Systems, methods, and a storage medium for obtaining an offer for a sale of a product or a service

• US 20050182683A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired product or a service are provided. The method includes iteratively transmitting a first signal including a first data message using a mobile transceiver device. Each of the first data messages includes information relating to the desired product or service. The method further includes receiving at least one of the first signals having the first data message and determining whether a product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale. Finally, the method includes transmitting a second signal including a second data message to the mobile transceiver device. The second data message includes an offer to sell the desired product or service.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired product or service using electronic devices, comprising:

iteratively transmitting a first signal including a first data message using a mobile transceiver device, each first data message having information relating to the desired product or service;

receiving at least one of the first signals having the first data message and determining whether a product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale; and

,

transmitting a second signal including a second data message to the mobile transceiver device, the second data message containing an offer to sell the desired product or service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the first data message includes a product or service identifier and a desired price of the desired product or service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information in the first data message further includes a request expiration date wherein an offer to sell the desired product or service is not desired after the request expiration date.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the offer to sell the product or the service in the second data message includes a product or service identifier and a price of the desired product or service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the offer to sell the desired product or service in the second data message further includes an offer expiration date wherein the offer to sell expires after the offer expiration date.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile transceiver device comprises a cellular telephone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the product or service provider directly receives the first signal having the first data message at a store location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of the first signal occurs at predetermined time intervals.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile transceiver device comprises a cellular telephone including a display screen, the method further including:

receiving the second signal by the cellular telephone; and

displaying the second data message from the second signal on the display screen.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second signals comprise RF signals or modulated light signals.

11. A system for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired product or service, comprising:

a mobile transceiver device iteratively transmitting a first signal including a first data message, the first data message having information relating to the desired product or service;

a second transceiver device receiving at least one of the first signals and routing the first data message to a computer server; and

,

the computer server having a database identifying products or services, the computer server searching the database to determine whether a product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale, when the product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale the computer server generating a second data message including an offer to sell the desired product or service and sends the second data message to the second transceiver device, the second transceiver device transmitting a second signal having the second data message to the mobile transceiver device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the information in the first data message includes a product or service identifier and a desired price of the desired product or service.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the information in the first data message further includes a request expiration wherein an offer to sell the desired product or service is not desired after the request expiration date.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the offer to sell the desired product or service in the second data message includes a product or service identifier and a price of the desired product or service.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the offer to sell the desired product or service in the second data message further includes an offer expiration date wherein the offer to sell expires after the offer expiration date.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the mobile transceiver device comprises a cellular telephone.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the product or service provider directly receives the first signal having the first data message at a store location or at a mobile location.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the iterative transmission of the first signal occurs at predetermined time intervals.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the mobile transceiver device includes a display screen, the mobile transceiver device receiving the second signal and displaying the second data message on the display screen.

20. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired product or service, the storage medium including instructions for causing at least one device operatively associated with a system to implement a method comprising:

iteratively transmitting a first signal including a first data message using a mobile transceiver device, each first data message having information relating to the desired product or service;

receiving at least one of the first signals having the first data message and determining whether a product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale; and

,

transmitting a second signal including a second data message to the mobile transceiver device, the second data message containing an offer to sell the desired product or service.