Customer-based product design module

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 relationships 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 product use, to increase user success and reduce costly and error-filled 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 customer communications system in the product, and analyze and report customer information. This new medium provides a worldwide way to transform the use of products and services into interactive two-way dialogues; add in-product performance measures and any specific 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 communications to fit 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.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for use with units of a computer product that are in use respectively by different users, comprising

a user interface which is part of each of the units of the computer product and provides a medium for two-way local interaction between the user and the unit of the product,

interaction scripts that mediate two-way interaction between each of the users and the corresponding unit of the product via the user interface, each of the interaction scripts causing information and questions about use of the unit of the product to be conveyed to the user from the unit of the product and enabling information and questions about use of the unit of the product to be conveyed from the user to the product, different ones of the interaction scripts being suitable for users who are at different levels of experience or functionality in using the product,

a triggering element arranged to trigger appropriate ones of the interaction scripts between the user and the unit of the product based on usage information accumulated at the unit of the product about use of the unit of the product by the user,

a communication element that carries the interaction scripts and results of triggered interactions between the units of the products and one or more remote third parties, and

a generation element that enables generation of new interaction scripts based on the results of previously triggered interactions occurring at more than one of the units of the product.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an authoring system for use by one or more of the remote parties for managing the content of the product information and questions.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an analyzer of results of triggered interaction scripts received at one or more of the remote parties, and

means for controlling the taking of action with respect to the product or the user interface in response to the analyzer.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the analyzer analyzes results of triggered interaction scripts received at the remote party from multiple users with respect to multiple products.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the product information and questions include new interface elements and are communicated from one or more of the remote parties to the product.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a product module which may be disabled and enabled selectively.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering element is initiated locally at the product.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering element is initiated by one or more of the remote parties.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a display screen, a keyboard, a microphone, and a speaker.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication element comprises one or more of broadcast transmission, wire, or a removable memory device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a natural language component.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface includes multiple natural languages, selectable by the user.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the interaction scripts are controlled by the user.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising an element with which a user may terminate an interaction script with the product at will.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a user control for selectively enabling or disabling the user interface.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the computer comprises software.

17. A method for aiding design of a product comprising

creating a first version of the product,

including with the first version an interactive user feedback element that permits two-way communication between a user of the product and a designer of the product and which accumulates information on use of the product by a user, the user feedback element including a user control for selectively enabling or disabling the user feedback element,

engaging in a two-way communication between the user and the designer, under control of the user, including recovering the information from the user feedback element,

the two-way communication being initiated by the product based on usage information accumulated at the product about use of the product by the user,

analyzing the information, and

redesigning the product in accordance with the results of the analyzing step.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to problems in use of the product.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to solutions to problems in use of the product.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes information provided by the user with respect to usability of the product.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes demographic marketing information about the user of the product.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes information about the user's use patterns for the product.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes information about business processes using the product.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes analysis of tasks performed by the user with the product.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes analysis of the performance of the user with the product.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes business transactions performed by the user with the product.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes user-suggested expansion of business relationships.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein the information includes user-suggested improvements of processes.

29. The method of claim 17 further comprising

enabling the user to set a priority for response to information entered by the user.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the information recovered from the user feedback element comprises information developed in the course of interactive learning by the user.

31. The method of claim 17 further comprising, prior to redesigning the product,

delivering to the user via the feedback element, proposed redesigns of the product, and

recovering information about the proposed redesigns via the feedback element.

32. The method of claim 17 further comprising

electronically sharing the information from the user feedback element with a third party.

33. The method of claim 17 further comprising

providing a mechanism for compensating a user for information accumulated in the feedback element.

34. The method of claim 17 further comprising

providing a mechanism for buying and selling results of the analyzing step.

35. The method of claim 17 further comprising giving access to the feeback element to a third party.

36. A system for use with units of a computer product that are in use respectively by different users, the system comprising

a user interface which is part of each of the units of the computer product and provides a medium for two-way local interaction between the user and the unit of the product, the user interface including a user control for selectively enabling or disabling the user interface,

interaction scripts that are controlled by the user and mediate two-way interaction between each of the users and the corresponding unit of the product via the user interface, each of the interaction scripts causing product information and questions about use of the unit of the product to be conveyed to the user from the unit of the product and causing information and questions about usage of the unit of the product to be conveyed from the user to the product, different ones of the interaction scripts being suitable for users who are at different levels of experience or functionality in using the product,

a triggering element arranged to trigger appropriate ones of the interaction scripts between the user and the unit of the product based on usage information accumulated at the product about use of the unit of the product by the user,

an electronic communication element that carries the interaction scripts and results of triggered interaction scripts between the units of the products and one or more remote third parties,

an element that enables generation of new interaction elements based on the results of previously triggered interaction scripts occurring at more than one of the units of the product,

an authoring system for use by one or more of the remote parties for managing the content of the interaction scripts, and

an analyzer of results of triggered interaction scripts received at one or more of the remote parties from multiple users with respect to multiple products.

37. A system for managing information about a value to users of units of a computer product that are in use by the users, the system comprising

in each of the units of the computer product, a user interface which provides a medium for two-way local interaction between the user and the unit of the product,

interaction scripts that mediate two-way interaction between each of the users and the corresponding unit of the product via the user interface, each of the interaction scripts carrying information about the value to users of using the product,

a value information server accessible via a public communication network from each of the units of the computer product and by a vendor of the computer product, the value information server storing interaction scripts and the value information that results from the interaction scripts, and

a communication element that carries the interaction scripts and the information that results from the interaction scripts between the units of the products and the value information server, and between the value information server and the vendor.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The growing speed of product development (with shorter time to market, rapid addition of new product features and transformation of many products due to technological change) makes the ability to measure and deal with complexity considerably more difficulty. The rate of product evolution in many product categories has become faster than ever, so measurement methods must evolve to keep pace with the speed and scope of business decision making. Unfortunately, it still generally takes 30 days or more to run many types of meaningful studies in areas like human factors product testing, market research and product field trials. Such labor-intensive studies, conducted by degreed professionals, are also expensive. Since many product design decisions will not wait or do not have the budget, they are made without the benefit of in-depth customer-based studies that would make those decisions clearer, simpler and more accurate.

In some areas current test methods are immature and only partly assist in making crucial product decisions. For example, a growing number of software and computer-integrated products (which may actually be built around a special purpose computer such as a medical monitor) aim to enhance customer performance, problem solving abilities and complex types of thinking. While learning tests are able to determine whether or not a product's users have learned the procedures for using that product, it remains difficult to assess complex thinking skills and changes in attitude toward one's tasks. Those effects must be inferred instead of measured, forcing decision makers to make crucial product decisions based on guesses instead of knowledge.

In other areas it is extremely difficult to obtain action and behavioral information during the actual use of products, services and information systems. From design and business decision making viewpoints this is essential for understanding how products or processes perform across the spectrum of situations and countries to learn their capabilities and deficiencies for actually achieving the goals for which they are purchased. There is a larger, more advanced reason that this information is required now that embedded microprocessors and software are increasingly transforming products, services and the information infrastructures used to operate many types of organizations. In-depth measurement and data are needed to dynamically trigger automatic and appropriate responses and reconfigurations in response to rapidly changing conditions and swiftly evolving situations.

In a growing number of product categories and industries one key to success is improving the full range of outcomes required by customers for their success. For example, the entire computing industry has been judged harshly for failing to significantly improve productivity measures. Similarly, the medical industry struggles to learn how to provide quality care with a lower cost-per-patient outcome. Such transformations in performance require simultaneous improvements by vendors, customers and everyday product users, which requires systemic and systematic measurement and dynamic adaptation across products, organizations, industries, markets and societies. The immediate availability of accurate and meaningful decision making and reconfiguration information is essential for improving products, business decisions and competitive performance with the speed and scale that are required by today's competitive pressures and societies.

This broad range of needs clearly calls for faster, easier, more direct and broader means for learning customer requirements, measuring actual performance, communicating that information in automatically analyzed formats, and responding to customers and users dynamically based on their group or individual objectives and performance measurements.

This Customer-Based Product Design Module invention uses a combination of computer hardware, software and communications technologies to construct a module that is built into certain products and services, to establish a network of customer-vendor-distributor interactions and communications (or a network of internal organization-wide interactions in the area of computer-based performance). These make possible new customer and user roles in the design and development of products and services, and customer-vendor relationships. Over time, this may produce a gradual transfer to customers of commercial direction and market control, both in individual cases (such as the evolution of a particular product) and in aggregate, from vendors and distributors.

One of the core purposes of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 15. This is the ability to learn interactively and iteratively from the users of products and information systems anywhere in the world while they are in use--without having to travel to their sites (or without having to bring them to a testing laboratory). Since this is a two-way link, it also offers the ability to respond meaningfully to customers and users based on worldwide, local, organizational or individual needs regardless of where they are located.

Information technology is so new that we're still figuring out what it is and what it should do for us. This technology turns the user interfaces in products, equipment, tools and toys into an interactive learning system that connects vendors, users and marketplaces worldwide. While this emerges from the built-in computing that is becoming an increasingly common part of many products, it transforms the product interface into a learning device and a learning system--for individual products, for marketplaces and potentially, for societies and economic systems.

Product interfaces are increasingly connected to built-in or embedded computing. These interfaces already surround people at work and at home on equipment (whether in business offices, doctor's offices, factories, construction sites, hospitals, etc.), computers, consumer electronics and more. These interfaces are moving into pockets and briefcases via handheld electronic organizers and PDAs (personal digital assistants). They are transforming millions of computer and TV screens via interactive services and channels. Picture a new module behind interfaces around the world. This enables them to "wake up" when these products and services are used so they ask questions based on how they are used. The module stores user answers and uploads them periodically, and its overall architecture delivers a clear and broad picture of the current state and evolutionary changes in individual and group needs. The module/architecture of this invention also downloads into products new questions, user support, or other new capabilities so that product interfaces provide continuous two-way learning, and users receive new information or features that can be delivered through the product itself.

