WO2001084447A2 - Systeme base sur un reseau, procede de specification, de commande, et de distribution de biens de consommation personnalises en masse - Google Patents

Systeme base sur un reseau, procede de specification, de commande, et de distribution de biens de consommation personnalises en masse Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001084447A2
WO2001084447A2 PCT/US2001/014298 US0114298W WO0184447A2 WO 2001084447 A2 WO2001084447 A2 WO 2001084447A2 US 0114298 W US0114298 W US 0114298W WO 0184447 A2 WO0184447 A2 WO 0184447A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
customer
server
shoe
applet
order
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/014298
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English (en)
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WO2001084447A8 (fr
Inventor
David L. Ward
David Solk
Irmgard Kreuzer
Mikal Peveto
Original Assignee
Solemates, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Solemates, Inc. filed Critical Solemates, Inc.
Priority to AU2001259427A priority Critical patent/AU2001259427A1/en
Publication of WO2001084447A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001084447A2/fr
Publication of WO2001084447A8 publication Critical patent/WO2001084447A8/fr

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR 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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the design and distribution of consumer merchandise, such as apparel. More particularly, the invention relates to a network-based system and method for specifying and ordering an individually differentiated item of merchandise by a consumer, and delivering the product to the consumer.
  • Mass customization is a manufacturing and delivery process that seeks to provide mass-market goods and services that are individualized to meet the needs and desires of any single customer within the mass market. Typically, individualization is provided with respect to selected product characteristics. Growing numbers of single households and increasingly sophisticated consumers are no longer satisfied with mass-produced goods. Thus, the demand for high-quality, personalized or customized products is growing rapidly.
  • Mass customization is an information-intensive activity, requiring that the producer possesses detailed knowledge of the needs and desires of the target market, and, indeed, the individual customer.
  • WWW-based e-commerce has greatly simplified the task of effectively communicating with customers by producers and in managing customer relationships.
  • gathering and using the large volume of data necessary to produce an individualized product has been greatly facilitated by the proliferation of Internet-based e-commerce.
  • New developments, both in the software and hardware domains have enabled the development of sophisticated methods of supply chain management and just-in-time manufacturing typical of mass customization.
  • furniture is increasingly mass-customized.
  • Automobiles are another example of a mass-customized product.
  • Toys, such as BarbieTM dolls, can be individually configured by the customer, and fabricated and delivered, for a price only slightly higher than that for a similar, mass-produced, off-the-shelf product.
  • the prior art provides several examples of mass-customization in the consumer apparel industries.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,873,643 (October 10, 1989) describes an interactive design terminal for creating graphic designs to be imprinted on items of sportswear, such as T- shirts.
  • the terminal may take the form of a kiosk for use by a customer in a business such as a T-shirt shop, or the operator may be an employee.
  • Various graphic design elements are provided on a display element. The operator selects the design elements by means of a keyboard, a mouse or a touch screen. When the design is finalized, an order form is generated, which is printed on a conventional printer. Additionally, the system can also print an actual screen of the design.
  • the system is intended to be deployed in a retail environment, it doesn't contemplate an e-commerce deployment, in which the customer may be access the design tool from home or workplace using his or her own computer. Additionally, the design allows customizing of only one parameter, the design to be imprinted on the article of clothing.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,206,804 (April 27, 1993) describe an integrated system for producing custom-fitted shoes.
  • a customer visits a retail location where their feet are measured b y means of an optical scanning device; fitting data are generated from the scanned image.
  • the customer selects a shoe style from an online style catalog composed of electronic images.
  • the customer provides biographical data such as address, along with various preference data.
  • the order is routed to a manufacturing facility, whereupon the manufacture assembles the customer's shoes. If the manufacturer has an appropriate last in inventory, the shoes are built on the existing last.
  • the shoe provided is a stock shoe, and not manufactured to order, and the model described is a retail-based model, in which the customer deals with an intermediary in a store, rather than the manufacturer.
  • the retailer and the manufacturer both must maintain inventories of goods and materials, thus minimizing any advantages in supply chain management.
  • the customer's choices are limited to the preselected styles provided; no design features of the shoes may be customized. Additionally, customers may find it distasteful to try on sample shoes that have previously been tried on by a large number of other people.
