Network-based design systems and methods

A network based product design system for product design, the system comprising:

• a central processing unit that is capable of product design, the central processing unit comprises:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the network based product design system including a design for six sigma process;
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• and
• at least one of transfer functions and quality-related analysis tools to analyze and evaluate the product design;
• at least one communication link that allows selective two-way communication to the central processing unit in at least near real time, wherein the at least one communication link comprises at least one of phone modem, network connection, radio communication and other wireless communication systems, cellular communication, satellite communication, web access communication, and Internet access communication, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a network that selectively interconnects and communicates the central processing unit to at least one party through the at least one communication link, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit is capable of providing input regarding the product design, the network being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, the central processing unit comprises at least one of graphic user interface, computer-aided design tools, computer-aided engineering tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, wherein each party may make input to the product design using at least one of the graphic user interface computer-aided design tools, computer-aided engineering tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A network based product design system for product design, the system comprising:

• a central processing unit that is capable of product design, the central processing unit comprises an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the network based product design system and at least one of transfer functions and quality-related analysis tools to analyze and evaluate at least one of product design, and design and manufacture of tools and molds for plastic-formation processes, the manufacture of tools and molds comprising at least one of machining, electro-discharge machining, and welding, the central processing unit also comprising tools for evaluation and analysis of mold filing and mold cooling using computer-related steps, processes, analogies, and transfer functions, and the transfer functions comprises transfer functions that are at least one of originally provided in the network-based design system, created by the network-based design system, modified by the network-based design system, or combinations thereof;
• at least one communication link that allows selective two-way communication to the central processing unit in at least near real time, wherein the at least one communication link comprises at least one of phone modem, network connection, radio communication and other wireless communication systems, cellular communication, satellite communication, web access communication, and Internet access communication, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a network that selectively interconnects and communicates the central processing unit to at least one party through the at least one communication link, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit is capable of providing input regarding a product design, the network being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, the central processing unit comprises at least one of graphic user interface, computer-aided design tools, computer-aided engineering tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, wherein each party may make input to the product design using at least one of the graphic user interface computer-aided design tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A method for designing a product over a network, the method being capable of product design, the method comprising:

• displaying a product model on a central processing unit capable of product design, the model being representative of the product that is to be designed and wherein the central processing unit comprises:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the method for designing a product over a network, said analytical tool including a design for six sigma process;
• and
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• permitting two-way communication to the central processing unit for designing the product over at least one communication link;
• and
• selectively interconnecting and communicating the product design through the central processing unit over the at least one communication link, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit is capable of providing input regarding the product design, the network being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A method for designing a product over a network, the method being capable of product design, the method comprising:

• displaying a product model on a central processing unit for designing products, the model being representative of the product that is to be designed and wherein the central processing unit comprises:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the method for designing a product over a network, said analytical tool including a design for six sigma process;
• and
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• permitting two-way communication to the central processing unit over communication links in at least near real time, wherein the at least one communication link comprises at least one of phone modem, network connection, radio communication and other wireless communication systems, cellular communication, satellite communication, web access communication, and Internet access communication, and combinations thereof;
• selectively interconnecting and communicating the product design through the central processing unit over the at least one communication link;
• allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party;
• and
• analyzing and evaluating the product design using at least one of transfer functions end quality-related analysis tools, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit is capable of providing input regarding the product design, the network being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, the central processing unit comprises at least one of graphic user interface, computer-aided design tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, wherein each party may make input to the product design using at least one of the graphic user interface computer-aided design tools, and computer-aided manufacturing tools, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A network based product design system for product design, the system comprising:

• network-based central processing means capable of product design, the central processing means comprising:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the network based product design system including a design for six sigma process;
• and
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• communication link means that allows selective two-way communication to the central processing means;
• and
• network means that selectively interconnects and communicates the central processing means to at least one party through the at least one communication link means, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing means is capable of providing input regarding the product design, the network means being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A network means based product design system for product design, the system comprising:

• central processing means that is capable of product design, the central processing means comprises:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the network means based product design system including a design for six sigma process;
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• and
• at least one of transfer functions and quality-related analysis tools to analyze and evaluate the product design;
• communication link means that allows selective two-way communication to the central processing means in at least near real time, wherein the at least one communication link means comprises at least one of phone modem, network means connection, radio communication and other wireless communication systems, cellular communication, satellite communication, web access communication, and Internet access communication, and combinations thereof;
• and
• network means that selectively interconnects and communicates the central processing means to at least one party through the communication link means,
• wherein each party that is connected to the central processing means is capable of providing input regarding the product design, the network means being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, the central processing means comprises at least one of graphic user interface means, computer-aided engineering tools, computer-aided design means, and computer-aided manufacturing means, wherein each party may make input to the product design using at least one of the graphic user interface means, computer-aided design means, and computer-aided manufacturing means, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.

A network based product design system for product design, the system comprising:

• a network-based central processing unit capable of product design, the central processing unit comprising:
• an analytical tool to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the network based product design system, wherein said analytical tool includes software to implement a method including:
• examining a product design process performed by the network based product design system for one or more detects, wherein each said defect is a component of the product design process that can be improved;
• assigning a sigma value to said product design process in response to the number of said defects, wherein said sigma value indicates how well said product design process is performing;
• and
• modifying said product design process in response to said sigma value reaching a pre-selected threshold;
• and
• an order placement tool to enter a request for a product including design criteria for the product, to receive bids for the product from a supplier or a manufacturer, to place an order for the product with said supplier or said manufacturer, and to schedule production of the product;
• at least one communication link that allows selective two-way communication to the central processing unit;
• and
• a network that selectively interconnects and communicates the central processing unit to at least one party through the at least one communication link, wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit is capable of providing input regarding the product design including information concerning design and manufacture of tools and molds for use in manufacturing said product using a plastic formation process, the network being capable of allowing the input to be simultaneously viewed by each party as the input is being made so that input made by one party is capable of being accessed by at least one other party, and wherein each party that is connected to the central processing unit selectively blocks particular parties from accessing the input regarding the product design.