(12) United States Patent
`Thompson et al.
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,810,401 B1
`Oct. 26, 2004
`
`US006810401B1
`
`(54) AUTOMATED CONFIGURATION SYSTEM
`AND METHOD
`
`(75) Inventors: Joseph H. Thompson, Nashville, TN
`(E2) ESHdYJAWEEmS’ LaVIiIrgntfKEN
`(
`)>
`War ' essman’ as ‘'1 6’
`TN (Us)
`
`_
`
`3/1999 Morris et al.
`5,877,966 A
`5,963,953 A 10/1999 Cram et al.
`5,966,310 A * 10/1999 Maeda et al. .......... .. 707/104.1
`2 *
`t
`1
`707/102
`6,351,734 B1 * 2/2002 LautZenheiser et al. ...... .. 705/8
`6,412,012 B1 * 6/2002 Bieganski et a1. ........ .. 709/232
`6,546,419 B1 * 4/2003 Humpleman et al. ..... .. 709/223
`
`,
`
`,
`
`0 n e a. ............... ..
`
`(73) Assignee: Edgenet Inc., BrentWood, TN (US)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`(4) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U_S_C_ 154(k)) by 324 days_
`
`_
`(21) Appl' NO" 09/684’907
`(22) Filed;
`Oct, 10, 2000
`
`Related US. Application Data
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/158,250, ?led on Oct. 8,
`1999, and provisional application No. 60/158,316, ?led on
`00L 8 1999'
`(51) I t (5] 7
`
`G06F 17/00
`
`I1 .
`.
`.............................................. ..
`(52) US. Cl. ................. .. 707/101; 707/102; 707/103 R;
`707/104.1; 715/517; 700/96; 700/97
`of Search ............................... ..
`707/103 R’ 1941’ 1’ 2’ 3’ 6’ 4’ 5’ 715/517’
`700/96’ 97’ 709/203’ 204’ 205’ 206’ 208’
`209’ 705/26’ 27’ 28’ 29
`References Cited
`
`(56)
`
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,293,479 A
`5,311,424 A
`5,745,765 A
`5,784,286 A
`5,822,206 A
`
`* 3/1994 Quintero et a1. .......... .. 345/841
`* 5/1994 Mukherjee et a1. ......... .. 705/29
`4/1998 Paseman
`
`* 7/1998 Hirose et a1. . . . . . . .
`
`. . . .. 707/1
`
`* 10/1998 Sebastian et a1. ........... .. 700/97
`
`EPIC Electronic Product Information Corp, Product Bro
`chures> Apr' 1997'
`_
`EPIC Product Information Corp., Technology; Software
`Brochure, May 1992.
`EPIC Electronic Product Information Corp., Quick Refer
`ence Technology Demo, Mar. 1995.
`Edgenet Media, Made 2 Order, Brochure, Rev. Jul. 28, 1998.
`
`* Cited by examiner
`-
`~
`~
`Primary Examujler—shahld Alam
`Assistant Exammer—Isaac M. W00
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Dickstein Shapiro Morin &
`
`Oshinsky LLP
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`An automated Con?guration System (and method) is prO_
`vided for facilitating the con?guration of desired products,
`services, or other assemblages that require users to gather
`and assimilate disparate knowledge of makes, models, types,
`features, codes, and prices of the desired product/service to
`be con?gured. In accordance With a preferred embodiment,
`con?guration is facilitated through interaction of a user With
`a frame engine that performs frame-based inferences to
`discern stored knoWledge of a product (or the like), as
`supplemented by a rules-based inference system.
`
`8 Claims, 36 Drawing Sheets
`
`CREATE PROJECT
`
`OONFIGURE ARCHHECTURAL
`UNH FUR PROJECT
`
`USE SCHEMATKC CONFEURATOR TO
`CREATE CUSTOM COMPDSVTE/MULIID
`FIG RAHONS
`
`455
`(
`PRODUCTS
`AB.
`NHGURED?
`CD
`
`462
`
`YES
`
`ALL PROJECT
`DONFIGUREU!
`
`YES
`
`GENERATE ouwur moms
`
`mom cw DEIAILS T0 cw sonwmz
`(uxr FORMAT)
`
`mmsun PROJECT 10 DEALER run
`QUOTE
`
`SCHEDULES, CAD
`DRAWINGS,
`TECHNICAL
`SPECIFICAHUN
`SHEETS
`
`WTS PARADIGM LLC EXHIBIT 1006
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`0a. 26, 2004
`
`Sheet 1 0f 36
`
`US 6,810,401 B1
`
`CORE MODULE
`
`FRAME ENGINE ~104
`
`RULES ENGINE
`
`\ L O 07
`
`ENGINE FACTORY
`
`\—112
`
`FIG. 1
`
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 2 0f 36
`
`US 6,810,401 B1
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`SNK
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 3 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 6 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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`@ GI
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 7 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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`Total Price
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 8 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 10 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 12 0f 36
`
`US 6,810,401 B1
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`U.S. Patent
`
`0a. 26, 2004
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`Sheet 15 0f 36
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`US 6,810,401 B1
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