Method and system for conducting real time electronic commerce

• US 6,587,838 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• 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:
  US09/237,292
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29, 455/3-1-
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

According to the invention, a system for providing real-time notification of purchaser requirements in a heterogeneous network environment is provided. 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. Select embodiments include a plurality of wireless terminals in communication with the wireless network to receive real-time notification of a purchaser'"'"'s requirements. At least one vendor computer is part of the system. The vendor computer has one or more databases for storing information about products and services in a product database, and a customer database, for storing information about customers. A plurality of client computers are part of the system. The client computers enable users to interact with the system to learn about and express interest in products and services.

Claims

1. A system for providing 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 communication 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, including a product database having information about a plurality of products, and a customer database, having information about a plurality of customers;

a plurality of client computers, said client computers and said vendor computer being interconnected by said public packet switched communications network;

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 An make a selection and thereupon, responsive to user input indicating a particular product from a menu, providing product information including photographs, retrieved from said product database, and thereupon to receive from said user a selection and to prompt said user for user specific information, and thereupon 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 determine the product and proximity information of said user;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed, 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;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to determine a wireless region and account information associated with each of said plurality of selected vendors;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to cause information pertaining to said user to be recorded in said customer database;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to cause a message to be transmitted into said wireless network external to said public packet switched communications network, based upon said wireless region and account information, in order to provide said real time notification of purchaser requirements to said plurality of selected vendors;

said vendor computer being operatively disposed to cause a confirmation message to be seat over said public packet switched network for display to said user, said confirmation message indicating that at least one of said plurality of selected vendors will contact said user in order to enter into a commercial transaction.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to distribute said purchase request to said plurality of selected vendors using a round robin selection mechanism to prevent multiplicity of responses.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to provide 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 system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to screen said plurality of vendors for compliance to specified criteria.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to provide 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 system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to provide a questionnaire reflecting users'"'"' comments about products and services offered.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said vendor computer is further operative to program said plurality of wireless terminals to configure said wireless terminal.

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

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

10. A method for providing 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 communication 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, including a product database having information about a plurality of products, and a customer database, having information about a plurality of customers;

a plurality of client computers, said client computers and said vendor computer being interconnected by said public packet switched communications network, said method comprising the steps;

presenting to a user at one of said plurality of client computers a plurality of product options and services from which said user can make a selection, and thereupon;

providing product information including photographs, retrieved from said product database, responsive to user input indicating a particular product from a menu, and thereupon;

receiving from said user a selection and to prompt said user for user specific information, and thereupon;

causing a purchase request to be transmitted to said vendor computer over said public packet switched communications network, and thereupon;

analyzing said purchase request at said vendor computer to determine the product and proximity information of said user, thereupon;

based upon said proximity information, selecting from said product database a plurality of selected vendors, each of said plurality of vendors being proximate to said user;

determining a wireless region and account information associated with each of said plurality of selected vendors;

causing information pertaining to said user to be recorded in said customer database,

causing a message to be transmitted into said wireless network external to said public packet switched communications network, based upon said wireless region and account information, in order to provide said real time notification to said plurality of selected vendors,

causing a confirmation message to be sent over said public packet switched network for display to said user, said confirmation message indicating that at least one of said plurality of selected vendors will contact said user in order to enter into a commercial transaction.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

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

12. The method of claim 10 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.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

screening said plurality of vendors for compliance to specified criteria.

14. The method of claim 10 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.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

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

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

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

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said product comprises automobiles.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said product information further comprises a make, model and a description of said automobiles.

19. A computer program product for providing 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 communication 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, including a product database having information about a plurality of products, and a customer database, having information about a plurality of customers;

a plurality of client computers, said client computers and said vendor computer being interconnected by said public packet switched communications network, said computer program product comprising instructions for;

presenting 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 including photographs, retrieved from said product database, and thereupon to receive from said user a selection and to prompt said user for user specific information, and thereupon to cause a purchase request to be transmitted to said vendor computer over said public packet switched communications network;

analyzing said purchase request to determine product and proximity information of said user, 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;

determining a wireless region and account information associated with each of said plurality of selected vendors, to cause information pertaining to said user to be recorded in said customer database;

transmitting a message into said wireless network external to said public packet switched communications network, based upon said wireless region and account information, in order to provide said real time notification to said plurality of selected vendors;

sending a confirmation message over said public packet switched network for display to said user, said confirmation message indicating that at least one of said plurality of selected vendors will contact said user in order to enter into a commercial transaction; and

a computer readable storage medium for holding said instructions.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for distributing said purchase request to said plurality of selected vendors using a round robin selection mechanism to prevent multiplicity of responses.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for 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.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for screening said plurality of vendors for compliance to specified criteria.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for 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.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for providing a questionnaire reflecting users'"'"' comments about products and services offered.

25. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for programming said plurality of wireless terminals to configure said wireless terminal.

26. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein said product comprises automobiles.

27. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein said product information further comprises a make, model and a description of said automobiles.