emergency firewall is completely configured with software licenses and complete software capabilities, and is ready to take over if the firewall 21 becomes unreliable or inoperable. Preferably, several different application servers 24 are used to support the electronic page of the invention. For example, Kana e-Service® (COM version) can be used to maintain personal or customer profiles and companies, whose service then controls what electronic page functionality a client or staff member can access, along with a definition of what range of data can they visualize. As another example, PC Miler® can be run on an application server that is used to produce guide maps with truck loading locations and routes. In addition, activePDF® or any other type of file sharing program suitable for any Active Server Page ("ASP") can be run and form a display in a type of Document Format file format Portable ("PDF", for its acronym in English). Any number of other specific application servers can also be used for a whole series of functions and functions, as desired within the created private network. Preferably, timely access to and from each of the application servers 24 is controlled by a Local Area Network ("LAN") switch 25. This LAN switch 25 may be an Internal Network switch. , such as those manufactured and distributed by Cisco Systems of San Jose, California, or any other appropriate LAN switch available in the market that is readily known to the person skilled in the art. Finally, an internal application server created by the client (called "NT2 Macrocomputer") can also be used to maintain a link that the creator of the page must have with its macrocomputer systems 26. Although the above description is applicable to the private network Within the electronic page of the invention, similar connections and similar functionality can be applied to a small internal DMZ service network 22. Said service network may also include one or more servers 27 controlled by a LAN switch 28. Said servers 27 may include any number of functions, as desired, such as an intermediary server 29 to handle all network requests and a File Transfer Protocol ("FTP") server 30 to handle all requests of FTP. The LAN switch 28 may be identical or similar to the LAN switch 25 used for the private network 23. Preferably, the page of the invention also includes a database server that runs as a clustered server, which ideally provides good performance, fault tolerance and high availability. The applications and tools are run against the database server with their own "application level" records, and within these programs the creator of the page can control what a given user can see and / or update. The creator of the page is allowed to constantly review the viewing permissions of any given user by making a comparison with the data they are using or viewing, to ensure that an application-level sabotage does not allow a client or saboteur to access any data that you are not authorized to see. Preferably, the application of the invention also generates e-mail messages in PDF and text that are delivered through the Simple Mail Transmission Protocol ("SMTP") to customers through the Internet. . These messages can contain reports, forms (orders, invoices, etc.) or simple text, such as the transcription of a cell phone message that has sent an order. Preferably, all these messages are routed to the Internet through a mail intercom server. Other servers can also be used, such as a fax server that can provide sales content to customers through their fax machines. As another example, the BizTalk® server can be used to send messages from carriers that contain offers for payment of orders to be delivered, as well as to receive their responses. Carriers can also send upload location messages and send status to the host through the same channel and / or a host FTP server.

Variable types of clients Although it is contemplated that the computer network of the invention may be created by any particular entity or entities, it is preferred that the computer network includes the Internet and that the host electronic page be created by a single distributor entity that provides Access exclusively to existing specified customers of the distributor. In many cases, a distributor will have a large number of existing customers that fall into a whole series of categories. These categories include wholesalers that constitute a single entity (for example, Home Depot for the plaster industry), supplier warehouses that constitute a single entity (whose scale is smaller and operate in a similar way to wooden warehouses), companies of manufacturing of houses that constitute a single entity, as well as Purchase Groups, which comprise groups of individual entities that collectively negotiate supplies and distributor prices. Said Buying Groups are well understood by the expert in the art and generally tend to be operated as brokerage, where there is a distinctive controlling entity that operates and negotiates for the collectivity. In the gypsum industry, the Purchase Groups are generally made up of gypsum suppliers that constitute a single entity, although other entities may be included. In addition, any particular entity can be simultaneously part of one or more Buying Groups, while maintaining a separate individual customer status with the distributor. In this regard, the page of the invention is preferably capable of separating the transactions made by a customer with multiple Purchase Group relationships and of summarizing these results in a total for all the relationships. Within the framework of the electronic page of the invention, a separate account is provided to each of the distributor's customers. Access to the website can be freely granted to the prospects of clients or others who simply search the page, but preferably access is restricted to specific customers to whom the distributor has assigned a User ID ("ID of User "), username, password and / or Access Code. Some users may also have a software signal installed on their remote computers. The software signal generates a one-time password encrypted in the registry, in addition to the password or usual user name. This extra level of security is available at the request of the user. The system also maintains a separate database of security profiles and controlled user names that must match the user's profile information in the application database, before a user can access the systems. network of the invention. While the distributor is able to manage the website and have access to all areas of the website, each specific client only has access to those areas and pages that are directly relevant to that client. For example, given that it is registered in its own account, Company A can not make transactions, review purchase orders, billing summaries, or status of shipments, or even view the electronic pages belonging to Company B, and vice versa . In this way, different companies and entities are not authorized to carefully read the pricing, billing, shipping and other information of their competitors with respect to the host distributor. However, all members of a particular Purchase Group generally receive at least limited access to the pages belonging to the account of this particular Purchase Group. Generally, the majority of the members of a Purchase Group are allowed to register in the Purchase Group account with a User ID and / or Access Code that provides limited access, as will be explained in more detail below. This limited access tends to prohibit the majority of the members of the Purchase Group and users of the website from making transactions for the Purchase Group on the website and, instead, only allows viewing different summaries and data, such as information of shipping or prices with respect to the Purchase Group. The availability of different aspects of the information and data relevant to the Purchase Group may also be restricted for some members of the Purchase Group, if desired. In most cases, the ability to carry out transactions and visualize all areas of the Purchase Group's account on the website is restricted to those in charge of the Purchase Group administration. These individuals receive a User ID and / or Access Code that also allows the ability to access the account of that Purchase Group, only with a higher level of access.

