Method and apparatus for facilitating internet based sales transactions by local vendors
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating a transaction over the Internet, comprising:
- receiving a search request;
receiving a search result responsive to the search request, the search result comprising store location and product inventory information;
generating a selectable hold request option for at least a portion of the search result; and
presenting the hold request option.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and a method are provided for facilitating the ability of a local organization to have its products or services displayed to a consumer on a computer monitor in a manner that facilitates their identification by the consumer in the local area. A search engine server is formed to display search results according to distance from the consumer. Search results are ordered in a specified manner that includes evaluating store location, product availability and price. With respect to store location, GPS coordinates are used if available to determine distances from the stores to the consumer. If GPS coordinates are not available, then a database that correlates postal codes is used to determine adjacent postal codes. Thus, search results are ordered in terms of highest priority being given to vendors in the same postal code, then to vendors in neighboring postal codes. Thereafter, priority is given to vendors whose postal codes are within the same city, then the same county, and finally, within the same state. The display results are generated with a graphical user interface that creates “buttons” to facilitate the user sending an e-mail message to the particular store, a hold request to hold a particular product, and to initiate a voice call between the consumer and the store.
117 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for facilitating a transaction over the Internet, comprising:
-
receiving a search request;
receiving a search result responsive to the search request, the search result comprising store location and product inventory information;
generating a selectable hold request option for at least a portion of the search result; and
presenting the hold request option. - View Dependent Claims (6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
- 2. The method of claim 2 further including generating a communication to a store associated with the hold request option and search result to prompt the store to hold a product defined by the product inventory information.
-
13. A method for facilitating an Internet-based transaction, comprising:
-
producing a selectable graphical user interface (GUI) hold button for display on the user'"'"'s terminal; and
upon receiving an indication of a hold selection, generating a communication to a specified store requesting that a specified product be put on hold for the user.
-
-
18. A server for sequencing electronic search results, comprising:
-
a processor for executing computer instructions, the computer instructions defining operational logic of the apparatus;
a memory forming a database of geographically discrete inventory and for storing computer instructions that define logic for parsing the geographically discrete inventory designated by a user and for producing search results for remote display which results are parsed by geographic designation relative a geographic description of the user; and
a bus for connecting the processor to the memory to produce the computer instructions to the processor for execution wherein the computer instructions define operational logic that prompts the apparatus to form the database to enable the processor to parse search results by geographic location.
-
-
25. A method for facilitating a transaction over the Internet, comprising:
-
receiving a search request;
generating a search result responsive to the search request, the search result comprising store location and product inventory information;
generating a selectable hold request option for at least a portion of the search result; and
receiving a communication associated with the hold request option.
-
-
30. A system for facilitating a sales transaction, comprising:
-
means for generating search results to a user terminal;
means for generating a selectable hold request associated with at least one of the search results;
means for generating a communication responsive to receiving a selected hold request. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
-
Specification