  • Design terminals are located at retail locations. The customer selects patterns and fabrics from printed catalogues and specifies them to the design terminal using an alphanumeric descriptor. In response to prompts from the design terminal, the customer specifies custom design details, such as pocket type. In some cases, hem length, for example, the customer draws the feature on a displayed image of the garment using a device such as a stylus. As the customer selects the various options, the garment image displayed on the terminal is updated to reflect the customer's choices.
  • the customer finalizes the design and pays for the garment with the assistance of an attendant.
  • the design data are routed to a manufacturing facility, where a pattern is cut, and the garment assembled.
  • the described system offers the customer some latitude in adding custom details to stock garment patterns.
  • the design process is rendered cumbersome because patterns and fabrics must be specified from print catalogues, rather than an online catalog.
  • the design process is modal in nature, providing only limited interactivity, consisting mostly of answering 'yes' and 'no' questions posed by the design software.
  • the system employs a traditional retail model, in which the customer must go to a retail outlet and deal with an intermediary.
  • a web application for customizing athletic shoes is provided on the Internet at "www.nike.com.”
  • the application is launched using a web browser on a client computer.
  • the web application utilizes the Internet as an e-commerce platform to sell directly from manufacturer to consumer.
  • the customer chooses from a number of pre-selected shoe styles by selecting an image of the shoe style with the pointing device of their computer. After selecting a style, the customer is given the opportunity to customize the shoe colors by selecting from a succession of color swatch menus. Additionally, the customer may specify a custom ID to be placed on the side of the shoes. As the customer makes his or her selections, an image of the shoe is updated to reflect the customer's choices.
  • the customer Upon final approval of the finished design, the customer provides their shoe size and delivery and payment information.
  • the shoes After the shoes are fabricated, they are delivered to the address specified by the customer after a period of two or three weeks.
  • the design options provided by this application are extremely limited, consisting only of a few color options. Interactivity is also very limited, undoubtedly b y the fact that the application is a web application, running from an application server.
  • the design application is primarily modal in nature; although the customer may go backwards to change a choice, when moving forward through the design process, a particular sequence of steps must be followed. In addition, the application must be reset in order to start over.
  • Running the application from an application server requires the continual exchange of large amounts of data between the user's computer and the server. Thus, user wait time is adversely affected by server load, network traffic and other factors that are not easily controlled.
  • the invention provides a network-based system and method for specifying, ordering, and distributing mass-customized consumer soft goods, such as apparel and shoes.
  • the mass-customization system relies on publicly-accessible telecommunications networks.
  • the invention uses the Internet.
  • An engaging, highly-interactive design interface is provided that allows a customer to design an individualized product.
  • the interface is event-driven to allow the customer to move between the steps of the design process in their own preferred order.
  • an image of the product is updated in realtime, promptly allowing the customer so see the effect of their design choices. Menus of options for each of the item features are readily accessed simply by clicking on the feature in the displayed image of the product.
  • the design interface is provided as a client-side applet. Because the applet primarily uses the computing resources of the customer's computer, rather than those of a server, the design interface is able to make rich use of graphical images and provide a comprehensive variety of user-friendly features that are resource- intensive and that would be impractical in an application run from an application server.
  • the design tool is downloaded to the customer's computer from a WWW site positioned to attract consumers who are seeking alternatives to existing mainstream brands of merchandise.
  • the web site is specifically designed to optimize ease-of-use, and provide additional value to the customer by being engaging and entertaining.
  • a specification is generated, which is routed to a central server.
  • a second interface is provided, for use by the manufacturing facility, to download the specification from the server and access it, whereupon the materials for the product are assembled and the product fabricated.
  • the finished product is delivered to the address specified by the customer.
  • a 'Help desk' facilitates communication between the vendor and the customer, and allows the vendor to quickly respond to and resolve customer complaints and problems.
  • An administrative tool is provided for accessing customer accounts, web site maintenance, accounting purposes, and other important administrative and housekeeping functions.
  • the system allows marketing of individualized products directly to the consumer from the manufacturer, without the intervention of a retailer.
  • the consumer is able to design, order and receive a customized product without ever having to leave their home or workplace.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a system and method for designing and specifying customized athletic shoes over the Worldwide Web.
