# US 9,519,925 B2 · Decentralized internet shopping marketplaces > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,925 B2 - Document ID: US9519925B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/956,358 - Filed: 2013-08-01 - Published: 2015-02-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-01 - Assignees: OmniBazaar, Inc. - Applicants: Richard R. Crites - Inventors: Richard R. Crites - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519925B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/223: {based on the use of peer-to-peer networks} - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G06Q 20/3821: {Electronic credentials} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services} - G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping} - G06Q 2220/10: Usage protection of distributed data files - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method, medium, and system are provided to facilitate local or global exchange of goods and services through a decentralized network of peer-to-peer (P2P) nodes. In one aspect of the disclosure, the nodes may be maintained or operated by the participants in the marketplace system. In one aspect, the system may operate on both desktop and mobile devices. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized data storage. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system of incentives for participation of nodes. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized communication. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system to escrow payments between participants. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system of load balancing. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system by which certain listings can be prioritized in the network. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized transaction processing. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized digital currency as the medium of exchange between participants. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of an electronic marketplace comprising the steps of: storing in a publishing non-transient storage, by a publishing network node, a listing of a listing user wherein the listing comprises: an item description, and a listing market ID associated with the listing user, and a listing digital signature of the listing user; amending the listing with a node address of the publishing network node and a listing status; communicating, by a peer-to-peer network, the listing from the publishing network node to a shopping network node; storing the listing in a shopping non-transient storage of the shopping network node if the listing meets a shopping criterion of a shopping user; and sending, by the peer-to-peer network, a listing response from the shopping user to the publishing network node, wherein the listing response comprises a shopping market ID associated with the shopping user, and a shopping digital signature of the shopping user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the publishing network node comprises a publishing node table that catalogs a first plurality of network addresses of the peer-to-peer network, and the shopping network node comprises a shopping node table that catalogs a second plurality of network addresses of the peer-to-peer network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of: storing the listing in a listing non-transient storage of a listing network node; selecting the publishing network node after considering at least one of: a publishing network node descriptor cataloged in a listing node table, a publishing network node latency or jitter, a publishing network node physical location, a publishing network node start date, a publishing network node reliability metric, a publishing network node uptime metric, a publishing network node previous use, a publishing network node random selection, a publishing network node reputation metric, a first count of one or more listings published by the publishing network node, and a second count of one or more node entries in the publishing node table; and communicating, by the peer-to-peer network, the listing from the listing network node to the publishing network node. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the step of communicating the listing from the listing network node to the publishing network node further comprises: selecting a publishing-assistant node after considering at least one of: a publishing-assistant node descriptor, a publishing-assistant node network latency or jitter, a publishing-assistant node physical location, a publishing-assistant node start date, a publishing-assistant node reliability metric, a publishing-assistant node uptime metric, a publishing-assistant node previous use, a publishing-assistant node random selection, a publishing-assistant reputation metric, and a third count of one or more node entries in a publishing-assistant node table of the publishing-assistant node; communicating the listing from the listing network node, to the publishing network node, through the publishing-assistant node using anonymous encrypted communication; and waiting for a pseudo-random period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of an existing node from which the listing network node received its first node table. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending further comprises: selecting a responding-assistant node after considering at least one of: a responding-assistant node descriptor, a responding-assistant node network latency or jitter, a responding-assistant node physical location, a responding-assistant node start date, a responding-assistant node reliability metric, a responding-assistant node uptime metric, a responding-assistant node previous use, a responding-assistant node random selection, a responding-assistant node reputation metric, and a fourth count of one or more node entries in a responding-assistant node table of the responding-assistant node; and sending the listing response from the shopping network node, to the publishing network node, through the responding-assistant node using anonymous encrypted communication. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of the publishing network node. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating the listing from the publishing network node to the shopping network node further comprises: communicating the listing from the publishing network node to a server network node; storing the listing in a server non-transient storage of the server network node; and communicating the listing from the server network node to the shopping network node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of the server network node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the listing further comprises a price, wherein the price is expressed in one of: a centrally issued currency, a government currency, and a digital currency. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the publishing network node comprises a publishing reputation table that catalogs a third plurality of node reputation metrics of the peer-to-peer network, and the shopping network node comprises a shopping reputation table that catalogs a fourth plurality of reputation metrics of the peer-to-peer network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: selecting at least one escrow node; and depositing funds from an account of at least one of the listing user and shopping user into an account of the escrow node wherein an approval of the escrow node is required to pay a portion of the funds to a recipient. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform the steps of: storing in a publishing non-transient storage, by a publishing network node, a listing of a listing user wherein the listing comprises: an item description, a listing market ID associated with the listing user, and a listing digital signature of the listing user; amending the listing with a node address of the publishing network node and a listing status; communicating, by a peer-to-peer network, the listing from the publishing network node to a shopping network node; storing the listing in a shopping non-transient storage of the shopping network node if the listing meets a shopping criterion of a shopping user; and sending, by the peer-to-peer network, a listing response from the shopping user to the publishing network node, wherein the listing response comprises a shopping market ID associated with the shopping user, and a shopping digital signature of the shopping user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the publishing network node comprises a publishing node table that catalogs a first plurality of network addresses of the peer-to-peer network, and the shopping network node comprises a shopping node table that catalogs a second plurality of network addresses of the peer-to-peer network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The medium of claim 14, wherein the program further instructs the processor to perform the steps of: storing the listing in a listing non-transient storage of a listing network node; selecting the publishing network node after considering at least one of: a publishing network node descriptor cataloged in a listing node table, a publishing network node latency or jitter, a publishing network node physical location, a publishing network node start date, a publishing network node reliability metric, a publishing network node uptime metric, a publishing network node previous use, a publishing network node random selection, a publishing network node reputation metric, a first count of one or more listings published by the publishing network node, and a second count of one or more node entries in the publishing node table; and communicating, by the peer-to-peer network, the listing from the listing network node to the publishing network node. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating the listing from the listing network node to the publishing network node further comprises: selecting a publishing-assistant node after considering at least one of: a publishing-assistant node descriptor, a publishing-assistant node network latency or jitter, a publishing-assistant node physical location, a publishing-assistant node start date, a publishing-assistant node reliability metric, a publishing-assistant node uptime metric, a publishing-assistant node previous use, a publishing-assistant node random selection, a publishing-assistant reputation metric, and a third count of one or more node entries in a publishing-assistant node table of the publishing-assistant node; communicating the listing from the listing network node, to the publishing network node, through the publishing-assistant node using anonymous encrypted communication; and waiting for a pseudo-random period of time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein the program further instructs the processor to perform the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of an existing node from which the listing network node received its first node table. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the step of sending further comprises: selecting a responding-assistant node after considering at least one of: a responding-assistant node descriptor, a responding-assistant node network latency or jitter, a responding-assistant node physical location, a responding-assistant node start date, a responding-assistant node reliability metric, a responding-assistant node uptime metric, a responding-assistant node previous use, a responding-assistant node random selection, a responding-assistant node reputation metric, and a fourth count of one or more node entries in a responding-assistant node table of the responding-assistant node; and sending the listing response from the shopping network node, to the publishing network node, through the responding-assistant node using anonymous encrypted communication. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the program further instructs the processor to perform the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of the publishing network node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the step of communicating the listing from the publishing network node to the shopping network node further comprises: communicating the listing from the publishing network node to a server network node; storing the listing in a server non-transient storage of the server network node; and communicating the listing from the server network node to the shopping network node. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The medium of claim 20, wherein the program further instructs the processor to perform the step of: paying a portion of a transaction resulting from the listing to an account of the server network node. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the listing further comprises a price, wherein the price is expressed in one of: a centrally issued currency, a government currency, and a digital currency. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the publishing network node comprises a publishing reputation table that catalogs a third plurality of node reputation metrics of the peer-to-peer network, and the shopping network node comprises a shopping reputation table that catalogs a fourth plurality of reputation metrics of the peer-to-peer network. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the program further instructs the processor to perform the steps of: selecting at least one escrow node; and depositing funds from an account of at least one of the listing user and shopping user into an account of the escrow node wherein an approval of the escrow node is required to pay a portion of the funds to a recipient.