United States Patent [19] Abelow

US005999908A

5,999,908 Dec. 7, 1999

[11] Patent Number:

[45] Date of Patent:

[54] CUSTOMER-BASED PRODUCT DESIGN MODULE

[76] Inventor: Daniel H. Abelow, 71 W. Pine St., Newton, Mass. 02166

[21] Appl. No.: 08/934,457

[22] Filed: Sep. 19, 1997

Related US. Application Data

[63] Continuation of application No. 08/243,638, May 16, 1994, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 07/926,333, Aug. 6, 1992.

[51] Int. Cl.6 .................................................... .. G06F 17/60

[52] US. Cl. ................................... .. 705/1; 705/7; 705/10; 434/118

[58] Field of Search ................... .. 705/1, 7, 10; 434/107, 434/118, 365, 350

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,007,355 2/1977 Moreno ................................ .. 235/61.7

4,092,524 5/1978 Moreno 235/419 4,298,793 11/1981 Melis et al. 235/487 4,367,402 1/1983 Giraud et al. . 235/385 4,539,472 9/1985 Poetker et al. ........................ .. 235/488

(List continued on next page.)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

“America Online Expands Internet Access,” Newsbytes News Network, Mar. 21, 1993. Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, Microsoft Press, p. 41, 1994. Behavioral Techniques In Systems Development, MIS Quar terly, Mantel et al., Sep. 1989. Author Unknown, How to Use Your Computer to Effect Change, Compute v15, n3, pS7(2), Mar. 1993. Ubois, On—line Problem Solving, MacWEEK, v7, n24, p16(2), Jun. 14, 1993. LaPlante, Who Ya Gonna Call‘), InfoWorld, v15n21, PP:S83—S84+, May 24, 1994.

660 662 666 /

At Vendor

Authoring System Create dialogs Access experts

Download to module

Anal sis stem

Access experts

664 674

AT THE VENDOR

New Dialogs

Upload from module User Analyze data Data

Yahoo Information Center, www.yahoo.com, unknown. AT&T, MCI to Release New Management Tools (“New Management Tools”) Network World, Jan. 17, 1994, p. 19. Dialog database IAC PROMT: Direct Dispatch Gives Busi ness Software—Based Trouble Management System . . .

(“Trouble Management System”) PR Newswire Jan. 24, 1994.

Primary Examiner—Stephen R. Tkacs Assistant Examiner—Thomas A. Dixon Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fish & Richardson PC.

[57] ABSTRACT

The invention may be embedded in products or services that contain a microprocessor and a facility for communication. The resulting two-way interactive media enables relation ships to be built with individual customers and groups of customers throughout a product’s or service’s life cycle. Customers may also be provided with automatic, portable in-use access to constantly updated information during prod uct use, to increase user success and reduce costly and error-?lled processes of acquiring product expertise. The invention may interact with customers, gather information from customers, communicate customer information securely to a vendor or external third party(ies), construct and transmit new pre-programmed interactions to the cus tomer communications system in the product, and analyze and report customer information. This new medium pro vides a worldwide way to transform the use of products and services into interactive two-way dialogues; add in-product performance measures and any speci?c assistance needed; educate and train customers as their product uses change; permit vendors to discover and respond instantly to market shifts and opportunities; generate and test new ideas; enable customers to guide a vendor or a third party(ies) in satisfying their needs; and other means of using in-product commu nications to ?t business operations with rapidly changing customers and markets. By making two-way learning and information delivery part of the product and service environment, vendors or third parties can become faster, more efficient and accurate in designing, delivering and supporting what customers want to buy.

37 Claims, 42 Drawing Sheets

670 668

\ In Product

Module in Product

Recognize triggers Run stored dialogs Store user data

Periodic Transmission

Automated Like two-way e-mail Security (optional)

672

IN THE MARKET

5,999,908 Page 2

US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,874,935 10/1989 Younger ................................ .. 235/492

4 603 232 7/1986 Kurkland et al 179/2 4,905,080 2/1990 Watanabe et a1. ...................... .. 348/13

4:625:276 11/1986 Benton etal' __ 364/408 4,908,761 3/1990 Tar ........................................ .. 364/401

476427685 2/1987 Roberts et a1' 358/84 4,975,841 12/1990 Kehnemuyi et a1. ................. .. 364/401

4,677,657 6/1987 Nagata et a1, _ 379/63 4,988,987 1/1991 Barrett et a1. .................... .. 340/825.31

4,734,858 3/1988 Schla?y .. 364/408 4,992,940 2/1991 DWOrkin .. . 364/401

4,746,788 5/1988 $11K) 91 a1~ ~- ~- 235/379 5,019,697 5/1991 Postman ................................ .. 235/441

