Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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System and method for facilitating transactions involving
distribution of equipment and post-installation supply
and/or service of the equipment
This invention generally relates to the field of
electronic commerce, and to a system and method for
facilitatingKequipment-related transactions that require
a continuing relationship with a customer following
installation of the equipment. For example, the system
and method of the invention may be used to facilitate
sale or leasing of equipment, including follow-up service
or supply, or the system and method of the invention may
involve distribution of equipment incident to' a post
installation supply or service contract.
More particularly, the invention relates to a system and
method that enables a customer to, from a remote location
using an open network such as the Internet, perform the
following actions relating to sale, lease, and/or
distribution of equipment: (i) remotely request a
proposal or information related to equipment offered for
sale, lease, or distribution as part of a bundled
services/supply contract, (ii) place an order for the
equipment; (iii) request information concerning
accounting and/or status of the order from manufacture to
installation; and (iv) monitor and/or control the
equipment following installation and, if needed, (v)
determine the location or coordinates of the equipment.
The invention thus enables a customer to follow on a
daily basis the progress of manufacture, shipping, and
installation of the equipment, to monitor running and
supply of the equipment following installation; and
CONFIRMATION COPY
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further to access to real costs associated with
installation and running of the equipment.
In addition, the invention relates to a system and method
that enables not only the customer, but also the
distributor or manufacturer of the equipment to monitor
the progress of a sale, lease, or distribution of the
equipment, including monitoring of the manufacture,
shipping, andlor installation of the device, and to
further monitor and/or control the equipment following
installation in order to monitor and/or schedule the need
for services or supplies related to use of the equipment.
Systems and methods that utilize the Internet to
facilitate ordering and shipping of consumer items are
well-Jcnown. In addition, it has been proposed to use the
Internet to facilitate the supply of parts used in
manufacturing, and for the purpose of inventory
management in general. In general, in these systems, the
purchaser uses the Internet to contact the manufacturer
or~distributor of the product and, in many cases, pay for
the product, after which the relationship between the
customer and the supplier is terminated.
In many industries, however, the sale of a product is
only the beginning of a relationship between the seller
and the customer. If the product is in the form of
equipment, defined most broadly as any device requiring
continuing service and/or supplies following
distribution, the relationship may involve extensive pre-
and post-installation contact between the customer and
the supplier, between the customer and the equipment, and
between the supplier and the equipment. In many cases,
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the supplier of equipment does not begin to manufacture
the equipment until a sale is completed, and must keep
the customer informed of progress in manufacture, as well
as shipping and delivery or installation date s. In
addition,' the customer may require post-installation
service or maintenance calls, or deliver of supplies over
an extended period following installation.
Despite the potential for realizing significant
efficiencies from integration of pre- and post-
installation functions, which benefits have been realized
in other areas of commerce such as inventory management
and the supply of parts for manufacturing, current e-
commerce systems do not provide for such integrated pre-
and post-installation, and thus businesses involving
sakes of equipment requiring extensive pre- ,or post-
installation contact between the customer and supplier
have generally had to rely on pre-Internet contracting
systems and methods, even though the equipment sold or
contracted-for might be state-of-the-art computerized
equipment.
At present, the Internet is used only to facilitate sales
and to track shipping. Many electronic commerce sites
offer the option of tracking shipping and delivery dates,
but none offers the possibility of tracking progress in
manufacture and of locating the coordinates of the
equipment with fixed installation. Once the equipment is
installed or delivered to the customer, the seller may
schedule automatic deliveries or service calls, but
deliveries or service calls at times other than those
listed on the schedule must be initiated by the customer.
In some cases, the location of the customer or user of
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the equipment might not even be known and thus even
automatic deliveries or service calls cannot be
scheduled, there being no possibility using present
systems of making use of WAP, GPS, or the Internet to
locate the customer or user.
It is accordingly a first objective of the invention to
provide an electronic commerce system which integrates
not only the processes of ordering and delivering
equipment, but also manufacture of the equipment and the
provision of supplies or services following delivery and
installation.
It is a second objective of the invention to provide a
system and method for facilitating transactions involving
sale, leasing, manufacture, and/or delivery of equipment,
and which further enables monitoring of the equipment
following installation or delivery so as to optimize or
facilitate delivery of supplies and services, thereby
providing an integrated commerce system that ensures a
steady stream of revenue for a particular product with a
minimum of overhead.
It is a third objective of the invention to provide a
system and method of facilitating sale, leasing, or
distribution of equipment by providing for tracking
and/or monitoring of the equipment during manufacture, as
well as during shipping, delivery, and/or installation.
