And
(with Further Patents
Pending)
© 1999-2007 All rights
reserved.
Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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Enables Builders,
Manufacturer, Suppliers and Customers to communicate regarding
selections, standards and extras on line. – U.S. Patent #___ with further
patents pending © 1999-2007 Member
of www.HBAGC.com – Need Logo at Bottom
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Note – Resolve Logos – Use Others
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Allows
Home Buyer to design, decorate and select their dream house online in virtual
showrooms of their own and others. U.S.
Patented # _____ with further Patents Pending © 1999-2007 |
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Helps
find products and services for the home.
The source for new home books and catalogues on-line. © 1999 – 2007 |
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A Home
Page for your Home or new home. U.S.
Patented # ____ and further patents pending © 1999-2007 |
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Applications, Services And Providers
Association ~ www.ICareASAP.com © 1999-2007
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For
groups and organizations to create and manage the fundraising pre-print and
production of ad-books using on-line tools as a virtual “AdBook Chairman”
(sm) On Line Patents
Pending. © 2000-2007 All rights
reserved. |
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A not for profit private charity. For information on the work, mission statement, past events and projects and the Ad-Book please go to www.ChicagoHomeAndBuildersFoundation.com
Paramount Homes is an award winning builder and real estate developer. President For more information go to www.ParamountHomes.com
www.BucktownStation.com – A Development of Paramount Homes
with Paramount Homes
An intuitive of Paramount Homes and founder, inventor, © 2006 All rights reserved. Confidential – In R &
D.:… CONFIDENTIAL for NOW ELF www.E___L___F___ SEE BRUCE 1st. Prior Designs NOT OK. |
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The
above sites are among the names of our affiliates, related web sites and
names and branded identities. Opportunities exist to join us and our brand
names and/or unique technologies. For information please contact us at our
web address above. |
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And (with Further Patents
Pending) © 1999-2007 All rights
reserved. Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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OLA, LLC’s New Site at www.OLAllc.com
For OLA, LLC “Your 
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OLD
– OLA Site – and others… See “Way Back Machine” for pages and details that need
updating…
Change Contact Info in
Upper Left Margin.
OnLineAssistant.net --- OLA,
LLC Your “On Line Assistant”
2501 North Lincoln Ave. 2731 North
Lincoln Ave.
Suite 225 Chicago,
IL 60614
Chicago, IL 60614-2313
Phone (800) 970-2227 Phone: 773-528-9077
Fax (773) 528-8848 Fax: 773-716-6686
info@onlineassistant.net E-Mail:
Info@OLAllc.com <- Need
Add
info in lower Left margin:
And
(with Further Patents Pending)
© 1999-2007 All rights reserved.
Contact OLA, LLC @ www.OLAllc.com
REPAIRS
TO BALANCE OF OLA SITE:::
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Terms and Conditions – Legal Disclosures and Notices. -
Legal Needed… May need a questioner to capture info. Executives: (T.B.D.) BAF LB
WRG CP WW
Alumni: ADD Affiliates and
Associates: WEB – E-Click AD-PR – Mague Law Firms: W & K Accounting Firms: Associations - HBA US Patent # ____ and further
Patents pending, Copyright © 1999 - 2007 OLA, llc. All rights reserved And (with Further Patents
Pending) © 1999-2007 All rights
reserved. Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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NEED TO REVIEW ALL AND COMPARE
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NEED TO REVIEW ALL AND COMPARE
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BuildersDepo.com |
BuildersExtrasCenter.com |
BuildersModel.com |
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BuildingID.com |
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BuyersExtrasCenter.com |
BuyerShowroom.com |
BuyersShowroom.com |
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ChicagoHomeBuilder.com |
ChicagoParadeOfHomes.com |
DecoratorsMart.com |
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DesignersShop.com |
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eHomeSelections.com |
ExtraSelections.com |
ExtrasOnLineAssistant.com |
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FixerUper.com |
HomeBuildersChoice.com |
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HomeBuyersDepo.com |
HomeBuyersExtrasCenter.com |
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HomeBuyerSource.com |
HomeDecoratorsDepot.com |
HomeDecoratorsMart.com |
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HomeExtrasCenter.com |
HomeOnlineAssistant.com |
ModelHomesShowroom.com |
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ModelNewHome.com |
MyBuilderDepot.com |
MyBuilderMart.com |
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MyCommunityGroup.com |
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MyDecoratorsDepot.com |
MyDecoratorsMart.com |
MyHomeBuyerCenter.com |
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MyHomeBuyerDepot.com |
MyHomeBuyerMall.com |
MyHomeBuyerMart.com |
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MyHomeBuyerShowroom.com |
MyHomeBuyerWarehouse.com |
MyHomeHomePage.com |
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U.S. Patent # ___ and Patents
Pending, Copyright © 1999 – 2007 OLA,
llc. All rights reserved And (with Further Patents
Pending) © 1999-2007 All rights
reserved. Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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Revised this page to News and Information…
Should put old HBS news or link to HBS news and any patent issue news and our
press.
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Terms and Conditions – Legal Disclosures and Notices. -
Legal Needed… |
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U.S.
Patent # ___ and Patents Pending, Copyright © 1999 – 2007 OLA, llc. All rights reserved … : And (with Further Patents
Pending) © 1999-2007 All rights
reserved. Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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Providing the most
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Enables
Contractors and Home Builders to communicate with their buyers regarding the
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Allows
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Dedicated
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The
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The
above sites are among the names of our affiliates, franchises and branded
identities. Opportunities exist to join us and adopt our brand names and/or
unique technologies. For information please email
us, or contact us at our address above. |
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Patent pending, Copyright © 2000
OLA, llc. All rights reserved |
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This page best viewed
using: |
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OLD Home Buyer Showroom.com
Make corrections – see
way-back machine for pages.
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A resource for the purchase or selection of "Standards & Extras on line" for new homes! |
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Keep your
selections in one place, buyers, builders, both! ... Get information to allow you to shop, and
compare in one place. |
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Sign up today | Learn More | Site features |
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HomeBuyerShowroom.Com C/O OLA, LLC. © 1999 – 2007 ~
And (with Further Patents
Pending) © 1999-2007 All rights
reserved. Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
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Make
faster selections, communications and catalogues!
http://www.NewHomeSourceBook.com
Via Wayback Machine… Fix..
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Searched for http://www.NewHomeSourceBook.com |
39 Results |
* denotes when
site was updated.
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Bathroom
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Laundry Room | Patio/Deck/Yard | Storage Room |
Utility Room | Wine Cellar/Basement |
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NewHomeSourceBook.Com
U.S. Patent Number _____ with further patents pending |
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© Copyright | Terms of service | Policy |
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An affiliate of www.HomeBuilderShowroom.com, www.HomeBuyerShowroom.com and www.BuilderOnLineAssistant.com |
http://www.NewHomeSourceBook.com
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Your Save, online…… See Tag-Line from sample web-site. Coming Soon Along with ….. Ad all ad-book names…. Point all Ad Book Names Here !!! …. For further information please contact us at: |
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AdBookOnline.com is an OLA llc, your On Line
Assistant family of sites including |
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About Ad Book Online Assistant (ABOLA) There are roughly 800,000 registered not-for-profit groups, organizations, associations and charities and thousands of other groups, perhaps smaller and more local, such as schools, clubs, teams, neighborhood associations or clubs. The energy and good-works of these groups are all directed at their own causes and they are engage in a variety of fundraising techniques and events including dinners, outings, car washes, bake sales, raffles, and auctions. In addition to such events. These organizations also raise money through “ad books” and similar print-promotions such as event programs. The solicitation, management, printing and “publishing” of these is the business of AdBookOnLine.com. In essence, we are the on-line Ad-Book Chairman for your group or organization. Ad Books can be quite profitable, but also complex and expensive. We have automated the process and thus reduced the process, procedure and printing costs (or to let your group print in house or to your local preferred printer). Constructing an ad book is time consuming and labor intensive, as it requires gathering advertisers, creating ads, collecting money, issuing receipts, performing layout of content and graphics, bidding for printing services, proofreading, publishing, and distributing. With the Ad Book On Line we are your assistant. Creating an Ad Book is relatively straightforward and efficient. For those organizations developing the Ad Book, ABOLA offers a great system for managing their Ad Books and their accounts. For advertisers, ABOLA provides a common online form where they can submit their contact information, design their advertisements, and send funds directly to an organization. They say “no one wants to be the Ad-Book Chairman twice”. Our goal is to be your Ad-Book Chairman and the best and only one you’ll ever need.
REMODERERS
WEB SITE: |
RemodelerShowroom.com
™/RemodelersShowroom.com™
RenovatorShowroom.com™/RenovatorsShowroom.com™
~ & ~
O L A, LLC ~
& ~ Builder On Line Assistant (SM)
U. S. Patent #
Welcome
to RemodelerShowroom.com
RemoderShowroom, cousin to www.HomeBuilderShworoom.com and www.HomeBuyerShowroom.com is the
Patented www.BuilderOnLineAssistant.com.
Builder On Line Assistant and OLA, llc is a
paten and series of business systems and processes designed and invented to
assist the building industry “on-line”.
Designed and awarded a
U.S. Patent in July, 2006, Builder On
Line Assistant serves the four main branches of the building and
homebuilding industry: The Builder, the
Customer, the Manufacturer and the Supplier, as well as other 3rd
party service providers. Numerous other
patents are pending based on the original patent awarded that further envision
the Builder On Line Assistant
concepts.
www.HomeBuilderShowroom.com, is
a key O L A affiliate site for the residential building industry and has
described some of the many features and benefits of Builder On Line Assistant
to the various builders, manufacturers and suppliers who can benefit from the
OLA paten.
BOLA offers licensing strategies for the
residential building business through its “powered by” solutions such as.
One good way to see the ideas about OLA LLC is
to read the Builder On Line Assistant Patent.
Unlike many technical patents, the BOLA business method patent is
relatively easy to read and understand (though the patents pending expand upon
these basic concepts and introduce many new and complex business methods and
benefits). The patent is available on
line at the U.S. Patent office web site:
www.uspto.gov or search www.uspto.gov/main/sitesearch.htm
where you will find references to Builders On-Line Assistant 07076455
Cl. 705-27. For more information on
BOLA and its patent or for licensing information please contact OLA, LLC
Sincerely,
Inventor / Founder OLA,
llc “Your On Line Assistant”
c/o
Ph.
773-528-9077 Fx. - 8848
And
(with Further Patents
Pending)
© 1999-2007 All rights
reserved.
Contact OLA, LLC @
www.OLAllc.com
NOTE: NEET TO SET UP www.OLAllc.com
Ad Book … On Line Application info – Post on Ad Book Site ?
|
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20070088608
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Kind Code |
A1 |
|
Fogelson; Bruce A. |
April
19, 2007 |
Method And System For Creating
Ad-Books
Abstract
A method
and apparatus and format and and form are provided for preparing ad-books or
related print or publishing for an organization or organizations or a plethora
of organizations over a communications network. The method includes preparing
an ads or messages at a user terminal connected to the communications network.
The method further includes processing the "ad" or message at a
server connected to the communications network for placing the "ad"
or message in an "ad-book" or printing or other publication. The
method further includes an automated "ad-book" format or form for the
soliciting and obtaining ads or messages which provides methods for collecting
ad/message pricing, content, layout, billing and information for ad/message for
"ad-book" and related printing or publishing. The method, apparatus,
format or form are believed particularly useful to assist and consolidate the
efforts of non-profit, charity and similar organizations who, though they may
differ in many ways, all rely on ad-books and similar print and publications
for their fundraising efforts.
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Inventors: |
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Correspondence Name and Address: |
WELSH & KATZ, LTD 120 22ND FLOOR IL 60606 US |
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Serial No.: |
557664 |
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Series Code: |
11 |
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Filed: |
November 8, 2006 |
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705/14 |
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705/014 |
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Intern'l Class: |
G06Q
3/00 20060101 G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. A method for preparing ad-books, printing or publication, such method
comprising: preparing an advertisement or message at a user terminal connected
to a communications network; and processing the advertisement or message at a
server connected to the communications network for placing the advertisement
message in an ad-book or related print or publication.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing further comprises selecting choices
relating to the advertisement or message.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein choices comprises advertisement or message,
size, placement, color, font, logo, image, price, background and layout.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein choices comprises indicating whether the
advertisement or message shall be printed in a physical "ad-book" or
similar print publication or posted on-line in a virtual "ad-book" or
similar internet publication or both physically printer and posted on-line or
none of the above, where the advertisement or message is simply rendered
"anonymous"
5. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing further comprises selecting an
advertisement or message type or theme to reduce the number of choices that an
advertiser, member or sponsor must make to produce an advertisement.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a public
switch telephone network and packet data network.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user terminal comprises a computer system.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the computer system comprises one of a
personal computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a
cellular telephone or a mobile/wireless assistant.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the server comprises a web server computer
system for accessing the communications network.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the web server comprises a firewall for
maintaining security including security from outside access to the system and
security within the system between various clients, organizations, members,
advertisers, supporters, lists and accounts.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the firewall limits access to information on
the server wherein information comprises the advertisements and messages and
the ad-books and the organizations and the advertisers and the members and the
supporters and the lists and accounts.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein preparing further comprises using computer
software running at the user terminal to create an advertisement or message.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the computer software comprises at least one
of Microsoft Word or Office, Corel PageMaker and Adobe Acrobat or PhotoShop or
then most current and or appropriate commercially available software applicable
for the related fields of this invention.
14. The method of claim l wherein processing further comprises receiving
payment for processing the advertisement or message for placement in an
"ad-book" or related print or publication.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein processing further comprises: receiving the
advertisement or message at the server from the user terminal; storing the
advertisement at the server; and converting the received advertisement into an
advertisement to be placed into an "ad-book" or related print or publication.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving payment at the server
for processing the advertisement for placement in an "ad-book" or
related print or publication.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising classifying the received
"ad" or message into an "ad-book" category.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one group of
related ads or messages.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one group of
related advertisers, members or supporters.
20. The method of claim 15 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one group of
related ad-books or related print or publications.