This may help transform the increasingly everyday environment of built-in computing into a two-way system for meeting both vendor and customer needs faster, more accurately and more effectively. Since this technology is scaleable, it doesn't matter whether the focus is:

One vendor's product in one customer's hands,

All of that vendor's products in use in one country,

The marketplace for those types of products in that country, or

Multiple markets around the world.

Since this through-the-product communications may be used to transform customer-vendor relationships, results may include:

Products that can learn from and work with individuals or groups in new ways, or

Markets that employ these new built-in communications/information systems to provide new benefits such as additional market efficiencies, built-in marketwide user performance support systems, or accelerated economic growth for individual vendors or national economies.

Everyone talks back to products, but not with words they can repeat in public. Think how customers would guide products and services toward what they want if they could really talk back while they use a product, both when they have a problem and when they have an unmet need. Vendors might find an alive marketplace that helps them improve products, services and business relationships.

A number of service industries, such as market research and product testing, seek to help vendors understand their customers. This invention may enable vendors to learn directly from their customers on an ongoing basis and establish a private two-way product development relationship with them, providing a valuable addition to some current methodologies. This invention may also produce more accurate information than these measurement services because it works with larger numbers of customers, in many more markets and market niches, to learn their needs, expectations and desires during the actual everyday use of products and services.

How does this invention accomplish this? Today, microprocessors are often embedded into products as controllers. For example, many new cars have a dozen or more microprocessors inside of them. This invention uses technology to embed a customer-vendor-distributor NETWORKING MODULE into vendor-selected products and services. This technology-based Module turns the product's interface into a two-way learning device, connected to a larger learning system and architecture, so that rapid and iterative customer-based progress may become a feature of those products, services and markets. Because learning, measurement and performance improvement are interconnected, this new feature may involve customers (as individuals, in groups and marketwide) in the product evaluation and design process, and in planning business services so that they serve customer needs better than competitors can accomplish. These are strategic advantages for companies, societies and economic systems.

For products (and information systems) that contain this Module, customers may continuously inform vendors (or developers) of their current and emerging needs. The vendors of those products may have the best opportunity to respond swiftly to a much clearer view of customer problems, product problems and market opportunities than they have today. The inventor believes that within a generation it will be normal for many products and services to include this type of Module, so that customers (in aggregate, the market) comes to play a larger role in directing and controlling the commercial development of many products and services.

The closest known prior art is a combination of six areas. When combined, these six areas represent the prior art for this invention:

1 Market Research

Product and service vendors invest considerable money, employee time and corporate credibility to create their products and services. Are they as successful as they want to be? The market research industry has sprung up to answer a host of questions about customers. It is obvious that in spite of these market research efforts, customer needs that remain unknown and unfilled provide constant opportunities for creating and launching new products and services. In addition, many customers use products and services in ways that are not anticipated or fully understood by market researchers.

Why doesn't market research provide greater understanding? In market research, a variety of methodologies are used to segment groups of customers and to show the preferences and desires of the market segments. Typically, market research focuses on gathering either quantitative data (such as demographic information or numerical responses to surveys and questionnaires) or qualitative data (such as from focus groups). One of the main limitations of these research studies is that they are usually separate from the customers' actual and everyday use of the products and services being investigated.

2 On-line Surveys

In an on-line survey, a subject sits in front of a computer. Generally, this means bringing the subject to the computer that is running the survey software. At the time the subject has been told to complete the on-line survey, the survey software is run and it asks the subject questions. The subject uses a keyboard or mouse to answer the questions. The software records the subject's answers in a data file. After that subject has completed the survey, the software can report those answers. After all the subjects have been run, software can report various compilations of the data set, and provide various analyses of an individual subject, a sub-set of subjects, the entire group, or comparisons between various sub-groups. Over time, a series of on-line surveys can be compiled, and the data may be compared in various ways (such as longitudinally).

3 Field Programmable Logic Devices

Engineers now able to rapidly produce unique, custom programmed chips in their offices using "desktop silicon foundries." An engineer uses a personal computer or workstation to design the chip with commercially available software. A blank chip, in a special box attached to the desktop computer, is programmed in a few minutes. This is by far the fastest and cheapest way to create custom chips that add custom features to products. When a chip design is finished, if only a small number are needed, copies can be made in that "desktop silicon foundry." If many of these custom chips are needed, they can be mass produced in a factory.

4 Hand-held Bar Code Readers

These devices are carried into the field by many types of employees, such as couriers for organizations like Federal Express. These devices gather data from individual products or transactions by means of reading printed bar codes. This data is held in the bar code reader until it is connected to a computer or to a device that communicates with a computer. At that time, function keys are pressed and the bar code reader's data is uploaded to the computer. During that same connection, function keys are pressed and the bar code reader may be reprogrammed by means of downloading new software into the bar code reader's memory.

5 The Calculator

The small, hand-held calculator contains a microprocessor, memory, display, power supply and input buttons. It can be mass manufactured in large enough quantities that these devices can be sold very inexpensively.

6 Smart Cards

The Smart Card is like a calculator with additional memory and functions built into it. It is used for many types of applications, such as electronic ID systems that provide secure access throughout corporate offices, maintaining personal medical or financial account histories, and other single-purpose uses. A number of the prior art for Smart Cards and related devices demonstrate the feasibility of the present invention, including:

(a) Systems for storing and transferring data between persons based on portable electronic devices (4,007,355, 2/1977, Moreno and 4,092,524, 5/1978, Moreno),

(b) A portable element of reservation systems, for receiving, storing, displaying and outputting digital data (4,298,793, 11/1981, Melis et al.),

(c) A credit card with a memory, including plural memory fields, for keeping accounts with predetermined homogeneous units (4,367,402, 1/1983, Giraud et al.),

(d) A data processing card system that may be carried by a user for insertion into external terminal devices, which actuates the data processing card system (4,539,472, 9/1985, Poetker et al.),

(e) A system for transferring electronic funds by means of portable modules which connect to resident units for transferring data between units or to a central computer (4,625,276, 11/1986, Benton et al.),

(f) An apparatus that accepts data from a people monitoring system (which is attached to a television set), stores the data and transmits it to a removable local unit that stores it (4,642,685, 2/1987, Roberts et al.),

(g) A voice recording card can record and reproduce messages, and transmit and receive messages (4,677,657, 6/1987, Nagata et al.),

(h) An IC card for operating machines such as automatic cash machines and ID systems, including a display for displaying stored data, an IC card reader for reading the IC card, and transmitting/receiving means for updating the data (4,746,787, 5/1988, Suto et al.),

(i) An intelligent card that includes a keyboard, display and IC chip, designed to provide secure identification of the card's holder (4,749,982, 6/1988, Rikuna et al.),

(j) A customer service system that stores customer service information in an IC card, and displays it on the card's display, based on menu selections by the person holding the card (4,752,677, 6/1988, Nakano et al.),

(k) An IC card system compatible with a bank account system, including account maintenance, money transfers and the functions of credit and debit cards (4,839,504, 6/1989, Nakano),

(l) A portable data carrier that stores more than one bank and/or credit account number and data, and provides account information by means of a display (4,859,837, 8/1989, Halpern),

(m) An intelligent portable interactive personal data system (4,868,376, 9/1989, Lessin et al.),

(n) A smart card apparatus and method of programming it, including a smart card control program and a data dictionary (4,874,935, 10/1989, Younger),

(o) A method and system for using facsimile machines to perform electronic funds transfer (4,960,981, 11/1990, Benton, et al.),

(p) A portable electronic keysafe system (e.g., a secure lock) that stores data, along with a stand to interface with a computer, and a computer that programs the lock (4,988,987, 1/1991, Barrett et al.),

(q) A data collection system useful for trade shows employing a card containing a memory chip for recording and storing the data of individuals (5,019,697, 5/1991, Postman), and

(r) A portable interactive medical test selector that displays questions to a patient, stores answers and analyzes the answers to recommend appropriate medical tests (5,025,374, 6/1991, Roizen et al.).

This invention combines the prior art in a new distributed system whose components reside:

In products (as defined by this invention),

At vendors, and

Throughout the marketplace or throughout an enterprise (when built into its internal business and computing systems).

Some of its technology parallels include:

Bank Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), in which simplified local interactions with individual customers are linked to centralized systems via marketwide networks, to provide immediate personal services across markets and large geographic regions.

Automobile racing, in which key systems of a race vehicle are monitored by sensors, and combined with direct voice communications with the driver, to gain the clearest possible computer display and understanding of the driver's problems and needs, and to gain the new competitive abilities of supporting the driver so that the driver has the best possible chance to perform better than competitors.

The worldwide telephone network and linked voice mail systems, in which individual local users, who may be located anywhere, operate the global phone network and attached voice mail systems with a small keypad of ten numbers (0-9) and two buttons (# and *), illustrating how a simple means for a user to interface with a product or service may control and communicate with complex systems that are widely distributed.

What Are Products and Services?

The departure from this prior art comes from fundamental re-definitions: Physical products and many types of services are really high-level concepts that use specific physical designs of products and service concepts to engage customers and attempt to satisfy their needs, desires and expectations. This is inevitably imprecise, and customers flexibly and individually determine how they will use the products and services that they buy. Thus, any one embodiment of a physical design is temporary and subject to improvements, even though it may look permanent at any one moment.