Administrative General As mentioned above, access to the client interface electronic page of the invention is preferably provided, in the judgment of the creator of the electronic page, whose creator may be a third party but is preferably the distributor same. It is also contemplated that said client interface electronic page may be created by a client and that other clients or different distributors of that client have access to it. Although the following description adheres to a model where the creator is the distributor, the consequences for a system that has a customer as host will be easily understood by the person skilled in the art. Since the use of the electronic page is, preferably, restricted, access can not be achieved without first obtaining a User ID and / or Access Code from the creator of the page. Therefore, although anyone can become a "visitor" of the invention's home page on a first home page and, possibly, a limited number of public pages, only an authorized page "user" can receive access to one or several of the different restricted areas of the electronic page. In this regard, any particular "user" of the website is an individual, so any particular client that has multiple employees can, in fact, have several users able to access the pages for that client on the website . In addition to the fact that only a particular user is able to access the restricted areas of the website corresponding to a particular client, the existence of different levels of access for different users of each of the particular clients is also contemplated. Accordingly, full access to all pages for a particular customer of the distributor is provided exclusively to those users who have an appropriate authorization. Users with reduced access levels could be allowed to have access to general distributor news or specific shipping status, for example, while other users with broad access would be able to view more information and probably make transactions on behalf of the company. company. Some users would be allowed access to financial information and payment invoices, while they or others would be allowed to create and execute purchase orders online. Ultimately, the level of access for each user is defined, preferably, by the client himself, with different page activities and accessibility for each level of access that the client establishes as well. The user could also set custom access specifications for each user if desired. However, full access to all aspects of a client on the website is limited, preferably, to one or a very small number of individuals for that client. A good example in which full access to a particular client's page would be granted exclusively to a few select people would be the case of a Purchase Group, in which case only those in charge of operating the Purchase Group would receive full access , while the members of the Purchase Group would generally only be allowed to view some information related to that Purchase Group. In addition, a highly limited level of access could be the only one to include the ability to customize the website for that client.

