Method, system and program product for supporting a transaction between electronic device users

• US 20040107144A1
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Short, Thomas K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

The present invention allows trading partners to be matched with each other based on the proximity of their locations and their capability to complete a desired transaction. Specifically, under the present invention a requestor will issue a transaction request seeking to exchange goods, services and/or information. A trading partner who can fulfill the transaction request will be identified based on a proximity of location of the trading partner to the requestor, as well as the capability of the trading partner to fulfill the transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for supporting a transaction between electronic device users, comprising:

receiving a transaction request from a first electronic device;

determining a location of the first electronic device; and

identifying a second electronic device for receiving the transaction request based on a proximity of a location of the second electronic device to the location of the first electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are selected from the group consisting of wireless devices and hardwired devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is further identified based on a capability of a user of the second electronic device to fulfill the transaction request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first electronic device and the second electronic device are determined based on a global positioning system (GPS).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first electronic device and the second electronic device are determined based on one of a triangulation using cellular telephone signals or a triangulation using television signals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information to the first electronic device to fulfill the transaction request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity is established based on a connection of the second electronic device and the first electronic device to a common node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises:

comparing the location of the first electronic device to the location of the second electronic device; and

selecting the second electronic device if the proximity of the location of the second electronic device to the location of the first electronic device meets a predetermined standard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request pertains to a proposed exchange of goods, services or information between users of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

10. A computer-implemented method for supporting a transaction between electronic device users, comprising:

receiving a transaction request from a first electronic device possessed by a requester;

determining a location of the requestor based on the electronic device; and

identifying a trading partner to fulfill the transaction request based on a proximity of a location of the trading partner to the location of the requester.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first electronic device is a first wireless device, wherein the trading partner operates a second wireless device, and wherein the location of the trading partner is based on the second wireless device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting information pertaining to the identified trading partner to the requester.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the locations of the requestor and the trading partner are determined based on a global positioning system (GPS).

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the location of the requester and the trading partner are determined based on one of a triangulation using cellular telephone signals or a triangulation using television signals.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein proximity is established based on a connection of the trading partner and the requester to a common node.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying step comprises:

comparing the location of the requestor to the location of the trading partner; and

selecting the trading partner if the proximity of the locations meets a predetermined standard.

17. A system for supporting a transaction between electronic device users, comprising:

a request system for receiving a transaction request from a first electronic device possessed by a requestor;

a location system for determining a location of the requester based on the first electronic device; and

a matching system for identifying a trading partner to fulfill the transaction request based on a proximity of a location of the trading partner to the location of the requester.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first electronic device is a first wireless device, wherein the trading partner operates a second wireless device, and wherein the location of the trading partner is based on the second wireless device.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a broker system for communicating information to support the transaction.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a metric system for tracking statistics for the transaction.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the trading partner is further identified based on a capability to fulfill the transaction request.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the location of the requester is determined based on a GPS analysis of the electronic device.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the location of the requestor is determined by one of a triangulation using cellular telephone signals or a triangulation using television signals.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the matching system identifies the trading partner by applying a predetermined standard to the proximity of the locations of the requester and the trading partner.

25. A program product stored on a recordable medium for supporting a transaction between electronic device users, which when executed, comprises:

program code for receiving a transaction request from a first electronic device possessed by a requester;

program code for determining a location of the requester based on the first electronic device; and

program code for identifying a trading partner to fulfill the transaction request based on a proximity of a location of the trading partner to the location of the requestor.

26. The program product of claim 25, wherein the first electronic device is a first wireless device, wherein the trading partner operates a second wireless device, and wherein the location of the trading partner is based on the second wireless device.

27. The program product of claim 25, further comprising program code for communicating information to support the transaction.

28. The program product of claim 25, further comprising program code for tracking statistics for the electronic transaction.

29. The program product of claim 25, wherein the trading partner is further identified based on a capability to fulfill the transaction request.

30. The program product of claim 25, wherein the location of the requestor is determined based on a GPS analysis of the electronic device.

31. The program product of claim 25, wherein the location of the requestor is determined based on one of a triangulation using cellular telephone signals or a triangulation using television signals.

32. The program product of claim 25, wherein the matching system identifies the trading partner by applying a predetermined standard to the proximity of the locations of the requestor and the trading partner.