Method of electronic bidding over networks through data tagging and data scanning

• US 6,185,599 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Youn, Sunny M., Salimando, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,538
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/251, 709/252, 709/238, 709/204, 709/206, 709/224, 709/202, 370/402, 370/260, 370/256, 370/445, 370/408, 370/429, 455/31.2
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication circulation system in a network that includes a communication circulation device coupled to a plurality of terminals. The communication circulation device receives a content message from one of the terminals and circulates the content message in a content space established by the communication circulation device. The content message has a tag that corresponds to an area of interest. When another content message is encountered that has a tag that matches the tag of the content message, subscribers of both content messages are informed so that communication between the subscribers may be established.

Claims

1. A method for operating a network marketplace, comprising:

receiving a content message associated with a first terminal directed to an agent operating in a content space established by a communication circulation device, the content message not requiring a specified destination address, the content space being a portion of the network marketplace established by the communication circulation device wherein similar content messages are matched with each other based on a degree of similarity between compared content messages;

searching for a possible matching content message in the communication circulation device based on an agent scheme directed to negotiation; and

transmitting information to at least one of the first terminal and a second terminal associated with the possible matching content message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for a matching content message step comprises:

scanning a tag of the content message;

retrieving message data from a circulation database; and

searching the message data for the possible matching content messages that has a tag that matches the tag of the content message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the possible matching content messages is found, then the searching for a matching content message step, further comprises:

negotiating at least one condition of the content message with at least one condition of the possible matching content message; and

generating the information based on results of the negotiating step and client instructions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the negotiating step comprises:

retrieving the condition of the content message in a predetermined priority order;

testing whether the condition is satisfied relative to the condition of the possible matching content message starting with a highest priority condition of the content message, a decision of whether the condition of the content message is satisfied being made based on the client instructions, a history of the content message and a negotiation strategy of the agent; and

closing a deal if the testing step resulted in a decision that the condition of the content message is satisfied and a match is found.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the testing step includes at least one of requesting, from a client, instructions relating to negotiating the condition of the content message and retrieving the client instructions from a message history database of the agent.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the history of the content message includes a match history and a circulation history.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for a matching content message step comprises:

scanning a tag of the content message;

retrieving a circulation data from a circulation database; and

distributing the content message based on the circulation data and a distribution scheme of the agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content message is either a seller content message or a buyer content message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting a message of the content message to the second terminal.

10. A network marketplace, comprising:

a communication circulation device establishing a content space;

an agent operating in the content space receiving a content message associated with a first terminal and further not requiring a specified destination address, wherein the agent searches for a possible matching content message in the communication circulation device based on an agent scheme directed to negotiation and transmits information to at least one of the first terminal and a second terminal associated with the possible matching content message.

11. The marketplace of claim 10, wherein the agent scans a tag of the content message, retrieves message data from a circulation database, and searches the message data for the possible matching content messages that has a tag that matches the tag of the content message.

12. The marketplace of claim 11, wherein if the possible matching content messages is found, then the agent negotiates at least one condition of the content message with at least one condition of the possible matching content message, and generates the information based on results of the negotiation and client instructions.

13. The marketplace of claim 12, wherein the agent retrieves the condition of the content message in a predetermined priority order, tests whether the condition is satisfied relative to the condition of the possible matching content message starting with a highest priority condition of the content message, a decision of whether the condition of the content message is satisfied being made based on the client instructions, a history of the content message and a negotiation strategy of the agent, and closes a deal if the testing step resulted in a decision that the condition of the content message is satisfied and a match is found.

14. The marketplace of claim 13, wherein the agent requests the client instructions from a client relating to negotiating the condition of the content message and/or retrieves the client instructions from a message history database of the agent.

15. The marketplace of claim 13, wherein the history of the content message includes a match history and a circulation history.

16. The marketplace of claim 10, wherein the agent scans a tag of the content message, retrieves a circulation data from a circulation database, and distributes the content message based on the circulation data and a distribution scheme of the agent.

17. The marketplace of claim 10, wherein the content message is either a seller content message or a buyer content message.

18. The marketplace of claim 10, wherein the agent transmits a message of the content message to the second terminal.