It is a fourth objective of the invention to provide a
method of selling, leasing, or otherwise distributing
equipment, and of providing post-delivery or post-
installation services or products in an integrated
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manner.
It is a fifth objective of the invention to provide a
system and method of providing or facilitating accounting
5 services related to the sale, leasing, distribution,
manufacture, installation, and use of equipment and
corresponding post-installation products or services.
It is a sixth objective of the invention to provide a
system and method of locating the exact coordinates of
the fixed equipment and maintaining visual and audio
contact after installation, thereby offering the
additional possibilities of locating the final
destination and coordinates of the equipment after
initial delivery to a different location, viewing a live
image of the, equipment, and/or listening to the actual
sound emitted by the equipment using an open network such
as WAP, GPS, and the Internet.
It is a seventh objective of the invention to provide a
remote system and method of controlling and distributing
the electricity and/or power needs of the equipment and
accessories to provide an efficient use of the equipment.
These objectives are achieved, in accordance with the
principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by
providing an electronic commerce system featuring an
Internet website that permits a customer to request
information, request a proposal, and/or to order a
device, which permits the customer to request accounting
information on pending or existing orders, and on the
status of manufacturing, delivery, and installation at
the customer's plant of ordered equipment, and which
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further permits the customer and/or the manufacturer,
distributor, or other interested party to monitor use of
the equipment following installation. To permit
monitoring and/or control of the equipment, the equipment
simply needs to be connected with a monitoring and/or
controlling device, and the monitoring and/or controlling
device needs to be connectable for data transfer over the
Internet to the customer's website.
These objectives are further achieved, in accordance with
the principles .of the preferred embodiment of the
invention, by providing an electronic commerce method
featuring the provision of an Internet website that
permits a customer to request information, request a
proposal, and/or to order a device, which permits the
customer to request accounting information on pending or
existing orders, and on the status of manufacturing,
delivery, and installation at the customer's plant of
ordered equipment, and which further permits the customer
and/or the manufacturer, distributor, or other interested
party to monitor and/or control use of the equipment
following installation. According to. the method of the
invention, the equipment may be sold or leased
separately, or may be distributed as part of a supply or
service contract, which may be negotiated through the
website.
By way of example, the device in question may be a
compressed air system, and the product provided following
installation may be in the form of compressed air. The
system and method of the invention enables the
manufacturer or a distributor of compressors to monitor
and/or control complete compressor installation of a
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number of customers through the intermediary of a device
which monitors and/or controls compressed air usage and
electricity/power consumption or requirements, and which
makes the information available to the manufacturer or
distributor over the Internet.
From the day a customer's compressor installation is
started up, ;the installation is remotely monitored via
the Internet, so that the supplier of compressed air can
determine how much air is being consumed, how much energy
and/or electricity is being consumed, how much money the
customer owes, and when servicing is needed. As a
result, it is possible to eliminate the need to even sell
or lease the compressor, the supplier of air retaining
ownership of the compressor and charging solely for the
air supplied.
Alternatively, if the machines are sold to the customer,
the present invention still provides convenient options
for selling services or supplies.
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for
facilitating transactions relating to the sale,
leasing, or manufacture of devices that involve a
continuing relationship with the customer following
the sale, lease, or distribution of the device
according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention, and illustrating the specific example of
a compressed air system.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a website
designed to implement the system and method of the
invention, and in particular illustrating portions
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of the method of the invention.
Figures 3-5 are schematic diagrams showing further
aspects of the website of Fig. 2.
A illustrated in Fig. 1, a system for facilitating
transactions relating to the sale, leasing, or
manufacture ~ of devices that involve a continuing
relationship with the customer following the sale, lease,
or distribution of the device according to a preferred
embodiment ~ of the invention includes an Internet
connection 1 and a computer or server 2 arranged to be
accessed from the Internet. The website presented by the
server 2 will be described below in connection with Fig.
2.
Also illustrated in Fig. 1 are a plurality of device or
machine installations in various plants 3. Each plant
includes one or more devices, or machines 4, and
controllers 5 arranged to be connected to the Internet
via a dial-up connection, or a virtual private network.
The controllers 5 are arranged to monitor and control
machines 4 to determine, by way of example, when service
or supplies are required and what combination of machines
to use, thus maximizing the efficiency of the
installation. The machines 4 and controllers 5Y are
connected to each other via, for example, local area
networks. Controllers 5 transfer data concerning
operation of the machines 4 to server 2 via a secure
connection over the Internet (or alternatively, over a
non-Internet-based communications ,p,ath such as a
satellite link).
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Although it will be appreciated that the invention is not
necessarily to be limited to a particular type of machine
or monitor, the machines illustrated in Fig. 1 are in the'
form of air compressors and ancillary equipment.
