Conditional purchase offer buyer agency system

• US 6,356,878 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Priceline.com LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Priceline Com Incorporated (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Sparico, Thomas M., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSEN, NICHOLAS D
• Application Number:
  US08/997,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 705/5, 705/13, 705/15, 705/37, 705/35, 705/38, 295/226, 295/228, 295/236, 295/237, 295/239, 340/825.3
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00

Abstract

A conditional purchase offer (CPO) buyer agency system is disclosed for processing variable conditional purchase offers (CPOs) containing at least one variable condition. If a posted CPO is not accepted by at least one seller for a predefined period of time, or has been rejected by all potential sellers, the terms of the posted CPO may be modified by the CPO buyer agency system, within the tolerances specified by the buyer in the variable CPO, to facilitate acceptance. A buyer can submit a variable CPO having two sets of conditions, namely, a first set and a second set of conditions, as well as the corresponding buyer-defined offer price for each condition set. In addition, the buyer preferably provides a set of rules to control the gradual posting of the condition sets between the first and second condition sets, as well as the appropriate adjustments to the corresponding offer price. A buyer can also submit a variable CPO having several predefined CPO sets, each with defined condition sets and corresponding offer prices, as well as a priority for their posting. If the highest priority CPO is not accepted, the next CPO in the prioritized list can be posted until a CPO is bound, all possibilities have been exhausted or the variable CPO has expired. A CPO rule application process monitors and modifies variable CPOs having a first set and a second set of conditions, and a CPO evaluation process monitors and modifies variables CPOs having predefined CPO condition sets.

Claims

1. A method for using a computer to process the sale of goods or services, comprising:

receiving in said computer a plurality of purchase offers for goods or services from a buyer, each of said purchase offers containing at least one condition and a buyer-specified price;

receiving a payment identifier specifying a general purpose account from which funds may be paid at said buyer-specified price; and

thereafter

providing at least one of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers;

obtaining at least one acceptance of said at least one provided purchase offer;

determining a first acceptance obtained, thereby determining a first seller of the plurality of sellers; and

processing the sale of said goods or services between said buyer and said first seller which has accepted a purchase offer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing comprises providing at least a first and a second of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers in a sequential manner, and wherein said second purchase offer is not provided to said plurality of sellers until said first purchase offer was not accepted for a predetermined time period.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing comprises providing a first and a second of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers simultaneously.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein upon determining a first acceptance obtained of said first or second purchase offer, further comprising canceling said other of said first or second purchase offer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon said determining a first acceptance obtained, payment is provided to the first seller.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon said determining a first acceptance obtained, payment is transferred from said buyer to the first seller.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to said providing, displaying appropriate legal language to said buyer to form a binding offer.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving in a computer system an indication of a first purchase offer and a second purchase offer from said buyer, the first purchase offer including;

a first condition value, and

a first price;

and the second purchase offer including;

a second condition value, and

a second price;

receiving a payment identifier specifying a general purpose account from which funds may be paid for said purchase offers;

after receiving said first purchase offer, said second purchase offer, and said payment identifier, providing the first purchase offer to a plurality of sellers;

determining if the first purchase offer was accepted within a predetermined time period;

if the first purchase offer was not accepted within said predetermined time period, providing the second purchase offer to a plurality of sellers; and

if said first or said second purchase offer is accepted by any seller, processing a sale in accordance with said acceptance.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising canceling said first purchase offer upon providing said second purchase offer.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said providing the second purchase offer comprises modifying the first purchase offer in accordance with the second condition value and the second price.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

prior to said providing, displaying appropriate legal language to said buyer to form a binding offer.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said variable conditions within said condition set are modified until all configurations of said first and said second condition sets have been exhausted.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said variable conditions within said condition set are modified for each time period equal to the pendency period of said purchase offer divided by the number of possible modifications to said conditions.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein said offer price is modified each time said conditions are modified.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said price modification is equal to the difference between said first and second prices divided by the number of possible modifications to said conditions.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein said purchase offer is modified if said purchase offer is rejected by all sellers.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein said purchase offer further includes a set of rules to control the gradual posting of the condition sets between the first and second condition sets.

23. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of binding said customer to purchase said item if an acceptance is received for one of said purchase offers.

24. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first condition set is associated with an ideal condition set and a corresponding maximum price.

25. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first condition set is associated with a broad or flexible set of conditions and a corresponding minimum offer price.