  • a broad range of shoe types and styles is provided.
  • the vendor is able to offer an extremely fine level of customization, allowing the customer to specify almost every detail of a shoe's appearance.
  • Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a network-based system for specifying, ordering and distributing articles of mass-customized consumer goods according to the invention
  • Figure 2 illustrates a home page from a web site in the system of Figure 1 according to the invention
  • Figure 3 illustrates a page from an online catalog on the web site of Figure 2 providing a selection of shoe styles available to be individualized by customers according to the invention
  • Figure 4 shows a detailed illustration from one of the shoe styles provided in the catalogue of Figure 3 according to the invention
  • Figure 5 illustrates the design interface of a client-side applet for customizing shoes in the system of Figure 1 according to the invention
  • Figure 6 illustrates a menu of options for a single design feature from the design interface of Figure 5 according to the invention
  • Figure 7 provides a diagram of a process for rendering customizable features of a shoe design as zones, wherein a zone is selectable using a mouse or other pointing device according to the invention
  • Figure 8 illustrates a form for specifying a shoe size and a custom monogram, from the web site of Figure 2 according to the invention
  • Figure 9 illustrates a form for providing a delivery address, from the web site of Figure 2 according to the invention.
  • Figure 10 shows a finalized order, ready for processing according to the invention.
  • the invention provides a network-based system and method for specification, ordering and distribution of mass-customized consumer soft goods, such as apparel.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a system and method for customizing shoes, by a customer, that employs a publicly accessible telecommunications network, such as the Internet.
  • a publicly accessible telecommunications network such as the Internet.
  • applications directed to other products, using various network environments and platforms are entirely consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.
  • the invention allows customers to utilize a computing device, such as a desktop or notebook computer, connected to the Internet, to design their own "one-of-a-kind" products by selecting their own materials, coloring each component of the product, choosing their own logos and graphics and applying their own monogram or statement. After designing the product, the customer is able to order the product directly from the supplier, without the necessity of visiting a retail location or working through any sort of intermediary or middleman.
  • FIG. 1 a block diagram of the invented system is shown. As shown, three distinct classes of users interact with the system:
  • Administrator 104 the administrator performs a dual role: the system administrator that performs general administration of the site and Help desk administrator who provides help desk services to customers. In actual fact, the administrator may be the same user, or different users.
  • the customer computer 101 and the factory computer 103 are connected to a server 102.
  • the administrator 104 may have direct access to the server, or administrator access to the server 102 may be by means of a remote computing device, as in the case of the customer and the factory.
  • users connect to the server over a dial-up connection.
  • the server 102 is a conventional web server.
  • the server function may also be distributed over several machines, for example a web server, an application server and an email server.
  • Housed on the server is a web site 106 that includes an online catalogue.
  • the user may access the online catalog from their own computing device, typically located in their home or workplace.
  • the online catalog includes images and descriptions of the various shoe types and styles available.
  • the web site adds value by also being informative, entertaining and engaging. To this end, a number of additional features are provided.
  • Figure 2 shows a personal homepage 200 to the web site 106.
  • customers are encouraged to register, creating password- accessible accounts for themselves.
  • Login may be manual (not shown) or automatic, using conventional cookie technology.
  • the web page provides a number of clickable images that include hyperlinks to the various functional areas of the site.
  • a button bearing the legend 'start designing here' 201 provides access to an applet for customizing a selected shoe style, described in greater detail below.
  • a 'sign off' button 202 logs the customer out.
  • a third button 202 allows the customer to check the status of an order by accessing the help desk 1 10.
  • 'New models' 204 displays images of new items added to the product mix since the customer's last visit.
  • a 'style gallery' button 205 provides access to a gallery of styles that may give the customer ideas and inspiration for designing their own shoes.
  • a further button 206 navigates the customer to a page for ordering a gift certificate. Access to other features, described in the tables below 207 is provided. A variety of features and use cases for the customer user are described below:
  • Purpose Identifies a user to the system. User specific information such as the personal portfolio can then be displayed to the user.
  • the login page is redisplayed to the user with an error message informing that user that the user id is invalid.
  • the login page is redisplayed with the user id field populated.