21. The method of claim 15 further comprising converting the received
advertisement into an HTML advertisement to be shown on at least one user
terminal.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the HTML "ad" or message is a part
of an electronic "ad-book" or related print publication or
"ad-book" form for processing an "ad" or message.
23. The method of claim 21 further comprising sending a copy of the HTML
"ad" or message to an advertiser or organization whom initiated or
solicited the "ad" or message preparation.
24. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering with the server
whereby an advertiser at the user terminal connects to the server and enters
information relating to the advertiser.
25. The method of claim 1 further comprising entering a mode of payment at the
user terminal to pay for the "ad" or message to be placed in the
"ad-book" or related print or publication.
26. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an acknowledgement to an
advertiser, member or supporter notifying the organization or advertiser of the
receipt of the "ad" or message.
27. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an acknowledgement to an
advertiser, member or supporter notifying the member, supporter or advertiser
of payment information.
28. A method for preparing ad-books, or related printing or publication, such
method comprising: preparing an advertisement by selecting choices relating to
the "ad" or message at a user terminal connected to a communications
network; receiving the prepared "ad" or message at the server
connected to the communications network; classifying the prepared
"ad" or message into at least one ad-book; and converting the
prepared "ad" or message into an "ad" or message to be
placed into an ad-book, printed or published.
29. A system for preparing ad-books or related print or publication, such
system comprising: means for preparing an "ad" or message at a user
terminal connected to a communications network; and means for processing the
"ad" or message at a server connected to the communications network
for placing the "ad" or message in ad-book, print or publication.
30. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for preparing further comprises
means for selecting choices relating to the "ad" or message.
31. The system of claim 30 wherein choices comprises advertisement message,
size, price, placement, background and layout.
32. The system of claim 30 wherein choices comprises indicating whether the
advertisement shall be printed in a physical ad-book.
33. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for preparing further comprises
means for selecting an advertisement type, price or theme to reduce the number
of choices that an advertiser must make to produce an advertisement.
34. The system of claim 29 wherein the communications network comprises a
public switch telephone network and packet data network.
35. The system of claim 29 wherein the user terminal comprises a computer
system.
36. The system of claim 35 wherein the computer system comprises one of a
personal computer, notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a
cellular telephone or a mobile/wireless assistant.
37. The system of claim 29 wherein the server comprises a web server computer
system for accessing the communications network.
38. The system of claim 37 wherein the web server comprises a firewall for
maintaining security.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the firewall limits access to information on
the server wherein information comprises the advertisements and the ad-books.
40. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for preparing further comprises
means for using computer software to create an advertisement.
41. The system of claim 40 wherein the computer software comprises at least one
of Microsoft Office, Corel PageMaker and Adobe PhotoShop.
42. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for processing further comprises
receiving payment at the server for processing the advertisement for placement
in an ad-book.
43. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for converting the
advertisement into an HTML advertisement to be shown on at least one user
terminal.
44. The system of claim 43 wherein the HTML advertisement is a part of an
electronic ad-book.
45. The system of claim 43 further comprising means for sending a copy of the
HTML advertisement to an advertiser whom initiated the advertisement
preparation.
46. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for registering with the
server whereby an advertiser at the user terminal connects to the server and
enters information relating to the advertiser.
47. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for receiving the
advertisement from an advertiser.
48. The system of claim 47 further comprising means for sending an
acknowledgement to the advertiser notifying the advertiser of the receipt of
the advertisement.
49. The system of claim 47 further comprising means for sending an acknowledgement
to the advertiser notifying the advertiser of payment information.
50. A system for preparing ad-books over the Internet, such system comprising:
a computer system comprising an interface to a communications network and
capability to prepare an advertisement; and an "ad-book" server
connected to the communications network that receives the prepared
advertisement.
51. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer system further comprises a
graphical user interface for selecting choices relating to the advertisement.
52. The system of claim 51 wherein choices comprises advertisement message,
size, placement, color, price, background, and layout.
53. The system of claim 50 wherein the "ad-book" server presents
choices relating to an advertisement type or advertisement theme to the
computer system.
54. The system of claim 50 wherein the communications network comprises a
public switch telephone network and packet data network.
55. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer system further comprises one of
a personal computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a
cellular telephone or a mobile/wireless assistant.
56. The system of claim 50 wherein the "ad-book" server further
comprises a web server computer system capable of interfacing with the
Internet.
57. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer system further comprises at
least one of Microsoft Office, Corel PageMaker, and Adobe PhotoShop.
58. The system of claim 50 wherein the "ad-book" server further
comprises a database of at least one of advertisements, ad-books, and
advertisers.
59. A method for preparing an ad-book, print or publication for one of a
plurality of charity or not-for-profit organizations: a member or supporter of
the charity or not-for-profit organization accessing a website or e-mail of the
one of the plurality of charity or not-for-profit organizations or 3.sup.rd
party provider of such website and downloading an interactive e-mail or webpage
from the website; the member of supporter activating a hyperlink on the webpage
or interactive e-mail to download an interactive contribution format of the
charity or not-for-profit organization or from a third-party
"ad-book" preparer; the member or supporter preparing an
"ad" or message for inclusion within the ad-book, print or
publication using the interactive contribution format; and the third-party
"ad-book" preparer preparing or distributing the ad-book, related
print or publication with the prepared "ad" or message of the member
or supporter.
60. The method of claim 59 wherein preparing further comprises selecting
choices relating to the advertisement or message.
61. The method of claim 60 wherein choices comprises advertisement or message,
size, placement, color, font, logo, image, price, background and layout.
62. The method of claim 60 wherein choices comprises indicating whether the
advertisement or message shall be printed in a physical "ad-book" or
similar print publication or posted on-line in a virtual "ad-book" or
similar internet publication or both physically printer and posted on-line,
where the advertisement or message is simply rendered "anonymous"
63. The method of claim 59 wherein preparing further comprises selecting an
advertisement or message type or theme to reduce the number of choices that an
advertiser, member or sponsor must make to produce an advertisement.
64. The method of claim 59 wherein the communications network comprises a
public switch telephone network and packet data network.
65. The method of claim 59 wherein the user terminal comprises a computer
system.
66. The method of claim 65 wherein the computer system comprises one of a
personal computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a
cellular telephone or a mobile/wireless assistant.
67. The method of claim 59 wherein the server comprises a web server computer
system for accessing the communications network.
68. The method of claim 67 wherein the web server comprises a firewall for
maintaining security including security from outside access to the system and
security within the system between various clients, organizations, members,
advertisers, supporters, lists and accounts.
69. The method of claim 68 wherein the firewall limits access to information on
the server wherein information comprises the advertisements and messages and
the ad-books and the organizations and the advertisers and the members and the
supporters and the lists and accounts.
70. The method of claim 59 wherein preparing further comprises using computer software
running at the user terminal to create an advertisement or message.
71. The method of claim 70 wherein the computer software comprises at least one
of Microsoft Word or Office, Corel PageMaker and Adobe Acrobat or PhotoShop or
then most current and or appropriate commercially available software applicable
for the related fields of this invention.
72. The method of claim 59 wherein processing further comprises receiving
payment for processing the advertisement or message for placement in an
"ad-book" or related print or publication.
73. The method of claim 59 wherein processing further comprises: receiving the
advertisement or message at the server from the user terminal; storing the
advertisement at the server; and converting the received advertisement into an
advertisement to be placed into one or a plethora of "ad-books" or
related print or publication and differentiating ads or messages for placement
by category or criteria or affinity grouping.
74. The method of claim 73 further comprising receiving payment at the server
for processing the advertisement for placement in an "ad-book" or
related print or publication and allocating payment to one or among a plethora
of organizations into which the advertisement or message is placed based on allocation
criteria.
75. The method of claim 73 further comprising classifying the received
"ad" or message into an "ad-book" category.
76. The method of claim 73 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one group of
related ads or messages among or between a plethora of organizations.
77. The method of claim 73 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one organization or
a group of related organizations of a plethora of organizations.
78. The method of claim 73 further comprising using techniques, the techniques
comprising statistics and demographics, to discern at least one organization of
related organizations or related ad-book print or publications.
79. The method of claim 73 further comprising converting the received
advertisement into an HTML advertisement to be shown on at least one user
terminal.
80. The method of claim 79 wherein the HTML "ad" or message is a part
of one or a plethora of electronic "ad-books" or related print
publications or "ad-book" form for processing an "ad" or
message.
81. The method of claim 79 further comprising sending a copy of the HTML
"ad" or message to an advertiser or organization or a plethora of
organizations whom initiated or solicited the "ad" or message
preparation.
82. The method of claim 59 further comprising registering with the server
whereby an advertiser at the user terminal connects to the server and enters
information relating to the advertiser or the organization or a plethora of
organizations.
83. The method of claim 59 further comprising entering a mode of payment at the
user terminal to pay for the "ad" or message to be placed in
"ad-books" or related print or publication.
84. The method of claim 59 further comprising sending an acknowledgement to
advertises, members or supporters notifying the organization or organizations
or advertisers of the receipt of the "ad" or message.
85. The method of claim 59 further comprising sending acknowledgements to
advertisers, members or supporters notifying the members, supporters or
advertisers of payment information.
86. A method for preparing ad-books, or related printing or publication, for a
plethora of organizations, such method comprising: preparing advertisements by
selecting choices relating to the "ad" or message at a user terminal
connected to a communications network; receiving the prepared "ads"
or messages at the server connected to the communications network; classifying
the prepared "ads" or messages into at least one ad-book; and
converting the prepared "ads" or messages into an "ad" or
message to be placed into one or more ad-books, printed or published.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to what are commonly known as
"advertisement books" or more commonly referred to as
"ad-books" or printings or other publications as frequently used by
charities and not-for-profit organizations for fundraising, and more
particularly, to the forms and computerized/automated preparation, production,
publishing and management of ad-books and related print or publishing
frequently used by charities and not-for-profit organizations for fund raising.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Advertisement books (hereinafter "ad-books") and related print
or publications are fundraising vehicles whereby members and supporters of an
organization pay the organization to place an advertisement (hereinafter an
"ad") or message in an organization's publication for the dual
purpose of advertising and contributing to the group. Organizations that may
use ad-books include charities, schools, teams, associations, clubs,
professional organizations, lodges, unions, boards, fraternities, sisterhoods,
causes, hospitals, homes, condo-boards, synagogues, events, community groups,
and political parties or candidates. Typically, an organization will solicit
members and supporters to buy an "ad" or place a message in their
"ad-book" or related print or publication and either sell or give
away the ad-books or related print or publication as a fundraising tool. As a
fundraising tool, "ad-books" (and related print or publications) are
similar to group fundraisers such as award dinners, car washes, bake-sales,
raffles, auctions, golf-outings, or similar events. Each such event offers
members and supporters an excuse or opportunity to contribute and help the
organization raise money as well as to participate in or be associated with an
organization. An "ad-book" or related print or publication also
offers the member or supporter the opportunity to be recognized by the
organization or participate with a member, family or friend by being an
incidental supporter in an "ad-book" or related print or publication,
as opposed to being a "card-carrying" or dues paying member. Ad-books
are often synonymous with or produced along with or in the form of
dinner-programs, group directories, group calendars, raffles, auction-books,
yearbooks, newsletters, or along with other simple content or events. In this
way such print or other publication offers sponsorship opportunities for ads,
listings, messages or other support and at a variety of rates and fees. It
should be noted that the rate or fee charged in the nature of this
not-for-profit sector is more attuned to the charitable giving, giving history,
recognition of the charitable nature of the giver or of the members or
supporters or the needs of the organization as opposed to the more commercial
marketplace which places value on circulation and the more direct potential
commercial results of the advertisement or the product or service.
[0005] Although "ad-book" ads or messages are viewed by advertisers
as a deductible business expense, the "ad-book" advertisers are
primarily members or supporters and their primary economic motivation most
often is to make a contribution to the organization or to be recognized as
philanthropic or to receive a generally positive social recognition as opposed
to receiving quality or value for a purchase either of the "ad" or
for any particular product or service. In fact, the pricing of an
"ad" or message in an "ad-book" is rarely related to the
typical economic considerations of a typical advertiser whereby the value of
their advertisement would be based on the circulation of a given publication to
the general public or a target market. The "ad-book" in this case is
often not circulated beyond the group itself and is not often priced based on its
circulation. Accordingly, the term "ad-book" and "ad-book
advertiser" have meanings that are limited by the non-for-profit context
of their uses herein.
[0006] Likewise, the "ad-book" has very little similarity in its
content to a general circulation commercial publication. Most general
circulation publications have content which is their appeal, and advertising
which supports the publication's articles and editorial views or subjects. By
contrast, "ad-books" have primarily ads. And the balance of the
content of an "ad-book" or similar print or publication for an
organization is by, for, or about the organization or its mission or charitable
or not-for-profit works, and its members, supporters, or honorees. In brief, an
"ad-book" for a typical organization focuses inward, on itself or the
organization while a commercial publication typically focuses outward toward
its intended public audience or targeted segment of the public.
[0007] In this sense, this type of "ad" for an organization's
"ad-book" is based on the advertiser's desire to support the
organization (or be seen among his/her peers as supporting). Often ad-books and
related print or publications are a part of the social or philanthropic fabric
of the charitable or not-for-profit community and allow members, supporters,
and donors to be recognized for their contributions by ads or messages. For
example, a large and generous donor may be recognized for its contribution by a
prominent full-page, gold-leaf ad, while smaller donors may be acknowledged for
a smaller half page "ad" or message and still smaller
"gifts" or "donations" are priced to receive and provide an
even smaller "ad" or message of a 1/8.sup.th page or business card
size or even a single line notation. "ad" pricing for ad-books is
sometimes synonymous with "gift" or "donation" or similar
terms, even though they are also direct payment for particular ads size and
placement.
[0008] The "ad-book" may also be seen as a "roll of givers"
that acts as a directory, establishes a pecking-order, and may even pressure
others to donate. In this instance the names or recognition of members,
supporters or donors to an "ad-book" may be recognized in lists,
typically from the most generous to the least. Frequently such lists are broken
down into groupings and/or given honorary names for each level. An example of
such an "ad-book" or printing or publication would include a sequence
of giving levels such as $1,000-$10,000, $500-$999, $250-$499, $100-$249 and
under $100. Similarly, an example of names denoting higher levels of giving
could include Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc. Another verbal
example of levels is Chairman's Club, President's Club, Board Level or Member.