4749982 6/1988 Rik‘ma 6‘ a1~ - 340/1461 5,023,435 6/1991 Deniger ................................. .. 235/375

4,752,677 6/1988 Nakano et a1. .. 235/380 570257374 6/1991 Roizen et a1‘ 364/4802 4,816,904 3/1989 McKenna et al. 358/84 5 041 972 8/1991 Frost 364/401 4,839,504 6/1989 Nakano ........ .. .. 235/379 ’ ’ _ """ " '

478517997 7/1989 Moriyama " " 364/401 5,109,337 4/1992 Ferrrter 618.1. . 364/401

4,859,837 8/1989 Halpem ____ __ 235/380 5,438,355 8/1995 Palmer .. 348/13 4,866,376 9/1989 Lessin 618.1. ......................... .. 235/492 5,442,759 8/1995 Chiang etal. ............................ .. 705/1

U.S. Patent Dec. 7,1999 Sheet 1 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 1 10\

Set product objectives

12 3O\ \ ‘ Use customer and user

Product (or service) ‘ information to redesign and design and development improve products, services,

etc.

14\ r it Design a CB-PD Module as one feature of that product or service; Customize it for the speci?c user-interaction interface possible with that product's other features, or add the interface in the CBPDM; Upgrade Customer 28 Design instrument in module based on ?ndings from \ I

previous Development interactions. R0" up data '" De?ned Customer Desires in a

Customer-Based Product 16\ " Design Report

Customer uses the it product or service I

26\ No Use any of a variety of

channels to deliver data to Vendor (e.g., a Customer

Does the product Data Reader) or service reach a trigger t point for a Development NO

interaction’? 24\ Interact with user; Run

Customer Design Instrument; Yes Record Aggregate Customer

Desires

a choice: Perform a Development

Interaction YIN?

Yes 22\ y Perform a Development

Interaction

U.S. Patent Dec. 7,1999 Sheet 3 0f 42 5,999,908

0246 00 7777 7

U.S. Patent

94

92

116

Dec. 7, 1999

118

5,999,908 Sheet 4 0f 42

Figure 4

100

102

U.S. Patent Dec. 7,1999 Sheet 5 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 5

126

U.S. Patent Dec. 7,1999 Sheet 6 of 42 5,999,908

Figure 6

15

142 Display

1 44 Digital-Analog Analog-Digital . converter converter

Display controller

146\ k / 1éggk/caendar Microprocessor

‘ D <_-———-—> circuit ROM memory Memory

148 1 60

m

1 62 V0 controller

164\ i 168‘ m i M i Transmitter! Extemai/product

receiver Modem i/O features Connector

I 16 17 Customer Data

Phone Reader/ ""9 Programmer

(CDRP)

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999

Figure 7

182\ Display

184 l Display controiier I

A

Sheet 7 0f 42

19

194\ Digital-Analog

converter

5,999,908

19

Analog-Digital converter

198) / 186\ 1301/ I d Microprocessor

00 ca en ar I I Memo circuit H ROM memory W

188\ T 200\ Keypad interface

202

204\ Modern

20

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 8 of 42 5,999,908

Frg u re 8 210

218 \ 220 \

Display available 222\ sets of CPs and Confirm descriptive

Choose local set? Yes> CDls; include = data on the set > Go to 250 subroutines to add chosen and delete sets “

228 \ 230\ Display available sets of CPs and

I . > Download CPs and

CD.’S’.Conmm CDls chosen descnptrve data on

the set chosen

236 \

Display available triggers; include .

Choose triggers? Yes> subroutines to add, mpoglrgé'lztgd modify & delete 9g

triggers

N0 + 240\ 242 \ 243 \

Display utilities to Con?nn downloading Perform download to . _ program CB-PD

Choose download Y program and re- options selected, _ y es’ ram CB-PD Optional security Module‘ set up

progModules feature - enc pt file future dowmoads to W re-program Modules

No+ 244 246\

Yes’ Return to operating system

No 248 %

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 9 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 9 250 \

From 222

\ 252 Display available views; (lnclude . .

Yes> subroutines for > D's‘g?gslglih?el?ers adding, editing or deleting views)

N0 + 260 \ 262\

For each function . Display list of chosen, display I; Choose funcuon' Yes’ available functions appropriate sub

choices

2643 V

Perfonn the N0 operation under user

control

Switch to another ?le or function?

Yes

270

No

Yes 272\ 274 \ 1

Return to 216 Write ?le

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 10 of 42 5,999,908

Figure 10A 280\

——> Recognizable use of 4 product or service N]

0

Write record

Request participation?

YES

Passive Probe?

Go to 294 (Fig. 108)

bi

Read CDl (decrypt if encrypted); Display menu for

that DI (include language option); Signal Customer if

needed; Read Customer input device

Second language chosen?

