# How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval > This patent describes a system where a store can make a custom product for a customer, but only after getting permission and the necessary design information from a central, remote office. - **Patent:** US 4528643 - **Original title:** System for reproducing information in material objects at a point of sale location - **Owner:** FPDC Inc - **Granted:** 1985 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 498 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, ecommerce, mechanical, retail ## What it does The patent outlines a method for creating personalized items directly in a store. It uses an "information manufacturing machine" at the "point of sale location" to reproduce information onto "material objects." First, the machine receives the design information from a remote source, identified by a "catalog code." When a customer wants an item, the machine sends a "request reproduction code" to a remote "information control machine." This control machine then sends back an "authorization code," allowing the in-store machine to create the product. For example, a customer could order a custom-designed phone case at a mall kiosk. The kiosk would request the specific design from a central server, get approval, and then print the design onto a blank phone case. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover manufacturing systems where all design information and authorization are stored and processed entirely within the local store machine. - Does not cover making digital-only products, as it specifically requires reproducing information into "material objects" like physical items. - Does not cover large-scale factory production that is not located at a "point of sale location" where customers directly purchase the item. - Does not cover systems where the authorization for reproduction is not tied to a specific request code and a unique catalog code for the information. - Does not cover systems where the manufacturing machine itself is not uniquely identified when requesting authorization. ## The clever bit The truly novel aspect was combining the remote delivery of specific product information with a remote authorization system for in-store manufacturing. This allowed a central entity to control what could be made, where, and when, ensuring quality and managing intellectual property, all while offering immediate customization to customers. ## Real-world examples 1. In-store custom t-shirt printing kiosks 2. Personalized gift shops offering on-the-spot engraving or printing 3. On-demand book printing machines in bookstores, like the Espresso Book Machine 4. Retail photo printing services for custom photo albums or prints 5. Customized phone case printing services at mall kiosks ## Why it matters Filed in 1983, this patent was an early vision for on-demand manufacturing and product personalization in retail. It provided a framework for businesses to offer custom goods without needing to stock large inventories of pre-made personalized items. This approach helps reduce waste and allows for a wider variety of product offerings directly to consumers. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval cover? This patent describes a system where a store can make a custom product for a customer, but only after getting permission and the necessary design information from a central, remote office. ### Who owns patent US 4528643? FPDC Inc owns this patent, granted in 1985. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 4528643 cited by? This patent has been cited by 498 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Filed in 1983, this patent was an early vision for on-demand manufacturing and product personalization in retail. It provided a framework for businesses to offer custom goods without needing to stock large inventories of pre-made personalized items. This approach helps reduce waste and allows for a wider variety of product offerings directly to consumers. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover manufacturing systems where all design information and authorization are stored and processed entirely within the local store machine. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4528643/digital-distribution-point-of-sale **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US4528643 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Servers Combine Global and Local Content for Personalized Web Displays](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6122658/custom-localized-information-in-a-networked-server-for-display-to-an-end-user) — A 1997 Microsoft patent describing how a server can mix general content with specific local details to create a personalized experience for users based on their location or demographics. - [How Amazon's One-Click Ordering Works for Online Purchases](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5960411/amazon-one-click) — Amazon's 1999 patent describes how a customer can buy an item online with just one click, bypassing a traditional shopping cart by using pre-stored payment and shipping information. - [How 3D Printers Build Objects Layer by Layer from Liquid](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4575330/stereolithography-3d-printing) — This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy. - [How Mobile Phones Can Securely Authorize Payments Using Random ID Codes](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7577616/method-and-apparatus-of-secure-authentication-and-electronic-payment-through-mobile-communication-tool) — A 2006 system that uses a mobile phone to receive and relay a unique, temporary ID code to a store terminal to verify and authorize a payment transaction. - [How Digital Media Purchases and Downloads Work](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5191573/personal-audio-media-distribution) — A 1990 patent describing the basic process of paying for digital audio or video content over a phone line and downloading it to a personal device.