There are numerous other verbal example categories of recognition and of giving
levels depending widely upon the constituency of the given organization, its
cause and the demographic of its community, to name just a few factors.
[0009] In this sense, ad-books give the advertiser the opportunity to be known
as a benefactor and to help the community recognize its benefactors, great and
small. But Ad-books are also believed to encourage giving and to offer a unique
opportunity to boost giving or revenue to an organization beyond just giving,
since, though thinly veiled as an ad, such ads can be treated as a business
expense for advertising or with matching gifts, for members or supporters who
are advertising, as opposed to other means of contribution to an organization.
[0010] The process of putting together an "ad-book" includes gathering
advertisers, creating ads, collating ads, collecting money, issuing receipts,
performing layout of content and graphics, finding prospective printers,
bidding pre-print layout, bidding for printing services, contracting with a
printer, proofreading, compiling content, pagination and printing and or
publishing and distributing ad-books. Organizations that use ad-books as a
fundraising vehicle often perform these tasks by organizing committees of
volunteers. Many of these tasks may be performed by the organization or sent to
one or more local businesses, such as graphic designers or printers, to assist
with the production of the ad-books. In either case, the process is time
consuming and very labor intensive for the organizations that use ad-books or
similar print or publications as a fundraising vehicle. Further, since
organizations generally do not collaborate or cooperate in their fundraising
efforts, the economic benefit that arises from producing ad-books or other
similar print or publications in large quantities for many different
organizations is unavailable. Thus, a number of alternative fundraising ways
are known and preferred to using ad-books such as holding an annual dinner or
auction or event. But because groups or organizations appeal to their members
on such special occasions and want to recognize their efforts, honorees or
event, the "ad-book" techniques are often employed within such other
related print or publishing (such as an outing, event or a dinner program)
where "advertisers" are recognized as "sponsors". The above
techniques are well known in the world of associations, not-for-profits,
charity educational, and religious organizations, to name a few.
[0011] In the field of pure charity, we know of at least one known reference
that describes a method of and device for streamlining, simplifying and
inducing the giving of contributions or gift commitments by contributors or
prospective gift givers that involves dispersing through a crowd of prospective
contributors or gift givers a plurality of keyless, electronic contributions or
gifts management devices for immediate entry of consecutive data comprising the
identities of the contributors or gift givers making the monetary contribution
commitments or monetary gift commitments.
[0012] Another known "charity" reference describes a method of
capturing monetary donations or monetary gifts made by donors or gift givers at
points in time and space in which said donors or gift givers are optimally
motivated to make said donations or gifts, said donations or gifts being the
donation or gift preferences of respective donors or gift givers. The method
comprises inputting a multiplicity of sequences of data comprised of monetary
donations or monetary gifts. The monetary donations or monetary gifts are made
by a plurality of said respective donors or gift givers consecutively free of
input of information unrelated to said respective monetary donations or
monetary gifts at a multiplicity of distinct sites where said donations and
gifts are being received.
[0013] Another known "non-ad" reference describes a central office
that correlates charitable contributions made at vending stations in food
service establishments which issue information carriers in return for
charitable contributions which are receipts for the contribution and entitle
the donor to a beverage dispensed from a machine responding to the information
carrier. Yet another known reference describes a multiplicity of charitable
collection stations with selectors for choosing the charity to which a
contribution is destined, a change maker for issuing change if desired, a
display for displaying information with respect to premiums available and
contributions made, and a modem or other telecommunicator for two-way
communications with a central station.
[0014] However, none of these known ways improves upon or streamlines the
creation, publishing, and development of ads, ad-books or related print-jobs or
publishing. In addition, none of these ways creates a new tool of a type of
physical "form" to fill out that simultaneously offers to or collects
members or supporters billing information for an "ad" or message and
the advertisements or messages, themselves, for automated delivery to pre-print
production or printing and financial information or funds for direct deposit or
to automatically issue accounting statements such as billing, receipts or
reports. Accordingly, a new method and system and tool or device for creating
ad-books is needed.
[0015] Furthermore, there is no standardized method, system, tool, automated
form or device to provide such services to a plethora of groups, charities and
not-for-profit organizations for fundraising ad-books or related print or
publication, and more particularly, to standardized computerized/automated preparation,
production, publishing and management. The lack of previously known methods to
support a plethora of organizations with ad-books is probably due to several
key factors which are overcome by the proposed invention. First, there is a
propensity for community groups to be insular and private and to jealously
guard their membership information and the privacy of their members. It is
therefore only ironic that the use of ad-books provides a rare event where such
organizations permit, and even encourage a public display of members and
supporters. An internet based system for ad-book fundraising (as under the
claimed invention) can provide customizable interconnectivity as well as
privacy protection for a plethora of organizations based on the same methods and
tools. Second, organizations, large and small, can rely upon volunteer efforts
and volunteered efforts, in which even a plethora of organizations, can be
systematized using an internet based system. And, third, organizations and
groups all engage in similar fund-raising activities. Their individual identity
and cause is "their heart and sole" and thus they strongly
self-associate and do not share methods or tactics. But the advent of the
internet has provided a unique platform for even far-flung organizations to use
universally accepted methods and techniques under the claimed invention. And
the flexibility of the invention, coupled with the internet delivery system and
methods to personalize the delivery of forms and facades can allow widely
differing groups to engage in the nearly identical fund-raising ad-book, print
and publication techniques showing their own "front-end" to members
and supporters while the organizations benefit from the similar methods
systems, tools, automated form or device to provide such service as
computerized/automated preparation, production, publishing and management by
the "back-end" provided by the invention and for shared fractions of
the cost spread over numerous groups, large and small.
SUMMARY
[0016] A method and apparatus and forms are provided for preparing ad-books
over a communications network. The method includes preparing an advertisement
or message at a user terminal connected to the communications network and using
a form or format that facilitates the transactions. The method further includes
processing the advertisement or message at a server connected to the
communications network for placing the advertisement or message in an
"ad-book" or related printing or publication.
[0017] As a more specific example, a method and apparatus are provided for
preparing an ad-book, print or publication for one of a plurality of charity or
not-for-profit organizations. The method includes the steps of a member or
supporter of the charity or not-for-profit organization accessing a website of
the one of the plurality of charity or not-for-profit organizations and
downloading a webpage from the website, the member or supporter activating a
hyperlink on the webpage to download an interactive "ad-book" ad,
message or contribution form of the charity or not-for-profit organization
linked to a third-party "ad-book" print or publication manager and
preparer, the member or supporter preparing an "ad" or message for
inclusion within the ad-book, print or publication using the interactive
contribution form and the third-party "ad-book" manager and preparer
preparing and publishing the ad-book, print or publication with the prepared
"ad" or message of the member or supporter on behalf of the
organization.
[0018] One thing that all of these "ad-books" and related print and
publications have in common is a "request for information" for
placing ads from its members and supporters. Though each "request for
information" is different, when compared among many, there are striking
similarities and significant differences. This invention seeks to reconcile the
similarities and overcome the differences with a technical solution heretofore
not available or contemplated, other than as described herein.
[0019] The similarities of the "requests for information" include
basic contact information of the member, supporter or "advertiser"
such as name, address, phone, and the fact that they wish to participate in the
"ad-book". An example of consistent, though not identical information,
common among ad-books requests among differing organizations for ad-books or
similar print or publications is the pricing or levels of giving, size and
method of conveying the "ad" or message and the methods of payment.
An example of information that is unique to each organization's
"ad-book" request would be the organizations name, logo, contact
information and mailing address.
[0020] To the best of our knowledge there is no standard "ad-book"
request for information format nor is there any particular request for information
used by any two groups. Each group seems to, simply enough, come up with their
own format. Though "ad-book" requests for information may be similar,
or even plagiarized from one group to another or adapted from local printers
there is no common rule or tool to guide this very cloistered, parochial and
private "industry".
[0021] Illustrated embodiments of the invention provide a common format using
unique computer technology, automated form-making technology and the internet,
which, together combine the common elements, make more flexible and responsive
the similar elements and simply drop-in the features unique to each group or
organization from a data-base of digital information kept for each individual
group from the plethora of groups and organizations.
[0022] Historically, each organization had to process the requests for
information using paper requests for information and had to do two additional
key elements by hand in addition to handling and processing the form. The two
key additional elements are the money deposit and accounting and the processing
of the content and layout of the "ad" or message to prepare for
printing or delivery to the printer. Typical requests for ads require the
member or supporter who is placing an "ad" or message to attach or
enclose payment, requiring separate processing by the Organization and or the
organization's financial institution. Such processing included depositing
payments, accounting, issuing billing or receipts in each instance and overall
budgeting for the management, budgeting and tracking of the success of the
total campaign.
[0023] Typical forms require the member or supporter placing an "ad"
or message to attach or enclose the "ad" or message copy,
camera-ready art, business card, photo or text with the form, requiring
separate processing by the organization or its vendors. Such processing
typically requires graphic design, pre-print layout, pagination and other print
or publishing typical of ad-books or other related print or publishing jobs.
[0024] The invention provides a common form with the help of computer
technology, form-making technology and the internet, which, together can make
common the diverse elements of processing and take similar elements of
processing of "ad-book" from each individual group and combine them
with consolidated service providers in order to achieve economies of scale and
efficiency without unreasonably reducing the unique identity or appeal of each
organization or their cause. For instance, through a relatively common automated
format the member or supporter can create their own ad, including graphic
design and images (thus eliminating much of the pre-print-production costs of a
3.sup.rd party graphic designer for many ads or messages). An automated
"ad-book" format can automatically send funds, receipts or billing
information or deposit funds directly into the organization's financial
institution or provide accounting and track progress of the fund-raising
efforts, or send automatic reminder or renewal notices. By combining accounting
with pre-print layout, such a system can use automation and computer-driven
rules to allow consistent and well regulated pagination so that more generous
"full-page" ads are grouped in order and less expensive business card
sized ads are grouped together.
[0025] Many other features and benefits are reasonably expected from this
invention, e.g. automated renewal notices, multi-year "ad" placement,
standardized yet flexible formats for data, ad/message content management,
standardized "ad-book" features such as stock-sizes, covers, sizes,
colors, table of contents formats, affinity group content, and celebrity
endorsement; consolidated printing and print work bidding, consolidated
advertising and account management, cross-ad-book advertising and demographic
specific publication, automated up-selling techniques, frequency reminders,
on-line publishing and directory services, lock-box collection, services and
specialized accounting, reporting and receipts, which are typical of
not-for-profit and political organizations. The use of a common or typical
format for soliciting or the use of an electronic form such as can be conveyed
over the internet offers many advantages such as saving postage, e-mailing
larger pools of members and supporters, electronic processing of electronic
forms, including graphic design features for on-line/on-the-fly graphic design
of "ad-book" ads or messages and on-line payment.
[0026] Other embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention will be
apparent to one with skill in the art of both organizations who rely on
"ad-books" and similar print or publications for fund-raising as well
as printers and graphic designers who have traditionally helped compile and
publish such ad-books and related print publications and who may also benefit
from more organized and automated pre-print production and delivery by
organizations.
[0027] Other embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention will be
apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures
and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional embodiments,
features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the
scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0028] The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis
instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the
figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the
different views.
[0029] FIG. 1 depicts an "ad-book" preparation system in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an example user terminal of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example "ad-book" server of FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart for creating ad-books using the system of
FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 5a-b depicts an example advertisement selection form of the system
of FIG. 1; and
[0034] FIG. 6 is a schematic of processors of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an advertisement book (used herein as
"ad-book"), print and publication preparation system 10 shown
generally in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6
depicts an overall connection diagram of the software modules used to implement
the system 10 of FIG. 1.
[0036] The system 10 may include a number of hosts 50, 52 operated by a charity
or not-for-profit organizations and a third-party "ad-book" server 6.
Each of the charity or not-for-profit hosts 50, 52 may support one or more
websites 54, 56 for the benefit of the members and supporters of the charity or
not-for-profit organization. Members and supporters of each of the charity or
not-for-profit organizations may access the respective websites 54, 56 and make
contributions to the charity and not-for-profit organization through a
respective terminal 2, 4 of the member or supporter.
[0037] Upon accessing the websites 54, 56 of the respective charity or
not-for-profit organization, the members and supporters 2, 4 may download one
or more web pages 58 from the respective websites 50, 52 of the charities or
not-for-profit organizations. Located on the web pages 58 may be a number of
windows 60 with descriptive information (e.g., mission statements, operational
objectives and achievements, donation instructions, etc.) about the charity or
not-for-profit organization.
[0038] Also located on the web pages 58 may be a softkey 62 entitled MAKE
CONTRIBUTION." Activation of the softkey 62 activates a subroutine 64
downloaded with the webpage 58. Activation of the subroutine 64 causes the
subroutine to activate a hyperlink 68 that sends a message to the
"ad-book" server 6. Included within the message is a request for a
contribution form 100 and an identifier of the host 50, 52 (i.e., an identifier
of charity or not-for-profit organization) from which the request originated.
[0039] Within the third-party server 6, a request processor 70 may receive and
process the request. As a first step, the processor 70 may retrieve the
identifier of the charity or not-for-profit organization to access a file 72 of
the charity or not-for-profit organization and retrieve a set of contribution
parameters 74. With the contribution parameters, the request processor 70 may
construct an interactive contribution form 100 (FIGS. 5a-b).
[0040] As a first step in the construction of the contribution form 100, the
request processor 70 may insert a name of the charity or not-for-profit
organization in a display area 102 within the form. The request processor 70
may also insert a set of names 104 of customized levels of sponsorship of the
charity or not-for-profit organization. As a final step, the request processor
70 may also attach a processing subroutine 76 to the form 100 and download the
form 100 and attached subroutine 76 to the member or supporter 2, 4.
[0041] Alternatively, the form 100 may be pre-constructed and saved as a
feature within each web page 58. In this case, the form 100 would be downloaded
with the web page 58 from the website 54, 56 whenever a member or supporter 2,
4 visits the website 54, 56, although the size of the file (i.e., the form 100)
would slow the downloading of the web page 58.
