Universal Negotiation Forum

• US 20070219817A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jianqing Wu
• Original Assignee: Jianqing Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Jianqing
• Application Number:
  US11/687,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219817A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A negotiation system is disclosed for use in conducting formal and informal negotiations over any subject matter. The system has a web based use interface, which has a dialog board, a submission panel, and a status board. The parties in negotiation can use the web interface to use the server application to manage accounts, negotiation projects, negotiation parties, negotiation rules, history files, and email notification.

Claims

1. A negotiation system for at least two parties to negotiate over a document or a transaction, the system comprising:

A negotiation server having a network interface and being connected to Internet;

At least two client computers, each of the client computers connected to the Internet, being used by one of the at least two parties in negotiation;

Meaning for creating a project by using browser at one of the client computers, assigning project code, and providing storage for keeping project basic information, offers, proposals, attachments, dialog files, and a status files;

Means for associating an account with the project or by assigning a guest account;

Means for submitting dialog statement and attachment to the dialog board where the dialog is displayed;

Means for submitting documents, offers, proposal, attachments to the status board for display, wherein the offers and attachments are available for downloading or viewing;

Means for the party to indicate whether it accepts or reject a pending document, offer, or proposal;

Mean for determining whether an offer has expired, the negotiation ends, and an agreement is reached;

Means for changing governing rules on offer expiration date, the right to override a governing rule, and right to retract a document, offer, or proposal under negotiation;

Means for sending email notification to at least one parties upon user action or an natural event; and

Means for changing the rules governing negotiation history files and enforcing the rule in one of the three ways;

deleting history files at each round of negotiation, deleting history files at end of the negotiation, and keeping history files for permanent record.

2. A computer program product for use in a system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied on the medium, the computer program code further comprising:

code residing in the server for generating web page containing a dialog board, a submission panel and a status board, to be rendered on the client computer;

code for creating project ID, project basic information, project data files, and grating access privilege;

code for associating an account with a project or assigning an account for use with a project by setting permission or create a project member table;

code on the submission panel for accepting text statement and accepting files, submitting statements, attachments, and offers and schedules to the server for processing and storage;

code on the dialog board for showing party identity, statements, attachments, and submission dates, and for updating, displaying and downloading dialog statements and attachments;

code for determining if an offer has expired, rejected, if an agreement has been formed and if the project has expired;

code on the status board for showing party names, submitted papers, and submission dates, and for downloading and displaying documents, offers, and attachments;

code for allowing a party to propose new rules at start of negotiation or in the middle of negotiation, allowing all parties to vote on proposed rules, if they parties adopt new rules, writing the newly rules into files or database, and enforcing new rules;

code for allowing parties to select governing rule on managing history files, and processing history files in one of the ways;

deleting history files at each round of negotiation, deleting history files at end of the negotiation, or keeping history files for permanent record.

code for sending email invitation to prospective parties for joining negotiation, sending notice upon user action, or automatically sending notice to the parties concerning activities in project.