Mediated order management agent
OwnerDouglas C. Fisherinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention pertains to a method, system, on-line service and software for on-line e-commerce. One preferred embodiment of the invention is a method, system, and on-line service, offered on a public network such as the Internet, for mediating a buyer's interaction with a first seller chosen by the buyer by observing when the buyer has indicated the intent to purchase an item at a first purchase price, seeking to obtain the item from alternative sellers at a lower price and obtaining one or more alternative bids, comparing the one or more alternative bids and the first purchase price according to pre-established rules, selecting a best offer, and completing the purchase of the best offer without further intervention of the buyer.
Claims36
A method of conducting efficient e-commerce transactions comprising the following acts conducted by an on-line service on a public network:
- a) monitoring a buyer's interactions with a first seller until the buyer takes a first action, said first action indicating the buyer's intent to purchase at least one item from the first seller at a first price;
- b) capturing the identity of the at least one item and the first price;
- c) obtaining at least one alternative bid for the item;
- and
- d) concluding a sale of the at least one item to the buyer.
A system for conducting efficient e-commerce transactions on a public network comprising:
- a) at least one computer server comprising software executing thereon comprising the following functionality:
- i) agent functionality for monitoring purchasing transactions between each of a plurality of buyers with an on-line merchant, intercepting actions by each of said plurality of buyers that indicate an intention to purchase at least one item from an on-line merchant, intercepting information relating to said at least one item, presenting communications from the system to each of said plurality of buyers, and completing purchase forms to complete a purchase with a seller;
- ii) portal functionality comprising a front end which provides a world wide web interface to the plurality of buyers and at least one system operator, and a back-end which exercises logic to interpret and process information relating to each of said at least one item, communicate with a market place functionality to request, receive, and interpret alternative bids corresponding to each of said at least one item;
- and
- iii) e-marketplace functionality for enrolling alternative sellers and obtaining alternative bids for said at least one item chosen by a buyer;
- b) a data store, including the ability to store data comprising buyer financial data and preferences, merchant data and preferences;
- and
- c) a protocol for communication between the e-marketplace functionality and alternative sellers and among the e-marketplace functionality and the portal functionality.
A system for conducting efficient e-commerce transactions on a public network comprising:
- a) agent means for monitoring purchasing transactions between each of a plurality of buyers with an on-line merchant, intercepting actions by each of said plurality of buyers that indicate an intention to purchase at least one item from an on-line merchant, intercepting information relating to said at least one item, presenting communications from the system to each of said plurality of buyers, and completing purchase forms to complete a purchase with a seller;
- b) portal means comprising a front end means for providing a world wide web interface to the plurality of buyers and at least one system operator, and a back-end means for exercising logic to interpret and process information relating to each of said at least one item, communicating with a market place means to request, receive, and interpret alternative bids corresponding to each of said at least one item;
- and
- c) e-marketplace means for enrolling alternative sellers and obtaining alternative bids for said at least one item chosen by a buyer;
- d) data store means for storing data comprising buyer financial data and preferences, and merchant data and preferences;
- and
- e) protocol means for communications between the e-marketplace means and alternative sellers and among the e-marketplace means and the portal means.
An on-line service accessible to network enabled devices on a public network comprising the following functionality:
- a) functionality for monitoring a buyer's interaction with an on-line merchant and detect an action indicative of the buyer's intent to buy an item at a first price;
- b) functionality for obtaining additional bids for the item;
- and
- c) functionality for completing a purchase of the item between the buyer and a seller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.