  • An error message is displayed indicating that the password was invalid. If the user's account has been disabled the login screen will be redisplayed with a message indicating the account has been disabled.
  • the cookie If the cookie references an invalid user that no longer can be automatically logged in then the cookie is deleted from the client's browser and the auto- login process terminates. User is taken to the generic home page.
  • the system ensures that the username is valid and unused (see Alternate Course 3).
  • the user name may be up to 64 characters in length.
  • the system ensures that the reminder phrase is valid (length ⁇ 128 characters) and that the reminder answer is valid (length ⁇ 64 characters) (see Alternate Course 2).
  • the system ensures that the email address is correct (see Alternate Course 2).
  • a new customer entry is created and made persistent.
  • JavaScript detects an error.
  • a dialog box is displayed that notifies the user of the error.
  • Server detects an error.
  • the registration page is redisplayed with correct fields populated and an error message is displayed to the user.
  • the registration page is redisplayed with correct fields populated and an error message indicating that the user id is already in use.
  • the server will not suggest alternatives based on the original id typed in. But the server will suggest that the user use his email address as the user id since this is expected to be unique.
  • Purpose Allows a customer to change/update his profile.
  • the profile consists of the data entered during registration.
  • JavaScript detects an error.
  • a dialog box is displayed that notifies the user of the error.
  • Server detects an error.
  • the profile page is redisplayed with correct fields populated and an error message is displayed to the user.
  • Purpose Provides an alternative method for a user to login in case she forgot her password. The assumption here is that the user doesn't have immediate access to email.
  • the server then creates the order and makes it persistent in the database.
  • the order is put into the order queue with a state "New Order” and is ready to be processed by the factory (see Appendix B).
  • the credit card information is stored in the database with the authorization code.
  • the funds are not captured at this time (this will occur when the shoe is shipped).
  • the credit card is stored in the database in case the authorization expires before the shoe is complete in which case the transaction will have to be reauthorized.
  • the length of the authorization will depend on the merchant bank agreements but is usually only guaranteed to be valid for 24 hrs.
  • the balance will be added to the customer's gift certificate account and the value of the gift certificate will be set to zero.
  • the server next displays the order summary to the user again in a form that is suitable for printing.
  • the order summary will now contain an order id. If the user is logged in the order status will be available in his account (see My Account use case). The order status will be displayed as "In Production” even though the factory hasn't yet received it. On the Help Desk the order status will be displays as "New Order"
  • the order form will provide a mechanism for the user to log in. The user will either click on a "login" widget that takes the user to the login screen or will enter his user id and password directly in the order form (see Login use case). After completing the login process the user will be returned to the original order form.
  • JavaScript detects an error. A dialog box is displayed that notifies the user of the error. The form is not submitted to the server.
  • CyberSource may detect several errors may occur in this process.
  • the shipping address may be invalid or the credit card cannot be authorized for the transaction, In either case the page will be redisplayed to the user with the appropriate error message. All fields will still be populated with the valid data the user entered.
  • the customer may cancel the order process by clicking on the "Cancel" widget. In this case a confirmation dialog is displayed to the user before returning to the Customatix home page.
  • Contents of home page depend on whether the customer is registered and either has enabled auto-login or is already logged in.
  • Purpose Allows the customer to view the current design of the week.
  • the server will retum a message indicating that the shoe needs to be complete before if can be emailed.
  • JavaScript will alert the user if there is invalid data. The user will be able to proceed until the error is fixed.
  • Purpose Allows a customer to remove shoes from the personal portfolio.
  • Client side JavaScript verifies that data was entered in the required fields. The request is then sent to the server.
  • the shoe is entered into fie " customatix administrator's queue of design of the week entries.
  • Server either returns the customer's portfolio or continues in the ordering process. Note during the checkout process the customer may also submit a shoe (if the customer is logged in) in which case the next page in the ordering process is returned to the customer.
  • the user may specify and store her shoe size in her profile.
  • JavaScript detects an error.
  • a dialog box is displayed that notifies the user of the error.
  • the form is not submitted to the server.
  • Server detects an error and redisplays the page with information Indicating the error (i.e. monogram length too long or monogram missing).