Alternatively, some or all of the aspects of personalization of the page could be left to each individual user, where the page adapts to each user's personalization preferences, as they are recorded. Of course, the different levels of access within the pages established for a client can be tracked by the electronic page and granted upon entering an appropriate authorization. As it mentioned above, the distributor or creator of the page has, preferably, the exclusive ability to create new user accounts on the website, where each account corresponds, preferably, to a separate Purchase Group or customer. Once a user account is established, the electronic page of the invention can be configured to automatically collect and store various data related to the business relationships between the user and the creator (for example, the customer and the distributor). Preferably, the user's data is stored in a secure database on the electronic page of the invention for future use and reference by both the customer and the distributor. This database is organized and stored data by client, so that all the data of a particular user or client is easily accessible for use or additional organization upon subsequent request and that are not accessible to other users of the page that does not have authorization for that client. The security of all the characteristics and identification data is guaranteed and the user can select from different levels of security and specialized coding, as desired. In particular, identifying information such as names, account numbers, addresses or other disclosing information can be identified or coded. Alternatively, said information may be totally absent in the stored data or exist as information substituted with, for example, fiction euphemisms or other coded information. The protection of passwords of all users and accounts may also be required, including the possibility that a particular User ID may be duplicated as a password, so that access to restricted electronic pages is granted upon entering an appropriate User ID. Alternatively, an option for users who want more security may also allow a separate password to be entered after entering an appropriate User ID, in order to have access to the total range of pages allowed for that particular User ID. Additional password protections can also be established through other methods easily known to the person skilled in the art. Referring now to Figure 2, a computer screen shot of a public home page of "Defender Introduction Request" of HTML 100 for a user interface restricted user interface page is illustrated. Preferably, this home page is the only page accessible to any visitor to the page without the use of a User ID and / or Access Code (collectively "Authorization"), although a limited selection of pages that could be accessible may also be accessible. contain a Failed Authorization Notification or public information concerning the creator of the page, if desired. The logos of registered trademarks or other distinctive marks 101 notify the visitor about the existing electronic page, the distributor involved and / or the creator of the electronic page. These logos can be found in distinctive locations, incorporated into the bottom of the page, or both. An interactive registration interface 102 is provided to allow a visitor to enter an appropriate authorization to access the electronic page. This registration interface can include a text entry box, one or more javascript-type buttons, established keyboard codes or any other suitable registration feature. An exemption 103 or other notification explains the restricted nature of the page and provides a hyperlink 104 to help send an email to the administrator of the website in the event of any problem or question. Turning now to figure 3, a flowchart of the generalities of the procedure is illustrated once a visitor has entered the web page of the restricted user interface. In an initial step 120, a visitor enters the electronic page. After entering, the electronic page presents, in a next step 121, a public start page such as the Defender Introduction Request page illustrated in Figure 2. In the next step 122, the visitor of the page attempts to enter a Appropriate authorization or otherwise establish that the visitor has an account, so that access to a restricted area of the website can be obtained. This could be done, for example, through interactive recording means, as illustrated in Figure 2, or through any other suitable account setting interface. In the next step 123, it is determined whether or not the visitor should receive access, which depends, preferably, on whether the visitor has an existing account. Such determination is usually made based on the successful presentation of an appropriate Authorization for an existing account, although other appropriate determination methods could also be used. If the visitor does not have an account or has entered a Incorrect authorization, then the determination is negative and, preferably, the home page is updated or otherwise allowed the visitor to attempt to enter an appropriate Authorization. Alternatively, the visitor is directed to a Failed Authorization Notification page in step 124, where the visitor is then given the option of viewing public information pages or returning to the public home page to attempt to enter an appropriate Authorization again in step 125. Said informative pages may include public information concerning the distributor and / or creator of the page, how the electronic page works in general terms or other information desired by the distributor and / or creator of the electronic page. In any case, if the visitor does not have an account, then one must be established before additional access to the page is granted. Preferably, the creation of accounts is left exclusively to the judgment of the creator of the page, so that a visitor is not allowed access to the page beyond the public homepage or public information pages until the creator of the page. The page provides the visitor with an appropriate User ID and / or Access Code through some other means. On the other hand, if the Authorization to be introduced is successful or if it is otherwise determined that the visitor has an account on the page, then the visitor becomes a formal user and is allowed access to one or more areas restricted from the electronic page. Although, preferably, the distributor or operator of the page has access to all or most of the areas of the website, a user of the page that is a client will generally only receive access to the pages that are related to and are specific for that client. In addition, different users of a particular client can receive different levels of access to the page, as mentioned above. Referring again to Figure 3, the operational steps related to a restricted access area 130 for a typical client page user are shown. No visitor is allowed access to any electronic page within the restricted access area 130, since only those with proper authorization are allowed access. Once the registration procedure has been successful, the next step 131 is preferably to direct the user to a Client Home Page ("CHP"), where information is provided and placed available numerous elections. This CHP (an example of what is shown in Figure 4 and discussed below) provides the user with the ability to view summary information, as well as provides links so that the user has access to additional information, as shown in step 132, to perform different transactions, as shown in step 133, or to customize the electronic page as desired, as shown in step 134. Preferably, these links are hyperlinks of HTML type, although other techniques could also be used of linking. Although steps 132, 133 and 134 are illustrated in series in Figure 3, it is actually preferable that these steps be provided in parallel to step 131 as well, so that the user can select from among the links corresponding to any of these steps while in the CHP. Illustrating these steps in series merely emphasizes the fact that any of the steps 132, 133 and 134 can be reached from one another or from the CHP at any given time. Referring now to step 132, the user may choose to display additional information that is not contained in the CHP, whereby the procedure proceeds to step 135. In making this decision, the user may select any of a number of links to be directed to the informative summary or desired data in other different client pages. At least one of these links is provided in the CHP, although others may also be incorporated on this page as specified by the user. The links can also be provided within these additional client information pages, so that the user can search from one category to another as desired without having to visit the CHP again. In fact, many specific data points or information categories can only be accessed through links within other client pages, so that a user may require access to a series of pages to access any particular point desired. Referring now to step 133, the user may choose to perform any of a series of transactions, through which the procedure proceeds to step 136. As in the step for viewing additional information, at least one is provided a link for transactions in the CHP, although other more specific links can be incorporated into the page as specified by the user. In addition, links to different specific transactions can be incorporated into other customer pages, such as those that contain additional information, as indicated above. In this way, a user can choose to make a particular transaction while on a particular information page, as long as a link to a page to facilitate the transaction is contained within the information page. Similarly, a user could be allowed access to one or more informational pages while in the process of completing a transaction, although each of these possible routes is not illustrated in Figure 3.

