System and method for configuring products over a communications network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the automated selection of formulations and/or formulation components by specifying product characteristics. In particular, the system and method serve customers within market segments that use selected components as raw materials for manufacture of specialty products and that require an understanding of how the selected components effect performance. For example, such products as electronic circuits, coatings, adhesives, sealants, inks, polishes, cleaners, and detergents fall within the profile of such products.

1 . The network-based method for a supplier to promote the sale of a specialty component by providing promotional information concerning the specialty component and technical support information to a customer for the manufacture of at least a portion of products from different formulations comprising the specialty component and other various constituent components, said method comprising the acts of: 
 providing a computer database of promotional information concerning the specialty component and technical support information for said different formulations comprising the specialty component and other various constituent components including said specialty component for making at least of portion of said products;    providing an output to the customer over the network of said promotional information;    providing an output to the customer over the network of an offer to sell the specialty component;    accepting input from the customer over the network indicative of a product and a set of characteristics of at least one of said different formulations for making at least a portion of one of said products;    selecting at least one of said different formulations for making at least a portion of one of said products in the database matching said input;    providing an output to the customer over the network of technical support information for making the at least one of said different formulations selected including the identification of the specialty component and the opportunity to use the other of said various constituent components in different combinations;    accepting input from the customer selecting at least one of said different combinations of the other of said various constituent components to be used with the specialty component so as to create at least one trial formulation; and    providing to the customer over the network a list of the other of said various constituent components and performance characteristics for the at least one trial formulation, said performance characteristics being substantially consistent with and supplemental to said set of characteristics accepted from the customer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the act of providing an output to the customer of technical support information including the identification of the specialty chemical component and the opportunity to use the other of said various constituent components includes providing information concerning at least one performance characteristic substantially consistent with and supplemental to said set of characteristics accepted from the customer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the act of providing a list of the other of said various constituent components and performance characteristics for the at least one trial formulation includes providing physical property data for the at least one trial formulation.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the act of providing the list of the other of said constituent components and performance characteristics for the at least one trial formulation includes providing steps for making the at least one formulation.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the list of the other of said constituent components includes the identification of a manufacturer of at least one of said constituent components.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said set of characteristics accepted from the customer includes at least one market characteristic.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said set of characteristics accepted from the customer includes of at least one performance characteristic.  
     
     
         8 . A network-based method for a supplier of specialty chemical components to provide promotional information about the specialty chemical components including technical support information to a customer for making a formulation from a plurality of constituent components wherein at least one of the components is a specialty chemical component offered for sale to the customer by the supplier comprising the acts of: 
 providing a computer database of specialty chemical component promotional information including formulations wherein each of the formulations comprises constituent components including at least one specialty chemical component being offered for sale by the supplier;    accepting input from the customer over the network indicative of a set of characteristics that a formulation should possess;    selecting a plurality of said formulations in the database matching said set of characteristics;    providing an output to the customer over the network identifying each of said plurality of formulations and including performance related information specific to each of said plurality of formulations;    accepting input from a customer over the network selecting at least one of said plurality of formulations as a trail formulation;    providing an output to the customer over the network of technical support information including a list of constituent components and properties for each said trial formulation selected wherein said properties are substantially consistent with and supplemental to said set of characteristics accepted from the customer;    providing an output to the customer over the network of additional promotional information concerning the specialty chemical components being offered for sale; and providing an output to the customer over the network offering the specialty chemical components for sale to the customer.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said properties include performance characteristics of each said trial formulation.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said properties include physical properties of each said trial formulation.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said technical support information includes steps for making each said trial formulation.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said set of characteristics accepted from the customer includes a least one performance characteristic.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said set of characteristics accepted from the customer includes at least one market characteristic.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the said technical support information includes the identification at least one supplier of a constituent component in the trial formulation other than the supplier of the at least specialty chemical component being promoted.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the output to the customer identifying said plurality of formulations includes a separate and distinct formulation number for each of said plurality of said plurality of formulations.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the output to the customer identifying said plurality of formulations includes the identification of the at least one specialty chemical component in at least one of said plurality of formulations.  
     