Vendors typically use market research to discover unfilled user needs and create new product and service designs that might capture valuable market share. The resulting physical products and services are therefore the current conceptual embodiment of a vendor's current knowledge of customer and user needs. As this knowledge is improved, the physical and process designs of products and services are altered. Thus, we propose that the current designs of products and services at any time are a reflection of a vendor's knowledge of customer needs and desires.

A second redefinition is that the current concept of a product life cycle may become less precise and less meaningful as product markets become information markets. The core transformation is from a product development stage followed by a product launch stage and one or more sales campaigns with occasional product improvements when needed to meet sales and revenue objectives. As enabled by this invention, the initial development stage increasingly interpenetrates all other stages of the product life cycle, the operations of corporations, and the evolution of economic systems (i.e., capitalist economies).

As envisioned by this invention, as customers and vendor employees interact to produce continuous improvement, the marketplace may be e-engineered into an interactive development environment (i.e., research and development environment, or R&D environment) with a national or global scope. The opportunities for accelerated learning may transform:

The ability of an individual corporation to satisfy the needs of its customers,

If that company gains competitive advantages that produce additional market share, or other meaningful advantages, similar in-product communications may be adopted by competing companies, which may transform the industry or the marketplace,

As the industry or marketplace evolves to interact with its customers, the fundamental efficiencies of those markets and those industries may increase.

As the continuous improvement capabilities of particular industries in particular countries grow, the global market share of those industries and countries may transform the leading companies in those industries worldwide.

Because of the embedding of microprocessors and computing into products, some of the types of industries that may be affected include computers, software, electronics, communications, interactive entertainment, multimedia, transportation, energy, farm equipment, avionics, medical equipment, scientific instruments, etcPerceivable or measurable improvements may include customers receiving more of what they really want to buy for each dollar they spend, faster product evolution based on customer needs, increased market shares for companies that are more responsive to customer desires and more able to assist customers in achieving their goals, etc.

Thus, a technology may lead to organizational and market efficiencies that empirically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of capitalist markets. In Adam Smith's terms, the "invisible hand" of the market may be rendered "visible," accelerating the evolution of human welfare by providing greater benefits from free choice and personal freedom. In sum, the redefinitions intended may simultaneously be technological, operational (for products, organizations and economies) and political.

Today there are many approaches to competitiveness and the cost of failing to find a successful approach has mushroomed For example, some world-class corporations use new technologies to capture market share. Others use a constant launching and churning of new product models to attack their competitors' customer-vendor relationships.

This invention focuses on the competitive strategy of having companies work in a partnership with their customers to gain the greatest ability to concentrate their scarce resources on developing the products and markets that customers want most, and on serving customers in the ways that are most valuable to customers, so that these companies gain the largest increases in sales and profits. It suggests that the value of these customer-vendor relationships may be a central business advantage at this point in the emergence of a global information age, and this advantage may be explicitly captured by engaging in new types of product development partnerships that may be made possible by this invention.

Needs for This Invention

(Note: this invention's terminology is defined at the beginning of the Preferred Embodiment.)

Simply put, this invention helps vendors and customers by transforming their learning cycle: It compresses the time and steps between setting business objectives, creating effective products and services, and improving them continuously. It also alters their roles: Customers become partners in the improvement process along with vendors and distributors.

This invention's "Customer-Based Product Design Module" (CB-PD Module) generates numerous opportunities for improvements by integrating customers and employees into the design and delivery of products and services as a continuous process. The invention describes a specific new class of product feature that may be added to, or built into, many types of products and services. The CB-PD Module engages Customers in Development Interactions (DI) while products and services are being used. The customers and users provide direct, on-task understanding of their use of the products and services, and of their unfilled needs, to the product vendors, designers and developers Development Interactions (DI) will take place most often during actual uses of the product or service, which is when most unreported problems and dissatisfactions occur. The results of these Development Interactions (DI) clarify customer needs, improve products, and they may also help solve problems, control costs, and improve services and operations.

Because it automates this process and adds networking to many types of products and services, this invention may help change the cost, economics, methods and desirability of involving customers in the design and evolution of products and services. By automating this process, there are new opportunities to produce valuable customer-based information that may become low in cost and constantly available. This might transform the overall learning cycle, the very process by which products and services can be improved continuously in the future. In other words, if your customers and users are telling you directly what has value to them and what doesn't, this becomes a way to manage a business better, to select priorities more responsively, to budget scarce capital and human resources more accurately, to target the points where one's products and services make the most difference to customers, and to increase the company's revenues and profits faster than competitors.

With this CB-PD Module, because of the new customer-vendor partnerships and learning cycle it creates, the result is a different learning cycle based on new kinds of interactive feedback from customers. Over time, if one or more general purpose CB-PD Modules can be productized and modularized for rapid and affordable insertion into appropriate products and services, that will decrease its cost, accelerate the learning process for many companies, and expand management's ability to work directly with their customers to provide valuable new benefits faster than they are able to today.

From this invention's viewpoint, critical management decisions spring from the fact that vendors invest considerable money, employee time and effort to create and market their products and services. One of a vendor's most important questions is, "How can our currently available resources be leveraged to jump faster and farther toward our goals?" Potential opportunities exist at two levels. There are local decisions, such as how to design or improve a specific product or service. There are also system decisions, such as how to prioritize the relative value of different product and service investment opportunities. With multiple opportunities and limited resources, how can vendors continually identify the best available opportunities for investing in products and services, and for choosing their specific features and user interfaces?

Answering these types of questions, to improve the management of businesses, the quality of products and the satisfaction of customers, are some of the core purposes of this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Role of this invention

(Note: this invention's terminology is defined at the beginning of the Preferred Embodiment.)

This Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module) invention is designed to embed a new type of product feature within a range of products and services, helping them evolve into Customer Directed Products (CDP) by means of Development Interactions (DI). The result is a continuous source of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) and Defined Customer Desires (DCD) from customers and users while they are using these products and services. This serves vendors as a continuous way to listen to Customers and understand their performance, their needs and their expectations.

The architecture includes varying components and features 662, 670, 672, 664 in FIG. 17 that form a continuous learning and communications system 666, 674 between vendors and customers. A logical starting point is the authoring system 662 on the computer of the vendor 660 This is used to construct automated interactions and download them 666 to CB-PD Modules in products 670. Vendor employees run the authoring system on their computer(s).

The CB-PD Module 670 obtains its findings while customers are in the middle of product uses 668, during their real situations and needs. This has the potential to transform the role of Customers from remote and only partly understood consumers into design partners with vendors 672, 674. By automating these critical connections and the analysis of customer needs 664, this may produce faster, more accurate and profitable working relationships between vendors and customers.

With a mainframe computer, minicomputer, Local Area Network (LAN) or another computer system at the vendor, the Defined Customer Desires (DCD) may be made available on-line 664. While each organization would decide which managers and employees should have access to this data, there is considerable opportunity to expand the connections between customers and employees throughout vendor organizations. At the same time, the CB-PD Module is an unobtrusive product feature. It is largely invisible to vendors and customers except when (1) the vendor sets up this Module 662, (2) customers engage in Development Interactions during some of their uses of a product or service 670, and (3) when vendor management requests or receives a processed report 664.

Description

An integrated set of components enables this technology as a new communications medium in products for vendors, customers and marketplaces. This provides a digital "knowledge environment" that may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of companies and markets. This structure is addressed in FIG. 18 for a single vendor, and FIG. 19 for the larger digital environment and the capabilities it may add to multiple vendors and markets.

On the front-end, the authoring system has a universal data structure that supports the rapid distribution 692, 722 of professionally written customer interactions 696, 692, 694. Users could assemble their in-product dialogs from interactions written by leading professionals in areas like user interface design, usability testing and market research 722A built-in copyright accounting system 720 lets users buy this know-how by purchase order, credit card, etc. Built-in electronic mail lets them receive additional on-line services from those professionals 722, 726, 734 (such as validation of a product's set of dialogs) or buy additional services and data from them.

On the back-end, a universal data dictionary and data structure provides the ability to distribute user information across organizations and between them 708, 690, 692, 694, 734. This projects the ability to learn from users organization-wide 708, 692, 694 and industry-wide 732, 734 Computer screens and printers at one or more vendors 732 could display current user needs--throughout an enterprise 690, 692, across a network of supplier-manufacturer-distributor-retailers 732, 734, at industry trade associations, or sold by third-party vendors of research data 724, 726. Customers could guide these groups 724 in making markets more efficient so that the money customers spend buys them what they really want.

In the same way that the authoring system sells professional know-how 720, 724 the analysis system could sell specialized analysis tools and services from leaders in market research, sales forecasting and customer satisfaction 732, 734. These tools can be sold as products (a software package for specialized data analysis or forecasting), as time sharing (on a per-use basis) or as a service (outsourced data analysis and consulting). When sold in the latter two ways, the tools can be located at the professional's site 734. The vendor's data and the completed analyses can be exchanged by the e-mail capabilities in the technology 734.

Together, the authoring system and data analysis system could turn this architecture into a "point-of-use" distribution system 722, 734 for leading professionals to sell their know-how and services directly to users through the computers on their desktops--at vendors of products in industries and markets worldwide. The best capabilities in areas like user research, product development, sales and marketing could be accessed digitally by users anywhere, 24-hours a day--a digital "knowledge environment" for improving products, sales and the effectiveness of markets FIG. 19.

A CB-PD Module may have varied designs, to fit the functionality of each particular product or service. For a first example, consider a general purpose CB-PD Module. This would be a removable, self-contained module that could be either battery powered or receive its electricity from the product. It includes its own display or speaker for communicating with the Customer; its own keypad or microphone for the Customer to communicate with it; its own microprocessor and memory to run Customer Design Instruments (CDI), interact with the Customer and store the Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data that result from those interactions; its own interface to the product to receive signals of specific types of events (such as when the product is turned on and off, when certain product features are activated, etc.); its own means to communicate with the Vendor (such as by an internal modem to link to the telephone network, by a plug to connect to an interface unit like a bar code reader, by a removable chip that stores and carries the data to an external reader, etc.), etc. Some interface and I/O options include the screen, keyboard, keypad, pen, printer, physical buttons on the product, voice (speaker and microphone in any form), modem, phone plug, antenna, corporate network, floppy disk, VANs (value added networks), and third-party service companies that may collect user data. By including such means that are appropriate in each instantiation, this interactive networking invention could be mass manufactured and included in a variety of products and services.

