SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR LOCAL ACQUISITION OF PRODUCTS PRICED ONLINE

• US 20060224466A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker
• Original Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., WALKER, JAY S.
• Application Number:
  US11/424,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224466A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

A system and process for establishing prices for products on line and for allowing acquisition of those products from retailers that honor such prices. The system and process involve a customer having a credit card account, a computer terminal configured to access a network, and a central authority coupled to the computer terminal via the network. The central authority maintains information about a product and a corresponding price. The price is established by the central authority and the central authority is configured to communicate the information about the product and the price to the customer via the network. Also involved is a credit card processor that is coupled to the central authority. The credit card processor is configured to query the information maintained by the central authority and to receive the price from the central authority. A retailer is involved and includes a point-of-sale system coupled to the central authority and to the credit card processor. The retailer is configured to deliver the product to the customer after the customer purchases the product from the retailer via his credit card account or other form of payment at the price established by the central authority and provided to the retailer and the point-of-sale system by the credit card processor.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the sale and distribution of products, comprising:

a data storage system maintaining information related to products including sellers of and prices for said products; and

a data processing system operatively coupled to said data storage system, said data processing system configured to receive a request from a buyer to acquire a product, to process said request by querying said data storage system to identify a purchase price and a seller to sell said product to said buyer at said purchase price, to send a notice to said buyer indicating said seller and said purchase price, to receive from said buyer a purchase request including an account identifier, to establish a data record including said account identifier, said price, and identifiers for said seller and said product, and to send a purchase confirmation notice to said buyer indicating that said buyer can acquire said product from said seller at said purchase price.

2-114. -114. (canceled)