[0042] In general, a member or supporter of the charity or not-for-profit
organization may use a user terminal 2, 4 to prepare an advertisement to be
placed in an ad-book. An "ad-book" server 6 receives advertisement
data via the form 100 from a user terminal 2, 4 via a communications network 8.
In an illustrative embodiment, communications network 8 functions to carry
information between the user terminals 2, 4 and the "ad-book" server
6 to facilitate the creation of ad-books. The communications network 8 may
include circuit switched telephony as used in public switch telephone networks
(PSTN) or data packet networks adhering to Internet Protocol (IP), frame relay,
or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocols. In an illustrative embodiment,
communications network 8 provides IP communication for user terminal 2, 4 and
"ad-book" server 6.
[0043] As used herein, an advertiser includes members and supporters of an
organization, e.g. charity, school, team, association, club, professional
organization, lodge, union, board, fraternity, sisterhood, cause, hospital,
home, condo-board, synagogue, event, community group, political party
candidate, and volunteers and staff of the organization. For example, a local
hardware store may be an advertiser since it may desire to support the local
community group. Further, the advertiser may include representatives and agents
of the members and supporters. For example, a marketing manager or a secretary
for the marketing manager may be termed an "advertiser" for purposes
of this application. Further yet, volunteers or members of the organization may
serve as advertisers. For example, a local bakery may desire that the
volunteers of the synagogue put together the advertisement on the bakery's
behalf.
[0044] The user terminal 2, 4 functions to provide an interactive input apparatus
for the creation of advertisements to be placed in ad-books. As used herein,
the term "advertisement" in the context of an "ad-book",
print or publication for a charity or not-for-profit organization includes
announcements, statements, proclamations, public statements, posters,
billboards, public notices, classified ads, want ads, commercials, flyers,
brochures, and other information to be disseminated to the public. The
advertisement may includes graphics, simple text, images, video clips, audio
clips, and audiovisual information.
[0045] An embodiment of the present invention may be employed and used in
conjunction with any computer system, such as a personal computer, a notebook
computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, or a
mobile/wireless assistant or automatic teller machine (ATM) or automatic ticket
dispenser. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a user terminal 2, 4 may be a
personal computer system including a monitor 12, a keyboard 14, a mouse 16,
random access memory (RAM), storage in the form of a hard disk, a scanner 18,
and network access 20 to the communications network 8. The personal computer
may also include a floppy disk, a CD-ROM drive, read-only-memory, a modem,
speakers, a camera, and a laser printer 22 as are well known in the art. In
addition to a personal computer, the user terminal 2, 4 may be practiced using
a network computer, a "dumb terminal" on a multi-user system, or an
Internet or intranet computer, in which software is resident on the Internet or
intranet, rather than stored on a hard disk on a personal computer. Further,
the user terminal 2, 4 may either operate in a stand-alone mode or over a
network.
[0046] The user terminal 2, 4 may be provisioned with computer operating
software currently available on a number of platforms, such as Microsoft
Windows, Apple MacOS and Sun Solaris. The computer system may be running
Windows 98, Windows NT, or equivalent, Palm OS, WindowsCE, or equivalent or an
operating system used on Apple or Sun Computers. An embodiment of the present
invention is not limited to a particular operating system or computer system to
function.
[0047] The user terminal 2, 4 allows an advertiser to prepare an advertisement
by using the computer (as shown in FIG. 2) to display and edit a desired
advertisement. A desired advertisement 44 is shown in FIG. 1 as it would be
displayed on the monitor 12 of the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2, 4 may
be provisioned with computer software currently available for the preparation
of the advertisement or simple content. Computer software, such as Microsoft
Office, Corel PageMaker and Adobe PhotoShop may be suitable for the preparation
of a desired advertisement. Further, the user terminal 2, 4 may be used to
connect with the "ad-book" server 6 to transmit the desired
advertisement to the "ad-book" server 6 to be printed on a printer or
to be formatted for display as an electronic ad-book.
[0048] In this context, the member or supporter may use the contribution form
100 in conjunction with the software to prepare the advertisement. The
advertisement 44 may be created by the member or supporter and saved as a
separate file 78 under an appropriate format (e.g., pdf) on the user terminal
2, 4.
[0049] The member or supporter may then access the contribution form 100 to
submit the advertisement. For example, after adding identification information
of the member or supporter in a first area 106 of the form 100, the member or
user may activate a BROWSER softkey 108. Activation of the softkey 108 allows
the member or supporter to view and identify one or more graphics and/or text
files 78 within a window 107 for inclusion within the ad. Selection of the file
78 causes an image of the file to displayed in a window 109. The member or
supporter may add text within another window 112 to create the finished ad 44.
Alternatively, the member or supporter may enter an IP address within a window
113 of the file 44 that identifies a path through the communication system 8
through which the file 44 may be retrieved. Once the files have been
identified, the member or supporter may activate an UPLOAD softkey 110.
[0050] The "ad-book" server 6 may function to perform processing for
the creation of ad-books. It may provide user terminals 2, 4 with the ability
to enter prepared content or advertisements or to prepare an advertisement for
an ad-book via the electronic form 100. An embodiment of the
"ad-book" server 6 may be employed and used in conjunction with any
computer system, such as a personal desktop computer. For example, as shown in
FIG. 3, an "ad-book" server 6 includes a web server system may
include a monitor 26, a keyboard 30, a mouse 28, a processing unit 24, and
network access 35 with a firewall 34 to the communications network 10. The web
server may also include a floppy disk, a CD-ROM drive, read-only-memory, a
modem, speakers, a camera, a zip drive and a laser printer 32 as are well known
in the art. Optionally, the "ad-book" server may include a database
for managing ad-books, user terminals 2, 4, advertisers, and advertisements.
[0051] The "ad-book" server 6 may be provisioned with computer
operating software currently available on a number of platforms, such as
Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS and Sun Solaris. The computer system may be
running Windows 98, Windows NT, or equivalent, Palm OS, WindowsCE, or
equivalent or an operating system used on Apple or Sun Computers.
[0052] For example, once a form 100 is received, a consolidation processor 80
may receive the advertisement 44 and incorporate the advertisement 44 into the
"ad-book", print or publication 48. If the form 100 is the first
advertisement 44 received, then the advertisement 44 would simply be added to
the file. If the advertisement 44 where one of many, then the advertisement 44
may be prioritized within the "ad-book, print or publication 48. For
example, a member or supporter who submits an advertisement as a Gold Sponsor
104 may be inserted at a beginning of the "ad-book", print or
publication. A Standard Sponsor may be relegated to an end of the
"ad-book", print or publication.
[0053] Similarly, the consolidation processor 80 may assembly advertisements 44
based upon size. In this case, advertisement that occupy a full page would
simply be appended based upon priority. One-half page advertisements 44 would
be consolidated with another one-half page advertisements 44 or two one-fourth
page advertisements 44.
[0054] In another illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the
"ad-book" server 6 may be programmed as a web server adhering to the
Active Server Pages specification to generate web pages for display on the user
terminals 2, 4. An embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a
particular operating system or computer system to function.
[0055] In operation, an embodiment of the present invention functions to allow
advertisers at user terminals 2, 4 to produce advertisements for ad-books
without the necessity of first accessing any website 54, 56 of a charity or
not-for-profit organization. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example flow
of the functions performed by the "ad-book" server 6 in creating
ad-books. Advertisers at user terminals 2, 4 may connect to a website 82 of the
"ad-book" server 6 by accessing the Internet via the communications
network 8 and entering a URL address relating to the "ad-book" server
6. An advertiser at a user terminal 2, 4 may register (see Block 36) with the
"ad-book" server by entering information related to the ad-book, the
organization, and the advertiser. With regard to the charity or not-for-profit
organization, the member or supporter may activate a BROWSE softkey 114 and a
list of charities or not-for-profit organizations registered with the server 6
may be displayed within a window 102. The member or supporter may select the charity
or not-for-profit organization and activate the SELECT softkey 116.
[0056] The advertiser may enter the business name, address, and telephone
number in a first text area 106. The advertiser at a user terminal 2, 4 may
prepare an advertisement (see Block 38) by a number of different methods
including by downloading an advertisement that has been previously prepared,
filling in one of several standard forms, and composing an advertisement at the
"ad-book" server 6 (see block 38). Downloading may include
transmitting the previously prepared advertisement or standard form from the
user terminal 2, 4 to the "ad-book" server 6 through the
communications network 8. An advertiser may directly create an advertisement
using applications software such as Microsoft Word, Corel PageMaker and Adobe
PhotoShop. As mentioned, an example advertisement 44 prepared on the user
terminal 2 and viewed on the monitor 12 of the user terminal 2 is shown in FIG.
1.
[0057] Alternatively, an advertisement may be composed at the
"ad-book" server 6 by selecting choices relating to the advertisement
including desired size, cost/fee, message, layout, and background from a
web-based advertisement preparation tool. The web-based advertisement
preparation tool may be executed at "ad-book" server 6 and may
present choices relating to advertisement size, placement, cost/fee, layout,
background and text to the user terminals 2, 4. For example, desired messages
available for selection may include "Congratulations!" "Good
Luck on the Fundraising," and "We Support You!" Further,
messages may be personal or personalized so that the advertiser may input
personal information such as a name. For example, personalized messages
available for selection include "From Your Friends at ______",or
"With Love From ______". Yet other messages may provide or allow for
matching corporate giving. For example, an individual's "ad" or
message which would include an approved "matching funds and support
provided by ______ Corporation".
[0058] Advertisement preparation (see Block 38) also includes selecting one of
a number of desired backgrounds by using an input apparatus, such as mouse 16
on the user terminal 2, 4, to select among multiple background patterns being
displayed. Choices may include regular and premium placement. For example, an
advertiser may choose the "Gold" background at a higher cost to show
their higher degree of support for the organization. Advertisement preparation
(see Block 38) may also include selecting font, font size, and color as is known
in the art. For example, an advertiser may choose to have white letters in an
Ariel font size of 14. Other variations of advertisement preparation are known
in the publishing art and will not be further described herein.
[0059] Further, it may be possible to select an advertisement theme so that the
number of choices that an advertiser has to make in order to compose an
advertisement is reduced. For example, a predefined advertisement theme such as
"Formal," "Sponsor," "Endower," or
"President's Level" may define a message, layout, background and
lettering font or size. Further, the cost associated with predefined
advertisement themes may commensurate with various levels of giving. Further,
an advertiser may input multimedia comprising graphics, logos, images, video
clips, audio clips and audiovisual to the advertisement. For example, a
photograph input by use of a camera (not illustrated in FIG. 2) may be used as
part of the advertisement. If an advertiser wishes to use a previously designed
advertisement or image, or revise a past ad or image, then the advertiser may
select an image or prepared advertisement from a list of images or prepared
advertisements or from an archive of images or past ads 84 which may be stored
at the "ad-book" server 6. The "ad-book" server 6 may
maintain archives classified according to a criterion, e.g. organization's
name, organization's type, advertiser's name. Once the advertisement has been
prepared, it may be displayed to the advertiser so that further changes or editing
may be made or for final proof-reading and approval. Shown in FIG. 1 is an
example advertisement 46 prepared by selecting choices from the
"ad-book" server 6 and shown on the monitor of the user terminal 4.
[0060] The "ad-book" server 6 may also generate messages to the user
terminal 4. Messages that may be generated include suggesting modifications to
an ad, reminding an advertiser to "up-sell" or renew, informing the
advertiser of potential "ad-books", prints and publications to advertise
in, and promoting an advertiser to remain an ad. The "ad-book" server
6 may use up-selling sales techniques and user history or demographic
information to suggest specialty "ad" placement. For example, the
server 6 may maintain a database of user history or demographic information and
"ad-book" characteristics that may be analyzed to form
recommendations regarding potential advertiser interest or history of giving or
placing past "ads" or messages. For example, the server 6 may suggest
that an advertiser place an "ad" on a particular date in an
"ad-book" calendar or the server 6 may suggest that an advertiser
place an "ad" alongside specific members.
[0061] Data processing occurs as advertisement preparation is completed (see
block 40). Since many advertisements and many ad-books may be processed at the
"ad-book" server 6, data processing includes classifying each
advertisement received into individual ad-books (or multiple ad-books if so
desired). For example, Bob's Garage may prepare and transfer an advertisement
showing its support for the local girls' softball team to the
"ad-book" server 6. The "ad-book" server 6 may classify the
advertisement for inclusion in the softball team ad-book. Yet another example,
a Chicago-area fast food restaurant may support several causes and wish to be
included in many different ad-books. "ad-book" server 6 may classify
the fast food restaurant advertisement for a homeless society ad-book, a legal
clinic "ad-book" and a church affiliated ad-books.
[0062] An embodiment of this invention allows one advertiser to support many
organizations. For example, a regional or national advertiser wishing to
support all such organizations that meet the advertiser's demographic,
advertising or sponsorship criteria or corporate philosophy may designate its
support by selecting all relevant ad-books for all relevant organizations. In a
more specific example, a major cosmetic company may wish to support women's
organizations, including girl's sports teams, women's health issues, and
women's charities within its major markets. In yet another example, a major
sporting goods supplier may wish to sponsor all youth sport teams or just those
in a particular sport. Being able to support many organizations is a benefit of
an embodiment of this invention. Pooling support for various organizations
together provides efficiency in securing advertisements from an advertiser or
advertisers which no one organization could reach and no such advertising
campaign could reach so many organizations. Further, pooling support from
advertisers, through this invention, allows each advertiser to efficiently
offer support to many organizations and allows each organization to discreetly
and confidentially accept or reject such support as could be dictated by the
consensus of the organization (since it is implied that organizations have a
conscience where as for-profit publications would accept any decent paying ad).
Thus, both advertisers and organizations benefit from using an embodiment of
this invention if successfully deployed to a plethora of advertisers and a
plethora of organizations.