For a second example consider a product that includes its own keyboard for entry and a printer for output, such as an electronic typewriter. A CB-PD Module in the typewriter would be programmed to interact with the Customers or users (such as at every Nth time the unit is turned on, like the 10th and each successive 100th time). If the customer agreed to participate in a Development Interaction (D)), the CB-PD Module would print a series of pre-programmed probes on a paper that the Customer inserts into the typewriter, one probe at a time. The Customer would answer each probe after it was printed, by means of the keyboard. To communicate back with the vendor, the typewriter could (1) if the CB-PD Module contained a modem chip and plug, it could be connected to a phone line so it automatically sends its data to the Vendor, (2) print the address for the Customer to mail in the replies; or (3) print folding instructions and then the address right at the bottom of the replies, so they could be folded closed and mailed.

A third example is any equipment that includes playback and recording, such as VCRs, dictation recorder/transcribers, and computer-controlled products (such as a desktop computer or a personal digital assistant). A CB-PD Module would speak or display (on the TV screen) pre-recorded questions (recorded on chip or on a CB-PD Module tape or disk packaged with the product). The answers could be recorded on tape, in digital storage or on a chip. For example, with a VCR, multiple choice probes could be displayed on a TV screen from a CB-PD Module in the product; the Customer would answer by pressing channel number keys on the hand-held remote control sold with the VCR; the answers would be recorded on a tape that the Customer inserts into the VCR; at the end, the Customer could mail the tape in to the Vendor Depending on the VCR's recording capabilities, open-ended questions could also be asked, with the Customer providing a spoken or a written reply.

A fourth example is a product that might suffer any type of a problem, breakdown or cause user-interface confusion. The CB-PD Module might have a "Help button" and the Customer would press it whenever there is a problem, suggestion or need that the Customer wants to report. The product would use its native recording capability, the CB-PD Module would use its recording capabilities, or the Customer would be instructed in one of the alternative recording options described below. In the simplest example, the Customer might press the CB-PD Module's Help button 1 to 4 times to answer a 4-part multiple choice question, and the customer replies could be stored in the internal Module. This data could be returned to the vendor by one of the means described in the preferred embodiments, such as by reading the CB-PD Module when the product is returned for repair to the Vendor or to a service center.

The fifth example is when a service is provided, such as a car rental. The CB-PD Module could be voice-controlled and installed under the dashboard of the rented automobile Customers could provide the Development Interaction (DI) during their use of the service (i.e., the car). Between each customer, the rental company could download the data from the CB-PD Module, or swap it for a fresh one if it were a modular plug-based unit, then download the data by means of separate data reader (see the preferred embodiments, below).

A sixth example includes information industry products (a software product, corporate application software, a corporate information system, a computer operating system, a computer, a computer peripheral, data communications devices, etc.); products from the convergence of formerly separate industries (interactive home television, electronic newspapers or books, wireless mobile electronic devices of many kinds, etc.); or entirely new interfaces for existing products (such as voice interfaces for desktop computers, pen-based message-pads on hand-held cellular telephones, etc.).

In all of these examples, the CB-PD Module could be re-programmable so that new Customer Design Instruments (CDI) could be put into them as needed.

Usage

Each vendor could decide where and how to use CB-PD Modules in its products and services FIG. 20 illustrates this complete system for automating the authoring of Development Interactions (DI) 752, conducting interactions between customers and Customer Designed Products (CDP) 754, 756 during product use, the delivery of data to vendors 760 or into the product itself to produce immediate product modifications 762, followed by their automated analysis into Defined Customer Desires (DCD) 758, and delivery to vendor managers and employees as Customer-Based Product Design Reports (CB-PDR) 758, followed by asking new questions 752. This may result in frequent addition of Customer-based product design recommendations during most stages of a product's life cycle, including:

Uses during product development: As a complete turnaround system, the CB-PD Module can help track the testing of new and prototype products during their development, and provide the output of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) and Customer-Based Product Design Reports (CB-PDR) to product managers and designers. This keeps the development team informed of Customer responses and recommendations.

Use in currently marketed products: Once a product is on the market, the CB-PD Module can be used to accelerate future improvements in the product by means of customer-generated suggestions and insights Specific Customer Design Instruments (CDI) may be used to elicit different information from specific groups of customers (such as by dividing Customers functionally by their product uses, or vertically by their market segments). The speed of this system also plays a role in that it communicates back to the product developers, instantaneously in some cases or at least quickly in many cases, the desires of numerous customers that would otherwise not be known or applied.

Though this describes numerous uses, this might be made quick and easy for customers while they are using many types of products, in many markets and countries. There is already the system of UPCs (universal product codes), which is the bar code symbol on many products. Similarly, this technology may evolve a UPI, a universal product interface 870 in FIG. 24, 966 in FIG. 27, 1026 in FIG. 29, 1056 in FIG. 30, 1086 in FIG. 31A clear and predictable interface would make it easy for users to turn from one product to the next, know how to interact with new products and guide vendors as a normal product feature. Such a UPI would evolve as a usability tested interface or pattern(s) of interaction(s) that are independent of a particular internal operating system or product category, so it could fit many types of products and platforms.

Possible impacts from this invention

Some of the possible impacts include:

A first potential impact could be on the market share of vendors who include this in their products. The CB-PD Module may provide competitive advantages that fit the vendor's needs because, in the end, many vendors develop a product or service for only one reason, and that is to produce sales and profits. This invention offers the ability to demonstrate clearly to decision makers at the vendor company what it is about their product that is, or is not, effective, appealing, useful, etc. to their Customers while their product is being used. In many product life-cycle decisions, these clearly Defined Customer Desires (DCD) could prove to be crucial for the design, marketing, positioning, and future of the product and its specific features.

A second potential impact is that this makes material transformations in the products and services that include this invention. For example, the Defined Customer Desires (DCD) that receive the most attention by the product's vendor may be those that appear to have the largest direct impact on the financial success and marketing performance of the product (or the fundamental goals of the organization, which may or may not be commercial; for example, an educational institution may be developing a technology-based curriculum product to produce certain learning outcomes or performance results, such as new skills in its students, and it may use a CB-PD Module to assess outcomes of its curriculum product during use, helping provide a constant flow of improvement information for this educational and non-commercial "product").

A third potential impact is that this may change relationships between some vendors, customers and product usersFor example, instead of a remote relationship between sellers (vendors) and buyers (customers) they have the opportunity to engage in an evolving dialog during product use, and redefine their relationship. One potential direction is for customers to assist or direct vendors in defining product features, interfaces, functionality, etc. Another potential direction is for customers to assist or direct vendors in developing services offered with the product, such as training, documentation, customer support, financing, volume buying discounts, etc. In addition to improving products and services, many new options are available. Three examples are on-line customer support (that is built into the product and responsive to individual customer needs), interactive performance support systems (that measure customer productivity, recommend productivity improvements, and assist customers in achieving them), and point-of-use transactions (the ability for customers to buy additional products and services from vendors through products, while they are using them, anywhere in the world).

A fourth potential range of impacts may come from using this as a broadcast, narrowcast or point-to-point communications media. One contribution of a patent could be to produce all three capabilities by requiring licensees to adhere to common standards. Thus, A vendor could "broadcast" to all the users of its CB-PD Module-equipped products throughout a marketplace, or "narrowcast" to specific groups of customers in specific market niches. If the customer chooses to identify himself or herself (such as someone who has an urgent need, wants on-line personal support, or is conducting a transaction through a product) the vendor could send a point-to-point reply to the module in that customer's product. In reverse, users could choose to send (or sell) their data to any third-party, including information buyers FIG. 19 726. Who is more interested in the problems and needs of one vendor's word processing software product--that software vendor, a competing software vendor, a vendor of market research data, or a corporation deciding which word processing software to buy? With modules in products and communications options, the data from users has commercial value and may be a source of revenue to product users.

An agenda for product development may thus emerge from customer participation: the sphere of involvement and influence is potentially expanded far beyond product developers and internal managers (which is generally the scope at present). Vendor employees may gain a greater recognition of the direct stake that customers have in the products and services that they buy and use. Similarly, customers may recognize the direct stake the vendors have in their ability to perform and succeed with the products they buy. These converging interests may foster new types of partnering, networking and market relationships made possible by this invention.

The questions of how this invention may improve market share and profits are answered by suggesting that vendors may become increasingly customer responsive by means of this invention. This may empower customers to make a normal and largely unobtrusive part of using products and services the interactive communication of their unfulfilled needs, to pro-actively guide vendors. To the extent that vendors gain market share, bottom-line increases and competitive advantages from this expanded relationship with customers, they would demonstrate the strategic value of turning their product interfaces into a marketwide learning system that increases their ability to respond faster and more accurately to customer needs, that improves the performance and effectiveness of their customers, and that allows them to satisfy individual, group and market needs better.

If that should happen, it would become increasingly difficult to think of many types of products and services as non-communicative and unresponsive On-line, networked products (i.e., those with a CB-PD Module, which this invention calls Customer Directed Products) offer a range of expanded two-way, interactive relationships between customers and vendors. Over time, these new relationships might even produce an evolution of free market economies toward increasingly responsive processes (see below for an initial description). If that evolution does begin, the companies that fail to add this type of interactivity to their products (where this is an appropriate addition added by their competitors) might grow increasingly out of touch with a faster-moving world that includes two-way opportunities to improve products and services rapidly--a new normal way to do business in a networked world.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the discussion below of specific, preferred embodiments presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the a process associated with Customer Design System (CDS).

