LAST-ROOM-AVAILABLE SEARCH APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- providing a processor corresponding to a first computer;
providing a medium operating as a computer-readable storage medium, operably connected to the processor;
selecting a network configured to interconnect computers for inter-computer communication;
connecting the first computer to the network to communicate with a second computer corresponding to a purchaser;
connecting the first and second computers over the network;
storing on the medium executables executable by the processor;
presenting by the second computer an image corresponding to a user interface;
receiving through the user interface a request for a product, comprising at least one of goods and services;
the receiving, further comprising receiving a value of a filter parameter, the filter parameter reflecting at least one of a rating for quality and actual availability;
searching published information from purveyors of the product to determine candidate purveyors each corresponding to an instance of a third computer;
filtering candidate purveyors based on the filter parameter to determine responsive purveyors complying with the filter parameter; and
presenting to the user computer the product available from the responsive purveyors.
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Abstract
A system and method for customer-oriented searching and purchasing of goods and services relies on a database having records corresponding to purveyors, products and services, and purchasers and maintained by a third party independent from all the foregoing. Searches may obtain information with or without cooperation of purveyors (vendors). Filtering before presentation to a user, according to specific needs or requirements eliminates inapplicable vendors, products, or services. Particularly, if quality rating, features, or actual availability is lacking, the system does not waste a user'"'"'s time to evaluate. Deal-killer parameters and values punish vendors lacking disclosure. Rather than publish what the seller wants to advertise, the system retrieves for a user the information on items that meet criteria of, and according to their importance to, a user, especially deal-killer parameters.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a processor corresponding to a first computer; providing a medium operating as a computer-readable storage medium, operably connected to the processor; selecting a network configured to interconnect computers for inter-computer communication; connecting the first computer to the network to communicate with a second computer corresponding to a purchaser; connecting the first and second computers over the network; storing on the medium executables executable by the processor; presenting by the second computer an image corresponding to a user interface; receiving through the user interface a request for a product, comprising at least one of goods and services; the receiving, further comprising receiving a value of a filter parameter, the filter parameter reflecting at least one of a rating for quality and actual availability; searching published information from purveyors of the product to determine candidate purveyors each corresponding to an instance of a third computer; filtering candidate purveyors based on the filter parameter to determine responsive purveyors complying with the filter parameter; and presenting to the user computer the product available from the responsive purveyors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An article comprising a computer readable storage medium storing data structures comprising executables executable on a processor and operational data, the data structures comprising:
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a user interface module for communicating with a user computer; a database storing records corresponding to products and purveyors of the products; a crawler providing to the database, automatically, purveyor data and product data published by the purveyors; a filter module comprising filter parameters and programmed to receive values reflecting criteria selected by the user computer; the filter module, further programmed to limit purveyors identified to the user computer according to the values; the user interface module, further programmed to display to a user compliant purveyors, a subset of the purveyors based on the criteria; and a transaction module programmed to execute a transaction between the user computer and a purveyor computer based on a selection by the user from the compliant purveyors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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a first computer comprising a processor operably connected to a memory, the processor creating, hosting, and operating a database having records stored in the memory; a second computer, corresponding to a user and operably connected over a network to the first computer; a plurality of third computers corresponding to purveyors of a product and presenting information corresponding to the product; the first computer further programmed to create product records and purveyor records in the database containing information obtained by the first computer from the plurality of third computers; the first computer, further programmed to provide a plurality of filters capable of receiving filter values corresponding thereto selectable by the second computer to control searches of the records; the first computer further programmed to provide to the second computer access to the database, provide criteria and user values selected by a user as the filter values, and provide to the second computer identification of candidate purveyor computers in accordance with the filter values; the first computer, further programmed to receive from the second computer selection data selecting a selected purveyor computer from the candidate purveyor computers; the second computer, wherein the filter values correspond to at least one of quality rating and actual availability; and the first computer, further programmed to delete from presentation to the second computer presentation of the purveyor information not corresponding to the candidate purveyors and the product.
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Specification