Referring now to step 134, the user may also choose to customize the manner in which the user's account, data, information and CHP is organized and presented within the electronic page, whereby the procedure proceeds to step 137. The different ways in which such customizations can be made are discussed in more detail below. To make this decision, the user selects a specific "Customize" link or similarly denoted one provided by at least the CHP, although this specific link may also be available on one or more of the client's other websites. In this modality, this link can be incorporated into a permanent toolbar, where this toolbar is present in each of the client's electronic pages, preferably in an established location. With respect to steps 132, 133, 135 and 136 above, each of the possible routes to this alternative of the personalization option is not illustrated for purposes of simplicity. Finally, if the user does not have more business to do with respect to the CHP and does not want to view information, make transactions, or customize the electronic page, then the user leaves in step 138, which ends the procedure . Said exit can be performed actively by the user or can also, preferably, be carried out if the user registers for a set period of time without any additional activity on the page. In this way, the possibility of unauthorized access to the account is minimized if the user is not actively using the page for a prolonged period of time or if he or she does not otherwise actively exit in the proper manner. As for many other aspects of the electronic page, the user has, preferably, the option of establishing the amount of time required for said automated output to be made. Preferably, different transactions, such as reviewing purchase orders, payments, adjustments, histories, tracking status and others, are available in a variety of page formats, with the organization of how these transactions are stored and reviewed being, preference, adjustable by the user, as described in more detail below. Preferably, other activities that are more informative in nature, such as reviewing prices, reviewing invoices, tracking shipping status and reviewing credit summaries, are also available in different page formats and are also organized in accordance with user preferences. . Preferably, the views of different electronic pages, and especially those pages containing information for the user, are displayed in PDF format on the electronic page, which is a standard format with respect to Adobe Acrobat, a commercial program widely available in Adobe Systems Incorporated of San Jose, California. The information on different electronic pages in PDF can be organized, divided and rearranged in accordance with customized parameters established by the user; and said modified PDF files may be displayed as an electronic page in a search engine or may be provided to the user by e-mail, for example. Other application formats are also contemplated to display and disseminate the desired files and information to the user, including HTML page displays, Microsoft Word or Excel files or other data formats and Standard information. It is contemplated that the data for each client may be entered into the database and system of the invention in a wide variety of ways, including forms that are both manual and automated. Of course, manual data introductions can be made through terminals that are linked to the network and also through devices that are peripherally connected to the network. Thus, since it is possible that many types of data can be entered manually by the distributor, as well as the customer, through different means, the automated data entry can also, preferably, be made available. For example, if a customer places an order for the distributor through the electronic page of the invention, the page is programmed to automatically update all the summaries and appropriate files of the client, in order to reflect the newly introduced order, of way that no additional manual intervention is required for tracking purposes. In addition, it is particularly preferred that part or all of the devices related to the business that can be operated independently of the distributor or provider of the page, connect to the web page of the customer interface for purposes of reporting data. In this way, a data report is made to the electronic page for any transaction or data that is entered or registered by said operable device independently. Such devices may include, for example, computer-assisted telephones, facsimile machines, Electronic Data Interchange ("EDI"), Network Services and any other computer system or separate computers that are not an active part. of the computer network of the invention. Although access to the network can be implemented from said independently operable business devices, such access is not necessary, since these devices provide, at least preferably, a reporting function to the client interface for tracking purposes. and automated data storage.

