User-defined dynamic collaborative environments
First Claim
1. A method of negotiating a deal over a network of computers, the network including at least one or more computers connected to the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) posting, on an electronic list that can be viewed over the Internet, information regarding one or more offers to form a contract;
(2) posting on the electronic list one or more responses to the one or more offers;
(3) researching the one or more responses to determine whether they satisfy one or more contract criteria;
(4) negotiating over the network between at least two parties to accept or modify one or more of the responses; and
(5) electronically signing a document to consummate the contract.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A collaborative system and method allows members of a group to collaborate on a project such as a bid or proposal. According to a first embodiment, a complex instrument trading engine (CITE) facilities negotiation between two or more parties. A set of tools and techniques are provided in order to facilitate negotiation and execution of complex instruments such as contracts between corporations and governments. According to a second embodiment, referred to as a dynamic collaborative environment, a user can define a group and a virtual private network environment including user-selected tools that facilitate communication, research, analysis, and electronic transactions within the group. The environment can be destroyed easily when it is no longer needed. Multiple environments can co-exist on the same physical network of computers.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of negotiating a deal over a network of computers, the network including at least one or more computers connected to the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) posting, on an electronic list that can be viewed over the Internet, information regarding one or more offers to form a contract;
(2) posting on the electronic list one or more responses to the one or more offers;
(3) researching the one or more responses to determine whether they satisfy one or more contract criteria;
(4) negotiating over the network between at least two parties to accept or modify one or more of the responses; and
(5) electronically signing a document to consummate the contract. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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12. A method of displaying information on a computer display, comprising the steps of:
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(1) displaying a first plurality of graphical objects each having a shape of a file folder comprising a folder face and a labeled tab, wherein the first plurality of graphical objects are stacked in a cascading arrangement; and
(2) in response to user activation of a “
flip”
tab, changing the graphical objects displayed in step (1) to show a second plurality of graphical objects each having a shape of a file folder comprising a folder face and a labeled tab,wherein each of the first and second plurality of graphical objects can be brought to a foreground position in front of other graphical objects by clicking on a corresponding labeled tab. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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26. A system for implementing a user-defined networked environment that can be created without the need for system administrator-level privileges, comprising:
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a plurality of networked computers that communicate using Internet Protocol;
a plurality of web browsers executing on the plurality of networked computers;
a database that stores information concerning the user-defined networked environment; and
a computer program executing on one or more of the plurality of networked computers, wherein the computer program performs the steps of;
(1) permitting a user to create a group comprising a plurality of group members;
(2) permitting the user to select a plurality of web-based communication, collaboration, and transaction tools from a list of available tools, wherein the selected tools are to be made available to the plurality of group members; and
(3) automatically generating a web page accessible to the plurality of group members, wherein the web page provides access to the plurality of tools selected in step (2) to the plurality of group members.
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Specification