[0063] In an alternate embodiment, data processing (see Block 40) includes the
step of processing a mode of payment for placing the advertisement in an
ad-book. For example, an advertiser may enter an advertiser's credit card
number in a payment area 118 and request that the bill be charged to the credit
card. The mode of payment may also include direct bank drafts, a request to be
billed, or, as is unique to not-for-profit and charity organizations a
"pledge" for future payment or payments over time. Alternatively, a
secure payment provider may be selected 122. Once selecting a payment method,
the member or supporter may activate a SUBMIT softkey 124 to complete the
process or simply print the information for hand-delivery or mailing.
[0064] The "ad-book" server 6 may process the payment information to
the organization and or send a follow up receipt for tax purposes or billing
for payment or reminders for payment of a "pledge". Further, the
"ad-book" server 6 may consolidate payment and advertisement
information for the advertiser and or the organization. In such a manner, an
embodiment of this invention provides assistance with specialized tax issues
which many not-for-profit organizations face.
[0065] Data processing (see Block 40) may also include sending an
acknowledgement to the advertiser at user terminal 2, 4 that prepared the
advertisement. The acknowledgement may include transmitting an electronic mail
(email) to the advertiser thanking the advertiser for its support. The email
may also include specialized accounting information so as to aid with the
specialized tax issues mentioned above. The acknowledgement may also include
sending a postal mail to or telephoning the advertiser. Further, data
processing (see Block 40) may include sending the advertiser a copy of the
advertisement as a proof or that may be printed in the "ad-book" or
forwarding a copy of an "ad-book" with the advertisement to the
advertiser. In an alternative embodiment, data processing (see Block 40) also
includes translating the advertisement into Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
format so that the advertisement may be viewed from user terminals 2, 4
connected to the Internet. Where advertisements may be viewed from user
terminals 2, 4, the term publishing is used to describe the ability of users at
user terminals 2, 4 to view an ad-book. Where advertisement may be viewed from
user terminals 2, 4, ad-books may or may not be printed in physical form.
Further yet, data processing (see Block 40) may also include managing
advertisements and ad-books so that advertisers may include links to preferred
web-sites. For example, a hardware advertiser may include a hypertext link to
its home page on the Internet. Further, data processing (see Block 40) may also
include the step of deleting old advertisements, advertisements not paid for,
and old ad-books in the "ad-book" server 6.
[0066] In an alternative embodiment, password protection for the advertisements
and ad-books may be available to provide security and limit access to the
advertisements and the ad-books. Further, a firewall 34 may be included for the
"ad-book" server 6 so as to provide security and limit access to the
advertisements and the ad-books.
[0067] Returning to FIG. 4, advertisement output (see block 42) functions to
create ad-books that are distributed by an organization to raise money. This
may include printing out a typeset copy of an "ad-book" on the laser
printer 32 of the "ad-book" server 6 or it may include sending an
electronic copy of the "ad-book" to a print shop so that a large
number of copies may be printed on a printing press or, further, to be bound.
In an alternative embodiment, advertisement output (see Block 42) also includes
displaying advertisements and ad-books to the user terminals 2, 4. Further,
electronic versions of the advertisements and ad-books may be viewed by users
connecting to the "ad-book" server 6 through communications network
10. In one embodiment, user terminals 2, 4 may view an electronic
"ad-book" that has HTML versions of the advertisements.
[0068] An embodiment of the present invention may be provided as software,
which may be loaded from floppy disks, from a CD-ROM, over a network, or from
any other suitable storage media. The software may be loaded onto the hard disk
drive of a computer in a manner that is known to those skilled in the art.
[0069] FIG. 6 depicts a schematic 200 of the software processors operating
within the system of FIG. 1. As shown, members and supporters may contact a
host 50, 52 of the charity or not-for-profit organizations over a first set of
connections 202, 204 through the Internet 8. The host 50, 52 may provide links
206 to any of a number of different websites 208 of different charity or not-for-profit
groups.
[0070] The websites 208 may include the processor 210 with the functionality of
the server 6 or provide hyperlinks 206, 204, 216 to a separate server 6. Where
the processor 210 contains the functionality of the server 6, then the processor
may down load the form 100 to the member or supporter and the member or
supporter may create the advertisement using an internal processor 232.
[0071] Alternatively, the member or supporter may use the services of a
consultant to prepare the advertisement 44 and reference the graphics for
retrieval via a IP address 113. In this case, the member or supporter may
create a graphics file within a first processor 232 and transfer the file to a
processor 234 that converts the file to a format suitable for the
"ad-book, print or publication. Another processor 236 may divide the file
into first and second forms for on-line and printed formats. Still another
processor 238 may perform further graphics adjustments (e.g., add margins,
color, etc.) for approval by the member or supporter. Another processor 240 may
add text or make other final adjustments.
[0072] The advertisement 44 within the form 100 may be received from the member
or supporter through links 202, 204, 206. The "ad-book", print or
publication may be sent to an in-house printer 212 or sent to a third party
printer 214 through links 206, 204, 218. Where the advertisement 44 is
retrieved through the IP address 113, retrieval of the advertisement may be
through links 204, 206, 242, 244 or 246.
[0073] Where processor 210 prepares the "ad-book", print or
publication, payment may be obtained via a credit card 220 or bank 222 via
links 206, 204, 224, 226. Alternatively, the member or supporter 2, 4 may
arrange for payment directly via a processor 228 and links 202 224, 226, 230.
[0074] In other embodiments, the server 6 may be operated by a third party. The
third party may maintain a database 248 of previous advertisements from members
and supporters of charities and not-for-profit organizations. The third party
may also maintain its own accounting system 250 for collecting donations from
members or supporters of client charities and not-for-profit organizations.
[0075] While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments
and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention.
### END -
Ad Book Patent – Application on-line USPTO Site ####
And
(with
Further Patents Pending)
©
1999-2007 All rights reserved.
Contact
OLA, LLC @ www.OLAllc.com
Should we post on-site or provide a
link?
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|
|
20020099617
|
|
Kind Code |
A1 |
|
Fogelson, Bruce A. |
July
25, 2002 |
Builders on-line assistant
Abstract
A
method and apparatus are provided for servicing a customer of a builder by a
third-party website provider. The method includes the steps of providing a first
website by the third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing
and selecting product options for product offerings provided by the builder,
receiving from the customer through the first website views and selections of
an option of the options provided by the builder and collecting a fee or
commission based upon the received selection made by the customer.
|
Inventors: |
|
|
Correspondence Name and Address: |
WELSH & KATZ, LTD Jon P. Christensen 22nd Floor 120 South IL 60606 US |
|
Serial No.: |
768476 |
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Series Code: |
09 |
|
Filed: |
January 24, 2001 |
|
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705/26 |
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705/26 |
|
Intern'l Class: |
G06F
017/60 |
Claims
1. A method of servicing a customer of a builder by a third-party website
provider, such method comprising the steps of: providing a first website by the
third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing and selecting
product options of product offerings available from or through the builder;
providing a variety of related forms and services through the first website;
receiving from the customer through the first website a view and selection of
an option of the options provided by the builder; and collecting a fee or
commission based upon the products viewed by and selections made by the
customer.
2. The method of servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing related forms further comprise filtering and supplying
product information, contract, financing, closing, and post-sale forms and
information.
3. The method of servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing related services further comprises offering purchase and
pre-purchase information, promoting a buyers' group service for volume
discounts and advertising, providing lending, closing, title, tax, government,
permits, insurance, inspection, appraisal, RESPA, utility, warrantee, and
moving services, and providing post-closing warrantee and product information,
and customer and sales support.
4. The method of servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing the first website further comprises providing an online
deposit system.
5. The method of servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 4 further
comprising purchasing extras using the online deposit system.
6. The method of servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing the first website further comprises providing order
verification and tracking.
7. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 further
comprising collecting data concerning buying trends.
8. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing the first website further comprises allowing manufacturers,
sub-contractors, and vendors to pre-view potential orders, groups of orders,and
customer product viewings.
9. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 further
comprising providing web and communications tools to the builder,
sub-contractors, and suppliers.
10. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 9 further
comprising defining the web tools as e-mail, real-time chat, calendars, escrow,
e-business, job reports, notices, attendance tracking, buyer satisfaction
ratings, next day activity lists, job logs, messaging, post-its, sample
requests, and threaded discussion groups.
11. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of collecting the fee or commission based upon the views and selections
made by the customer further comprises collecting up-front access, semi-custom
web design, and data service fees or commissions from the builder and
third-party advertisers.
12. The method for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 1 wherein the
step of providing the first website further comprises allowing manufacturers,
sub-contractors, and suppliers to advertise their products through the system.
13. An apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder by a third-party website
provider, such apparatus comprising: means for providing a first website by the
third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing and selecting
product options of product offerings available from the builder; means for
providing a variety of related forms and services through the first website;
means for receiving from the customer through the first website a view and
selection of an option of the options provided by the builder; and means for
collecting a fee or commission based upon the products viewed by and selections
made by the customer.
14. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for providing related forms further comprises means for filtering and
generating contract, financing, closing, and post-sale forms and information.
15. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for providing related services further comprises means for offering
purchase and pre-purchase information, promoting a buyers' group service for
volume discounts and advertising, facilitating lending, closing, title, tax,
government, permits, insurance, inspection, appraisal, RESPA, utility,
warrantee, and moving services, and providing post-closing warrantee and
product information, and customer and sales support.
16. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for providing the first website further comprises means for offering
an online deposit system.
17. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 16 wherein
the means for offering the online deposit system further comprises means for
purchasing extras.
18. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for providing the first website further comprises means for providing
order verification and tracking.
19. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 further
comprising means for collecting data concerning buying trends.
20. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for providing the first website further comprises means for allowing
manufacturers, sub-contractors, and vendors to pre-view potential orders,
groups of orders, and cutomer product viewings.
21. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 further
comprising means for providing web and communications tools to the builder,
sub-contractors, and suppliers.
22. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 21 wherein
the web tools further comprise e-mail, real-time chat, calendars, escrow,
e-business, job reports, notices, attendance tracking, buyer satisfaction
ratings, next day activity lists, job logs, messaging, post-its, sample
requests, and threaded discussion groups.
23. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means for collecting the fee or commission based upon the views and
selections made by the customer further comprises means for collecting up-front
access, semi-custom web design, and data service fees or commissions from the
contractor.
24. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 13 wherein
the means of providing the first website further comprises means for allowing
manufacturers, sub-contractors, and suppliers to advertise their products
through the system.
25. An apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder by a third-party website
provider, such apparatus comprising: a first website provided by the
third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing and selecting
product options of product offerings available from the builder; a variety of
related forms and services through the first website; a selection processor
receiving through the first website views and selections of an option of the
options provided by the builder; and a commission processor adapted to collect
a fee or commission based upon the received selection made by the customer, and
the products viewed by the customer.
26. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the related forms further comprise product information, contract, financing,
closing, and post-sale forms and information.
27. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the related services further comprise purchase and pre-purchase information, a
buyers' group service for volume discounts and advertising, lending, closing,
title, tax, government, permits, insurance, inspection, appraisal, RESPA,
utility, warrantee, and moving services.
28. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the first website further comprises an online deposit system.
29. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 28 wherein
the online deposit system further comprises a credit source for the purchase of
extras.
30. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the first website further comprises an order verification and tracking system.
31. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 further
comprising a system for collecting data concerning buying trends.
32. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the first website further comprises a system for allowing manufacturers,
sub-contractors, and vendors to pre-view potential orders, groups of orders,
and customer product viewings.
33. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 further
comprising web and communications tools available to the builder,
sub-contractors, and suppliers.
34. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 33 wherein
the web tools further comprise e-mail, real-time chat, calendars, escrow,
e-business, job reports, notices, attendance tracking, buyer satisfaction
ratings, next day activity lists, job logs, messaging, post-its, sample
requests, and threaded discussion groups.
35. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 further
comprising a system for collecting up-front access, semi-custom web design, and
data service fee or commissions from the builder or third-party advertisers.
36. The apparatus for servicing a customer of a builder as in claim 25 wherein
the first website further comprises a system for allowing manufacturers,
sub-contractors, and suppliers to advertise their products.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 09/483,579 entitled BUILDERS ON-LINE ASSISTANT, filed on
Jan. 14, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to the construction industry and more particularly
to methods of coordinating, displaying, processing and expediting selection
processes of building options. The home-building business is used as a primary
illustration, but this invention also applies to commercial, office, and other
construction and renovation. Architects, designers, and renovators may find
this invention useful, in addition to builders.
[0003] Construction is a very detail-oriented industry. Often a buyer or
end-user (henceforth collectively referred to as "customer") and
seller, builder, installer, or general contractor (henceforth collectively
referred to as "builder") will meet many times to explore, select and
negotiate overall scope and terms of a construction project. Often the only
basis that a builder may have for quoting a price is a vague list or set of
architectural drawings (layouts) and a general "sense" of what
customers desire. In such cases, the builder may estimate the cost of
"fitting out" a building based upon past experience or upon local
trade craft for "typical" or "standards".
[0004] In the case of residential construction, a myriad of standard or above
standard choices faces the customer once a contract has been signed. Often a
builder will provide a number of options with regard to overall house design
and functionality. Some options may relate to room and/or kitchen layout. A
number of mechanical/system options, such as heating and cooling, may also be
provided. Changes to a plan's electrical and plumbing systems, basement (either
finished or unfinished), or garages may be available. Each option (or package
of options) usually has its own advantages and disadvantages that may appeal to
one customer over another.
[0005] Once the overall layout and functionality of a house is complete, the
selection process may become even more involved. Design preferences such as
floor coverings must be selected, kitchen and bathroom designs must be
finalized. The customer must decide what color to paint the walls or whether
wallpaper is a better choice.
[0006] The finalization of kitchen design is an especially complex process of
integrating the various parts of design, products and "hook-up" of
water, mechanical systesm, electric services, and other systems. Kitchen
cabinets must be selected from any of a number of confusingly similar quantity,
quality and feature options. Countertops, sinks and faucets must be coordinated
to fit and function. Provision must be made for built-in appliances. Water,
sewer and electric connections must be considered for each option. After
cabinets have been selected, appliances may be ordered to conform to the
overall design, or visa versa.
