Method for providing vendor notification marketing in an electronic commerce network environment

• US 6,341,270 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aether Systems, Inc. (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Esposito, Augustine N., Garrett, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H.
• Application Number:
  US09/236,510
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: G06/F 1.760, 705/1, 705/26, 705/80, 705/27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for providing real-time pricing of notifications of purchaser requirements to vendors in a heterogeneous network environment. The heterogeneous network environment can include a public packet switched network, such as the Internet, and a wireless network, such as a plurality of pagers. The purchaser requirements are embodied in a vendor notification. The method is operable in environments having a plurality of wireless terminals in communication with a vendor computer using a wireless network to receive real-time notification of a purchaser'"'"'s requirements. At successive intervals, a timer can be utilized to change the price that a vendor pays for a vendor notification.

Claims

1. A method for automatically determining a purchase price for a real-time notification of purchaser requirements in a heterogeneous network environment, said heterogeneous network environment having a public packet switched network and a wireless network, said heterogeneous network environment comprising:

a plurality of wireless terminals in communications with said wireless network to receive said real-time notification of purchaser requirements;

at least one vendor computer, said vendor computer having at least one of a plurality of databases;

a plurality of client computers, said client computers and said vendor computer being interconnected by said public packet switched communications network to cause a purchase request to be transmitted to said vendor computer over said public packet switched communications network;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to analyze said purchase request to select from said product database a plurality of selected vendors;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to determine account information associated with each of the said plurality of selected vendors, to cause a message to be transmitted into said wireless network external to said public packet switched communications network, in order to provide said real time notification to said plurality of selected vendors;

said method comprises the steps;

transmitting a summary of said vendor notification and an initial value of a notification purchase price to said plurality of selected vendors;

starting a timer to track time lapse, thereupon reducing said starting notification purchase price by a selectable amount at successive intervals measured by said time lapse;

receiving from at least one of said plurality of selected vendors a vendor notification purchase request message;

determining said purchasing vendor'"'"'s authorization to purchase said vendor notification, based on vendor profile information;

if said purchasing vendor is authorized to purchase said vendor notification, then transmitting said vendor notification to said purchasing vendor; and

debiting an account associated with said purchasing vendor for said specific notification purchase price.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

distributing said purchase request to said plurality of selected vendors using a round robin selection mechanism to prevent multiplicity of responses.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a delay in transmitting said purchase requests to a select subset of said plurality of selected vendors in order to create levels of merchant priority.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

screening said plurality of vendors for compliance to specified criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing to said plurality of vendors a report reflecting a number of purchase requests forwarded to each of said plurality of vendors during a selectable time period.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a questionnaire reflecting users'"'"' comments about products and services offered.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

programming said plurality of wireless terminals to configure said wireless terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said product comprises automobiles.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said product information further comprises a make, model and a description of said automobiles.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one vendor computer including a product database having information about a plurality of products.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of said client computers being operatively disposed to present to a user a plurality of product options and services from which said user can make a selection and thereupon, responsive to user input indicating a particular product from a menu, providing product information retrieved from said product database, and thereupon to receive from said user a selection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one vendor computer determines the product and proximity information of said user, and thereupon, based upon said proximity information, to select from said product database a plurality of selected vendors, each of said plurality of vendors being proximate to said user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification purchase request message being generated at a specific instant in time and at a specific notification purchase price, said at least one of said plurality of selected vendors being a purchasing vendor.

14. A system for vending real-time notification of purchaser requirements to a plurality requirements to a plurality of selected vendors, said purchase requirements comprising a vendor, wherein the system comprises:

a plurality of wireless terminals in communications with said wireless network to receive said real-time notification of purchaser requirements;

a plurality of client computers, said client computers and said vendor computer being interconnected by said public packet switched communications network to cause a purchase request to be transmitted to said vendor computer over said public packet switched communications network;

at least one vendor computer, said vendor computer having at least one of a plurality of product databases, and said vendor computer being operatively disposed to analyze said purchase request and operatively disposed to determine account information and to cause a message to be transmitted into said wireless network external to said public packet switched communications network, in order to provide said real time notification to said plurality of selected vendors notification;

wherein said vendor computer further comprises;

a timer circuit, thereupon reducing said starting notification purchase price by a selectable amount at successive intervals measured by monitoring time lapses;

a receiving unit for receiving from at least one of said plurality of selected vendors a vendor notification purchase request message;

a determining unit which determines said purchasing vendor'"'"'s authorization to purchase said vendor notification, based upon vendor profile information, wherein if said purchasing vendor is authorized to purchase said vendor notification, then transmitting said vendor notification to said purchasing vendor; and

a debiting unit for debiting an account associated with said purchasing vendor for said specific notification purchase price.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each one of said client computers being operatively disposed to present to a user a plurality of product options and services from which said user can make a selection and thereupon, responsive to user input indicating a particular product from a menu, providing product information retrieved from said product database, and thereupon to receive from said user a selection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one vendor computer determines the product and proximity information of said user, and thereupon, based upon said proximity information, to select from said product database a plurality of selected vendors, each of said plurality of vendors being proximate to said user.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said notification purchase request message being generated at a specific instant in time and at a specific notification purchase price, said at least one of said plurality of selected vendors being a purchasing vendor.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said notification purchase request message being generated at a specific instant in time and at a specific notification purchase price, said at least one of said plurality of selected vendors being a purchasing vendor.