Appeal No. 2005-0962
Application 09/839,245
a buyer providing to the network a performance simulation
model of a chemical, mechanical, or electrical process with
equipment currently in operation or intended to be in operation
and with a desired amount of the non-commodity for use in the
process, the performance simulation model being able to estimate
the production cost and operation characteristics of the process
based on chemical and physical and/or electrical characteristics
of a non-commodity material or item used in the process;
the buyer also providing a desired maximum cost of operating
the process, or maximum production cost of material or goods
resulting from the process, or desired operating characteristics
of the process that are dependent upon the non-commodity material
or item; and
estimating the cost of operating the process or producing
goods from the process for at least some of the different non-
commodities from the database of different non-commodities in the
performance model to make a comparison of the at least some of
the different non-commodities to determine which, if any, of the
at least some of the different non-commodities are within the
maximum process cost;
providing the buyer with a list of non-commodities that when
used as input for the process are within the desired maximum
process production or operating cost, or provide certain
operating characteristics;
utilizing a database and standard datamining techniques to
record performance of the process with a selected non-commodity
item, and applying this information in the formulation of a
request-for-proposal for future purchases of non-commodity
materials or items.
References
The references relied on by the Examiner are as follows:
Vandivier, III 5,033,004 Jul. 16, 1991
Katz et al. (Katz) 5,224,034 Jun. 29, 1993
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