[0007] Bathroom choices are equally complex. Fixtures such as sinks, toilets,
tubs and faucets must be selected. If the bathroom is to be tiled, then a type
and color(s) must be selected to conform to the other choices.
[0008] Usually a builder provides an allowance for each option. The cheapest (or
most popular) option may be included in the overall construction price. Where
another option is selected, the customer may incur an additional charge or
receive credit against the construction price, which must be included in
calculations regarding credit, product installations and profit. The cost of
labor expended in making design changes and installing options is another
variable builders consider when pricing materials and substitutions, or
offering credits.
[0009] While builders and customers may painstakingly track the customer
selection process, the process requires countless hours spent presenting
options and recording customer choices. Additional time is wasted relaying
these various, interrelated choices to sub-contractors, vendors, distributors,
manufacturers, purchasing managers, and job site personnel (henceforth
collectively referred to as "trades"). Further, no true
"retail" outlet exists for these options, essentially sub-trade
industry products (i.e., faucets are available at plumbing supply showrooms,
doors and trim at lumber yards, appliances at appliance stores). New
construction products frequently vary from similar renovation products.
Likewise, varied industry and non-trade pricing and discounts apply to these
industry products.
[0010] Where the customer and builder have busy schedules, choices are often
not made in a timely manner. Further, the Statute of Frauds requires a written
note or memorandum (e.g., a signed contract, change order, etc.). Accordingly,
a need exists for a means of facilitating the presentation and documentation
process of products, services and processes of the construction industry.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A method and apparatus are provided for servicing a customer of a
builder by a third-party website provider The method includes the steps of
providing a website by the third-party website provider for use by the customer
in selecting product options for product offerings provided by the builder or
trades, receiving from the customer through the website a selection of an
option of the options provided by the builder or trades and collecting a fee or
commission based upon the received selection made by the customer and/or an
advertising revenue for the "pass through" of options at such point
of purchase.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for servicing a customer of a
builder in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a screen of a webpage that may be viewed through the system of
FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a screen of a webpage of a builder that may be viewed through
the system of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a screen showing a model of a home that may be offered by the
builder using the system of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 depicts a subdivision that may be marketed using the system of
FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 6 depicts a purchase offer that may be made to a builder using the
system of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7 depicts a sign-on screen that may be used by a customer or
builder of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 8 depicts a screen that may be viewed by a builder using the system
of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 9 depicts a list of purchase offers that may be viewed by a builder
using the system of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 10 depicts a particular purchase offer that may be viewed by the
builder using the system of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 11 depicts a virtual showroom that may be visited by a customer of
a builder using the system of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 12 depicts an options selection screen that may used by a customer
of a builder using the system of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 13 depicts a more detailed options selection screen that may used
by a customer of a builder using the system of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 14 depicts a showroom that may be used by customers of the system
of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 15 depicts hyperlinks that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 16 provides a high level overview of website use of the system of
FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 17 depicts builder logon and use of the builders' website of FIG.
1;
[0029] FIG. 18 depicts a new customer setup screen of the system of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIG. 19 depicts a new customer logon to the system of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 20 depicts logon to the system of FIG. 1 by an existing customer;
[0032] FIG. 21 depicts an options selection screen of the system of FIG. 1; and
[0033] FIG. 22 depicts an options selection screen used by the customer of FIG.
1.
[0034] FIG. 23-FIG. 29 depict a series of screens that a customer may view in
succession.
[0035] FIG. 30 depicts a status ledger that may be used by a customer of a
builder using the system of FIG. 1 to determine what additional selections need
to be made.
[0036] FIG. 31 depicts a selection screen that may be used by a customer of a builder
using the system of FIG. 1.
[0037] FIG. 32-FIG. 34 depict additional selection screens that may be used by
a customer of a builder using the system of FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 35 depicts various forms and services that may be used by customers
and builders using the system of FIG. 1.
[0039] FIG. 36 depicts an online deposit system that may be used by a customer
of a builder using the system of FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 37 depicts web tools that may be available to builders using the
system of FIG. 1.
[0041] Appendix I is a series of screens that a customer may view in
succession.
[0042] Appendix II is a data model flow-chart of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0043] The market for the system provided herein is, for example, the over
65,000 builder-members of the Home Builders Association, over 100,000 U.S.
builders, the over 1,600,000 new-home starts per year or the millions of
re-sale homes which need home improvements. An average new home price of about
$200,000 provides a general market volume of over $300,000,000,000. The
"secondary" product market of new-home upgrades or selections,
referred to as "standards and extras," averages $20,000 per home.
Typically, some selections are referred to as standards and offered at no
additional cost such as predefined grades of carpet, counter tops, cabinet, and
some basic fixture colors. Standards are generally base grade and thus extras
become a significant cost to customers and a profit center to builders and
trades. These secondary extras often run from 1% to 20% or more of the original
house price. This sub-market (at even 10% of the overall market) amounts to
$30,000,000,000.
[0044] It is not unreasonable to state that one of the most frustrating parts
of the buyer/builder/trades relationship is: 1) the standards and extras
selection process and 2) the contract, supply, and administration process.
Standards are standard options provided at no additional cost by the builder.
Extras are at extra cost. The standards and extras selection process has no
industry standards. Furthermore, customers, (who feel stressed by the purchase
anyway) often feel as though they are a "captive market" to their
builder's pricing and selections, since they have no other "market"
or source for shopping or comparing.
[0045] Likewise, builders (already at the mercy of the trades and having enough
difficulty coordinating the overall process of home construction on a fixed
schedule) have trouble translating their customer's "dream home" into
product, pricing and coordination. This is particularly difficult due to the
broadly varied products to select and coordinate deliver from since no
"hub" exists from which both builder and customer can both select
products. In fact, many products have no retail availability except from trade
to builder, or consist of labor-only field changes.
[0046] Customers are often restricted to builders' job-site show rooms and
sales centers (if any) and builders' sales people. The show rooms and sales
centers often have limited product information, limited hours, and offer little
assistance in "shopping" outside their builders' showroom. Often
customers want to see standard options and extras before signing the home
buying contract, which builders view as difficult and a waste of time until the
larger contract is executed. This leads them to the builders' selections
center, that is often ill-kept and not well "merchandised". Most
builders build the selections center as a small part of a temporary sales
office located on-site, or simply maintain a library of industry catalogs and
brochures.
[0047] The contract process can be just as hard on both customer and builder.
There is no standard contract (unlike the typical local realtor contracts for
existing homes). Customer and builder often rely on lawyers to negotiate both
broad and fine points from scratch. Once executed, the complex language in the
contracts is normally intimidating rather than serving as a help in instructing
the customer on how to proceed toward options selections and closing. Often the
contracts are burdened by references to such disasters (e.g., fire, flood,
strikes, etc.) as to discourage the customer from executing the contract.
[0048] Builder's brochures (or web sites) offer such sales messages to customers
as to: 1) the home fagade and layout; 2) the location and 3) the builder.
However, they do not do much to address the standards/extras product selections
or the contract. These are left as subsequent hurdles. Builders spend thousands
on sales centers whose primary focus is, again, the home design, layout,
fagade, lot, room dimensions, the location and the builder. The only other
place customers can look at products is a local retailer (e.g., Sears, Best
Buy, Home Depot, etc.). However, the local retailer is not focused on sales to
the trades and not to the customer-builder relationship. Retail product lines
also differ from products used in renovations.
[0049] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 12 which substantially addresses
these problems. The system 12 may be operated by a third party website provider
on one or more central processing units (CPUs) 12 and databases (DBs) 11. Under
the illustrated embodiment, one or more interactive websites 14, 16, 18 are
provided by the CPU 12 for the benefit of customers 22, 24, builders 26, and
suppliers 27, 28 and manufacturers 30, 31 (the trades). The websites 14, 16, 18
are interactive (in addition to the normal sense of being interactive to
website users) in that information entered through one website may be made
available to and be used by a user of another website (as described below).
Further, it should be understood that while customers 22, 24 may be considered
customers in the normal sense of the word, a builder 26 or member of the trades
27, 28, 30, 31 may also be a customer in another sense, as described hereunder.
As used herein, a builder is defined as any person who sells a tangible product
and who also physically installs that product, or who coordinates labor or a
product's installation.
[0050] The system 12 of FIG. 1 is shown with a single builder 26, a number of
customers 22, 24, a number of trades (suppliers 27, 28 and manufacturers 30,
31). The illustrated embodiment, in fact, will be described primarily in the
context of the interaction between the single builder 26 and his customers 22,
24 and suppliers 27, 28 and the interaction between the customers 22, 24 and
manufacturers 30, 31. It should be understood, however, that the system 12 may
have many such builders 26, each with its own customers 22, 24 and suppliers
27, 28. Further, the customers 22, 24 and suppliers 27, 28 may simultaneously
deal with many different builders 26 through the system 12. Manufacturers 30,
31 may deal with many different customers 22, 24 of many different builders 26.
[0051] A builder 26 may maintain one or more webpages 34 on a first website 16
for the benefit of customers 22, 24. The various screens of the webpages 34 may
include product offerings relating to many different product spaces as well as
standards and options available to buyers (e.g., customers 22, 24). The
webpages 34 may also include product offering contracts that may be downloaded
by customers 22, 24. FIG. 16 provides a high level overview of activities that
may be accomplished by a customer 22, 24 and builder through the website 16.
[0052] As used herein, a product space is the physical space within which the
product is to be installed. A product offering includes the product as well as
the installation of the product in its product space. In the context of new
home construction, the product space may be a bathroom, a bedroom or the lot
where a house (the product) is to be built.
[0053] Further, a product offering on the first website 16 may be a mix and
match of various levels of product offerings. For example, a first builder 26
("A") may have a product offering that may be an integration of the
various product offerings which are together commonly referred to as a home.
[0054] A second builder 26 ("B") may specialize in a particular type of
bathroom. The second builder B (on a first level) may be a subcontractor of the
first builder A. A bathroom by B may be included by A in A's overall product
offering. As such, a bathroom by B is one of A's product offerings. However, A
and B may both maintain webpages 34 on the builders' website 16. In fact, A and
B may have webpages customized by each builder 26 for the precise needs of the
product offering of the builder 26.
[0055] The invention's maintenance of separate webpages 34 for A and B benefit
both A and B. For example, if A includes B as a product offering, then A may
simply list B as a product offering, linking to B's website to allow a customer
22, 24 to obtain information about the offering. Further, the customer 22, 24
may also want to visit builder C and D to view other product offerings for
bathrooms.
[0056] The second website 14 may be accessed primarily by customers 22, 24.
Customers 22, 24 may open password protected, personal webpages 32 based upon a
request transmitted to the CPU 12. The webpage 32 may be used to display
information contained within a customer file 42 stored in the database 11. The
file 42 may be used by a customer 22, 24 as a personal repository of
information from the builder's website 16 either as a potential or as an actual
customer of the builder 26. Customers 22, 24 may continue to use the file 42
for personal information even after a sale closes.
[0057] The third website 18 may be marketed to the general public and may be
accessed by any customer 22, 24 or member of the general public. The third
website 18 may be designed similar to a retail store for on-line purchases and
project coordination of builder-rehabber products. The third website 18 is
intended to feature projects and pricing directed to capital improvements. As
such, the third website 18 provides a retail-catalog showroom for
manufacturers' (trades') products in a way that will be discussed below in more
detail.
[0058] Product offerings may be created in any of a number of ways. A builder
and customer may sit down and negotiate the terms of a product offering
agreement. The product offering agreement may specify an overall product
offering (e.g., a house) with many included product offerings (e.g., a kitchen,
two bathrooms, etc.).
[0059] At least some of the included product offerings (hereinafter referred to
simply as "product offerings") may include choices that must be made
by the customer 22, 24. In the case where the product offering is a bathroom,
the standard options may be a choice between two types of sinks from a
particular manufacturer. Alternatively, the term "standard options"
may refer to an allowance (i.e., in dollars) which the builder will allow the
customer 22, 24 to spend for purchase of the product associated with the
product offering.
[0060] Under the illustrated embodiment, each product offering is associated
with a category space. In some cases a category space may include several
product offerings. For example, in the context of a home, a category space may
be a bathroom. One product offering associated with the bathroom may be a sink,
another may be faucets on the sink, a third may be a toilet or a tub. Other
product offerings may be the color or type of paint that may be applied to the
walls or whether tile is installed on the floor.
[0061] Under an illustrated embodiment of the invention, each category space is
associated with one or more pages of a virtual showroom. Within the showroom,
the standard options and extras options may be displayed, either as text or
under a pictorial format.
[0062] The database (DB) 11 is provided with specific information with regard
to the products contained within each product offering. The CPU 12 and DB 11
interact to form a relational database that is able to select categories based
upon a category space. A menu associated with the virtual showroom allows the
CPU 12 to select and organize category cells matching product with category
spaces and "drill down" to the essential information for decision
making. The menu also allows the CPU 12 to verify selected products'
compatibility, and to assess selected products' installation details.
[0063] Alternatively, the CPU 12 may organize the category cells based upon
brand identity (i.e., the name of the manufacture) or based upon stylistic
groups (i.e., a Martha Stewart collection). Organization of cells may be
altered by the customer 22, 24 based upon entry or selection of key words
within an interactive window associated with particular segments of the virtual
showroom.
[0064] Where a product has been identified in advance by the builder 26, a
category cell may include the identified product as a standard option. The
category cell may contain other standard options as well as extras options.
Where no product has been identified (i.e., the contractor has given the
customer an allowance for purchase of a product), the category cell may include
hyperlinks to a website 38 of a manufacturer 30 who offers products which fall
within the category cell, or may simply calculate a credit for no product
selection.
[0065] To simplify selection of product offerings, a builder 26 may maintain a
list of standard product offerings on his website 16 or on the system's 12
website. Information about standard product offerings may be accessed by
customers 22, 24 to purchase a product offering or to simply comparison shop
among builders 26. Builders 26 and new homes associations will be able to
co-brand or cooperatively advertise their services in conjunction with this
information.
[0066] Following is a detailed example of a product offering set in the context
of a home purchase. While the detailed example is set into the context of home
buying, it should be understood that a product offering may be made in
commercial, office, retail, or any other specialty construction. Further, such
a product offering may be set in any context involving the transfer of goods in
conjunction with interrelated services.