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the front view of a Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module).

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a Customer Directed Product (CDP).

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a Customer Data Reader/Programmer (CDRP).

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a CB-PD Module directly transmitting Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data through the telephone network.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a Customer Directed Product (CDP).

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the Instrument Design Repository (IDR).

FIG. 9 is a flow chart that is a continuation of the flow chart of the Instrument Design Repository (IDR).

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of Development Interactions (DI).

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of transmission with optional security procedures.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a process associated with the growth of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) databases.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a process associated with a Customer-Based Product Design Report (CB-PDR) system.

FIG. 14 is an illustration of a recommended reporting format for Customer-Based Product Design Reports (CB-PDR).

FIG. 15 is an illustration of the invention's geographic scope.

FIG. 16 is an illustration of the invention's longitudinal scope during product, application, business process, and other system life cycles.

FIG. 17 is an overview of the interaction between the vendor and the market.

FIG. 18 is a view of the interaction of functional elements that serve the vendor and the market.

FIG. 19 is an illustration of the invention's open communications, e.g., its digital environment for supporting companies, products and markets.

FIG. 20 is a view of a feedback loop between the vendor and the market

FIG. 21 is a view of a display at a vendor.

FIGS. 22 and 23 are illustrations of a diagram of a learning curve with respect to a product feature and a flowchart for displaying relevant interactions triggered by product use.

FIG. 24 is a view of a user's display.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of information available at a vendor.

FIGS. 27, 29, 30, and 31 are diagrams of functions performed at vendors and in the market.

FIGS. 28 and 32 are diagrams of functions changing over time.

FIG. 26 is an illustration of the invention's systems for protecting privacy, confidentiality and market integrity.

FIG. 33 is an illustration of the invention's re-use of components, thus producing savings in time, cost, etc.

FIG. 34A, 34B is a flowchart of a flow chart associated with use of a VLR server.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Components of This Invention

To facilitate the description of the invention, it is worthwhile to define some conventions solely for this purpose. These conventions are somewhat arbitrary and should not be construed as limiting to the generality of the invention For the purpose of this description:

(a) Customer Directed Product (CDP): An interactive product includes a CB-PD Module (which may be attached to a product or built into it); a CDP interacts with the Customer, or the Customer may initiate interactions with a CDP; these interactions are by means of the CB-PD Module.

(b) Customer Design System (CDS) is the overall, interactive system by which the Customer provides design information to a Vendor.

(c) Customer Design Instrument (CDI) is a specific set of Customer Probes (CP) that are intended to elicit the raw data, which are called Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD).

(d) Customer Probes (CP) are the prompts, questions, etc stored in a CB-PD Module for interacting with a Customer.

(e) Instrument Design Repository (IDR) is a stored set of Customer Probes (CP) that are available, as an authoring system, for use in constructing Customer Design Instruments (CDI). It also stores Customer Design Instruments (CDI) that may be reused or modified to produce new Customer Design Instruments (CDI).

(f) Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) are the raw data that results from customer use of the CB-PD Module.

(g) Customer Data Reader/Programmer (CDRP) is a hardware device used in the collection and/or transmission of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data to a Vendor, and in programming the CB-PD Module.

(h) A Development Interaction (DI) is the actual event when a Customer interacts with a Customer Directed Product (CDP).

(i) Vendor Initiated Interactions (VII) and Customer Initiated Interactions (CII) are two types of Development Interactions (DI) that are described in the preferred embodiment; other types are possible, and some are listed below.

(j) Defined Customer Desires (DCD) are the analyzed findings that result from customer use of the CB-PD Module in a Customer Directed Product (CDP).

(k) Customer-Based Product Design Report (CB-PDR) is an automated, structured report system that analyzes and presents the Defined Customer Desires (DCD).

For the purposes of this description, both the Products and the Services appropriate for this invention will be referred to as Products. In many types of services it is possible to include a CB-PD Module, such as in the rental of automobiles; scheduling, during or after the delivery of travel services (such as an on-line system to plan a trip, and during a stay at a resort); etc. Thus, many services might be turned into Customer Directed Services (CDS) by means of this invention.

The Parties In This Invention

To facilitate the description further, it is worthwhile to define some of the players in the product design process that is envisioned by this CB-PD Module invention:

(a) The Customer is the person, group of people, or company that uses the Customer Directed Product (CDP) and interacts with the CB-PD Module.

(b) The Vendor is the company that sells the Customer Directed Product (CDP), which may be either a product or a service [Note that a "vendor" may also be an educational institution (such as a university that wants to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational technology curriculum product), a nonprofit organization (such as a foundation that wants frequent client feedback from a program of one of its grantees, to help improve that program rapidly), a government agency (such as the State Department, which may want a CB-PD Module that helps improve its automated language education laboratories), etc. In other words, the Vendor referred to here may be any type of organization or institution.

(c) The Distributor is a company that re-sells a Customer Directed Product (CDP) and may add services or support to it. The Distributor may sell to Retailers or directly to Customers (Retailers are a special category of Distributor who can engage in all the same activities as a Distributor, with respect to this CB-PD Module invention.)

(d) The Service Company is a company that provides post-sale repair or support to the Customer.

(e) The Communications Service Vendor is the common carrier that provides communications services.

(f) Professional Experts and Other Third Parties include specialized experts, consultants, colleagues, data buyers and vendors, service companies, vendors of related products, distributors, retailers, industry associations, academic researchers, researchers at "think tanks," government agencies, this technology's licensor, etc.

System Description

The product that is manufactured in the preferred embodiment of this Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module) invention is a specialized computer module, which on occasion is similar to a "smart card," including internal software and optional external components that together form a Customer Design System (CDS). This Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module) is applicable to a wide range of products and services, and the use of a sub-set of these CB-PD Module embodiments should be construed as included.

Turning now to FIG. 1, the overall Customer Design System (CDS) describes the process by which Customers, by means of the CB-PD Module, can direct, guide or assist the Vendors of Customer Directed Products (CDP), which contain such a module. This process begins with a Vendor setting product, market or other commercial objectives 10 and then designing the product 12. One of the product's features will be a CB-PD Module 14, which will include a custom Customer Design Instrument (CDI) specific for that product. As the Customer uses the product 16, pre-programmed trigger points are checked in the CB-PD Module 18. These trigger points may be initiated by the CB-PD Module or by the Customer. If a trigger point has not been reached, the Customer's use is not interrupted. If a trigger point is reached, the CB-PD Module requests the Customer's participation in a Development Interaction (DI) 20. If the Customer says no, then that trigger point is passed without a DI occurring. If the Customer agrees, a Development Interaction is performed 22. This includes running the Customer Design Instrument (CDI) and recording the Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) 24, which are comprised of the Customers responses during the Development Interaction. The Aggregate Customer Desires are delivered to the Vendor 26 where they are entered into an Aggregate Customers Desires (ACD) database. Periodically, a report is run 28 which analyzes the aggregate data into Defined Customer Desires (DCD) comprised of the Customer's views and suggestions during that period. This is presented in an on-line or printed Customer-Based Product Design Report (CB-PDR) 28. This Customer information is used to help improve products, services, marketing and other areas of business operations 30, and is fed back into an iterative design 12. Whenever needed, the Customer Design Instrument is updated 14, and distributed by a variety of means (such as including it in the new products sold) to Customers.

The Customer Design System (CDS) in FIG. 1 provides the Vendors that use it with customer-based product and market development information 30, based on a Customer-Vendor process 14, 24, 26, 30 that is built into appropriate Customer Directed Products (CDP) 12 by means of a CB-PD Module 14 Vendors may employ this new source of Customer information 30 whenever they wish to improve their product design decisions 12. The Vendors may also use this new information 30 to reduce some of their other types of market research expenses.

The Customer Design System (CDS) in FIG. 1 gives Vendors hands-on Customer-based information 30 that is generated WHILE THEIR PRODUCTS ARE BEING USED. At their moments of greatest need, Customers tell Vendors their perceptions, expectations and the shortcomings of their product(s) and their associated services 24. They are able to communicate 24, "This is what I'm doing to use your product. This is why I need it and why I use it this way. Here are the specific things I'd like you improve, and why they are important to me. I'd also like to tell you how to improve your relationship with me. Here are the important things I'd like you to do now." Since Customer purchases decide those products' adoption, rate of use, success and market share, the type of Customer-Vendor network in FIG. 1 may provide strategic competitive advantages to Vendors interested in increased sales, revenues, market share or profits.

Vendors can use this Customer Design System (CDS) to involve their Customers in guiding and determining:

What product features to improve and why 12,

How to improve target marketing's accuracy and effectiveness by clarifying what has the most value to specific groups of customers 30,

Sales force insights into the needs of specific customers that assist in winning adoption of their product(s) throughout those customers' business operations 30, and

Other insights unique to an individual customer, a market segment, or a mass market 30.

It is commonly said that microprocessors are being integrated into numerous products; that computers are disappearing into products. This is true, but in addition, many mechanical products are being partly or wholly replaced by special purpose computers that are designed to look and operate as those products (such as some scientific and test instruments, medical monitors, etc.). The same transformation is taking place in many services, which are being partly or wholly replaced by special purpose information systems that are designed to operate as those services, or to replace them (such as voice mail systems instead of telephone receptionists, home video rental through television sets instead of going to a video store, etc.).