Personalization of the page based on the client Referring now to Figure 4, a computer screen shot of an example of a personalized HTML Client Start Page for the restricted use client interface page is illustrated. . Preferably, this Client Start Screen 140 is the first electronic page to which the user who has successfully entered an appropriate authorization has access. Although the content, links, layout and other aspects of a personalized CHP may vary as desired by each of the users or customers, Figure 4 provides an example of such CHP. In the case of many electronic page features, including those in the CHP, it is preferable that the use of such features be rejected at the user's choice of personalization through security specifications that allow or prohibit access. Accordingly, most or all of the following characteristics may not be present in any given CHP, depending on the specifications selected by the customer or user responsible for customizing the CHP for that customer. The availability of each of the characteristics and the location of the provision that accompanies them in the CHP or in other electronic web pages, can be established by the user or client through different interactive site methods. A personal greeting 141 to the user or client can be placed prominently in the CHP and said greeting 141 serves not only as a cordial formality for the user, but also to identify the user and notify in case of having had access to an incorrect CHP or appropriate As for many features of the page, a less prominent location can be established by the user if desired. Preferably, the permanent toolbars 142 that contain one or more hyperlinks are also located in the CHP although, as in the case of other features of the page, the use of said permanent toolbars can be rejected as the user's option who makes the customization. These toolbars 142 are called permanent because they are available in each of the electronic web pages to which the user has access and, preferably, have the same location and format in each of the electronic web pages. Such uniformity and universal availability tends to strengthen the familiarity and, therefore, a more convenient use of such features of electronic page, links and pages that are preferred by the user. In addition, the permanent toolbars 142 tend to be linked to more general electronic pages, such as those of "Personalize", "Orders", "Prices" or "Reports", and it is preferable that there are also general broad pages for said categories, as well as like others, beyond the CHP. Links to more specific actions or pages, such as those of "NGC" (general company information), "General Terms of Sale", "exit" and "feedback", can also be placed in permanent toolbars if desired. In addition to the typical links that are made available in one or several permanent toolbars, different links of specific specialized pages for each client 143 are also located, preferably, in the CHP. Said links of specific specialized pages for each client 143, which are ideally established by the client or user, allow the user to provide convenient hyperlinks in the CHP for those pages that the client or user visits most frequently. The information of these pages could be provided in the CHP in some cases but, to conserve space, it is preferable that a list of hyperlinks to specific pages be provided. Such links could include, for example, links to pages that summarize deliveries, shipments, orders or invoices by present day, present week, present month or by any other time frame or category, such as price or type of goods. These links can be included and categorized by activities, tracking of shipments, messages from other users or other types specified by the user. Other links on specific pages 104 may also be included in the CHP and such links may be associated with electronic pages that provide the user, for example, distributor news or other news of particular interest, such as weather, industry prices for different materials and merchandise, warranty information, as well as economic indicators such as the public price of distributor stock marketing. Preferably, said linked electronic pages are located within the electronic page of the invention, although links to other pages outside the electronic page are also contemplated. Information notices 145 about the electronic page in the CHP can also be included if desired, as well as specifications regarding the availability, content and length of said informative propaganda that are also personalized, preferably by the client or user of the page. . Said notices 145 may include news about the features and recent developments on the electronic page, as well as may contain hyperlinks to exemplary or new electronic pages with respect to said developments or characteristics. If the CHP contains more elements or content that can be displayed on a computer screen at a time, then one or more sections of the CHP can be expanded through scrolling or moving the page in another way. Another possible feature of the CHP is the availability of contact information 146 directly in the CHP itself. Although contact information and an interface for messages, emails or otherwise contacting the distributor may be made available elsewhere on the page, the availability of contact information for sales and other contacts with representatives. in the CHP it is particularly preferred. As illustrated in Figure 3, said contact information may include one or more names, telephone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, photographs and other identifying information of one or more representatives of the distributor, preferably those that are particular to the user. The full-page advertisement 147 may also be placed in the CHP and, preferably, such advertising contains one or more hyperlinks that may transport the user to an advertiser's page, through any of several methods known in the art. Said advertiser may be an external company, or the distributor, or the administrator of the page itself, and, preferably, the advertiser is one that leads the particular user. An option for the user to disable or personalize such full-page advertising can also be implemented for selected users by the administrator of the page.