[0067] FIGS. 16-22 are flow charts that are specifically related to the methods
described above and set in the context of home building. Reference shall be
made to FIGS. 16-22 as appropriate to an understanding of the invention.
[0068] The customer 22, 24 may access the information of webpage 34 of the
builder 26 using several different routes. As a first route, the customer 22,
24 may enter the builder's website 16 through the front door (directly from the
customer 22, 24 to the website 16 through the Internet 20) and view product
information and options. The steps of logging-in under this process may be better
understood by reference to the left side of FIG. 16. Using this approach, the
customer 22, 24 does not have local storage at the website 16.
[0069] Alternatively, the customer 22, 24 may access the webpage 34 of the
builder through another door (i.e., the back door). Accessing the builder's
webpage 34 through the back door is accomplished through the customers' website
14. Reference may be made to FIGS. 19 and 20 for a better understanding of the
log-in procedure. Customers also may access builder information through the
system's 12 start page, or by traveling to the system 12 from one of the
system's 12 promotional or related links.
[0070] If the customer is a new user, then he may be asked for a name or other
identifying indicia. The user may also be asked to select and use a password.
Further, as shown in FIG. 19, more than one user may share a customer file 42.
The ability for more than one user to share a file 42 may be of use when a
buyer wishes to share information associated with a home purchase with another
party, such as a mother-in-law, a spouse, a broker, an interior designer, or
other family.
[0071] The customer 22, 24 may locate the webpage 34 of the builder 26 through
a local directory of builders offered through the website 14. Upon locating the
webpage 34 of the builder 26, the customer 22, 24 may review and store
information from the builder within the customer's file 42.
[0072] If a customer 22, 24 has not already requested a personal webpage 32, a
webpage 32 may be opened once the customer has reached agreement with the
builder 26 as shown in FIG. 18. Before or after a customer 22, 24 signs a
building contract, the builder 26 may help the customer 22, 24 open a customer
file 42 in the DB 11. The builder 26 may also provide a personalized file or
webpage 32 for the customer 22, 24 on the customer's website 14, customized to
the house selected by the customer 22, 24, so that the customer 22, 24 may
further customize his house. The customer 22, 24 and builder 26 may share
passwords for access to the customer file 42.
[0073] If the customer 22, 24 had already opened his own webpage 32, then the
customer 22, 24 may already have downloaded information (FIG. 20) regarding the
selected house, or a generic typical house to his file 42. In either case, the
customer 22, 24 may or may not be required to share use of the file 42 with the
builder 26.
[0074] Using the webpage 32, the customer 22, 24 may view and select standard
options and extras for his particular choice of homes, which may be stored in
the customer file 42. As the customer 22, 24 selects standard options and
extras through his webpage 32, the builder 26 may review those selections
through his website 16, if he has been given access to the customer file 42.
Alternatively, the customer 22, 24 may e-mail a file containing one or more
selections to the builder 26.
[0075] Under the illustrated embodiment, an owner of the third-party website
provider 12 may receive a fee or commission for processing the selections of
each customer 22, 24. The commission may be a flat fee, a percentage of
purchases, or third-party revenues, such as advertising or data sales. The
details, scope and situations giving rise to a commission will be discussed in
greater detail below.
[0076] FIG. 2 depicts a builder's directory webpage 50 that may appear on the
customer's terminal 22, 24. The builder's directory 50 may be viewed either
through the builder's website 16 or though the customer's website 14. As shown,
a customer 22, 24 may be offered the opportunity of viewing webpages 34 of any
of a number of builders, or of a particular builder's homes and/or product
selections. A customer 22, 24 may view a webpage of a particular builder by
activating a softkey 52, 54, 56 associated with a selected builder.
[0077] FIG. 3 depicts a webpage 60 that may be presented to the customer 22, 24
based upon activation of a particular softkey (e.g., 52) of FIG. 2. (Webpage 60
is depicted as webpage 34 of FIG. 1 where the customer 22, 24 accesses the
website directly through the builders website 16 or as webpage 32 where the
customer 22, 24 accesses the builders information through the customers website
14.) As shown on the builder's webpage 60, the customer 22, 24 may be presented
with a number of product offerings (e.g., appliances, floorings, fixtures,
house models, or room changes) 62, 64 offered by that particular builder. As
shown, each model or product may have a description of each model or product
68, 74 as well as a picture of the model or product 7O, 76. Each model or
product may also have a softkey 66, 72 which may be used to obtain more
information (e.g., manufacturer or warranty information).
[0078] Upon activation of a softkey (e.g., 66) of FIG. 3, the webpage 78 of
FIG. 4 may appear on the customer's terminal 22, 24 showing details of the
selected product offering. As shown, floor plans 80, 82, 84 may be provided of
the selected model as well as a list of standard features (standards) 86.
Details of the standards 86 may be viewed by activation of a particular feature
key 100, 102.
[0079] Also shown in FIG. 4 is a list of optional features 88. Shown associated
with each option 104, 106 is a price adder or credit. Details of the option
104, 106 may be obtained by first activating a view detail key 108 and then
activating a softkey 104, 106 associated with the option 104, 106. Activating
(e.g., double-clicking on) the option key 104, 106 results in selection of the
option 104, 106 for purchase. The selected option will then be included in the
overall house purchase.
[0080] Selection of options 88 causes a price window 90 to change based upon
the number of options selected. The price shown in price window 90 may be
exclusive of the cost of the lot. To select a lot, the customer 22, 24 may
activate a select lot key 92.
[0081] Upon activating a select lot key 92, the webpage 110 of FIG. 5 may
appear. Shown on the webpage 110 may be a subdivision map 112 showing available
lots. Also shown may be a softkey 114, 116, 118 showing a lot number and price
associated with each lot.
[0082] Upon identifying a suitable lot by activating a softkey 114, 116, 118,
the customer 22, 24 may activate a return key 120. Activation of the return key
120 may take the customer 22, 24 back to the previous webpage 78.
[0083] By returning to the previous webpage 78, the selected lot may now be
identified in a lot window 92 along with a legal description of the lot in
another window 94. The total cost of the house may now be displayed in a total
price window 95.
[0084] Upon reviewing the details the customer 22, 24 may now accept the
purchase by activating the purchase softkey 98. In response, the purchase offer
webpage 122 of FIG. 6 may be presented to the customer 22, 24. Included within
the purchase offer webpage 122 may be the home model number 124, the selected
options 126, the legal description of the selected lot 128 and a total price
130.
[0085] A buyer's window 132 is presented for entry of identifying information
about the customer 22, 24. Within the buyer's window 132, the customer 22, 24
enters his name in a name window 142, address in an address window 144 and
telephone number in a phone window 146. The customer 22, 24 is also provided
with a credit reference window 148 for entry of credit references as well as an
e-mail window 150 for entry of an e-mail address.
[0086] A customer file identifier window 152 is also provided in the case where
the customer 22, 24 accesses the builder's webpage 34 through the customer's
website 14 and has already established a customer file 42. The identifier of
the customer file 42 may be automatically inserted into the identifier window
152 by the CPU 12.
[0087] Included on the purchase offer webpage 122 is a required deposit window
134 showing the deposit required to close the deal. Also included is a window
136 where the customer 22, 24 may enter a method of deposit payment.
[0088] Once the customer 22, 24 has entered his personal information, the
customer 22, 24 may activate a print softkey 138 to print a copy of the product
offering contract 122. The information entered into the various
[0089] In conjunction with the product offering contract, the system 10 may
include a forms library to provide a variety of related forms 418 and services
420 (FIG. 35). Forms 418 may include contract 421, financing 422, closing 424,
and post-sale 426 forms. Services 420 may include lending 428, closing 430,
title 432, tax 434, government 436, permits 438, insurance 440, inspection 442,
appraisal 444, RESPA 446, utility 448, warrantee 450, and moving 452.
[0090] The builder 26 may access offers through a second webpage 35 of the
builder's website 16. Upon accessing the webpage 35, the screen 142 of FIG. 7
may be presented to the builder 26. As shown, the builder 26 may be required to
enter a name and password in a name and password window 144, 146.
[0091] Upon entry of a name and password (and verification by the CPU 12), the
CPU 12 may present the builder 26 with a menu webpage 150 (FIG. 8). The process
of builder access to the website 16 may be better understood by reference to
FIG. 17. From the menu webpage 150, the builder 26 may activate a purchase
offers softkey 152 and be presented with a list of purchase offers in a
purchase offers webpage 160 of FIG. 9.
[0092] Within the purchase offers webpage 160, the builder 26 may select
purchase offer #1 162 for review. In response, a summary page 170 of FIG. 10
may be provided for review by the builder 26. Contained within the screen 170
may be a window 172 containing the purchase information entered by the customer
through screen 122. The builder 26 may review the information and activate
either an accept softkey 174 or a reject softkey 176. The builder 26 may
conditionally accept or reject the offer before the signed copy of the contract
arrives or if the deposit is insufficient. The builder 26 may also condition
his acceptance or rejection on field conditions or his sub-contractors.
[0093] Upon acceptance of an offer, the CPU 12 first checks to see if the
customer 22, 24 has a customer file 42. If the customer 22, 24 does not, the
CPU 12 opens a file 42 for the customer 22, 24. In addition, the CPU 12
retrieves a features and options list from the builder's file 44 and transfers
the features and options list to the customers file 42. Each entry of the
features and options list has a field that relates the feature and option to a
product space. The features and options list represents a list of choices that
a customer 22, 24 may have in the construction of the purchased home.
[0094] For example, the features and options list may include options for
standard features and extras. Standard features options may include fixtures
that may be selected at no extra cost. Extras options may be options that may
available among the upgrades that may have previously selected or may now be
added. Extras options may be unique, or may replace standards features.
[0095] As a final step, the CPU 12 may compose an e-mail (or printed) message
to the customer 22, 24 announcing acceptance of the offer. If the customer 22,
24 did not previously have a customer file 42, the e-mail message may identify
the file and provide instructions for accessing the file 42 through the
customer's website 14. The message may also include general instructions as to
the types of selections that the new home buyer may need to make, and
procedures and due dates for making selections.
[0096] The e-mail may also include instructions as to how to transfer
selections to the builder 26. The customer 22, 24 may be given the option of
sharing a password with the builder, allowing the builder 26 to access the
customer's file 42. Alternately, the customer 22, 24 is given the options and
instructions of how to e-mail selections to the builder 26.
[0097] Following the instructions of the e-mail, the customer 22, 24 may access
the customer's website 14 and be presented with the virtual showroom options
webpage 180 of FIG. 11 based upon the builder's features and options list
transferred from the builder file 44 to the customer file 42. The process of
customer access to the virtual showroom may be better understood by reference
to FIG. 22. The entries of the showroom options webpage 180 may be divided by
product space (e.g., kitchen 182, living room 184, bath #1 188, bath #2 190,
bedroom #1 192, bedroom #2 194, bedroom #3 196), by overall function (e.g.,
heating 198, air conditioning 200, house exterior options 202, fireplace 204),
or by design criteria (e.g., modern 199, traditional 201, chrome 203, brass
205). Further, some entries (e.g., kitchen 182, baths #1 #2 188, 190) may be
accompanied with drawings to further clarify the scope of the optional
features.
[0098] If the customer 22, 24 were to activate the kitchen softkey 182 of FIG.
11, then the screen 210 of FIG. 12 may be presented to the customer. Included
within the screen 210 of FIG. 12 are a set of choices that the customer 22, 24
may have regarding construction of the kitchen.
[0099] As a first step, the customer 22, 24 may activate a "view
kitchen" softkey 211. In response, a graphical image (FIG. 23) may be presented
to the customer 22, 24 providing the customer 22, 24 with the opportunity of
viewing a kitchen using standard options, a kitchen with certain extras, or
both.
[0100] Alternatively, the customer 22, 24 may wish to view a kitchen layout. To
view a layout, the customer 22, 24 may activate a layout softkey 213. Upon
activation of the layout softkey 213, the customer 22, 24 may be presented with
an overhead view (FIG. 24) of the kitchen.
[0101] After viewing the kitchen, the customer 22, 24 may proceed with the
selection of standards and extras. For example, the customer 22, 24 may
determine that carpeting may be the best choice of a floor covering for his
kitchen. Accordingly, the customer 22, 24 may press the carpet softkey 214.
[0102] In response, the customer 22, 24 may be taken to the carpet selection
screen 226 (FIG. 13). The carpet selection screen 226 provides at least two
carpet selections 228, 234 as standard options for the customer 22, 24. As
such, the customer 22, 24 could select either of the two standard options 228,
234 at no additional cost (as shown by the N/A entry in the PRICE ADDER
column).
[0103] Alternatively, the customer 22, 24 may select a better carpet 240 also
offered by the builder 26. As shown, the better carpet 240 may be offered at a
price adder 242.
[0104] As a further alternative, the customer 22, 24 may choose to select a
product offering of a customer wood floor 249 by another contractor. In this
case, a different price adder 251 would be included.
[0105] As shown in FIG. 13, selection of a carpet option is not complete by
selection of the carpet by itself. Also necessary to complete a carpet
selection is a color selection. If the customer 22, 24 were to select the first
carpet selection 228, then the customer 22, 24 would have the choice of brown
or blue. The customer 22, 24 would make such a selection by pressing the
appropriate soft key 230, 232.
[0106] If the customer 22, 24 had selected carpet from the second supplier 234,
then the customer 22, 24 may select other colors based upon other softkeys 236,
238. Similarly, if the customer 22, 24 were to select the optional carpet 240
at added cost, then he may select available colors by activation of related
softkeys 244, 246.
[0107] The system 12 may further suggest related (but not required) products
and upgrades to customers 22, 24. For example, if a customer 22, 24 selects a
wood floor 249, the system could suggest a throw rug.
[0108] If the customer 22, 24 were not happy with the standard options, the
customer 22, 24 may activate hyperlinks 248, 250 to other suppliers (i.e.,
manufacturers 30) not associated with the builder 26. Purchase of carpet from
the other suppliers through hyperlinks 248, 250 may be accomplished using
methods well-known in the art.