This Customer Design System (CDS) may uncover and enable new strategic business advantages 30 by means of placing a network(s) into appropriate products Strategic competitive advantages may include accelerating these Vendors' abilities to improve their products faster, fitting their products to their Customers and markets accurately, and satisfying Customer needs better than their competitors who do not include a network in their products. Stronger advantages may be obtained where products, features or capabilities are wholly or substantially new (such as the use of interactive multimedia for training, performance support, information delivery and entertainment); or where users are new (such as interactive television in the home, hand-held personal digital assistants, voice-operated computers, etc.); or where markets are new (such as the mass market introduction of new types of products and technologies that have not bought them before); etc. In brief, where rapid and accurate learning is a strategic advantage, this technology makes a larger contribution.

Vendors who use this 14, and only these Vendors, have this automated network to work with their Customers and learn from them 24 during product use. With each new cycle of iterative product improvement 12, these Vendors' may leap farther ahead of their competitors in product quality, customer satisfaction, sales and profits.

Since businesses of all types increasingly rely on information technologies for their business operations, how can these emerging technology capabilities be harnessed to improve product quality, revenues and operations faster and more capably than their competitors? This Customer Design System (CDS) assists Vendors in fitting their products to the most important needs of Customers 12 by means of automated interactivity 24 that enlists larger numbers of Customers 20 as design and business partners. Because these Customers provide their information WHILE THEY ARE USING THE PRODUCTS 18, these Vendors may gain the opportunity to fit their products and marketing to Customer needs faster and more accurately than their competitors 12. The Customer Design System (CDS) in FIG. 1 may be integrated as a customer-linked network that is attached to 26 and integrated into 28 the firm's information technology systems, so that this reporting system 28 (which may deliver finished reports that are easy to read and understand) can be provided on-line 30 to numerous managers and employees throughout the organization.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the scope of the preferred embodiment is worldwide 600. The vendor 604 may be located anywhere. By means of the invention's two-way communications 666, 674 in FIG. 17, the vendor may work with users regardless of their location 602, 606, 608. The invention's product and market advantages may therefore be projected, as a flexible set of new product and vendor capabilities, into local markets in any country or region In addition to geographic scope FIG. 15, the preferred embodiment describes longitudinal uses throughout each stage of the product life cycle FIG. 16. While these are described in greater detail later in the preferred embodiment, during product development 630 some examples include:

Automate product tests such as usability tests or human factors tests,

Automate data gathering and analysis from field trials (such as clinical trials for medical products and beta tests for software),

Expand product tests by including more users in more countries,

Expand tests by enabling automated testing every day during product use, instead of two hours of tests in a laboratory or occasional contacts during field trials, and

Lower the cost of testing by using automation for many currently labor-intensive steps.

Gather additional information from more market niches and regions in areas such as marketing, customer support, training, documentation; etc.)

During initial product launch 632 some examples include:

Increase the accuracy of marketing by learning right away who buys the product, why, what media was seen by those who buy, what messages appealed to them, what they really like and want about the product, etc.,

Increase sales by having the product learn which customers need additional units and delivering them immediately,

Provide on-line customer support through the product to its new users, helping them overcome problems and succeed right away, and

Provide on-line training through the product to help users increase their skills and capabilities in benefiting from the product.

Over the product's life cycle 634 deliver both continuous improvements and major milestone product upgrades by a variety of means. A few examples illustrate how to use this to outperform competitors:

Deliver dynamic product improvements through on-line communications built into the product, to upgrade existing products in the field while they are in the hands of customers,

Provide ongoing customer support and training that helps your product's users outperform the users of competing products, and

Turn customers into partners for improving products and services by many means such as improvements in product design, product development, major product upgrades and revisions, improving other product uses, and a variety of business activities; etc.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the physical apparatus of one embodiment of a Customer-Based Product Design Module (CB-PD Module), which is detailed below, is illustrated. The following represents a reasonably complete set of user interface, electric power and communications input/output (I/O) features; not all of these need to be included simultaneously in any one CB-PD Module. On the front surface of the card 62 there are provided a display 40; an input/output (I/O) communications plug 42; an audio speaker 44; a plug for electric power 46; a microphone 48; a removable memory chip 50; additional I/O communications; a physical handle for the device 52; a wireless antenna 54; an internal battery for power 56 (which may be a rechargeable battery for portability, a non-rechargeable lithium battery for longer life, etc.); keys or buttons for entering letters and numbers 60; and keys or buttons for choosing functions or operating modes 58. In some cases there are two possible features that perform the same operation (some of these options include entering Customer input via the microphone 48 or by the letter/number keys 60, communicating with external devices via the I/O plug 42 or the antenna 54 or a removable chip 50, I/O communications with the product 42 and with the vendor 51, and communicating with the Customer via the speaker 44 or the display 40) and in such cases, only one of these features needs to be employed. In some cases a feature may be required even if it is usually non-essential (for example, if the type of RAM memory is present that requires electric power, then a battery 56 backup is required to power the Module when it is not powered by the product's electricity through the plug 46). In cases where the product contains the means to perform some of these functions, as will be illustrated in another preferred embodiment, it may not be necessary to duplicate those features in that product's CB-PD Module.

The special purpose function keys 58 include labeled buttons for those interactions needed in any particular CB-PD Module. Some of those functions may include transmitting or receiving data via the I/O plug 42 or the antenna 54, starting and stopping the recording of a voice message via the microphone 48, playing back stored data via the speaker 44 or the display 40, or quitting a Development Interaction (DI) via a terminate function key 58.

Turning to FIG. 3, the physical apparatus of a second preferred embodiment of the CB-PD Module is illustrated as a complete Customer Designed Product (CDP), a facsimile machine 70. The difference is that this embodiment employs features already built into the product, so its design has been adapted to fit into the physical appearance and functioning of the product. The following represents a reasonably complete set of user interface, electric power and communications input/output (I/O) features based on those already included in this product. In the facsimile machine 70 there are provided a display 72; telephone communications for input/output (I/O) 76; an audio speaker 74; electric power from the facsimile machine 70; a microphone for Customer input 78; keys or buttons for entering letters and numbers 82; keys or buttons for choosing functions or operating modes 80; and a printer 84. In some cases there are two or more possible product features that may perform the same CB-PD Module operation (some of these options include entering Customer input via the microphone 78 or by the letter/number keys 82, communicating with the Customer via the speaker 74 or the display 72 or the printer 84, and locating function or mode keys on the facsimile machine 80 or on the handset 80) and in such cases, only one of these features needs to be employed. The CB-PD Module in the facsimile machine 70 is therefore able to employ already existing product features 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 and may therefore merge them with the CB-PD Module to produce an integrated product design and integrated product/CB-PD Module operation.

Another physical component in this invention is the Customer Data Reader/Programmer (CDRP) illustrated in FIG. 4 This embodiment of a reader/programmer 92 resembles a credit card authorization terminal. This apparatus includes keys for dialing the phone 100, a handset 94, a display 96, and an optional light 102. The CB-PD Module 106 is inserted into the reader socket 104. There, the Module's electric power may be supplied by the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 via the CB-PD Module's plug 112. The connection between the CB-PD Module 106 and the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 is via the I/O plug 110 Once the CB-PD Module has been inserted, the operator connects to the Vendor's computer 118 over the telephone line 116 by pressing a function key 98 and dialing the Vendor's phone number on the dialing keys 100. The data exchange from the CB-PD Module 106 may be wholly controlled by the Vendor's computer 118, with the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 acting as an interface to the CB-PD Module 106. After the data has been read, the Vendor's computer 118 may download a new program through the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 into the CB-PD Module 106 As an interface device, this embodiment of the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 may be attached locally and directly to the Vendor's computer (to provide data reading, programming or both) instead of being linked from a remote location via a telephone line 116.

Alternatively, the Customer Data Reader/Programmer may serve as a stand alone device under its own program control. In this case, reading the data would be initiated by pressing a "receive" function key on the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 98 and a "transmit" function key on the CB-PD Module 106. The Customer may be guided through this by prompts or instructions on the display 96, or on the display 108. While the data is being read, the light 102 may be lit to indicate proper operation. Alternatively, a message such as "Receiving data" may be displayed on the display 96, or a message such as "Sending data" may be displayed on the display 108. The operator may then connect to the Vendor's computer 118 over the telephone line 116 by pressing a function key 98 and dialing the Vendor's phone number on the dialing keys 100. The operator may then transmit the data to the Vendor's computer 118 by pressing a function key 98; while the data were being transmitted, a message such as "Sending data" may be displayed on the display 96.

After this data transmission occurs, the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 may have a new program downloaded to it by the Vendor's computer 118 for upgrading the program in the CB-PD Module 106. The programming of the CB-PD Module 106 by the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 92 may then be initiated by pressing a "Send program" function key on the Customer Data Reader/Programmer 98 and a "Receive program" function key on the CB-PD Module 114. The Customer may be guided through this process by prompts or instructions on the display 96, or on the display 108. While the CB-PD Module 106 is being programmed, the light 102 may be lit to indicate proper operation, or a message such as "Program downloading" may be displayed on the display 96, or on the display 108.

FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the Customer Data Reader/Programmer. In this embodiment, the CB-PD Module 120 contains a standard telephone plug as its I/O plug 122 and an internal modem 130. A standard telephone cable 126 is used to attach the CB-PD Module 120 to a telephone line 124. When the CB-PD Module is connected to the telephone network, this is indicated by a message such as "Ready to transmit" on the display 128 Pressing the appropriate "Send and receive" function key 132 at that time automatically dials the Vendor's computer, transmits the data and receives a new program. An appropriate message may be displayed on display 128 while this is taking place, such as "Data is being exchanged."

Internal Physical Descriptions

FIG. 6 shows a functional block diagram of the CB-PD Module in FIG. 2. This is preferably a microprocessor-based integrated circuit (IC) of compact and inexpensive design.

