Method and system for transacting and negotiating business over a communication network using an infomediary computer

An infomediary transaction system to facilitate the buying and selling of goods or services between buyers and sellers, the system comprising:

• a buyer computer;
• a buyer transaction handler operatively coupled to the buyer computer, the buyer transaction handler configured to obtain buyer transaction preferences and develop a transaction request, the transaction request associated with a transaction descriptor that identifies the goods or services desired by the buyer;
• an infomediary computer configured to communicate with the buyer computer, the infomediary computer configured to solicit and receive transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services;
• a negotiation proxy operatively coupled to the buyer transaction handler and configured to transmit the transaction request to the infomediary computer;
• the negotiation proxy configured receive the transaction offers from the infomediary computer and negotiate transactions with the infomediary computer in accordance with the transaction request;
• and
• wherein the buyer transaction handler receives the transaction offers and presents the transaction offers to the buyer to achieve buyer-driven transactions.

An infomediary transaction system to facilitate the buying and selling of goods or services between buyers and sellers, the system comprising:

• a buyer transaction processor configured to obtain buyer transaction preferences and develop a transaction request;
• an infomediary server configured to remotely communicate with the buyer transaction processor, the infomediary server configured to solicit and receive transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services;
• a negotiation proxy configured to transmit the transaction request to the infomediary server, the negotiation proxy configured to iteratively negotiate transactions with the infomediary server in accordance with the transaction request;
• and
• wherein the buyer transaction handler receives the transaction offers from the infomediary server and presents selected transaction offers to the buyer to achieve buyer-driven transactions.

An infomediary transaction system to facilitate the buying and selling of goods or services between buyers and sellers, the system comprising:

• a buyer computer;
• a buyer transaction handling means for obtaining buyer transaction preferences and for issuing a transaction request;
• a transaction descriptor associated with the transaction request for identifying the goods or services desired by the buyer;
• a proxy means for receiving the transaction request;
• an infomediary computer configured to remotely communicate with the buyer computer, the infomediary computer configured to solicit and receive transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services;
• the proxy means configured to iteratively negotiate transactions with the infomediary computer in accordance with the transaction request;
• a message filter operatively coupled between the negotiation proxy and the infomediary computer, and configured to selectively filter the transaction offers received from the infomediary computer;
• and
• wherein the buyer transaction handling means receives the transaction offers from the infomediary computer and presents selected transaction offers to the buyer to achieve buyer-driven transactions.

A method for buying and selling of goods or services between a buyer computer and an infomediary computer over a communication network, the method comprising:

• obtaining buyer transaction preferences of a buyer;
• issuing a transaction request to a negotiation proxy, the transaction request having a transaction descriptor that identifies the goods or services desired by the buyer;
• transmitting the transaction request from the negotiation proxy to the infomediary computer via the communication network;
• the infomediary computer soliciting transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services in response to the transaction request;
• the infomediary computer receiving the transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services;
• transmitting the transaction offers from the infomediary computer to the negotiation proxy;
• selectively filtering the transaction offers received from the infomediary computer;
• presenting the selectively filtered transaction offers to a buyer to achieve buyer-driven transaction.