System and method for providing absorbent paper products having consumer-specified features

Abstract

Methods and systems by which a consumer may select or specify optional features of an absorbent paper product, such as a facial tissue or paper towel product, and then receive an absorbent paper product having the very features selected by the consumer. These optional features may include the color, scent, size, shape or graphic design of the product. Further, a consumer can preferably provide a graphic design (e.g., including text, photographic images, or other graphics) together with a purchase order for an absorbent paper product, and then receive such a product which bears the consumer's graphic design. These absorbent paper products may be “made to order” at the point of purchase or a remote location. In the latter case, a consumer may provide information relating to desired product features over a communications network to a remote production machine which then produces the specific product desired by the consumer.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method of providing a consumer with a product, the method comprising: 
 providing the consumer with a first list of options for a first feature of an absorbent paper product, and a second list of options for a second feature of the absorbent paper product;    receiving from the consumer a selection of one of the options from the first list, a selection of one of the options from the second list, and a purchase order for a particular absorbent paper product having the options selected by the consumer; and    delivering to the consumer the particular absorbent paper product having the options selected by the consumer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first feature and the second feature are selected from the group consisting of product count, product style, product color, product scent, product graphic design, product packaging style, product packaging color, and product packaging graphic design.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first feature is product scent, and wherein the options for the product scent include unscented.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first feature is product packaging graphic design, and wherein the options for the product packaging graphic design include a predefined graphic design, no graphic design, and a graphic design supplied by the consumer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent paper product is a facial tissue product, and wherein the first feature and the second feature are selected from the group consisting of tissue count, tissue style, tissue color, tissue scent, tissue graphic design, tissue packaging style, tissue packaging color, and tissue packaging graphic design.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the providing and the receiving are performed over a communications network.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the communications network is a computer network or a telephony network.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the absorbent paper product is a facial tissue product, wherein the first feature is tissue graphic design, and wherein the second feature is tissue packaging graphic design.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein providing includes providing the consumer with a list of scent options for the facial tissue product, and wherein receiving includes receiving from the consumer a selection of one of the scent options.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising producing, in response to the receiving, a particular facial tissue product having the options selected by the consumer.  
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a product to order, the method comprising: 
 collecting information from a consumer relating to one or more desired features of an absorbent paper product;    receiving a purchase order from the consumer for an absorbent paper product having the one or more desired features; and    producing the absorbent paper product having the one or more desired features in accordance with the information collected from the consumer.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the absorbent paper product is selected from the group consisting of facial tissue, toilet tissue, paper towel, napkin, and baby wipe products.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of said desired features is selected from the group consisting of product count, product style, product color, product scent, product graphic design, product packaging style, product packaging color and product packaging graphic design.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein collecting includes collecting the information from the consumer via a kiosk.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein collecting includes collecting the information from the consumer through a communications network.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the communications network is a telephony network or a computer network.  
     
     
         17 . A system for producing a product comprising a network interface for receiving information from a consumer over a communications network, said information relating to one or more features of an absorbent paper product desired by the consumer, and a production machine configured to receive the information provided by the consumer over the communications network, and configured to produce the absorbent paper product desired by the consumer based on said information.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a computer server operatively connected to the production machine and the communications network, wherein the computer server is configured to receive said information from the consumer over the communications network, and to provide said information to the production machine.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the production machine is configured to automatically produce the absorbent paper product desired by the consumer in response to receiving said information from the computer server.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the production machine includes a packager configured to automatically package the absorbent paper product desired by the consumer.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said information includes information specifying a graphic design desired by the consumer, and wherein the production machine includes a printer for printing the graphic design on the absorbent paper product desired by the consumer.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said information includes information specifying a scent desired by the consumer, and wherein the production machine includes a fragrancer for applying the scent to the absorbent paper product desired by the consumer.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the communications network is a telephony network or a computer network.  
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a custom facial tissue product for a consumer, the method comprising: 
 receiving information from the consumer over a communications network, said information relating to one or more optional features of the custom facial tissue product;    providing said information to a production machine; and    producing the custom facial tissue product in accordance with the information received from the consumer and provided to the production machine.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the communications network is a computer network, and wherein receiving includes receiving said information from the consumer over the computer network via a computer server.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the communications network is a telephony network, and wherein receiving includes receiving said information from the consumer over the telephony network via a telephone attendant.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said telephone attendant is an automated attendant.  
     
     
         28 . A method of customizing an absorbent paper product for a consumer, the method comprising: 
 receiving from the consumer a graphic design and a purchase order for a custom absorbent paper product embodying the graphic design;    incorporating the graphic design received from the consumer into the absorbent paper product to thereby produce the custom absorbent paper product ordered by the consumer; and    providing the custom absorbent paper product to the consumer.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the absorbent paper product is a facial tissue product including facial tissues and packaging for the facial tissues, and wherein incorporating includes applying at least a portion of the graphic design received from the consumer to the facial tissues or the packaging for the facial tissues.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein receiving includes receiving a first graphic design and a second graphic design from the consumer, and wherein incorporating includes printing the first graphic design on the facial tissues and printing the second graphic design on the packaging for the facial tissues.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  wherein receiving includes receiving from the consumer a graphic design comprising text.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28  wherein receiving includes receiving from the consumer a graphic design comprising a photographic image.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28  wherein providing includes providing the custom absorbent paper product only to said consumer.