Product building and display system
AssigneeMedia Resources Corporation
InventorRalph G. O'Neil
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods and computer program products provide e-commerce capabilities that enable integration of manufacturers, dealers and customers. An application may be utilized by a dealer to integrate manufacturer and customer information, including cost information, into a coordinated application. The e-commerce application may also be utilized to quickly and efficiently construct customer-specific web-based homepages that custom-tailor the display of information to a customer's needs or perceived needs. Further, the invention provides for the integration of information amongst multiple manufacturers, dealers and customers. The e-commerce application may also be utilized to provide numerous other features and aspects, as set out more fully herein.
Claims20
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program for implementing a dealer application that assists a dealer in selling a manufacturer's products to the dealer's customers, wherein the program comprises instructions for a microprocessor to implement:
- a products component that is:
- utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering product information and managing product information, related to manufacturer products carried by the dealer;
- and
- utilized by a manufacturer through an interface component to communicate product information to the products component, wherein:
- the manufacturer has control over at least one predetermined product data attribute of the communicated product information that the dealer cannot change from within the application;
- a customer component that is utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering customer information and managing customer information, about the customers that purchase from the dealer;
- a vendor component that is utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering information and managing information, about manufacturers of products sold by the dealer;
- a web site builder component that utilizes information stored by the product component and the customer component to generate and deploy a customized homepage for at least one customer such that:
- the dealer controls the products displayed on the customized homepage;
- and
- customer pricing on the customer's homepage is computed based upon the dealer cost and a margin set by the dealer, wherein the margin is customized for the associated customer.
A method for assisting a dealer in selling a manufacturer's products to the dealer's customers, comprising:
- providing a dealer application executing on a server computer, which is configured to integrate interaction of a dealer with at least one manufacturer and to integrate interaction of the dealer with at least one customer by:
- providing a products component that is:
- utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering product information and managing product information, related to manufacturer products carried by the dealer;
- and
- utilized by a manufacturer through an interface component to communicate product information to the products component, wherein:
- the manufacturer has control over at least one predetermined product data attribute of the communicated product information that the dealer cannot change from within the application;
- providing a customer component that is utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering customer information and managing customer information, about the customers that purchase from the dealer;
- and
- providing a vendor component that is utilized by the dealer to perform at least one of:
- entering information and managing information, about manufacturers of products sold by the dealer;
- and
- utilizing the server computer to execute a web site builder component that utilizes information stored by the product component and the customer component to automatically generate and deploy a customized homepage for at least one customer such that:
- the dealer controls the products displayed on the customized homepage;
- and
- customer pricing on the customer's homepage is computed based upon dealer cost and a margin set by the dealer, wherein the margin is customized for the associated customer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.