U.S. patent application number 11/702831 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-11 for method of providing online database containing proprietary information.
Invention is credited to John F. Goodman, Lenny L. Trapp.
Application Number | 20070239784 11/702831 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32962305 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070239784 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goodman; John F. ; et
al. |
October 11, 2007 |
Method of providing online database containing proprietary
information
Abstract
A method for making a particular customer's data on a database
containing data for several customers available only to that
customer. The data is formatted so that a selected group of data
can be accessed by a specific customer by using an identifier which
is unique to that customer's data.
Inventors: |
Goodman; John F.;
(Stevenson, WA) ; Trapp; Lenny L.; (Hillsboro,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHERNOFF, VILHAUER, MCCLUNG & STENZEL
1600 ODS TOWER
601 SW SECOND AVENUE
PORTLAND
OR
97204-3157
US
|
Family ID: |
32962305 |
Appl. No.: |
11/702831 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10389555 |
Mar 14, 2003 |
7200594 |
|
|
11702831 |
Feb 5, 2007 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/00 20130101;
Y10S 707/99932 20130101; Y10S 707/99939 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/104.1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 7/00 20060101
G06F007/00 |
Claims
1. A method for making proprietary data available to customers on a
customer-specific basis, comprising: a. providing an online
database containing customer-specific data relating to a plurality
of customers; b. formatting the data such that a selected group of
said data, which is relevant only to a specific customer, is
configured to be accessed by inputting a unique identifier; c.
providing appropriate ones of said identifiers to said customers on
an individual basis, thereby ensuring any one of said plurality of
customers only accesses data which is relevant to that customer;
and d. wherein the database includes a diagram of a facility and
data associated with a particular location on said diagram is
configured to be accessed directly from the diagram.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the database also includes
internal data relating to each customer which cannot be accessed by
the customer and can be accessed only by a database
administrator.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said data includes both textual
material and related photographs.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the photographs are indexed
relative to the related textual material and the customer can view
the related textual material directly from the photographs.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the database includes reminders of
tasks that need to be completed.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said reminders can be added to the
database and upgraded by the customer.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 10/389,555
filed Mar. 14, 2003.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method for making data available
online, and, in particular, to making proprietary data available
online on a customer-specific basis.
[0003] There are many situations where a business would like to
have available in a single place concise, systematic data relating
to some aspect of its business. While the business could build its
own database, doing so is time-consuming and expensive. Thus, a
business opportunity exists in providing such a database for
others. However, the only way it would be feasible to do this would
be for the database to include data for a large number of
customers. The difficulty is that each customer's data may be
proprietary to that customer and the customer would not want other
customers to be able to access it.
[0004] The subject invention overcomes this difficulty by providing
an online database containing customer-specific data relating to a
plurality of customers. The database is formatted to allow a
customer to access a selected group of data which is relevant to
that customer by utilizing a unique identifier.
[0005] The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages
of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration
of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a computer system that
supports the subject invention.
[0007] FIGS. 2-5 are screen displays utilized in the subject
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] The subject invention provides a method whereby a company,
hereinafter referred to as "provider," provides its customers with
information, such as details of fire safety compliance of the
customer's facility, on a need-to-know basis, over a global
computer network such as the Internet. FIG. 1 of the drawings is a
schematic of a computer system that supports the subject invention.
The system includes a customer computer system 10, which could be a
stand-alone computer 12 as shown or an extensive computer network.
The customer computer system is connected to a provider computer
system 14 through the Internet 16. While the term Internet commonly
refers to the Worldwide Web, as used herein, it encompasses any
system whereby remote computer systems can communicate with one
another. The provider computer system 14 is a general purpose
computer which includes, among other things, a Web server 18 which
is configured to communicate through the Internet, a computer
program 20 and a database 22.
[0009] When the method is used to provide information about fire
safety compliance, the provider first makes a visual inspection of
a customer's facility and records all pertinent information about
firestop barriers, or the lack of firestop barriers, at every
location where there is a penetration that requires such a barrier.
This inspection can be part of an initial installation of firestop
barriers in a new facility, part of an updating of firestop
barriers in an existing facility, or a stand-alone inspection of an
existing facility. Alternatively, this information can be given to
the provider by the customer. All relevant data relating to
firestops will be recorded and indexed by location. In the case of
new installations, the information can include the installation
date, the particular material or materials used and the
specification of these materials. It also can include reinspection
dates. In the case of a new installation, a label recording the
installation date and materials may be placed next to the
installation. Digital photographs are also taken of each
installation and the program indexes the photographs relative to
the textual information for each location. The textual information
and photographs are placed in the database 22 along with similar
information for other customers.
[0010] The program 20 formats this material such that the
information for each customer is accessible only to that customer.
Each customer is provided with a unique identifier which allows
that customer to access its data. The identifier may have two
components. A first component is a customer name and all of the
information relating to that customer is associated with its
customer name. The second component is a key. A particular key
allows access to all or only a portion of the information relating
to that customer. This allows the customer to restrict what
information a particular user has access to. The database also
includes a diagram, or floor plan, of each facility. The location
of each firestop barrier in the facility is shown on the diagram.
The database is programmed such that by clicking on any location in
the database the textual information, and photographs for that
location, are shown. The database also includes a penetration log,
FIG. 2, which lists every penetration in the facility by building,
floor and location on the floor. Clicking on any listing in the
penetration log will display the photograph for that location, FIG.
3. If desired, this photograph can be enlarged to show details,
FIG. 4. By clicking on the photograph the textual information for
that location is displayed, FIG. 5.
[0011] The database also can be programmed to accept information
from the customer, such as a work order informing the provider that
a new penetration or penetrations have been made in the facility
and the location of these penetrations. The provider then will
install firestop barriers at these locations for the customer.
[0012] The database can also contain information regarding firestop
barriers installed by the provider that is accessible only by a
database administrator who is employed by the provider, and not by
the customer. This portion of the database could include such
things as the installer's notes, problems encountered, etc. In
addition to being an easily accessible storage place, such
information could be valuable if the compliance of a firestop came
into question. This information would not be of general interest to
the customer, however.
[0013] While the proceeding description relates to firestop
barriers, the method of the subject invention can be employed by a
provider to provide almost any type of data to its customers. In
general, the invention relates to a method for making any
proprietary information available to customers on a
customer-specific basis and on a need-to-know basis. This is
accomplished by providing an online database containing information
relating to multiple customers which is formatted such that each
customer can only access the data relevant to it through an
identifier unique to that customer. This identifier could include a
customer name which relates to all of the data for that customer
and a key which allows access to all or some portion of the data
for a particular user. Thus, the customer can allow different
people to access different groups of its data.
[0014] The terms and expressions which have been employed in the
foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description
and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of
such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the
features shown and described or portions thereof, it being
recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited
only by the claims which follow.
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