The CPU/ROM Memory 146 is a microprocessor plus ROM and RAM memory 158. The memory 158 may be volatile, which requires constant electric power (i.e., conventional DRAM) or it may retain its data without requiring power (i.e., nonvolatile "flash" memory). A separate unit is not specified for physical storage of the Customer Design Instrument (CDI) and the Customer's Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data (i.e., a miniature hard or floppy disk) since memory technology is evolving rapidly Currently, "flash" memory provides system BIOS; replaces ROMs, DRAMs and SRAMs; and is beginning to replace floppy and hard drives in various systems.

Alternatively, a system of removable physical storage may be employed, such as the removable chip 50 illustrated in FIG. 2. A removable storage method enables the CB-PD Module's control programs to be updated without involving data communications. For example, a removable chip enables the data to be transferred by inserting the chip in a reader capable of downloading the data and updating the Customer Design Instrument (CDI) stored on the chip. If a removable storage method is used, it should be easily removable and replaceable by an untrained Customer.

The keypad 148 may contain sufficient keys for all letters and numbers, or a reduced set. It also contains function keys that provide specific programmed operations (such as transmitting the collected data). The keypad 148 is coupled to ports on the microprocessor to provide digital input from the Customer, which may include any character or function that may be enabled by a key that is programmed in that manner (such as letters, numbers or an "enter" key; more complex operations connected with Development Interactions (DI) such as opening a scratch pad to attach a text comment or suggestion to a particular question; or functional operations such as transmitting and receiving data; etc.).

The display controller 144 delivers ASCII text to the display 142 The display provides menus, instructions, probes, messages and other communications to the Customer. With the display 142 and keypad 148 together, the CB-PD Module is capable of conducting a Development Interaction (DI) with the Customer. This may be initiated by the Customer or by the CB-PD Module Memory 158 provides digital storage for one or more Customer Design Instruments (CDI), customer data from Development Interactions (DI), etc. in small data files or in a database of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD). The power sources 46, 56 shown in FIG. 2 supply electric power to the electronic circuit of the CB-PD Module shown in FIG. 6. An optional clock/calendar circuit 140 may be included to provide a trigger for running Development Interactions (DI), to stamp the time and date of each DI in the Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) file, to log the frequency of use of the product or of certain features of it, etc.

Alternatively, Development Interactions (DI) may be conducted by means of voice In FIG. 6 the microphone 152 is connected to an analog-to-digital converter 156. When voice or sounds are entered via the microphone 152, the analog-to-digital converter 156 converts it to digital data which is stored in memory 158. The speaker 150 is connected to a digital-to-analog converter 154. When digital data is stored in memory 158, the digital-to-analog converter 154 converts it to analog data which can be reproduced as voice from the speaker. The speaker may also be used to signal the Customer via beeps, alarms, tones, words or other sounds.

The CPU/ROM memory 146 is connected to an I/O device or circuit which may have various designs Some of the I/O options include direct connection to a Customer Data Reader/Programmer 176 by means of a connector 174, connection to a telephone line 170 by means of a modem 168, and wireless radio communications by means of a transmitter/receiver 164 and an antenna 166. In addition, there may be connections with communications features already included in the product 172. Regardless of the I/O means chosen, a compact design and components are preferable. For transmission, the digital data stored in memory 158 can be transmitted 166, 170, 176. For reception, digital data received 166, 170, 176 can be stored in memory 158 By means of an 800# phone call, there does not need to be any cost to the Customer for this call.

Based on the present embodiment, Development Interactions (DI) are recorded during the use of a Customer Directed Product (CDP) and stored in memory 158 When the CB-PD Module is enabled for I/O (based on the method built into the Module 166, 170, 176) and the appropriate function key pressed 58 in FIG. 2, the Module transmits its Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data. If the Vendor would like to re-program the CB-PD Module, the new program (such as a new Customer Design Instrument) is received by the Module by the communications method built into the Module 166, 170, 176 and stored in memory 158.

FIG. 7 shows a functional block diagram of the CB-PD Module installed in the Customer Directed Product in FIG. 3, the facsimile machine 70 Certain design assumptions have been made: first, the user interface (UI) is based on a combination of voice 74, 78 in FIG. 3, display 70 and function keys 80 (though other options are possible, such as the display 70 and keypad 82, or the printer 84 and keypad 82); the I/O with the vendor is based on an internal modem and the telephone line 76; and because of this direct facsimile machine 70 to Vendor telephone connection, the CB-PD Module is not removable and a Customer Data Reader/Programmer (CDRP) 92 in FIG. 4 is not needed.

The CPU/ROM Memory 186 is a microprocessor plus ROM and RAM memory 198. The memory 198 may be volatile, which requires constant electric power (i.e., conventional DRAM) or it may retain its data without requiring power (i.e., "flash" memory). A separate unit is not specified for physical storage of the Customer Design Instrument (CDI) and the Customer's Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data (i.e., a miniature hard or floppy disk) since memory technology is evolving rapidly. Currently, "flash" memory provides system BIOS; replaces ROMs, DRAMs and SRAMs; and is beginning to replace floppy and hard drives in various systems.

The keypad 188 may contain sufficient keys for all letters and numbers, or a reduced set. It also contains function keys that provide specific programmed operations (such as transmitting the collected data). The keypad 188 is coupled to ports on the microprocessor to provide digital input from the Customer, which may include any character or function that may be enabled by a key that is programmed in that manner (such as letters, numbers or an "enter" key; more complex operations connected with Development Interactions (DI) such as opening a scratch pad to attach a text comment or suggestion to a particular question; or functional operations such as transmitting and receiving data; etc.).

The display controller 184 delivers ASCII text to the display 182 Depending on the UI, menus, instructions, probes, messages and other communications may be made with the Customer by means of the display, voice or a combination of both Memory 198 provides digital storage for one or more Customer Design Instruments (CDI), customer data from Development Interactions (DI), etc. in small data files or in a database of Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD). The power source is directly from the facsimile machine 70 which remains powered at all times to preserve its user-programmed memory; this also supplies electric power to the electronic circuit of the CB-PD Module shown in FIG. 7. Either the facsimile machine's 70 clock/calendar circuit or an optional CB-PD Module clock/calendar circuit 180 may be included.

Development Interactions (DI) may be conducted by a variety of means that may include communications from the Customer Directed Product (CDP) to the Customer by means of the LED display 72, the printer 84 or voice 74; and communications from the Customer to the Customer Directed Product (CDP) by means of the keypad 82, function keys 80 or voice 78.

In this description of this preferred embodiment, Development Interactions (DI) are conducted by means of voice. The speaker 190, which is the handset 74 (or a speaker-phone if the facsimile machine has one) is connected to a digital-to-analog converter 194. When digital data is stored in memory 198, the digital-to-analog converter 194 converts it to analog data which can be reproduced as voice from the speaker. The speaker may also be used to signal the Customer via beeps, alarms, tones, words or other sounds. The microphone 192 is connected to an analog-to-digital converter 196. When voice or sounds are entered via the microphone 192, the analog-to-digital converter 196 converts it to digital data which is stored in memory 198.

With a combination of the speaker 190, microphone 192, display 182 and keypad 188 together, the CB-PD Module in this embodiment is capable of conducting a Development Interaction (DI) with the Customer. This may be initiated by the Customer or by the CB-PD Module. For example, the speaker 190 could recite a question and a beep could sound at its end. The Customer could recite a reply into the microphone 192 which would be stored in memory 198. The Customer could be verbally told, using the speaker 190, the key to press after finishing the reply. In addition, yes/no, multiple choice, scale questions and similar types of questions might be enabled by means of the display 182 which might display a message, such as the following for a yes/no question:

First line: "Press 1 for Yes and 2 for No"

Second line: "Press # to end and exit".

For communications, the microprocessor/ROM memory 186 is connected to a modem 204 that is connected to a telephone line 206 For transmission, the digital data stored in memory 198 can be transmitted 204, 206. For reception, digital data received 206, 204 can be stored in memory 198. By means of an 800# phone call, there does not need to be any cost to the Customer for this call.

Based on the present embodiment, Development Interactions (DI) are recorded during the use of a Customer Directed Product (CDP) and stored in memory 198. When the CB-PD Module is enabled for connection to the Vendor's computer by pressing the appropriate function key 80, the CB-PD Module transmits its Aggregate Customer Desires (ACD) data. If the Vendor would like to re-program the CB-PD Module, the new program (such as a new Customer Design Instrument) is received by the Module 206, 204 and stored in memory 198.

Instrument Design Repository (IDR)

The Instrument Design Repository (IDR) is an automated means to construct Customer Design Instruments (CDI) and program (or re-program) Customer-Based Product Design Modules (CB-PD Modules). The IDR includes one or more stored sets of Customer Probes (CP), one or more Customer Design Instruments (CDI), and utilities for downloading CDIs to CB-PD Modules Existing Customer Design Instruments (CDI) may be used, modified, combined, re-used, etc to produce new CDIs. The new Customer Design Instrument (CDI) may then be downloaded into a CB-PD Module or saved for downloading in the future FIGS. 8 through 9 inclusive are flow charts which set forth the operation of the Instrument Design Repository (IDR). The IDR allows a Customer Design Instrument (CDI) author to create new CDIs The new CDIs will then be downloaded or programmed into the CB-PD Module.

As represented in FIG. 8, the Instrument Design Repository (IDR) is organized to have a number of main functions. These include choosing a local set of Customer Probes (CP) 218 or a local Customer Design Instrument (CDI) 218 which may be accessible without charge or may be purchased from a Professional Expert, choosing a remote set of Customer Probes (CP) 228 or a remote Customer Design Instrument (CDI) 224 (i.e., which are located on a remote computer system and may be purchased from a Professional Expert), choosing the triggers 232 for initiating Development Interactions (DI) with Customers, choosing downloading utilities 238 to program CB-PD Modules, or exiting 244 the IDR.

