Method and apparatus for facilitating electronic acquisition and maintenence of goods and services via the internet
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Internet acquisition of goods and services from multiple service providers is facilitated in a uniform, automated manner. Online service account facilitation systems and methods are contemplated that allow for intuitive, uniformly-structured representations of service offerings; straightforward, yet flexible, definition of service product markets; advantageous status designations for market offerings; flexible start date restriction rules; context sensitive information request forms, dynamic price determination on interactive comparison forms; flexible restriction rules for selection combinations of plans, packages, and features; creation of customized data elements; a powerfully advantageous ordering process; a discontinuation process; an inter-dependent order resolution feature; a hierarchical customization scheme; and/or centralized two-way communication between customers and service providers. In one embodiment, tenants of business or residential properties, may connect and disconnect utilities and/or purchase other goods and services electronically via the Internet from various service providers when moving into the property.
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Citations
201 Claims
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1-152. -152. (canceled)
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153. A method for facilitating a user'"'"'s selection of offerings provided to a property having a geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing access to one or more databases comprising said offerings in one or more offering categories, wherein each of said offerings may be classified in said one or more databases in one or more geographic markets, and wherein each of said markets associated with each said offering may be defined in different levels of detail in said one or more databases as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address; and (b) receiving from said user said geographic location of said property wherein said geographic location may be identified as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address. - View Dependent Claims (154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179)
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180. A method for facilitating a user'"'"'s selection of offerings provided to a property having a geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing access to one or more databases comprising said offerings in one or more offering categories, wherein each of said offerings may be classified in said one or more databases in one or more geographic markets, and wherein each of said markets associated with each said offering may be defined in different levels of detail in said one or more databases as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address; (b) receiving from said user said geographic location of said property wherein said geographic location may be identified as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address; and (c) identifying each said offering associated with markets that correspond to said geographic location provided by said user. - View Dependent Claims (181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190)
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191. A system for facilitating a user'"'"'s selection of offerings provided to a property having a geographic location comprising:
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(a) one or more databases comprising said offerings in one or more offering categories, wherein each of said offerings may be classified in said one or more databases in one or more geographic markets, and wherein each of said markets associated with each said offering may be defined in different levels of detail in said one or more databases as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address; (b) an interface in which said user may input said geographic location of said property wherein said geographic location may be identified as specifically as a street address or a subdivision of a street address; and (c) a processor which correlates said markets of said offerings with said geographic location of said property. - View Dependent Claims (192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201)
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Specification