SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN E-COMERCE TRANSACTION

• US 20200134684A1
• Filed: 12/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PriceWaiter, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walter L. Price
• Inventors: Culp, Stephen Andrew, Scarbrough, Andrew Franklin, Bain, Matthew Lawrence, Estes, Michael Jay, Hinz, Matthew Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,922,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller comprising a product catalog which includes product data, a seller product page which is adapted to display the product data and a negotiation button to the purchaser, a purchaser offer form which is adapted to receive an offer for a product displayed on the seller product page when the purchaser activates the negotiation button, and a purchaser offer processor which is adapted to receive the offer for a product displayed on the seller product page and automatically determine and convey an offer response. The offer response is determined using a pre-determined set of customizable rules. A method comprising installing a custom snippet, providing product data, generating a product catalog, configuring automation rules, receiving an offer from the purchaser, processing the offer, generating an offer response, and conveying the offer response.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller, said system comprising:

(a) a product catalog, said product catalog including product data;

(b) a seller product page, said seller product page being adapted to display the product data and a negotiation button to the purchaser;

(c) a purchaser offer form, said purchaser offer form being adapted to receive an offer for a product displayed on the seller product page when the purchaser activates the negotiation button;

(d) a purchaser offer processor, said purchaser offer processor being adapted to receive the offer for a product displayed on the seller product page, and automatically determine and convey an offer response and verify a retail price value;

(e) an Internet-accessing device, said Internet accessing device being adapted to be used by the purchaser;

(f) a public API key, said public API key being publicly displayed and sent to the purchaser when the offer is made;

(g) a private API key, said private API key being a random string of at least thirty-two alphanumeric characters;

(h) a system server, said system server being adapted to generate the public API key when the seller signs onto the system, know the private API key random string, and generate a product information request, said product information request comprising;

(A) a system request body, said system request body comprising;

(i) a unique product identifier; and

(ii) the public API key;

(B) a system request signature that is a computed result of a hash function of the system request body and the private API key;

(i) a seller server, said seller server being adapted to receive the product information request and said seller server being adapted to generate the private API key random string when the seller signs onto the system;

(j) an offer response;

(k) website data, said website data being adapted to be sent to the Internet-accessing device;

wherein the product catalog and the purchaser offer processor reside on a system server; and

wherein the website data resides on a seller server; and

wherein the website data is adapted to generate the purchaser offer form and the seller product page on the Internet-accessing device; and

wherein the purchaser offer form is adapted to be displayed within the seller product page on the Internet-accessing device; and

wherein the purchaser offer form is adapted to send the offer from the Internet-accessing device to the system server; and

wherein the system server is adapted to send the offer response to the Internet-accessing device; and

wherein the offer response is determined using a pre-determined set of customizable rules, at least one of said rules being adapted to determine a minimum gross margin; and

wherein the product information request is communicated from the system server to the seller server and is authenticated by an encryption technique adapted to generate a seller request signature; and

wherein the seller server authenticates the product information request by independently calculating the seller request signature from the product information request and the private API key; and

wherein the seller server communicates a valid product price if the system request signature matches the seller request signature; and

wherein the product information request and the valid product price are communicated in real time.

2. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the product catalog is adapted to determine changes in a product price.

3. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the product data comprises a product name, a product SKU, a product description, a product price, a product image, and/or at least one product option.

4. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the product page resides on the seller'"'"'s website.

5. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the negotiation button is adapted to be customized by the seller.

6. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 further comprising at least one other seller, wherein the offer response comprises a recommendation made to the purchaser;

and wherein the purchaser offer processor processes purchaser data to determine to determine the recommendation made to the purchaser in the offer response; and

wherein the purchaser data is shared between the seller and the at least one other seller.

7. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 6 wherein the purchaser data comprises the purchaser'"'"'s email address, IP address, zip code, demographics, purchase history, and view history.

8. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the purchaser offer processor processes the seller'"'"'s current inventory.

9. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the purchaser offer processor processes at least one other competing offer for the product and the purchaser offer processor is adapted to dynamically respond to the at least one other competing offer.

10. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the purchaser offer processor conveys the offer response to the seller.

11. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the offer response is conveyed to the purchaser in real-time.

12. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the pre-determined set of customizable rules are adapted to dynamically determine an optimal product price after receiving the offer;

and wherein the pre-determined set of customizable rules will execute on the system server.

13. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the pre-determined set of customizable rules are adapted to filter products based on at least one matching criterion.

14. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 13 wherein the at least one matching criterion comprises a product price, a product brand, a product SKU, a product category, a URL, or a traffic source.

15. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein each of the pre-determined set of customizable rules is adapted to determine a maximum discount.

16. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the system comprises at least one automation rule and a best match;

and wherein the purchaser offer processor is adapted to determine the best match from the at least one automation rule.

17. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the purchaser offer processor is adapted to verify a retail price value and automatically convey the offer response to the purchaser.

18. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the purchaser offer processor is adapted to convey the offer response to the seller if the processor cannot verify a retail price value.

19. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the system is adapted to convey a reminder to the purchaser if the purchaser does not complete a checkout after a period of time;

and wherein the offer response comprises at least one expiration deadline; and

wherein the purchaser offer form is adapted to display the at least one expiration deadline.

20. The system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction between a purchaser and a seller of claim 1 wherein the system is adapted to verify an order from the purchaser.