If the user chooses a local 218 or a remote 224 set of Customer Probes (CP), or a local 218 or a remote 228 Customer Design Instrument (CDI) is chosen, the choice made is confirmed with the user 220, 228 by displaying its descriptive data and giving the user the opportunity to change that data, if appropriate. If the connection is with a remote computer system 226, then the user's choice is downloaded to the user's system 230 before proceeding.

Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 21, after the user selects a set of Customer Probes (CP) or a Customer Design Instrument (CDI), the user may choose the view 252, 788. The list of available views is displayed 254, 784, 786 These may include areas such as:

Multiple views open at once 788, including two or more sets of Customer Probes (CP) and/or Customer Design Instruments (CDI), so the user could access additional sources of probes while working,

Individual Customer Design Instruments (CDI) 780 (as accessed by a means such as a menu) including instruments that have been used previously, those that have been written by outside professionals, those that have been downloaded from remote computer systems, etc.,

By types of Probes, such as scale, multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.

By product or by product features 782, such as by a specific product like the facsimile machine 70 in FIG. 3, or by a generalizable product feature such as the print quality of the printed output used in a variety of the Vendor's products 84 in FIG. 3,

By what the Customer Probes (CP) test for 780, 784 with groupings for interactions about the product's user interface, appeal, utility, effectiveness, efficiency of operation, etc.; or with groupings for interactions about the users' characteristics and needs such as demographics, tasks, personal performance objectives, organizational goals, other products or systems employed to reach those ends, etc.

By the functional area of the organization 780, 784 such as product development, customer support, product management, marketing, sales, training, R&D, etc.

Subroutines are included 254, 780 for adding, modifying and deleting views from the available views To create and display these views, each Customer Probe (CP) may be assigned one or more codes that specifies how it is to be displayed in the respective views. To display by each view, these codes are read and the Customer Probes (CP) are grouped and displayed based on those codes. After the user chooses a view 254, 784, 786 the set of Customer Probes (CP) selected 220, 228 or the Customer Design Instrument (CDI) selected 220, 228 is displayed from the user's viewpoint 256, 788.

The user may then choose a function 258 from the available functions 260, 780. These may include operations like:

Write Customer Probes,

Edit Customer Probes,

Delete Customer Probes,

Reorder the Probes,

Print Customer Probes (or the Customer Design Instrument),

Change descriptive information for the set of Customer Probes (or the Customer Design Instrument),

Merge two or more sets of Customer Probes (and/or Customer Design Instruments),

Switch to another set of Customer Probes (or another Customer Design Instrument),

Change language (for developing Customer Probes and Customer Design Instruments to fit other nations and cultures),

Electronically mail the set of Customer Probes to one or more Professional Experts for review, rewriting, or other advice,

Return to main menu, etc.

For each function chosen, display the appropriate sub-choices 262 For example, for Writing, Editing and Deleting Customer Probes, some of the choices may include:

Multiple choice Probes,

Scale Probes,

True/False Probes,

Checklist Probes,

Short answer Probes,

Essay answer Probes,

Matching Probes, etc.

When performing an operation 264 each entry screen provides an appropriate format for that type of probe to be entered, a preferred reply to be entered (if it will be needed during later analysis of replies), and codes for displaying the Probe from various viewpoints. After opening the desired set of Customer Probes (CP) or Customer Design Instrument (CDI), the user can delete inappropriate probes, add new ones, or modify existing ones Next, the user could move the probes into the order desired.

As another example, for printing or saving a Customer Design Instrument (CDI), some of the operations 264 may include:

Select Probes,

Save Customer Design Instrument with just Selected Probes,

Save Customer Design Instrument with all Probes (archive), etc.

When the file is saved, the Customer Design Instruments (CDI) are linked with the appropriate trigger points to display them and record the Customers' answers. If specific Customer Probes (CP) must be asked individually at specific trigger points, these are linked at this time as well.

At any time, the user may end the current operation 264 and switch 268 to another function 216, 224, 232, 238, 244, 252, 258 or operation 262, 264. If the user wants to switch to another file or function 268, the user is offered the option to save the area being worked on 270.

On the computer screen, one of the possible interfaces is illustrated in FIG. 21. In the left window 782 the triggers 783 are listed. The right window 787 lists Development Interactions 788. On a menu 780 the views 784, 786 may be a drop-down list or any other means of selection or access. The languages in which that particular Development Interaction is available may be indicated, such as at the bottom 790.

One window displays the trigger events in the product 782--the points where the module can be programmed to wake up automatically during use and run a stored interative routine with users 783. The parameters may include characteristics such as the trigger event's frequency (to fit the user's learning curve), its type (error messages; menu commands; icons; buttons or other parts of the user interface; events during use; etc.) and priority (high, medium and low, so the user can control how often dialogs are run and when the user sets an infrequent priority, only high priority dialogs are run).

Another window provides tools to write automated dialogs. It also displays professionally written questions and dialogs 788 that can be selected and attached to specific events FIG. 3.

If triggers 232 in FIG. 8 are chosen, a list of available triggers is displayed 234, 783. These may include a variety of triggers some of which will be described below, but examples include:

Vendor Initiated Interactions (VII) (at product installation, at Nth use of the product, changes in the rate of use of the product, etc.),

Customer Initiated Interactions (CII) (interactive evaluations and suggestions, electronic suggestion pad, help button, etc.), and

Passive Interactions (PI) (diary logs, passive evaluation of comprehension, etc.).

Additional examples include:

Usability testing 960, 962, 964 in FIG. 27 (An example trigger might be the use of a particular product feature, or any of a set of product features, whose use is immediately followed by the use of "undo," cancel or other means of reversing the action. An example Development Interaction at such a trigger may be based on asking the user how certain he or she is at this point, and what would make the feature(s) clearer.)

Product launch marketing 1020, 1022, 1024 in FIG. 29 (An example trigger might be the completion of product installation, or in one of its initial uses Example Development Interactions might learn whether the user is the buyer, why the purchase was made, which ad media was bought from, which marketing message(s) prompted the purchase, what are the user's real needs, whether or not the user needs to buy more units of the product, etc.)

On-line customer support 1050, 1052, 1054 in FIG. 30 (An example trigger might be the user's answering a Development Interaction by confirming that he or she has a problem. An example Development Interaction might be inquiring whether the user would like performance support for this problem the next time this problem is encountered, and if yes, to link the product to the vendor's system to download that support.)

Conducting transactions through products that employ a CB-PD Module 1080, 1082, 1084 in FIG. 31 (Example triggers might include breakdowns that can be fixed by a service, the availability of new product upgrades for one or more specific product features, when an inventory of disposables used in conjunction with the product reaches a pre-set re-order point, etc. An example Development Interaction might be to offer an on-line purchase opportunity.)

Etc.

As each trigger is selected 234, 783 the appropriate Customer Design Instrument (CDI) or Development Interaction (DI) is specified to run at that trigger 788. For example, the Vendor may want Customers to help improve the installation method after the first time they use it, and this would involve a completely different Customer Design Instrument (CDI) than a Customer Design Instrument (CDI) focused on improving the product's interface during everyday product use. For a second example, it would also comprise a different Customer Design Instrument (CDI) than a Customer Initiated Interaction (CII) that provides Problem Reports (PR) by means of the Help button.

As another example, a Vendor may want sub-triggers within a single Development Interaction (DI), such as a probe about intentions when the product's use begins, several probes when major product functions are operated, and a final probe about satisfaction when the product's use ends; these could be specified by means of sub-triggers that would be specified either when triggers are specified 234 or when probes are edited 264.

These customized probes may be displayed at the correct points by using clear Instrument Design Repository (IDR) standards that separate them into pre-use, on-task, and post-use categories. This automatically specifies the first and third categories while having to attach only the on-task questions to varying trigger points. Since this reduces the custom programming needs significantly, it is possible to automatically include the triggers for a group pre-use probes, and a group of post-use probes, in virtually every Customer Design Instrument (CDI) as standard sub-routines. The interactive, on-task questions would be displayed by their own standard sub-routine (such as "display probe 14") at the correct time during product use Such a time might be specified by the Customer's pressing a particular function key, by the clock/calendar circuit (10 minutes after starting product use), or by other means.

Subroutines are included 234 for adding, modifying and deleting triggers from the list of available triggers After the user has selected the triggers to include in the specific CB-PD Module being programmed, this list is confirmed 236.

Triggers may be customized to fit many types of product uses such as usage problems, equipment problems, productivity problems, comprehension problems, training problems, needs for on-line performance support, use and effectiveness of on-line performance support, use of disposable supplies, opportunities to conduct on-line transactions, etc.

For one example, FIG. 22 illustrates the expected learning curve for one product feature and the corresponding match of types of questions. A counter is incremented at each occurrence of that same trigger (which may be using a particular product feature, exiting an important new product feature without using it, accessing any one of a set of related but infrequently used features, etc.). The actual triggers occur at specific instances when both the trigger increments the counter, and that counter reaches specific values. At each of those specific values, a different trigger is fired and each are independent of the others (such as on the 2nd, 10th, 70th and 95th use of a feature), as follows:

    ______________________________________
    # of   Learning/Performance
                           An appropriate type
    Uses 810
              Stage 816                  of Question
    ______________________________________
    2 812  Novice          Is the user interface
                                                            intuitive?
    10 814     Beginning Intermediate
                             How well does the user
                           interface and the product fit
                           the users' tasks?
    70 820     Advanced Intermediate
                              How can the users'
                           productivity and performance
                           be increased?
    95 818     Expert                        What new features and
                           product redesign(s) are
                           needed or wanted?
    ______________________________________