  • Purpose Allows a customer to make a charitable donation while ordering a shoe.
  • a user may purchase a gift certificate which may subsequently be used by another user to purchase a pair of shoes.
  • Purpose Provides mechanism to visit chat room.
  • Purpose Provides mechanism to visit bulletin.
  • the web site includes an online catalog of shoe styles and designs to be customized by the customer. Access to the online catalog is gained as previously described.
  • Figure 3 illustrates a page 300 from the online catalog on the web site, providing a selection of shoe styles available to be individualized by customers. The customer selects a particular style from the selection provided simply by mouse- clicking the desired image, whereupon the customer is navigated to a page 400 as shown in Figure 4, which shows a large view of the selected shoe from multiple angles. As shown in Figure 4, a side, a rear, a sole and a detail view of the lacing are provided. After viewing the shoe, the customer may select a 'back' tab 401 to navigate to the previous page, or they may select a 'go' tab 402 to launch a shoe designer application that will allow them to edit the various customizable features of the selected shoe style.
  • the shoe designer application 105 is stored on the server 102.
  • the shoe designer application is downloaded to the customer's computing device 101.
  • the design interface provided by the shoe designer application constitutes the key component of the invented system: it is b y means of this interface that customers design and define their custom shoes.
  • the interface allows a customer to easily edit any customizable feature (zone) of a shoe.
  • the interface minimizes user down time.
  • a 20- second rule should be applied: a user should not have to wait for more than 20 seconds for an action to complete.
  • the shoe designer application is implemented as a signed JAVA applet.
  • the key benefits of an applet are:
  • the design applet is merely stored on the server.
  • an instance of the applet is downloaded to the customer computer.
  • the applet executes on the customer computer, using the customer computer's resources. 'Signing' the applet allows data to be cached (written and read) on the customer computer. Caching data and images related to the shoe design process on the customer machine provides significant performance benefits. After an initial down load of data from the server, subsequent downloads of the same data are unnecessary as it can be read from local disk.
  • Another advantage of signing the applet is that the application data that is normally supplied by the server can now be distributed on a removable medium, such as a CD.
  • the removable medium can be distributed as a marketing tool, which, when installed, not only pre-loads the application cache, but may also install some customer presentation and marketing communications. Also, the installation of the CD also puts a shortcut on the customer's desktop through which the web site can be quickly accessed.
  • Figure 5 shows the first screen displayed to the customer after the design applet is launched.
  • the workspace is a window.in a web browser.
  • a view of the sole, side and rear views, and a detail view of the lacing are provided.
  • the customer can edit each customizable feature.
  • Each screen provides a menu of options for the feature highlighted by that screen.
  • Figure 6 provides a screen 600 for specifying an outsole bottom graphic and heel ID graphic. As shown, forty separate options are provided for that particular feature. The options are displayed as a menu 601 of thumbnail images, which the customer selects from by clicking the desired image with a pointing device, such as a mouse. Following each selection, the shoe images are updated, in real-time to display the customer's selection of option.
  • Shoe features that may be customized include, but are not limited to:
  • a two-dimensional image of a shoe is de-composed into various "zones" (e.g. mid-sole, laces, etc.) corresponding to customizable features, each represented as a layer 701.
  • a layer is understood to mean an image that only contains data for a specific zone of a shoe. Outside of that zone, the layer contains transparent data. Because layers contain transparent data, the image for the entire shoe 702 can be generated from layers by simply super-imposing all of the layers of the shoe.
  • a bottom view of a shoe could b e decomposed into three separate customizable zones: the sole, the mid-sole, and a highlight on the sole. Layers could be created for each of these zones.
  • each of these zones-images would result in an image representation of the bottom view of a shoe.
  • the shoe design applet collects the various layers for that view and super-imposes them in order to display the view of the shoe to the customer.
  • Layer Ordering Layers have a rendering order 703.
  • the rendering order specifies the order in which the various layers are to be rendered on the screen.
  • the rendering order ensures that each zone is properly displayed, even when the various layers contain intersecting data.
  • the rendering order places a layer containing a logo at or near the top of the order, so that the logo is rendered correctly and is visible and the underlying images do not have to contain transparent regions where the logo is rendered.
