Bartering protocol language
First Claim
1. A method for carrying out a bartering system over a network, comprising:
- receiving a needs list having at least one needed item a user desires to acquire;
receiving a priority indication for at least one of i) each of the at least one needed item, and ii) each group of at least one item;
constructing the needs list with the priority indication into a barter protocol language; and
searching available items for a match with each of the at least one needed item based upon the priority indication wherein higher priority indicated needed items are attempted to be matched before lower priority indicated needed items.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method and program of the invention enables bartering to be carried out over a network of computer systems. A specific bartering protocol language enables a specification of a needs list of needed items that a user desires to acquire and a specification of an availability list of available items that a user desires to use in trading for one or more of the needed items. Each needed item can be associated with a priority indicating a level of priority that a user has in acquiring the needed item. The needs list may also contain a range of near equivalent items having an associated priority indicating a user'"'"'s desire to accept a given near equivalent item in lieu of a given needed item. The system performs a search of available items for a match with each of the needed items based upon the needed item'"'"'s priority wherein the higher priority items are attempted to be matched before lower priority items are matched. The searching is performed first within a same bartering system and performed second across a different bartering system if no match is found during the search within the same bartering system.
24 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for carrying out a bartering system over a network, comprising:
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receiving a needs list having at least one needed item a user desires to acquire;
receiving a priority indication for at least one of i) each of the at least one needed item, and ii) each group of at least one item;
constructing the needs list with the priority indication into a barter protocol language; and
searching available items for a match with each of the at least one needed item based upon the priority indication wherein higher priority indicated needed items are attempted to be matched before lower priority indicated needed items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A barter protocol language comprising:
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means for specifying a needs list of needed items for each one of a plurality of users;
means for specifying an availability list of available items for each one of the plurality of users;
means for specifying a priority indication for at least one of i) each needed item, and ii) each group of at least one item, indicating a corresponding user'"'"'s priority for acquiring the needed item; and
means for specifying a range of near equivalent items, each near equivalent item having an associated priority indication indicating a user'"'"'s desire to accept a given near equivalent item in lieu of a given needed item if a match for the given needed item cannot be found. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer system having means for carrying out bartering over a network, comprising:
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means for receiving a needs list having at least one needed item a user desires to acquire;
means for receiving a priority indication for at least one of i) each of the at least one needed item, and ii) each group of at least one needed item;
means for constructing the needs list with the priority indication into a barter protocol language; and
means for searching available items for a match with each of the at least one needed item based upon the priority indication wherein higher priority indicated needed items are attempted to be matched before lower priority indicated needed items. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification