Method and system for online sales and purchase
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of computer assisted procurement of products comprising:
- (a) providing an internet website for listing products sought to be purchased by a purchaser, (b) establishing an event at which qualified sellers may visit the website to offer terms for the sale of the products to the purchaser by;
(i) making the website available for the posting of quotes during an identified time period, and (ii) inviting qualified sellers to offer terms of sale by posting those terms of sale on the website during the identified time period.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Internet-based commercial network connects multiple qualified participant buyers and sellers. Items are made available for defined periods of time, referred to as an event (139). Event terms and conditions include item types, price, quantity, volume or units, discount, shipping terms (138). Reiterative offer and counteroffers permit negotiation of terms for an event. Participants may view anonymous competitive quotes for comparison and analysis. Pooled purchases and auctions are envisioned. Participants may create web presences and are subject to restrictions on access (141) and purchase (142) authority. Central system maintains participant data.
59 Citations
93 Claims
-
1. A method of computer assisted procurement of products comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website for listing products sought to be purchased by a purchaser, (b) establishing an event at which qualified sellers may visit the website to offer terms for the sale of the products to the purchaser by;
(i) making the website available for the posting of quotes during an identified time period, and (ii) inviting qualified sellers to offer terms of sale by posting those terms of sale on the website during the identified time period. - 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, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of computer assisted procurement of products sought to be purchased by a purchaser comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website, (b) establishing classifications of users entitling users to varying degrees of access to information and activities available through the website, (c) providing a publicly available registration page at the website, (d) issuing at least one of a login number, login word, and password at a user request on the registration page, (e) using the at least one number or word and password of a user at a login by the user to verify the user'"'"'s identity and status, (f) upon successful verification of the user'"'"'s identity and status, placing a cookie on the user'"'"'s computer, the cookie comprising an identification of the user, and (g) thereafter based on the information in the user'"'"'s cookie, (i) determining the user'"'"'s classification, and (ii) affording the user access to information and activities on the website to a degree consistent with that user'"'"'s classification. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
-
-
64. A method of computer assisted procurement of products sought to be purchased comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website, (b) affording a participating buyer the ability to list on a page at the website a list of items requiring recurrent replenishment, (c) qualifying participating sellers to quote on items in the list of items, (d) affording qualified participating sellers the ability to award one or more sales to one of said qualified participating sellers based on that seller'"'"'s quote on an item or items on the list, and (e) enabling the qualified participating sellers to quote on a recurring basis on items on the list absent the need for requalification. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
-
-
67. A method of computer assisted sales or procurement comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website for listing products to be sold or to be purchased, (b) establishing an event at which qualified buyers or sellers may visit the website to quote terms for the purchase or sale of the products listed, by;
(i) malting the website available for the posting of quotes during an identified time period, and (ii) inviting qualified buyers or sellers to offer terms of purchase or sale by posting those terms on the website during the identified time period.
-
-
68. A method of negotiated contract implementation comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website for facilitating negotiation between a first party seeking a contract proposal and at least one second party responding with a proposal, (b) providing at least one page at the website adapted to permit the first party to create an event by placing a contract out for bid, (c) providing at least one page at the website adapted to permit the at least one second party to submit a proposal, and (d) providing at least one further page facilitating analysis by the first party of each proposal from the at least one second party. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
-
-
84. A method of computer assisted competitive product procurement comprising:
-
(a) providing an internet website for listing branded products for which proposals for sales are sought by a buyer, (b) listing for the buyer characteristics of a proposed program for each branded product, (c) affording suppliers of the branded products access to the website to post terms of a proposed sale to the buyer of each branded product in response to the buyer'"'"'s proposed programs, and (d) displaying for the buyer a comparison of the suppliers'"'"' responsive proposed sale terms. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
-
-
90. A system for computer assisted procurement of products including:
-
(a) a web server, (b) programming to;
(i) produce an internet website for listing products sought to be purchased by a purchaser;
(iii) establish an event at which qualified sellers may visit the website to offer terms for the sale of the products to the purchaser, and (iv) make the website available for the posting of offers during an identified time period for the event.
-
-
91. The Computer programming for computer assisted sales or procurement including:
(a) website programming establishing an interactive website having;
(ii) first web page programming responsive to a first user establishing at least one event for buying and selling a plurality of items, (iii) second web page programming responsive to input by a plurality of second users quoting proposed terms of purchase and sale of one or more of the identified items to present said terms on the one or more pages of interactive website; and
(iv) third web page programming presenting said second users'"'"' proposed terms for review by the first user and responsive to inputs from the first user to communicate selection and award to at least one of the second users. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93)
Specification