Electronic business method for the wholesale transaction of vehicles

• US 20090048942A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Skipauction LLC
• Original Assignee: Skipauction LLC
• Inventors: Bouwens, John G., Katt, Randy A., Cinnamon, Todd
• Application Number:
  US11/891,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

An electronic business method for the wholesale transaction of a vehicle having the steps of: providing an electronic information database, wherein the electronic information database comprises a wholesale vehicle record and/or a dealership record; authenticating a dealership from a dealership information entry of a dealership record to verify authenticity of the dealership; providing an authenticated dealership with access to the electronic information database; permitting the authenticated dealership to input a search inquiry to generate a search of the electronic information database; generating a search result which provides the authenticated dealership with a wholesale vehicle information record and/or a dealership information record; and facilitating a wholesale vehicle transaction between the authenticated dealership and another authenticated dealership from the search result.

Claims

1. An electronic business method for the wholesale transaction of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic information database, wherein said electronic information database comprises at least one of;

a wholesale vehicle record, wherein said wholesale vehicle record comprises at least one wholesale vehicle information entry, and

a dealership record, wherein said dealership record comprises at least one dealership information entry;

authenticating a dealership from at least one dealership information entry of a dealership record to verify authenticity of said dealership;

providing an authenticated dealership with access to at least a portion of said electronic information database;

permitting said authenticated dealership to input a search inquiry to generate a search of said electronic information database;

generating a search result which provides said authenticated dealership with at least one of a wholesale vehicle information record and a dealership information record from said electronic information database; and

facilitating a wholesale vehicle transaction between said authenticated dealership and another authenticated dealership from said search result.

2. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting an authenticated dealership to input at least one dealership information entry into a dealership record in said electronic information database.

3. The electronic business method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of storing at least one dealership record in said electronic information database.

4. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting an authenticated dealership to input at least one wholesale vehicle information entry into a wholesale vehicle record in said electronic information database.

5. The electronic business method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of storing at least one wholesale vehicle record in said electronic information database.

6. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein said wholesale vehicle information entry is selected from at least one of the group consisting of vehicle identification number, vehicle make, vehicle model, vehicle year, vehicle mileage, vehicle condition, vehicle equipment, vehicle trim level, vehicle option package, vehicle options, vehicle financing program, vehicle sales program, vehicle owner information, and combinations thereof.

7. The electronic business method according to claim 6, wherein said vehicle equipment is selected from at least one of the group consisting of keys and ignition, remote entry system, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, trunk release mechanism, fuel lid release mechanism, power seats, headlights, turn signals, windshield wiper controls, emergency flashers, odometer, trip meter, speedometer, tachometer, cruise control, emergency brake, radio, compact disk player, cassette player, air conditioning, heating and climate control systems, clock, multiple information display, warning lights, electro-chromic mirror, power outlets, external communication systems, cup holders, storage compartments, tires, seat belts, air bags, safety restraints, sun shades, and combinations thereof.

8. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein said dealership information entry is selected from at least one of the group consisting of dealership name, dealership address, dealership registration number, dealership phone number, dealership contact, cross-reference with associated dealerships, and combinations thereof.

9. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing said electronic information database comprises the step of providing a computer having said electronic information database stored thereon.

10. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing an authenticated dealership with access to at least a portion of said electronic information database occurs after the step of authenticating a dealership.

11. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein said dealership record comprises at least a dealership name entry, a dealership registration number entry, and a dealership location entry.

12. The electronic business method according to claim 11, wherein the step of authenticating further comprises contacting a Secretary of State or a State licensing agency in a State in which said dealership is incorporated to validate the authenticity of said dealership and said dealership location.

13. The electronic business method according to claim 11, wherein said dealership location entry comprises at least one of a zip code, postal code, country code, telephone area code, address, and combinations thereof.

14. The electronic business method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of searching said electronic information database for at least one of a wholesale vehicle record and a dealership record within said authenticated dealership'"'"'s location.

15. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of searching said electronic information database for at least one of a wholesale vehicle record and a dealership record within a predetermined distance from said authenticated dealership.

16. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of searching said electronic information database for at least one of a wholesale vehicle record and a dealership record within a predetermined distance from a predetermined location.

17. The electronic business method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a search result comprises the step of comparing said search inquiry to at least one of said wholesale vehicle record and said dealership information record in said electronic information database.

18. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying the availability of a vehicle generated from said search result.

19. The electronic business method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting said authenticated dealership to at least one of reserve, purchase, and reserve and purchase a wholesale vehicle at a location of either said authenticated dealership or another authenticated dealerships'"'"' designated location.