  • Layer (Zone) Selection In order to customize a zone, a customer needs to be able to select a zone. Given an image that represents a view of the shoe, a user selects a zone within that image b y simply clicking with the mouse in the appropriate region of the image 704. The applet detects which zone was selected by searching for the first layer that does not contain transparent data at the location where the mouse was clicked. Once the layer is identified, the applet highlights the zone for the particular view. This may be done b y graying-out the other layers, or surrounding the selected layer with a selection marquee that is readily visible. The search order of the layer set is the reverse of the rendering order (i.e. starting from the topmost layer towards the bottom layer).
  • An "Add Logo” button image appears outside of the shoe image. 5. The user can click on this image if she wants a logo added back to the shoe.
  • the "Add Logo” image functions in the same way as any other zone on the shoe.
  • the layer containing the "Add Logo” contains transparent data outside of the "Add Logo” image. Mouse clicks on the image are detected in the same way and rendering of the layer does not change.
  • the layer file format is GIF.
  • GIF provides loss-less compression and can contain transparent regions.
  • Regions outside of a zone represented by a layer is transparent. Layers are in gray scale with texturing applied. Colors can be applied to the zone images while maintaining the texturing.
  • the visible data in multiple layers should not intersect. This is mainly for the purpose of minimizing the zone image size.
  • Layers have a rendering order.
  • an order 107 is generated and transmitted to the server.
  • the order includes:
  • the customer orders the shoe by clicking a 'buy' button 504 in the design interface.
  • a second stage of the customization process is incorporated into the ordering process.
  • the ordering process occurs through a conventional client-server interaction between the customer computer and the server.
  • the customer is given the opportunity to select a monogram and specify a shoe size.
  • text boxes for left and right foot 801 are provided for specifying a monogram and pull-down menus 802 are provided for selecting a shoe size.
  • data describing the design are transmitted to the server, where a specification is generated.
  • the process of providing delivery information and payment information has been previously described.
  • conventional HTML forms, with associated scripts, as shown by Figure 9 are provided.
  • Figure 1 0 shows, the customer is given a final opportunity to review the order details, and selecting the order tab 1002 places the order.
  • the factory 103 downloads orders 107 from the server. From the order, the factory produces a finished product 108, which is shipped to the customer.
  • the factory downloads orders 107 from the server. From the order, the factory produces a finished product 108, which is shipped to the customer.
  • Factory worker double clicks on a Desktop application starts. While it is desktop icon. running it periodically checks for new orders. The frequency with which it checks for new orders will be configurable. The display will b e updated to display the number of new orders that have not yet been printed. RETRIEVE PENDING ORDERS
  • Orders widget that will allow the factory worker to retrieve orders in XML format via a http/https connection.
  • the worker can also select "File” from the available printers dialog box. This activates the functionality to print a PDF file to a local location rather than to a printer.
  • "File” is chosen from the dropdown menu, an edit box below the dropdown menu becomes enabled. The location of the file can then be entered or a "browse" widget can be clicked by the factory worker which will bring up a directory locator dialog box to so that the factory worker can move through a directory tree to select a PDF deposit directory.
  • Purpose Describes how a factory worker may print all orders in the new order tabbed pane.
  • the order can't be printed.
  • the application displays an error dialog that indicates the order could not be printed and the order is left in the same tabbed pane with the same status. The application then goes on to print the rest of the orders.
  • the web server cannot be updated to the new orderstate for a particular order or multiple orders.
  • the application display an error dialog that indicates the orderstate could not be updated on the web server.
  • the order will still be printed and be moved to the proper tabbed pane (production or cancelled) with the new order status.
  • the order can't be printed.
  • the application displays an error dialog that indicates the order could not be printed and the order is left in the same tabbed pane with the same status.
  • the web server cannot be updated to the new orderstate.
  • the splay an error dialog that indicates the orderstate could not be updated on the web server.
  • the order will still be printed and be moved to the proper tabbed pane (production or cancelled) with the new order status.
  • Production tabbed pane The application changes the factory status on the order to "Production Order" to reflect that the invoice has been printed for that order.
  • An order invoice can't be printed.
  • the application displays an error dialog that indicates the order invoice could not be printed and the order is left with the same status. Invoices for the rest of the orders will continue to print.
