Customer controlled manufacturing process and user interface

Abstract

A method for customer manufacturing control of a process containing trade secret formulations, comprises the following steps: associating tag descriptors to a corresponding trade secret; formulating a product as a function a selected number and quantity of the tag descriptors; transmitting the tag formulation to a manufacturing system; and decoding said tag formulation into a corresponding trade secret formulation; wherein the corresponding trade secret formulation is not accessible by the customer.

1 . A method for customer control of a manufacturing process containing trade secret flavor formulations, the method comprising the following steps: 
 associating tag descriptors to a corresponding trade secret;    formulating a flavor product as a function of a selected number and quantity of tag descriptors, said quantity having a predefined range;    transmitting said tag formulation to a manufacturing system; and    decoding said tag formulation into a corresponding trade secret flavor formulation;    wherein said corresponding trade secret flavor formulations are not accessible by the customer.    
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising the step of displaying a graphical representation of said tag formulation.  
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  comprising the additional step of manufacturing said flavor product utilizing said corresponding trade secret flavor formulation.  
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said predefined range of said quantity for a particular tag descriptor is a function of other selected tag descriptors and their quantity.  
     
     
         5 - 6 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the step of transmitting said tag formulation to a manufacturing system utilized a global communication network.  
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the step of formulating further comprises accessing prior formulations for subsequent modification.  
     
     
         9 . System for customer control of a manufacturing process containing trade secret flavor formulations, the system comprises: 
 a customer interface for formulating a product as a function of a selected number and quantity of tag descriptors, said quantity having a predefined range and tag descriptors corresponding to a trade secret flavor formulation;    a communications interface for transmitting said tag formulation to a manufacturing system;    a control interface for decoding said tag formulation into a corresponding trade secret flavor formulation;    wherein said corresponding trade secret flavor formulations are not accessible by the customer.    
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 9  wherein said customer interface further comprises a graphical representation of said tag formulation.  
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 9  further comprising a compounding machine for manufacturing said product utilizing said corresponding trade secret flavor formulation.  
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 9  wherein said quantity for a particular tag descriptor is a function of other selected tag descriptors and their quantity.  
     
     
         13 - 14 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 9  wherein said communications interface utilizes a global communication network.  
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 9  wherein said customer interface accesses prior formulations for subsequent modification.  
     
     
         17 . A customer controlled manufacturing device utilizing trade secret flavor formulations, the device comprises: 
 a customer interface for formulating a product as a function of a selected number and quantity of tag descriptors, said quantity having a predefined range and said tag descriptors corresponding to a trade secret flavor formulation;    a communications interface for transmitting said tag formulation from said customer interface to a manufacturing system;    a control interface for decoding said tag formulation into a corresponding trade secret flavor formulation; and,    a compounding machine for manufacturing said product utilizing said corresponding trade secret flavor formulation;    wherein said corresponding trade secret flavor formulations are not accessible by the customer.    
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 17  wherein said customer interface further comprises a graphical representation of said tag formulation.  
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 17  further comprising a compounding machine for manufacturing said product utilizing said corresponding trade secret flavor formulation.  
     
     
         20 . The system as recited in  claim 17  wherein said quantity for a particular tag descriptor is a function of other selected tag descriptors and their quantity.  
     
     
         21 - 22 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         23 . The system as recited in  claim 17  wherein said communications interface utilizes a global communication network.  
     
     
         24 . The device as recited in  claim 17  wherein said customer interface accesses prior formulation for subsequent modification.