Controllers 5 provide access by the customer and/or the
compressed air provider concerning how much air is being
consumed, how much energy is consumed, and how much money
the customer.yowes for the energy consumed. In addition,
controllers 5 may be arranged to transmit information
concerning when service, such as replacement of a filter,
an adsorbing agent in a dryer, and so forth, is needed,
and also machine operation parameters such as
temperatures and pressure. Optionally, the controllers 5
may also be arranged to receive commands from the main
office, for example to give the compressed air provider
the ability to start and shut down compressor elements as
necessary for service, or because of non-payment.
In addition, in an installation with several compressors
4, some of which may have different power requirements,
the customer can use the information provided by a
controller 5 to choose which~machines or elements are
used to produce the demanded compressed air. This can be
done automatically by the controller or manually by the
customer so that energy is minimized and/or so that all
compressor elements have approximately a same total time
of activity.
Thus, via Internet control, the invention enables remote
monitoring, administration, billing and advice by the
manufacturer, a supplier, a sales agent (illustrated), or
a service provider, at any convenient time, eliminating
the need for regular visits to the customer.
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As illustrated in Fig. 2, the invention provides an
integrated website at server 2. The integrated website
has the capability of entertaining new orders, changes in
5 orders, and other services associated with the sale,
leasing, and/or distribution of equipment, as well as
post-distribution service and supply made possible by the
inclusion of controllers 5, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
Access to the website is gained though registration,
10 during which the customer is given a registration number
or code which enables the customer to access the
"Internet site" and request information, request a
proposal, and/or place an order for equipment. In
addition, the invention provides for acceptance of the
purchase order, monitoring of equipment manufacturing,
and remote monitoring of installation, to the point of
locating the coordinates of the installation, viewing a
live video feed from the installation, and listening to
the sound emitted from the equipment and installation, as
well as setting up service contracts or supply accounts,
and monitoring of and technical support for the installed
equipment.
For a new customer, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the public
area of the website includes a customer registration
form, which is used to set up a record in. a customer
database. Upon filling out the form and setting up of a
record in the customer database, a copy may be given to a
sale agent, and a password is given to the customer. A
registered customer may then enter the site using the
password and submit an enquiry concerning available
equipment,, including financial calculations and the like,
or solicit a proposal and submit a purchase order,
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possibly with assistance of the sales agent.
Once a purchase order has been submitted and approved,
the equipment has been manufactured, and the equipment
installed, the customer may re-enter the website, as
illustrated in ,Fig. 4, in order to view data resulting
from the monitoring equipment. In the case of an air
compressor installation, the customer may view an air
consumption profile, an air consumption flow
accumulation, power accumulation, and such factors as dew
point, pressure, and temperature at the plant. The ari
consumption of the plant corresponds to the air delivery
by the compressors. The customer may also view a live
video feed from the installation, and listen to the sound
emitted from the equipment and installation. This
information is used to update the customer's account,
which may be viewed at the same time. In addition,
payments may be made through the website using well-known
techniques for securing the payment information, the
customer may request technical support, and orders may be
changed or reviewed.
From the supplier side, illustrated in Fig. 5, the
purchase order is initially acknowledged by the company
responsible for supply, which in turn contracts for
manufacture of the equipment, and also for shipping,
installation, and commissioning. Once commissioned, with
the controller connected to the Internet at least
periodically or iri response to a call-up, the operation
of the machinery is monitored and/or controlled and, in
case of a service warning, shutdown, and the local sales
company or service technician is contacted by e-mail,
SMS, GPS, or similar communications over the Internet or
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over another communications medium.
Upon receiving a service request or warning, the sales
company or technician can view the unit over the Internet
and acknowledge to the customer that the problem is being
dealt with or possibly, in some cases, directly fix the
problem. In the case of air compressor installations,
service plan"ning or scheduling can use the following
informatione unit running hours or unit accumulated
volume, measured and calculated parameters, previous
service history, customer and customer location, other
units within a specified area, and service personnel
availability and location.
Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the
invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in
the art to make and use the invention, it will
nevertheless be appreciated that numerous variations and
modifications of the illustrated embodiment may be made
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, the website may be implemented on a single
server or multiple servers, the equipment may include
machines other than compressors, and the operator of the
website may be a product distributor, servicer or
supplier of the equipment. Purchase orders may be
eliminated entirely''in favor of service contracts for the
products supplied to the equipment, such as air to
compressors, fuel to electric generators, toner
cartridges to printers, gas to furnaces, and so forth.
Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be
limited by the above description or accompanying
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drawings, but that it be defined solely in accordance
with the appended claims.