  • Purpose Describes how a factory worker may select and print a single invoice for an order.
  • Production tabbed pane The application gathers the order data on the local server XML file to show that the invoice has been printed.
  • the order invoice can't be printed.
  • the application displays an error dialog that indicates the order invoice could not be printed and the order is left with the same status.
  • Order does not have a "Production Order” factory status, then it cannot be shipped, in this case a dialog box will be presented to the factory worker, alerting him/her that some order that were selected do not have a valid factory status for shipping and that those orders will not be shipped.
  • Order is not successfully updated on the remote web server via http/https, it will still be included in the batch file and moved into the "Shipped" tabbed pane, but will b e given a factory status of "Web Failure". If an order has been given a status of "Web Failure" and the tracking number will be stored within the XML file, it should b e communicated (including sending the XML file containing the assigned tracking number) to the System Administrator or DBA who will then be able to manually update the database.
  • an administrator 104 performs a variety of administrative tasks and functions using an administrative module 109, resident on the server. Immediately below are described a variety of administrative features and use cases.
  • Purpose Identifies the administrator to the system. Once the administrator has been authenticated he/she may perform the standard administration tasks.
  • the system administrator enters an identifier and password used by the system to authenticate the administrator.
  • the system administration home page is displayed.
  • Admin - Disable Account Actors System Administrator Purpose:To disable a customer's account.
  • Dependencies Admin must be logged in.
  • Cross-references Admin Login Typical Course of events:
  • Purpose Allows an administrator to select the design of the week. Once the design of the week is selected it is automatically applied to the customatix web site.
  • Purpose Describes the method that will be used to integrate with accounting packages.
  • Scripts will generate files that can b e loaded into the accounting system.
  • Admin Toaci tHe date ⁇ t ⁇ tRe accounting system.
  • a help desk 110 provides customer service.
  • An administrator 104 interacts with the help desk module 110 on the server 102.
  • help desk features and use cases are described.
  • Purpose Identifies the help desk administrator to the system. Once the administrator has been authenticated he/she may perform the standard administration tasks.
  • This use case is identical to the Admin Login use case.
  • Help desk admin must have completed Help Desk - Log into Customer Account use case.
  • Purpose Allows the help desk to find the status of an order.
  • Help desk looks up the order and reports the status to the customer.
  • Cross-references Help Desk - Login
  • the invention is embodied as both a system for specification, manufacture and distribution of mass-customized consumer merchandise and a corresponding method.
  • An additional embodiment of the invention is provided in the shoe design application as described above.
  • a still further embodiment of the invention is provided in the form of a computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium that includes computer readable code for performing the various steps of the shoe design process.
  • the several embodiments of the invention are implemented using conventional methods of computer programming known to those skilled in the art.
  • the invention may be realized using any of a number of programming languages, including scripting languages such as JAVASCRIPT, VBSCRIPT, and PERL, interpreted languages, such as JAVA, or compiled languages such as C++.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système basé sur un réseau et un procédé permettant de spécifier, commander, et distribuer des biens de consommation courante personnalisés en masse, tels que des vêtements et des chaussures, qui présente une interface hautement interactive, de conception dirigée par les événements permettant à un client de concevoir un produit personnalisé sans suivre une séquence prédéterminée. Une image du produit est mise à jour en temps réel, ce que permet au client de prévoir ses choix de conception. L'interface de conception est fournie sous forme d'une mini-application côté client conçue pour utiliser les ressources informatiques de l'ordinateur du client, plutôt que celles d'un serveur. Un mode de réalisation fournit un système et un procédé permettant de concevoir et de spécifier des chaussures personnalisées sur l'Internet. L'outil de conception de chaussures hautement interactif permet au vendeur d'offrir un niveau de personnalisation extrêmement fin, le client pouvant spécifier presque chaque détail de l'apparence d'une chaussure. Ce système permet à des clients de concevoir, de commander, et de recevoir des produits personnalisés directement des fabricants sans quitter leur domicile ou leur poste de travail.