Other links or features of the page can also be incorporated into the CHP if the user wishes and the CHP organization will depend in large part on some of the other ways in which the user can customize the website. However, in any type of page layout, it is particularly preferred that at least one link in at least one permanent toolbar be present for most or all of the electronic pages, where that link is a return link. to the CHP. Although some types of personalization can be made from different locations on the website, there is preferably a particular section of the website exclusively for the customizations and specifications of a specific client or user. Preferably, you have access to this specific customization section through a "Customize" link in the CHP or in a permanent toolbar, so that it is accessible on most or all pages of the site. From this personalization section, a user or client can choose to specify innumerable options, including the content and format of the CHP and other client websites, the location of different links on each page, the availability and content of the permanent toolbars , as well as the organization of different informative pages. Referring now to Figure 5, a computer screen shot of a custom HTML Pricing Data Sheet page for the customer interface page is illustrated. As for other types of electronic pages, such as those for ordering, sending, tracking of status and payments, innumerable information is placed on this electronic page. Most of this information is displayed according to the preferences of the user and the elements can be deleted and added as desired, in accordance with the user preferences selected in the Customize section of the website. As an added personalization feature of the website, users can choose to enter their own names or terminology for certain products that correspond to the product names of the distributor or creator of the site. This "Cross Product Reference" allows selected users of a customer to enter a description of the customer correlated with a customer code and description of the distributor for different elements, so that both the customer and the distributor can more easily understand that that is referenced. Referring to the information table 50 of Figure 5, for example, a distributor may designate a particular product 151 as "GYP-BD TPD REG ¼X4X *", while that same particular product 152 may be referred to as "4 x 8 ¼REG" per the client. Accordingly, a user may wish to enter a specific area of the website where all of their own names or product technology can be entered and cross-referenced with the products or real names of the distributor. Preferably, such introductions can be made by means of a register or interactive input table, although other suitable interfaces can also be used. In this way, the information can then be viewed on the website in accordance with the names and technology to which the customer and its users are accustomed without any loss or confusion in the translation by the distributor. Similarly, purchase orders can be made, status tracked, payments made and inventories tabulated on the website, all in terms familiar to the customer. In addition, users of any particular client who have the highest level of access for that client, can also make additional key personalizations on the page that apply globally to that particular client. As indicated above, this higher level of access is granted, preferably, exclusively to one or a few select users per client. Preferably, those users who have the highest level of access to the page are the only users who are allowed to establish the access levels for all other users of this particular client, and could also be the only users to the users. that they are allowed to establish the corresponding technology for that client's products, as indicated above. Preferably, these high-level users are also the only ones who are allowed to establish the organization for that client on the website, so that the organization of the page corresponds to the internal organization of that client. This organization of the client is called "Organization of N Degrees" within the electronic page.

Organization of N Degrees Although many clients may be small in nature or even individuals, a significant number of clients may be large companies or companies, each with its own unique internal structure and hierarchy. Therefore, the client interface electronic page of the invention provides an interface to adapt the organization of signs, files and electronic pages of that client, in order to reflect the internal organization that is already established for the client. It allows one or several selected users per customer to organize the data and electronic pages for that customer in any number (N) of tiers and in accordance with any desired parameter, such as location, status or personnel. For example, if a particularly large customer is organized internally in four different geographical tiers, then the customer might want a 4 Tier Organization on the website. In the case of particularly large "chain store" companies, a customer will tend to divide into a hierarchy in many ways. For example, a typical large company can be categorized geographically first by countries or regions, then by markets within those regions, then by territories within those markets and then by individual stores within those territories.

Of course, other parallel terminology can also be used, but the final effect is that any considerably large company is divided and organized according to a tier number. Some medium to large companies may only have two or three tiers, while others may have four or more. In case a client that agrees with a large company wishes to organize itself on the website by geographic location, then a select user can specify it in that way and then proceed to label each of the steps in the hierarchy on the page and each category or "location" within each tier. Therefore, an N-Tier Organization for a typical large customer will tend to resemble a "tree" format, with branches of different levels and sublevels, similar to a file directory. Under said geographically organized client, the views of the pages can then be summarized by region, by market, by territory, by store or as comparisons between one or more particular entities. In addition, custom page organization can be done geographically in accordance with, for example, "sold to / from locations," "shipping to / from locations," "billed to / from locations," "order by locations," or any number of other types of locations. In all these cases, the user is allowed to personalize the organization of the page and instruct the page on how the data should be organized, stored and displayed later. Access levels can also determine what a particular user for a client is able to see on the website. For example, in a 4-tier Organization, an individual store manager could receive an electronic page account that has access exclusively to the data of the particular territory where his store resides. There would be no access available for market or regional data, nor would there be access for other territories or stores within that company. Preferably, such limited account would have access only to page views for "sold to locations" or "sent to locations" that are relevant to that manager's particular store. However, even in such a limited account, personalization could be available for that user who is a "store manager". For example, the user of such limited account could customize the specific CHP disposition for its user and, in particular, specify that the links of "Today's Deliveries", "Today's Submissions" and "Today's Invoices" take the user to proper delivery summaries, shipments and daily invoices for that particular store. Accordingly, organization by location or by any other desired criteria may be performed for any number of regional or specific factors or locations. In particular, transactions, reports and other informative summaries can be made in accordance with the location, where access to such transactions or information is only available to those users who have the appropriate level of access for a particular location. For example, for a geographically organized customer, invoices can be displayed or grouped by location, as by all stores in a particular region. Additional factors can be added and access to client files can be accessed for innumerable possibilities for invoice searches. For example, a user with an appropriate level of access can choose to view all of that customer's invoices in the state of Florida for the last two years. Other categories can be added to filter or summarize the information within those invoices, as desired. The same type of search capabilities can also be implemented to review order information, shipment information, billing information or other information for a series of "by location" activities, as desired by the user. In the end, these searches provide a useful way for users to quickly obtain the desired information in the form of "self-help" on the client interface page, so that interaction with the distributor's personnel and any delay is minimized. or confusion associated with it. Although the examples above have applied customizations primarily by geographical location, such customizations could apply in the same way by personnel in a sales-oriented business, by status in a manufacturing-oriented business, or by any other criteria desired by the customer, distributor, or creator of the electronic page.

