Online marketplace with anonymous communication
First Claim
1. A method for communicating between a purchaser and a plurality of sellers in an online marketplace, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a request for bid for a good or service to the sellers via an electronic network, the request for bid not identifying the purchaser;
receiving at least one offer for the good or service from at least one of the sellers via the electronic network, the sellers sending the offers not knowing the identity of the purchaser that is receiving the offers; and
after receiving the offers, communicating a purchase order to one of the sellers that submitted an offer in order to purchase the good or service, the purchase order identifying the purchaser.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided for operating an online marketplace. According to the method, a request for bid for a good or service that does not identify the purchaser is received from a purchaser and transmitted to a plurality of sellers via an electronic network. At least one offer for the good or service is received from at least one of the sellers via the electronic network, with the sellers sending the offers not knowing the identity of the purchaser that will receive the offers. The offers are transmitted to the purchaser. In one preferred embodiment, a purchase order identifying the purchaser is communicated from the purchaser to one of the sellers that submitted an offer in order to purchase the good or service. Also provided are methods for communicating between a purchaser and one or more sellers in an online marketplace.
58 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for communicating between a purchaser and a plurality of sellers in an online marketplace, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a request for bid for a good or service to the sellers via an electronic network, the request for bid not identifying the purchaser;
receiving at least one offer for the good or service from at least one of the sellers via the electronic network, the sellers sending the offers not knowing the identity of the purchaser that is receiving the offers; and
after receiving the offers, communicating a purchase order to one of the sellers that submitted an offer in order to purchase the good or service, the purchase order identifying the purchaser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for communicating between a purchaser and a seller in an online marketplace, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request for bid for a good or service from the purchaser via an electronic network, the request for bid not identifying the purchaser;
transmitting an offer for the good or service to the purchaser via the electronic network, the seller sending the offer not knowing the identity of the purchaser that is receiving the offer; and
receiving a purchase order from the purchaser so as to form a contract for purchasing the good or service, the purchase order identifying the purchaser. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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14. A method for operating an online marketplace, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request for bid for a good or service from a purchaser, the request for bid not identifying the purchaser;
transmitting the request for bid that does not identify the purchaser to a plurality of sellers via an electronic network;
receiving at least one offer for the good or service from at least one of the sellers via the electronic network, the sellers sending the offers not knowing the identity of the purchaser that will receive the offers; and
transmitting the offers to the purchaser.
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22. A machine-readable medium encoded with a program for operating an online marketplace, said program containing instructions for performing the steps of:
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receiving a request for bid for a good or service from a purchaser, the request for bid not identifying the purchaser;
transmitting the request for bid that does not identify the purchaser to a plurality of sellers via an electronic network;
receiving at least one offer for the good or service from at least one of the sellers via the electronic network, the sellers sending the offers not knowing the identity of the purchaser that will receive the offers; and
transmitting the offers to the purchaser. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification