System for matching customers with products in inventory

• US 20010049653A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Automotive Resources, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Automotive Resources, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheets, Monty D.
• Application Number:
  US09/746,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049653A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention is a system for matching customers with products in inventory that will be desirable and affordable to the customers. The system features the ability to store information on multiple products in a product database and information on multiple customers in a customer database. The system then matches particular products in the product database with particular customers in the customer database based upon matching multiple search criteria fields associated with products and customers. The system also has the ability to generate net prices for each product (i.e., total price or total monthly payment amounts) based upon the qualifications of the particular customer, and limit the number of products matched with the particular customer based upon the customer'"'"'s desired total payment or desired monthly payments. By generating reports that integrate customer/product matches with net price information, the system provides for effective and efficient shopping by customers.

Claims

1. A method of matching a customer with products in a product inventory, comprising the steps of:

a. creating a product database including a plurality of product records, each of the product records including product fields containing identifying data about an associated product in the product inventory, one of the product fields including product price information;

b. creating a customer database including a plurality of customer records, each of the plurality of customer records including customer fields containing identifying data about one of a plurality of customers, the customer database further including deal fields with each deal field containing data about specific product interests for one of the plurality of customers, one of the deal fields including desired customer payment information;

c. creating a financing database including a loan rates file, the loan rates file containing rate information about loan rates offered by at least one financial institution;

d. identifying an interested customer from the plurality of customers; and

e. matching the interested customer with at least one product in the product inventory by identifying desired products having associated product fields which match the deal fields associated with the interested customer better than other product fields in the product database.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the step of generating a report which shows the interested customer matched with the at least one product in the product inventory.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the step of calculating a monthly payment for the interested customer for the at least one product in the product inventory based upon the product price information and the rate information.

4. The method of

claim 2

wherein at least one of the deal fields includes a customer price factor which impacts the interested customer'"'"'s monthly payment and the step of calculating the monthly payment for the interested customer for the at least one product in the in the product inventory is further based upon the customer price factor.

5. The method of

claim 1

wherein the deal fields are prioritized according to the interested customer'"'"'s priorities.

6. A system for matching a customer with products in a product inventory, the system comprising:

a. a product database including a plurality of product records, each of the product records including product fields containing identifying data about an associated product in the product inventory, one of the product fields including product price information;

b. a customer database including a plurality of customer records, each of the plurality of customer records including customer fields containing identifying data about one of a plurality of customers, the customer database further including deal fields with each deal field containing data about specific product interests for one of the plurality of customers, one of the deal fields including desired customer payment information;

c. a financing database including a loan rates file, the loan rates file containing rate information about loan rates offered by at least one financial institution;

d. a microprocessor operable to match an interested customer with at least one product in the product inventory by identifying desired products having associated product fields which match the deal fields associated with the interested customer better than other product fields in the product database.

7. The system of

claim 6

wherein the system is further operable to generate a report which shows the interested customer matched with the at least one product in the product inventory.

8. The system of

claim 6

wherein the system is further operable to calculate a monthly payment for the interested customer for the at least one product in the product inventory based upon the product price information and the rate information.

9. The system of

claim 8

wherein at least one of the deal fields includes a customer price factor which impacts the interested customer'"'"'s monthly payment and the step of calculating the monthly payment for the interested customer for the at least one product in the in the product inventory is further based upon the customer price factor.

10. The system of

claim 6

wherein the deal fields are prioritized according to the interested customer'"'"'s priorities.

11. A method of arranging a transaction between a first seller having a showplace, a second seller having a potential product for sale, and a buyer, the method comprising the steps of:

a. the first seller creating a product database, the database including a plurality of product records having product fields, one of the plurality of product records identifying the potential product for sale;

b. the first seller creating a customer database including a plurality of customer records, a first record of the plurality of customer records identifying the second seller and a second record of the customer records identifying the buyer, the customer database further including deal fields with each deal field containing data about specific product interests of the buyer;

c. associating the buyer with the potential product for sale when the product fields for the potential product for sale substantially match the deal fields containing data about the interests of the buyer;

d. showing information about the potential product for sale to the buyer to see if the buyer is interested in the potential product for sale; and

e. contacting the second seller if the buyer is interested in purchasing the potential product for sale to inform the second seller of the buyer'"'"'s interest in the potential product for sale.

12. A method of offering products recently entered into a product inventory to a plurality of potential customers, the method comprising the steps of:

a. creating a customer database containing customer records associated with the plurality of potential customers, the customer database further comprising deal fields with each deal field containing data about specific product interests for each of the plurality of customers;

b. creating a product database including product records, each of the product records including product fields containing identifying data about an associated product in the product inventory;

c. receiving at least one new product and entering information about the at least one new product into one of the product records of the product database;

d. comparing the product record of the at least one new product with the deal fields in the customer database to identify potential customers that may be interested in the at least one new product;

e. providing a report of potential customers that may be interested in the at least one new product; and

f. contacting the customers potentially interested in the at least one new product to determine if they are interested in the at least one new product.