PCT/US2001/014298 2000-05-04 2001-05-02 Systeme base sur un reseau, procede de specification, de commande, et de distribution de biens de consommation personnalises en masse WO2001084447A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2001259427A AU2001259427A1 (en) 2000-05-04 2001-05-02 Network-based system and method for specification, ordering and distribution of mass-customized consumer merchandise

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US20208500P 2000-05-04 2000-05-04
US60/202,085 2000-05-04

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WO2001084447A2 true WO2001084447A2 (fr) 2001-11-08
WO2001084447A8 WO2001084447A8 (fr) 2003-10-09

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AU (1) AU2001259427A1 (fr)
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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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WO2003014859A2 (fr) * 2001-08-03 2003-02-20 Saale Net Gmbh Procede pour presenter des produits en ligne
EP1563462A2 (fr) * 2002-11-06 2005-08-17 Vistaprint Technologies Limited Systeme d'images composites personnalise et procede associe
US7415162B2 (en) 2003-05-27 2008-08-19 Zaxel Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for lossless data transformation with preprocessing by adaptive compression, multidimensional prediction, multi-symbol decoding enhancement enhancements
US7428341B2 (en) 2003-05-27 2008-09-23 Zaxel Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for lossless data transformation with preprocessing by adaptive compression, multidimensional prediction, multi-symbol decoding enhancement enhancements
US8606652B2 (en) 2010-12-20 2013-12-10 Target Brands, Inc. Topical page layout
US8838482B2 (en) 2002-05-25 2014-09-16 Owayo Gmbh Method for the production of printed items of clothing made from textile material
USD715818S1 (en) 2011-12-28 2014-10-21 Target Brands, Inc. Display screen with graphical user interface
US10035340B1 (en) 2017-03-06 2018-07-31 Infinite Numbering, LLC Screen printing process
CN114061607A (zh) * 2021-11-12 2022-02-18 浙江数智交院科技股份有限公司 一种改进的导航系统及导航方法

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US8972895B2 (en) 2010-12-20 2015-03-03 Target Brands Inc. Actively and passively customizable navigation bars
US8965788B2 (en) 2011-07-06 2015-02-24 Target Brands, Inc. Search page topology
US9024954B2 (en) 2011-12-28 2015-05-05 Target Brands, Inc. Displaying partial logos

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003014859A3 (fr) * 2001-08-03 2003-10-23 Saale Net Gmbh Procede pour presenter des produits en ligne
WO2003014859A2 (fr) * 2001-08-03 2003-02-20 Saale Net Gmbh Procede pour presenter des produits en ligne
US8838482B2 (en) 2002-05-25 2014-09-16 Owayo Gmbh Method for the production of printed items of clothing made from textile material
US9961951B2 (en) 2002-05-25 2018-05-08 Owayo Gmbh Method for the production of printed items of clothing made from textile material
EP1563462A2 (fr) * 2002-11-06 2005-08-17 Vistaprint Technologies Limited Systeme d'images composites personnalise et procede associe
US7415162B2 (en) 2003-05-27 2008-08-19 Zaxel Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for lossless data transformation with preprocessing by adaptive compression, multidimensional prediction, multi-symbol decoding enhancement enhancements
US7515762B2 (en) 2003-05-27 2009-04-07 Zaxel Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for lossless data transformation with preprocessing by adaptive compression, multidimensional prediction, multi-symbol decoding enhancement enhancements
US7428341B2 (en) 2003-05-27 2008-09-23 Zaxel Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for lossless data transformation with preprocessing by adaptive compression, multidimensional prediction, multi-symbol decoding enhancement enhancements
US8606652B2 (en) 2010-12-20 2013-12-10 Target Brands, Inc. Topical page layout
USD715818S1 (en) 2011-12-28 2014-10-21 Target Brands, Inc. Display screen with graphical user interface
US10035340B1 (en) 2017-03-06 2018-07-31 Infinite Numbering, LLC Screen printing process
US10322576B1 (en) 2017-03-06 2019-06-18 Infinite Numbering, LLC Screen printing apparatus with pivoting frames
CN114061607A (zh) * 2021-11-12 2022-02-18 浙江数智交院科技股份有限公司 一种改进的导航系统及导航方法

Also Published As

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AU2001259427A1 (en) 2001-11-12
WO2001084447A8 (fr) 2003-10-09

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