12. A method for processing the purchase of an item using a computer system, comprising:

obtaining in said computer system a variable purchase offer from a customer for said item, said variable purchase offer containing a first condition set and a second condition set, and an offer price for each of said condition sets;

obtaining a payment identifier from said customer, said payment identifier specifying a financial account to provide payment for said variable purchase offer; and

after receiving said variable purchase offer and said payment identifier, providing a purchase offer to a plurality of sellers containing said first set of conditions;

determining whether any of said sellers accepts said purchase offer;

modifying at least one variable condition within said first condition set to a second condition value if said variable purchase offer is not accepted within a predefined time period;

providing said modified purchase offer to said plurality of sellers; and

if an acceptance is received for one of said purchase offers, processing the purchase of said item.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said modifying is repeated until all of said variable conditions within said first condition set have been modified to said second condition value.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising modifying said offer price for each modification to said variable conditions within said first condition set.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising initiating use of said payment identifier if said customer does not purchase said item after a seller accepts one of said purchase offers.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein said variable conditions within said first condition set are modified in accordance with a condition priority established by the buyer.

26. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

prior to said providing, displaying appropriate legal language to said buyer to form a binding variable purchase offer.

27. A method of using a computer system to process the sale of goods or services, comprising:

receiving by said computer system a plurality of purchase offers from a customer for said goods or services, said purchase offers containing a plurality of condition sets and buyer-defined offer prices;

receiving a payment identifier specifying a financial account to provide payment for said buyer-defined offer prices upon acceptance of any of said purchase offers; and

thereafter

evaluating by said computer system a first purchase offer against seller inventory and pricing information of a plurality of sellers to determine whether said first purchase offer is to be accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller;

if said first purchase offer is not accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller, evaluating a second purchase offer against said seller inventory and pricing information of the plurality of sellers to determine whether said second purchase offer is to be accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller; and

processing the sale of said goods or services if one of the purchase offers is accepted.

28. A system for processing the sale of goods or services, comprising:

a memory device;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

receive a plurality of purchase offers for goods or services from a buyer, each of said purchase offers containing at least one condition and a buyer-specified price;

receive a payment identifier specifying a general purpose account from which funds may be paid for any of said purchase offers; and

thereafter

provide at least one of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers;

obtain at least one acceptance of said at least one provided purchase offer;

determine a first acceptance obtained, thereby determining a first seller of the plurality of sellers; and

process the sale of said goods or services between said buyer and said first seller.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said processor is further configured to provide at least a first and a second of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers in a sequential manner, and wherein said second purchase offer is not provided to said plurality of sellers until said first purchase offer was not accepted for a predetermined time period.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein said processor is further configured to provide a first and a second of said plurality of purchase offers to a plurality of sellers simultaneously.

31. A system, comprising:

a memory device;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

receive an indication of a first purchase offer and a second purchase offer from a buyer, the first purchase offer including;

a first condition value, and

a first price;

and the second purchase offer including;

a second condition value, and

a second price;

receive a payment identifier specifying a general purpose account from which funds may be paid for said purchase offers;

after receiving said first purchase offer, said second purchase offer, and said payment identifier, provide the first purchase offer to a plurality of sellers;

determine if the first purchase offer was accepted within a predetermined time period;

if the first purchase offer was not accepted within said predetermined time period, provide the second purchase offer to a plurality of sellers; and

if said first or said second purchase offer is accepted by any seller, process a sale in accordance with said acceptance.

32. A system for processing the purchase of an item, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, said processor configured to;

obtain a variable purchase offer from a customer for said item, said variable purchase offer containing a first condition set and a second condition set, and an offer price for each of said condition sets;

obtain a payment identifier from said customer, said payment identifier specifying a financial account to provide payment for said item; and

after receiving said variable purchase offer and said payment identifier, provide a purchase offer to a plurality of sellers containing said first condition set;

determine whether any of said sellers accepts said purchase offer;

modify at least one variable condition within said first condition set to a second condition value if said variable purchase offer is not accepted within a predefined time period;

provide said modified purchase offer to said plurality of sellers; and

if an acceptance is received for said variable purchase offer or said modified purchase offer, process the purchase of said item.

33. A computer system for processing the sale of goods or services, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, said processor configured to;

receive a plurality of purchase offers from a customer for said goods or services, said purchase offers containing a plurality of condition sets and buyer-defined offer prices;

receive a payment identifier specifying a financial account to provide payment for said buyer-defined offer prices upon acceptance of any of said purchase offers; and

thereafter

evaluate a first purchase offer against seller inventory and pricing information of a plurality of sellers to determine whether said first purchase offer is to be accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller;

if said first purchase offer is not accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller, evaluate a second purchase offer against said seller inventory and pricing information of the plurality of sellers to determine whether said second purchase offer is to be accepted by said computer system on behalf of any seller; and

process the sale of said goods or services if any purchase offer is accepted.