# US 11,308,534 B2 · Automated third-party cost estimation and production > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,534 B2 - Document ID: US11308534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/838,240 - Filed: 2020-04-02 - Published: 2020-10-08 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-05 - Assignees: Packsize LLC - Applicants: Packsize LLC - Inventors: Thomas Lamb; Aaron Reel; Hansemann Kiessner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308534B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 30/0621: {by configuring or customising goods or services} - B32B 29/08: Corrugated paper or cardboard - G05B 19/4188: {characterised by CIM planning or realisation} - G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis} - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/08744: {by distributed inventory management} - G06Q 30/0283: Price estimation or determination - G06Q 50/04: Manufacturing - 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 - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A computer system for automated third-party cost estimation and production management receives a request for a particular packaging design template. The system identifies, with a continuous monitoring software application, current system capabilities. The continuous monitoring software application is configured to query multiple packaging production machines located on different networks and at different locations, gather current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine selected from the multiple packaging production machines, and query a queue memory space at each packaging production machine selected from the multiple packaging production machines. Based upon the current system capabilities, the system selects a particular packaging production machine selected from the multiple packaging production machines to produce the particular packaging design template. The system then produces the particular packaging design template. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer system for automated third-party cost estimation and production management, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following: receive, from one or more scanning sensors, dimensions information for one or more target products; based upon the dimensions information, identify, within a database, a particular packaging design template that is sized to fit the one or more target products; receive, from a computing device, a request for the particular packaging design template; query, with a continuous monitoring software application, a queue module associated with each packaging production machine within a set of packaging production machines, wherein the continuous monitoring software application is configured to: based on the querying of the queue module, identify current system capabilities within the set of packaging production machines, wherein: the set of packaging production machines are located on different networks and at different geographic locations, and the system capabilities include current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines; based upon the current system capabilities, select a particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines to produce the particular packaging design template; and cause the particular packaging production machine to produce the particular packaging design template. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to: receive, from the computing device, a geographic location associated with the computing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer system as recited in claim 2, wherein the geographic location comprises a network address associated with the computing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer system as recited in claim 2, wherein the geographic location comprises a user-provided address. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The computer system as recited in claim 2, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to: based upon the geographic location, generate the set of packaging production machines, wherein each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines is selected based upon being within a threshold distance from the geographic location. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: a type of corrugate associated with each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines that is associated with a desired type of corrugate; and identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines that is associated with a queue that is below a bandwidth threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein the bandwidth threshold is dynamically determined to account for historic cycles in production. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines based upon historic cycles in production. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the queue module comprises a memory space associated with each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method for automated third-party cost estimation and production management, the computer-implemented method executed on one or more processors comprising: receiving, from one or more scanning sensors, dimensions information for one or more target products; based upon the dimensions information, identifying, within a database, a particular packaging design template that is sized to fit the one or more target products; receiving, from a computing device, a request for a particular packaging design template; querying, with a continuous monitoring software application, a queue module associated with each packaging production machine within a set of packaging production machines, wherein the continuous monitoring software application is configured to: based on the querying of the queue module, identifying current system capabilities within the set of packaging production machines, wherein: the set of packaging production machines are located on different networks and at different geographic locations, and the system capabilities include current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines; based upon the current system capabilities, selecting a particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines to produce the particular packaging design template; and causing the particular packaging production machine to produce the particular packaging design template. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, further comprising: receiving, from the computing device, a geographic location associated with the computing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the geographic location comprises a network address associated with the computing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the geographic location comprises a user-provided address. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, further comprising: based upon the geographic location, generating the set of packaging production machines, wherein each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines is selected based upon being within a threshold distance from the geographic location. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: a type of corrugate associated with each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein selecting the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines that is associated with a desired type of corrugate; and identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines that is associated with a queue that is below a bandwidth threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 17, wherein the bandwidth threshold is dynamically determined to account for historic cycles in production. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein selecting the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines comprises: identifying the particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines based upon historic cycles in production. ### Claim 20 A computer program product comprising one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause a computer system to perform a method for automated third-party cost estimation and production management, the method comprising: receive, from one or more scanning sensors, dimensions information for one or more target products; based upon the dimensions information, identify, within a database, a particular packaging design template that is sized to fit the one or more target products; receiving, from a computing device, a request for the particular packaging design template; query, with a continuous monitoring software application, a queue module associated with each packaging production machine within a set of packaging production machines, wherein the continuous monitoring software application is configured to: based on the querying of the queue module, identifying current system capabilities within the set of packaging production machines, wherein: the set of packaging production machines are located on different networks and at different geographic locations, and the system capabilities include current operating characteristics of each packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines; based upon the current system capabilities, selecting a particular packaging production machine within the set of packaging production machines to produce the particular packaging design template; and cause the particular packaging production machine to producing the particular packaging design template.