[0109] In another alternative, the customer 22, 24 may choose to select a brand
name 223 or stylistic group 224, before making other selections on screen 210.
In this case, the manufacturers of FIG. 13 may be limited to the selection made
as opposed to the products preselected by the builder 26.
[0110] For example, the customer 22, 24 may first activate the selection of
"refrigerator" from the appliances list of FIG. 12 and then brand 223
and/or stylistic group 224. In response, the screen 300 of FIG. 25 may be
presented. Within the screen 300, the customer 22, 24 may specify a search
criteria for a refrigerator. The customer 22, 24 may specify a style criteria
302, a design 304, a price 306, a material 308 and/or color 310.
[0111] FIG. 26 shows a possible search criteria that may be selected by the
customer 22, 24. Upon completion of the selection of the search criteria, the
customer 22, 24 activates the search key 312.
[0112] Upon activation of the search key 312, the screen 320 (FIG. 27) may be
presented showing search results. Shown in the screen 320 may be a number of
product options as well as identifying information about those options. Shown
along a top of the screen 320 is the search criteria returning those results.
Upon reviewing the results, the customer 22, 24 may wish to see more
information about the first search result. To obtain more information, the
customer 22, 24 may activate the "see more info" key 322.
[0113] Activating the more info key 322 may take the customer 22, 24 to the
more info screen 330 (FIG. 28) which shows additional detail of the selected
product. Upon reviewing the information, the customer 22, 24 may select the
option by selecting "add to my cart" 326 or return to the previous
screen by activating the search key 332.
[0114] As an alternative, one of the search results of screen 320 may have been
a hyperlink 328 to the refrigerator manufacturer Sub-Zero. Activation of that
hyperlink may take the customer to screen 340 (FIG. 29). From screen 340, the
customer 22, 24 may view any of a number of Sub-Zero products by activation of
the proper additional hyperlink.
[0115] Further, research may indicate that buyers of a particular product or
stylistic group (e.g., the Martha Stewart Collection, or traditional wood trim)
are more likely to purchase other related household items (e.g., baskets,
floral patterns, etc.). Accordingly, selection of the identified products may
also trigger a window asking the customer 22, 24 if he/she also wants to
purchase the related item as part of an upselling opportunity.
[0116] In another alternative, the customer 22, 24 may activate an information
softkey 221 and be taken to the screen 225 of FIG. 21. Screen 225 may be used
by the customer 22, 24 for purposes of reviewing a current selection, other
popular choices or a designer collection.
[0117] It should be understood that the CPU 12 of the system 12 tracks use of
the hyperlinks 248, 250 and charges a fee or commission on any views and/or
purchases based upon the use of such hyperlinks 248, 250. Such commission may
be charged to the hyperlink destination (e.g., the manufacturer 30), based upon
any sale made by the builder 26 or his sub-contractors of the manufacturer's 30
products to the customer 22, 24.
[0118] Returning now to FIG. 12, the customer 22, 24 may proceed through each
of the standards and extras making selections as appropriate. If appliances 222
were included in the real estate contract, then the customer 22, 24 would be
prompted to make a selection for each included appliance including make and
color. The system will provide coordinated information on product promotions,
such as "sale" products, or newly offered products.
[0119] Once options are selected for the kitchen, the customer 22, 24 may
return to the menu 180 in FIG. 11 and individually proceed through each
selected item 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 199,
201, 203, or 205 making required selections. While many items would require an
explicit selection from the customer 22, 24, some items need not be explicitly
chosen by the customer 22, 24. For example, wall color in the contract may have
been negotiated to be an off-color white. In this case, the builder may omit
paint color, or any new choice from the builder's features and options list
transferred to the customer's file 42.
[0120] Once the customer 22, 24 has completed his selections from the features
and options list, the customer 22, 24 may activate a selection complete softkey
206. A deposit window 454 (FIG. 36) may then appear, allowing the customer to
place a deposit on his selections. Also included is a window 456 where the
customer 22, 24 may enter a method of deposit payment (e.g., a check, credit
card, debit card, etc.) for entry into a deposit account within the system 10.
Activation of the selection complete softkey 206 may cause the CPU 12 to
compose an e-mail message to the builder 26 summarizing the selections made by
the customer 22, 24. Alternatively, where the builder 26 and customer 22, 24,
share passwords for the customer file 42, the builder 26 may simply retrieve
the selections list directly from the customer file 42. Manufacturers 30, 31
may be allowed to pre-view these selections, or may see an aggregate of
selections among customers 22, 24 or builders 26.
[0121] The CPU 12 may verify and track selections made by the customer 22, 24.
The CPU 12 also may collect data regarding selections made by the customer 22,
24, to track buying trends. The buying trends may be collected into a buying
trends database. Buying trends data that may be collected includes, but is not
limited to, product views, partial selections, final selections, and
demographics.
[0122] As an aid to completing the selection of options, a number of reminder
features are offered by the system 10. For example, during feature selection
from appropriate portion of the showroom (e.g., screen 330, FIG. 28) the
customer 22, 24 may review a selection status ledger.
[0123] To review the selection status ledger, the customer 22, 24 may activate
a softkey of selections to be made 344 or selection deadlines 346. Upon
activation of the selections to be made softkey 344, the customer 22, 24 may be
taken to the screen 350 of FIG. 30.
[0124] Shown along the left margin of screen 350 is a graphical status indicator
352 of the selection status. The graphical status indicator 352 may be used as
a shortcut into the showroom for unselected product offerings.
[0125] For example, the customer 22, 24 may note from the status ledger 350
that the den was not complete. In response, the customer 22, 24 may select the
den 354 and be taken to screen 360 of FIG. 31.
[0126] On screen 360, the den may be highlighted in the left margin 352 as a
current location. Further, an indicator 372 may be provided of the feature
space to which the selection is to be directed. The screen 360 may also list
three options 362, 364, 366, 370. An icon of a product, or a camera 368 may be
selected for a pictorial view of each option. A selection date 376 may be
provided as a deadline for making a selection for the den.
[0127] If the customer should select the first option 370 for oak plank for the
floor, a current selection column will show an icon or an "x" in the
"yes" column. The customer 22, 24 may complete the selection by
activating the "final selection done" button 374.
[0128] Returning to the status ledger 350, the customer 22, 24 may then go to
the kitchen to make other selections in this feature space. The customer 22, 24
may go to the kitchen by activating the kitchen icon 354 in the left margin.
[0129] In response, the customer 22, 24 may be taken the screen 380 (FIG. 32),
which shows a feature space (e.g., a counter) 372 within which a selection
needs to be made. In this case, the customer 22, 24 may activate the more
information button to view images 382 of the options.
[0130] After making a selection with regard to the counters, the customer 22,
24 may select cabinets 384 for another set of options shown on screen 390 of
FIG. 33. Within the cabinets screen 390 a set of images 392, 394, 396, 398, 400
may be provided of the possible cabinet choices.
[0131] Once the customer 22, 24 has completed set of selections for the
kitchen, the customer 22, 24 may activate the final selection done button 374.
Upon activating a final selection button 374, the customer 22, 24 may be taken
to a selections summary screen 410 (FIG. 34). Shown on the selections summary
screen 410 is a list of current selections as well as a list 416 of the cost of
any extras added during the current selection session for the kitchen.
[0132] Upon reviewing the list 416, the customer 22, 24 may return to selecting
items by activating the see selections to made button 344 or see selections by
date 346. Alternatively, the customer 22, 24 may send a list of selected items
to the builder 26 by activating a message button 412.
[0133] Based upon the options list the CPU 12 may compose a number of e-mails
to the suppliers 27, 28 of the builder 26 for purposes of placing orders for
selected product. One e-mail may be to one or more appliance suppliers 27, 28
for selected appliances. Another e-mail may be a carpet supplier 27, 28. A
third e-mail may be to a paint supplier. Another e-mail may be to a mechanical
supplier 27, 28 for furnaces and air conditions. Included within each of these
e-mails may be a request for an updated price quote as well as a lead time for
delivery.
[0134] Based upon the response to the request for lead times, the builder 26
may adopt a construction schedule based upon a requested completion date 135
(FIG. 6) included in the real estate contract. As would be generally
understood, a construction schedule is typically based upon a predetermined
ordering sequence (e.g., in-wall electrical would be required before walls and
paint, paint would be required before most appliances). Using the predetermined
schedule, completion date 135 and lead times provided by the suppliers 27, 28,
the CPU 12 would create a building schedule including ordering dates for each
of the materials of each of the selected options.
[0135] Based upon the entries within the construction schedule, the CPU 12 may
identify options which have not been made by the customer 22, 24. Upon
identifying those selections not made by the customer, the CPU 12 may notify
the builder 26 and customer 22, 24, by e-mail or otherwise of dates and acts
necessary to conform to the construction schedule.
[0136] As an alternative to automatically forwarding orders to suppliers, the
system 10 or the builder 26 may group orders for purposes of obtaining volume
discounts. In order to group orders, the builder 26 may also periodically print
out the grouped orders and physically send the grouped order to a supplier 27,
28 or the system 10 may transmit the grouped orders by e-mail or fax.
[0137] Using the builder's terminal 26, the builder may periodically review the
construction schedule. Based upon the review, the builder 26 or the system 10
may send messages to the customer 22, 24 reminding the customer 22, 24 of
deadlines for making selections.
[0138] Under another alternate illustrated embodiment, a third website 18 may
be provided for a broader array of customers. In this context, a customer may
be the originally defined customers 22, 24 as well as the builder 26 or
suppliers 27, 28. As each customer 22, 24, 26, 27, 28 accesses the website 18,
the webpage 260 may be presented to the customer (FIG. 14). Based upon the
customer's needs, any of a number of subject matter may be selected for
purchase based upon activation of the appropriate softkey 262, 264, 266, 268,
270, 272, 274, or 276.
[0139] Activation of a softkey (e.g., 262) may take the customer to a furnaces
webpage 278 showing a number of furnace options. (FIG. 15) Information on
special types of furnaces may be obtained by selection of the appropriate
softkeys 280, 282. Information from specific manufactures may also be obtained
by selecting a hyperlink 286, 288 which may take the customer to a website
(e.g., 38) of the manufacturer.
[0140] Upon reaching the appropriate webpage, a customer may fill his shopping
cart with selected merchandise. As used herein, a "shopping cart" is
simply file and information gathering and ordering software residing in a
terminal of the customer 22, 24, 26, 27, 28 which retains product information
of selected merchandise. Upon activation of a softkey on the shopping cart, the
ordering software functions to transmit ordering information to the appropriate
manufacturer or supplier.
[0141] As above, the owner of the system 12 may receive a fee or commission on
any views or purchases made based upon activation of a selected hyperlink.
Further, the owner of the system 12 may receive fees or commissions based upon
advertising displayed on the webpages 278 of the product categories.
[0142] Under another alternate illustrated embodiment of the invention, a
builder 26 and designer (e.g., supplier 27, 28) may use the builder's website
16 for designing and developing building drawings (e.g., a kitchen design).
Under the embodiment, either party may propose and create a preliminary design
concept using an appropriate graphics software package (e.g., Visio) and save
the design in a design file. Once a design file has been created, it may be
e-mailed to the other party. The other party, using the same graphics package,
may mark the file up or modify the design and e-mail the file back to the other
party. Once both parties agree to the design, the builder 26 may convert the
graphics file to a webpage using a simple graphics conversion process (e.g.,
printing out the Visio design file and scanning the printout to obtain a html
graphics display that may be mounted on the builder's webpage 34). The new
design may then become the basis of new or additional product offerings of the
builder 26.
[0143] As a further embodiment of the invention, the designer may also develop
and attach specification sheets to each design drawing of the Visio file. The
specification sheets may be used to specify product(s)/product offerings to be
used in the product spaces of the design.
[0144] Upon converting each design drawing to a html file for display on a
webpage 34, the builder 26 may also associate one or more design spaces with
each design drawing. Product(s)/product offerings from the specification sheets
of the drawing may then be associated with each design space and incorporated
into the features and options list for the design space.
[0145] Under another illustrated embodiment of the invention, file transfer
among builders, suppliers and manufactures may be standardized to a common file
format (e.g., XML). Under the embodiment, the file creator follows a
predetermined format for creation of the file. For example, a product
identifier may be placed in a first field. The product identifier may be one or
more alphanumeric characters which identifies the product as a refrigerator or
a bathroom faucet. The product identifier may also be used for product
offerings.
[0146] An identifier of an originator may be placed in a second field. A
product number (model number and serial number, if a manufacturer) may be
placed in a third field. Any graphics associated with the product may be placed
in further fields.
[0147] Under the embodiment, the receiver of such an XML file may be able to
universally interpret the file based upon file content. The product type
identifies the types of suppliers of such products. The identifer of the
originator allows the recipient to read local source files to determine the
types of model number and serial numbers used by the originator, and,
ultimately to interpret model and serial numbers included within the remainder
of the XML file.
[0148] By using the common, or coordinated file formats, builders 26, suppliers
27, 28 and manufactures 30, 31 may exchange information without advance
knowledge of the source or format of the file. Orders and order confirmations
may be exchanged without the intervention of ordering clerks or project
schedulers.
[0149] As an additional embodiment of the invention, web tools 458 (FIG. 37)
may be provided to builders 26. Included among the web tools 458 offered to
builders 26 are e-mail 460, real-time chat 462, calendars 464, escrow services
466, e-business services 468, job reports 470, notices 472, attendance tracking
474, buyer satisfaction ratings 476, next-day activity lists 478, job logs 480,
messaging 482, post-its 484, sample request-taking systems 486, and threaded
discussion groups 488.
[0150] As a further embodiment of the invention, the system 10 may include
collecting up-front access, semi-custom web design, and data service fees or
commissions from builders 26.
[0151] A specific embodiment of a method and apparatus for servicing a customer
of a builder according to the present invention has been described for the
purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention is made and used. It
should be understood that the implementation of other variations and
modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one
skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific
embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present
invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall
within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed
and claimed herein.
- * * * *
### END – On Line USPTO – Builder On Line
Assistant – 2nd Issued Patent ###