Tracking shipping status A specific information feature that is interactive and particularly valuable to many customers is tracking the status of different shipments from the distributor to the customer. Although many common carriers and other shipping companies currently track the status of individual shipments step by step, such increased tracking tends to be less informative than most customers desire. For example, a particular tracked shipment can be indicated as "In truck en route to destination", but there is no information that further details the location of the truck or the approximate amount of time remaining before the actual delivery is made. However, the electronic page of the invention includes a method for tracking a particular shipment in real time through the use of a global positioning system ("GPS") installed in each of the different vehicles of the invention. shipping that said shipment convey, as well as to present that information to customers in real time. Said GPS is available through numerous commercial entities. Shipping companies that enter into a contract with the distributor or creator of the page already receive or already have a GPS unit in each truck, boat, plane or other means of transport used to transport shipments to that distributor. Since the products are then shipped through these shipping companies, not only step-by-step accounting is done for each shipment, but the actual location of the shipping vehicle can be tracked through the electronic page, using signals reported by the GPS. The actual location of the vehicle, as indicated by the GPS in the vehicle, is informed to the distributor and entered directly into the electronic page in real time, where it can be informed to the customer. For the electronic page to send the status of the delivery to the client in a significant way, the website can use one or several software programs or attachments, in addition to those provided by the GPS. Preferably, said program includes at least one commercial interactive online mapping service, such as the PC * Miler® service provided by ALK Technologies, Inc. of Princeton, New Jersey. A software program integrates the GPS signal in real time from a specific shipping vehicle with interactive online mapping service, and a graph of the actual location of any particular tracked shipment is provided on the website. Referring now to Figure 6, a computer screen shot of an example of Send Status Tracking Page 160 of the customer interface page is illustrated. Map 161 is basically the same map that would be provided by the commercial interactive online mapping service and focuses on the location of a shipping vehicle 162. The shipping vehicle 162 is determined as a result of a user input with respect to which shipment should be tracked on an appropriate User Status Tracking page. Once a user enters a shipment to be tracked, the electronic page determines where the shipment is and the correct GPS signal to know if that shipment is actually in a shipping vehicle. Through the interface software, the actual location of the shipping vehicle 162 is entered into the mapping software as the geographic location to be mapped, which then produces the map that is presented. The interactive buttons 163 provide the user with means for zooming in or panning in any direction on the displayed map. Said interactive buttons 163 may be those provided by the mapping service, those provided by the interface software or a combination of both. These buttons can also include, among other features, map details added and a way to graphically show the complete trip of the shipment up to that moment. Other interactive means for manipulating the displayed map, such as introduction tables or scroll bars, are also contemplated. In addition, other interactive buttons, links, features and information can also be displayed on the Send Status Tracking Page 160. As in the case of other web sites, these features may include a permanent toolbar, although the tools can be subsumed for map deployment purposes. Preferably, the details of the shipment 164 are displayed on the screen so that an affirmative acknowledgment of the actual shipment being tracked can be made.

The details of the shipment 164 may include as much or as little information as the user desires, wherein said personalization is available on the page, as previously indicated herein. In addition, one or more specific links 165 may be available to route the user to different pages, such as an order summary, shipment history or CHP. Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be recognized that the invention described above can be implemented in numerous other variations and modalities if deviated from the spirit or essential features of the invention. Certain changes and modifications may be made and it is understood that the invention is not limited by the foregoing details, but rather should be defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for providing a client interface through a computer network comprising; provide at least one computer server; allowing a remote user to establish an account that allows said remote user to use one or more services provided by said at least one computer server; receive information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and a distributor; allowing said remote user to personalize the presentation of said information in said client interface, so that a personalized interface is created; and providing said personalized interface to said user remotely.

