Collecting and valuating used items for sale

• US 20040267818A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Worldwide Creative Techniques, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bitstocks Co.
• Inventors: Hartenstine, Troy A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation

Abstract

Data is collected and aggregated regarding a particular used item for sale, e.g., automobiles, which is in turn validated and normalized with respect to pre-determined identification models. A historical report may be generated to provide an assessment of value based on qualitative information such as mileage and/or location, and may be presented in a multi-axis graphic format. Data records are collected from a plurality of sources over the Internet, and are validated by comparing data field entries in the aggregate data records with data field entries in an established validation database. The validated data records are normalized with respect to a predetermined set or sets of fields by assigning an identification unit to each validated data record. A web crawler to seek out suitable data records relating to the used items that are sought, a search engine is queried to derive a list of suitable high probability target URLs.

Claims

1. A method of aggregating a database of used items for sale, comprising:

collecting a plurality of data records corresponding to said used items from a plurality of different network sites;

validating each of said plurality of data records to confirm that it is a used item of the desired type for sale; and

normalizing each of said plurality of data records with one of a pre-defined list of identification units.

2. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein said normalizing comprises:

identifying a make and model of said used item.

3. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 2, wherein said normalizing further comprises:

identifying a year of said used item.

4. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein said collecting comprises:

querying at least one search engine for the identity of network sites of items corresponding to a search term relevant to finding said used items; and

activating a web crawler into identified network sites.

5. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, further comprising:

for any of said plurality of data records that could not be validated, moving said data record to a discard administration database.

6. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, further comprising:

moving each of said plurality of data records that are successful in both validating and normalizing to a normalized database.

7. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said used items are used vehicles.

8. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 7, wherein:

said used vehicles are used automobiles.

9. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 8, wherein:

said validating confirms that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a year, make and model of said used automobile.

10. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 9, wherein:

said validating further confirms that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a price of said used automobile.

11. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 9, wherein:

said validating further confirms that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a mileage of said used automobile.

12. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said normalizing matches a data record with a unique combination of year, make and model of said used item.

13. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said used items are used boats.

14. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said used items are used collectibles.

15. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 6, wherein said normalized database comprises:

a plurality of data records corresponding to used items currently for sale; and

a plurality of data records corresponding to used items already sold.

16. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 6, wherein:

said normalized database is partitioned into separate sub-databases based on a common association with a same identification unit.

17. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said identification unit is numerical.

18. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, wherein:

said identification unit is alphanumerical.

19. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a relationship between a measure of use of said used item, and a price.

20. The method of aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 19, wherein:

said used item is a used automobile; and

a measure of use of said used item is a mileage;

wherein a plot of mileage vs. price is generated from historical data including used items that have previously sold.

21. Apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale, comprising:

means for collecting a plurality of data records corresponding to said used items from a plurality of different network sites;

means for validating each of said plurality of data records to confirm that it is a used item of the desired type for sale; and

means for normalizing each of said plurality of data records with one of a pre-defined list of identification units.

22. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 21, wherein said means for collecting comprises:

means for querying at least one search engine for the identity of network sites of items corresponding to a search term relevant to finding said used items; and

means for activating a web crawler into identified network sites.

23. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for moving said data record to a discard administration database if said data record could not be validated.

24. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for moving each of said plurality of data records that are successful in both validating and normalizing to a normalized database.

25. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 21, wherein:

said used items are used vehicles.

26. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, wherein:

said used vehicles are used automobiles.

27. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 26, wherein said means for validating comprises:

confirming that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a year, make and model of said used automobile.

28. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 27, wherein said means for validating further comprises:

confirming that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a price of said used automobile.

29. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 27, wherein:

said means for validating further confirms that a data record includes at least one data field relating to a mileage of said used automobile.

30. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 21, wherein said means for normalizing comprises:

matching a data record with a unique combination of year, make and model of said used item.

31. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, wherein:

said used items are used boats.

32. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, wherein:

said used items are used collectibles.

33. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 28, wherein said normalized database comprises:

a plurality of data records corresponding to used items currently for sale; and

a plurality of data records corresponding to used items already sold.

34. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 28, wherein:

said normalized database is partitioned into separate sub-databases based on a common association with a same identification unit.

35. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, wherein:

said identification unit is numerical.

36. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, wherein:

said identification unit is alphanumerical.

37. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for generating a relationship between a measure of use of said used item, and a price.

38. The apparatus for aggregating a database of used items for sale according to claim 37, wherein:

said used item is a used automobile; and

a measure of use of said used item is a mileage;

wherein a plot of mileage vs. price is generated from historical data including used items that have previously sold.

39. A method of normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units, comprising:

matching a plurality of fields of a data record to a unique identification unit represented by a plurality of different representations of a common set of features; and

storing said data record in a database in a way that associates said data record with said unique identification unit.

40. The method of normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units according to claim 39, wherein:

said common feature is one of a year, make and model.

41. The method of normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units according to claim 39, wherein:

said data record is stored in a sub-database associated with only one unique identification unit.

42. Apparatus for normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units, comprising:

means for matching a plurality of fields of a data record to a unique identification unit represented by a plurality of different representations of a common set of features; and

means for storing said data record in a database in a way that associates said data record with said unique identification unit.

43. The apparatus for normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units according to claim 42, wherein:

said common feature is one of a year, make and model.

44. The apparatus for normalizing disparate data records to a pre-defined set of identification units according to claim 42, wherein:

said means for storing stores said data record in a sub-database associated with only one unique identification unit.