System and method for list shopping over a computer network

• US 20030144911A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catherine Lin-Hendel
• Original Assignee: Catherine Lin-Hendel
• Inventors: Lin-Hendel, Catherine
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system for conducting commercial transactions over the Internet, whereby a shopper can simultaneously search for a plurality of items on a plurality of websites in a single search. The shopper can selectively specify the items of interest to be searched and can also specify and/or exclude websites to be searched. The system also searches a selectively alterable set of default websites. The system simultaneously searches for all of the items specified by the user on both the default websites and the sites specified by the shopper. Information regarding the items retrieved as a result of the search is displayed for viewing by the shopper. The shopper can simultaneously purchase selected ones of said items.

Claims

1. A system for conducting on-line commerce, comprising:

means for simultaneously conducting a search for a plurality of items on a plurality of data sources, wherein a user selectively specifies the plurality of items to be searched.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means are implemented using software.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources is a website.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources is a database.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user selectively specifies at least one of the plurality of data sources to be searched.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the software is selectively programmable to search at least one default data source.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the results of the search are simultaneously displayed on a display device for viewing by the user, the results providing information regarding the plurality of items searched.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the results of the search are displayed in a plurality of lists, each one of the plurality of lists displaying search results from a different one of the plurality of data sources searched.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein after the search is completed, the user can simultaneously purchase one or more of the plurality of items.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user can prioritize the order in which certain ones of the plurality of data sources are to be searched.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the user can specify criteria by which the results of the search are displayed.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the user can exclude the at least one selectively programmed data source from being searched.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means prompts the user to specify information regarding the plurality of items to be searched.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means prompts the user to select certain ones of the plurality of items to be included in the search.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means prompts the user to exclude certain ones of the plurality of items from being included in the search.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means enables a user to simultaneously search for different types of items.

17. The system according to claim 8, wherein if a particular one of the plurality of data sources that was searched does not have a particular one of the plurality of items available for sale, the list for that particular data source indicates if any of the other plurality of data sources has the item available for sale.