2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said computer network comprises the Internet.

3. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said distributor of said client interface is a singular entity.

4. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that access to portions of the client interface beyond a home page is available only to said distributor and to the specified customers of the distributor of said distributor.

5. - The method according to claim 4, further characterized in that said access to the client interface has multiple levels.

6. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that one or several devices related to the business of said provider are connected to said client interface.

7. - The method according to claim 6, further characterized in that at least a portion of said information is entered into said client interface through at least one of said devices related to the business.

8. - The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that at least a portion of said information entered in said client interface through at least one of said devices related to the business is automatically tracked and updated by said client interface.

9. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized by including the step of allowing said remote user to track the specific location of a selected shipment in said client interface.

10. - A method for providing a client interface through the Internet that comprises; provide at least one computer server capable of hosting one or several Internet web pages, wherein said Internet web pages contain information and services of the group consisting of purchase orders, invoices, billing summaries, payments, status inquiries of shipments, access by levels and security data storage, wherein said at least one computer server is able to initiate a client session, send an order to initiate a client program, receive orders from a remote computer, transfer orders to a software session and transmit data to and from said remote computer; allow a remote user to establish an account, wherein said remote user can either use the information and services provided by said at least one computer server or be routed to one or more related computer servers capable of providing the information and services; receive information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and a distributor; and providing hyperlinks within said client interface, wherein at least one of said hyperlinks is configurable by said user remotely.

11. - The method according to claim 10, further characterized in that said distributor of said client interface is a singular entity.

12. - The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that access to portions of the client interface beyond a home page is available only to one or more clients allowed by said distributor.

13. - The method according to claim 12, further characterized in that said access to said client interface has levels.

14. - The method according to claim 10, further characterized in that one or more devices related to the business of said provider are connected to said customer interface and wherein at least a portion of said information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and said provider is introduced in said customer interface through at least one of said one or several devices related to the business independently operable.

15. - The method according to claim 14, further characterized in that at least a portion of said information entered into said customer interface through at least one of said one or several devices related to the business independently operable is automatically tracked and updated by said interface related to the client.

16. The method according to claim 10, further characterized in that at least one of said custom hyperlinks allows said remote user access to files or locations for which said remote user has subscribed specifically.

17. The method according to claim 16, further characterized in that said files are PDF files.

18. A method for providing a client interface through a computer network comprising: providing at least one computer server to host one or several computer network sites; allowing a remote user to establish an account, wherein said remote user may use the services provided by said at least one computer server; store information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and the provider of said client interface; and organizing said information stored in said client interface in accordance with a predetermined characteristic of said remote user.

19. The method according to claim 18, further characterized in that said feature of said remote user corresponds to the geographic territory of said remote user.

20. The method according to claim 18, further characterized in that said feature of said remote user corresponds to an internal organization of said remote user. 21- The method according to claim 18, further characterized in that said feature of said remote user corresponds to a product nomenclature used by said remote user. 22. - A client interface electronic page comprising; at least one computer server to host said Internet webpage; an account for a remote user, wherein said remote user can use services provided through an electronic page; an interface to receive information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and a distributor; and a client interface that allows said remote user to personalize the organization and presentation of said information. 23. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 22, further characterized in that said distributor is a singular entity. 24. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 22, further characterized in that access to portions of the client interface beyond a home page is available only to said distributor and to one or more specified clients. of said distributor. 25. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 24, further characterized in that said access to said client interface has levels. 26. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 22, further characterized in that one or more business-related devices operable independently of said provider are connected to said client interface. 27. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 26, further characterized in that at least a portion of said information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and said distributor is introduced to said client interface to through at least one of said devices related to the business independently operable. 28. - The client interface electronic page according to claim 27, further characterized in that at least a portion of said information entered in said client interface through at least one of said independently operable business-related devices. it is automatically tracked and updated by the client-related interface. 29. The client interface electronic page according to claim 22, further characterized in that it comprises a specific interface that allows one or several of said remote users to track the specific location of a selected shipment. 30.- A system that includes: means to host an electronic page; means to provide access to said Internet web page for a remote user; means to review information corresponding to the business relationship between said remote user and the provider of said Internet website; and means to organize said information in a personalized way by said remote user. 31. - A system comprising: at least one computer server; at least one remote user account that allows a remote user to use one or more services provided by said at least one computer server; data comprising information corresponding to a business relationship between said remote user and a provider of said client interface; and a personalized presentation in said system of at least a portion of said data, wherein the details of said personalized presentation are specified by said remote user. 32. - The system according to claim 31, further characterized in that it comprises an interactive send location tracking feature.