Patent ID: 7003548

Claim:
In a computer network having at least one server connectable to at least one client, including a full set of configuration programs and a full set of configuration information, having a full set of option rules relating to a set of products, a method for creating technical configurations and electronically delivering order reports to at least one client, the method comprising: receiving on-line from a user on the client a selection of a desired product selected from the set of products, wherein the selection represents initial product configuration data of the desired product; downloading to the client from the server only limited configuration information that is a subset of the full set of configuration information and limited configuration programs that are a subset of the full configuration programs, the limited configuration information including option attributes of the desired product and limited option rules that define relationships therebetween, wherein the limited configuration information and limited configuration programs are determined at the server based on the initial product configuration data of the desired product, and wherein the limited configuration information and the limited configuration programs are downloaded to the client responsive to the user selection; requesting a desired technical configuration of the desired product from the user on the client, wherein selections for the option attributes of the desired product are elicited from the user; preliminarily checking the viability of the desired technical configuration of the desired product at the client, wherein the limited configuration programs verify conformity of the user selections for the option attributes with the limited option rules; receiving at the server the desired technical configuration from the client subsequent to preliminarily checking the viability of the desired technical configuration; performing a full check at the server on the viability of the desired technical configuration, wherein the full set of configuration programs verify conformity of the user selections for the option attributes with the full set of option rules; preparing and transmitting to the client an electronic order report, if the full check at the server is successful; and downloading to the client from the server additional option rules that are a subset of the full set of option rules and receiving from the client at the server a second desired technical configuration developed on the client and verified on the client for conformity with the additional option rules, if the full check at the server is not successful.