Mn NU Yes

290\

Set language flag to run

292 \

CDls in that language

Read product input; Evaluate input; Write data record; Encrypt answer (optional)

' ead triggers

to transmit data to Vendor

Go to 312 (Fig. 108)

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 11 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 108

From 291 (Fig. 10A)

296\

Read customer input; N02323:; or Yes—> Receive answer;

p Error check

No No

299 302\

Is an error present? Yes Error message

No

Yes No 291 \ y 304\ 1

User exits Development Encrypt answer Interaction; Display thank (optional);

you message Write answer record

No 30 + 308 \

. Display thank you Go to 290 (Fig. 10A) Yes—> message

310\ Go to 320 (Fig. 11A) <-Yes

Request transmission to

Vendor?

Go to 290 (Fig. 10A)

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 12 of 42 5,999,908

Flgu re 1 1A 320 \

Encrypted data ?le __> (in CB-PD Module within

a Customer Directed Product)

324 \ 326 \

322 Display instructions for Transmission via removing CB-PD Module Encrypted data passes

CDRP? Yes—> from product, inserting in —> through CDRP without _—l ' CDRP, and transmission field personnel access

to Vendor

33()\ 332\

i . . Encrypted data passes

D'splay m.stmct'ons for —-—-> directly to Vendor without transmission to Vendor

334\ y

Encrypted data files —— remain in GDP; Enlarged

by additional Dis

external access

ass\ i Encrypted data file

received and stored in Vendor computer; if

coded, route via E-mail to the appropriate recipient

‘Y

Go to 340 (Fig. 118)

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 13 of 42 5,999,908

Figure 1 1 B

From 336 (Fig. 11A)

/ ~13_8 internal security check

Enter employee ID

342 \

Read security file

346 344 \

Error message <—No

Yes

34

350 \

Read security file

Error message <~N0 Access authorized?

Set authorization flag for decrypting data

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 14 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 12A

360 \ Transmission between CB-PD Module and vendors computer

362\ l Transmit unit ID ¢

364 \ l Read Module iD file

368 \

. Send error message and

Maggi? D No—> instructions to display; ' Write error record

Yes 1

Go to 370 (Fig. 128)

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 15 0f 42 5,999,908

F |gu re 1 28

From 366 (Fig. 12A)

370 \ l Transmit CDl lD 1 Yes

372 \ ‘ Read CDl lD file

376\ 37

Send error message and Valid CDl? No——> instructions to display;

Write error record

378 \ YES 380\

Transmit that ACD data Add data file to Vendors Another data ?le? file ACD database

386 \ N°

Download update to Update to be CB-PD Module ‘Yes downloaded?

388 \ N,°

Display thank you ——> message; Terminate

communications link

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 16 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 13

400 \ Aggregate Customer

Desires (ACD) Database

404 \ 406\

Display menu of Generate report; available reports; Display on CRT or

Select report; Select PC; or enter parameters Print (optional)

l No ‘ 410 \ 412 \

Ru." report generator Save to report menu Write a custom (If more than one’ 404' or save to

Yes> choose from a ————> ‘ . — report? _ automated trigger

menu), Develop and 414 test report

No 416 \ 418 \

. Read appropriate Print for delivery to aRlizijnteqgegerrg fgrrt Yes> report for that trigger; > delivery list; or on

p Generate that report line to delivery list

Return to 400 4

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 17 0f 42 5,999,908

Figure 14

Probe #12: Function to calculate Net Present Value 430

How useful did you ?nd this method of performing this type of calculation? ' """ *‘M 432

434 Very Useful 12% 423 Somewhat Useful 31% 1 ,086 436 Neutral 25% 884 Not Useful 18% 642 H 438 Very Unuseful 8% 287 No Answer 5% 191

50% — 440

j 442 20% — 444

10“/ m 0%0 1 l I l I Very Somewhat Neutral Not Very No Answer M~_ 446 Useful Useful Useful Unuseful

Customer comments: 448

Please explain how this calculation method helped or hindered your work: Q was“ 450

1 Gives a good understanding of the interaction between different ?nancial measures A? 452 1 I could experiment with the variables

2 This is easy to understand Gave me a better understanding of the numbers

2 It focused on the key elements so I could think about the sensitivity points

3 Somehow the method and my numbers were not related. Although i spent time on it, it didn't help my decision.

3 Too easy to miss the big picture because of data overload. Too many numbers to manipulate.

4 There seemed to be more than was necessary. 4 Should be more instructive

5 Help!

No Answer Can see consequences of different assumptions 454 No Answer Helped understanding but took too many tries

U.S. Patent Dec. 7, 1999 Sheet 18 0f 42 5,999,908

wow

95