×

Transaction system and methodology with inter-party communications capability

  • US 6,678,663 B1
  • Filed: 04/14/2000
  • Issued: 01/13/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for processing a purchase transaction over a network comprising the steps of:

  • receiving at a server first user information from a first user, where the first user information comprises the identity of the user;

    receiving at the server a plurality of transaction descriptions, where;

    a) at least one of the plurality of transaction descriptions is received from a first user at a work station remote from the server;

    b) each of the plurality of transaction descriptions is an offer for sale of at least one of a good and a service;

    c) each of the plurality of transaction descriptions comprise identification indicia, price indicia and location indicia; and

    d) each of the plurality of transaction descriptions is associated with the first user and the first user information;

    generating at the server a unique email address for each of the plurality of transaction descriptions, where email transmissions sent to the unique email address are accessible by the first user;

    generating at the server a transaction description page for each of the transaction description, where the transaction description page;

    a) includes the identification indicia, the price indicia, and the location indicia; and

    b) includes a message soft button that enables an email message to be sent to the first user at the unique email address associated with the transaction description; and

    c) does not include the first user information;

    storing at a storage device the received plurality of transaction descriptions, the transaction description page generated for each transaction description, the unique email address for each transaction description and the user information;

    receiving at the server a request from a second user at a workstation remote from the server, where the request is for at least one of the plurality of transaction descriptions;

    displaying at least one of the transaction description pages from the server to the second user at the work station, where the at least one displayed transaction description page corresponds to the requested transaction description;

    receiving an email transmission at the server, where;

    a) the email transmission is from the second user activating the message soft button;

    b) the email transmission is directed toward the unique email address;

    c) the email transmission is at least one of an acceptance of the offer, a counter-offer and a question regarding the transaction description; and

    d) the email transmission does not provide the identity of the second user to the recipient to the email transmission;

    receiving a request at the server from the first user at a workstation remote from the server, where the request is to view the plurality of transaction descriptions;

    generating at the server a listing page containing a plurality of transaction description hyper-text links and a plurality of message hyper-text links, where;

    a) each of the plurality of transaction description hypertext links corresponds to one transaction description page for a transaction description;

    b) each of the plurality of message hyper-text links corresponds to one unique email address; and

    c) each of the message hyper-text links is in the form of information regarding at least one of the number of messages received at the unique email address and the number of unread messages received at the unique email address;

    transmitting from the server the listing page to the first user at a workstation remote from the server;

    receiving at the server a request to access at least one email transmission;

    transmitting an email page from the server to the first user, where the email page comprises;

    a) the text of the email transmission; and

    b) a message soft button that enables an email message to be sent to the second user at the unique email address associated with the transaction description; and

    receiving a second email transmission at the server, where;

    a) the email transmission is from the first user activating the message soft button;

    b) the email transmission is directed toward the unique email address;

    c) the email transmission is at least one of an acknowledgement of the acceptance of the offer, an acceptance of the counter-offer and a question regarding the counter offer; and

    d) the email transmission does not provide the identity of the first user to the recipient to the email transmission.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×