     
         17 . A network-based method for a supplier of specialty components to provide 
 promotional information about specialty components offered for sale by the supplier including technical support information to a potential customer for making formulations wherein each of the formulations may be used to make at least a portion of a product and each of the formulations includes at least one of the specialty components offered for sale by the supplier in addition to at least one other constituent component in each of the formulations, said method comprising the following acts:    providing an output to a potential customer identifying a plurality a markets in which different formulations may be used;    accepting an input from the potential customer selecting a particular market of interest to the customer;    providing an output to the potential customer identifying a plurality of submarkets in the particular market of interest to the potential customer for which different formulations may be used;    accepting an input from the potential customer over the network selecting a particular submarket of interest to the potential customer;    providing an output to the potential customer over the network identifying different functional characteristics corresponding to various formulations useable in the particular market and particular submarket of interest to the potential customer;    accepting an input from the potential customer over the network selecting functional characteristics corresponding to a set of formulations;    providing an output to the potential customer over the network identifying said set of formulations of possible interest to the customer;    accepting an input from the customer over the network selecting at least one of said set of formulations as a trial formulation; and    providing an output to the customer over the network of technical support information including information relating to said at least one trial formulation including at least one of one of the specialty components and the other constituent components in said at least one trial formulation in addition to a set of functional characteristics substantially consistent with and supplemental to said functional characteristics selected by the customer;    providing access by the customer over the network to promotional information for the at least one specialty component in each said trial formulation; and    providing an output to the customer over the network offering the at least one specialty chemical component in each said trial formulation for sale to the customer.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said functional characteristic selected by the customer includes at least one numerically defined parameter and the set of functional characteristics provided by the supplier includes at least one numerically defined parameter.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein each said trial formulation comprises an electronic circuit, the at least one specialty component comprises an integrated circuit, and each said numerically defined parameter comprises an operating parameter of the electronic circuit.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein each said trial formulation comprises a chemical formulation, the at least one specialty component comprises a specialty chemical, and each said numerically defined parameter comprises a performance parameter of the chemical formulation.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the act of providing an output to the customer over the network including the cost of the at least one specialty component in each said trial formulation.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the act of providing an output to the customer over the network including the total cost of at least one said trial formulation and the cost of each of said other constituent components and the specialty component for each said trial formulation.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising the act of accepting an order from the potential customer over the network for samples of the at least one specialty component and said other constituent components in the at least one trial formulation.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein each said trial formulation comprises an electronic circuit, the at least one specialty component comprises an integrated circuit and said other constituent components include passive circuit elements.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein each said trial formulation comprises a chemical formulation and the at least one specialty component comprises a specialty chemical and said other constituent components include commodity chemicals.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the act of: 
 providing an output to the potential customer listing alternate components as suggested substitutes for each of said other constituents in each said trial formulation.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising the act of: 
 accepting an input from the potential customer substituting at least one of said alternate components in at least one said trial formulation.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the act of: 
 accepting an input from the potential customer requesting storage of said at least one trial formulation for future reference by the potential customer; and    storing said at least one trial formulation for the potential customer.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising the acts of: 
 accepting an input from the potential customer over the network requesting modification of said at least one trial formulation in storage; and    modifying said at least one trial formulation in storage as requested by the potential customer.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising the acts of: 
 accepting an input from the potential customer over the network including notes about said at least one trial formulation in storage; and    storing said notes for said customer in association with said at least one trial formulation.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said technical support information further comprises recommended testing procedures to be used with said at least one trial formulation.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising the acts of: 
 accepting a request from the potential customer over the network for modeling said at least one trial formulation; and    providing an output to the potential customer over the network modeling said at least one trial formulation.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said technical support information further comprises a description of the physical properties of said at least one trail formulation.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the acts of: 
 accepting a request from the potential customer over the network for modeling said at least one trial formulation; and    providing an output to the potential customer over the network modeling said at least one trial formulation.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the act of: 
 providing an output comprising information relating to the at least one specialty component in each of said formulations of possible interest to the customer before selecting said at least one trial formulation.