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

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Chiaramonte
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Chiaramonte
• Inventors: Mayo, Anthony Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gravini, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US09/549,572
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, although not necessarily limited thereto, the system of the present invention may function in the context of an internet based commercial real estate brokering system. In such a system, potential buyers, sellers, lessors and lessees list and respond to offerings having characteristics as described in connection with the listings. For example, a potential landlord may, through interaction with the system of the present invention, list one or more buildings for lease. Communication and interaction may occur on an anonymous basis such that the potential landlord is unaware of the actual identity of the prospective tenant and vice versa until such time as one or the other or both decide to reveal their identity. It is also possible to avoid the need to reveal any contact information associated with either party (including, for example, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, etc.) until such time as a party wishes to disclose such information. Another aspect of the system of the present invention provides users of the transaction system as well as the operator thereof with the. ability to conveniently and accurately track orders and renewals of listings. All that is necessary from the advertiser'"'"'s point of view is to select and activate the “reply” button on, for example, the advertiser'"'"'s email application screen. Once this is done, a reply email is sent to and received by the system of the present invention and, based upon the specific “reply to address”, the system processes the reply and carries out the automated billing process.

Claims

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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate listing service.

3. The method of claim 2, where the real estate listing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate leasing service.

5. The method of claim 4, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for a lease.

6. The method of claim 4, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.

7. A computer readable medium containing code for causing a processor to perform a purchase transaction over a network, the computer readable medium comprising:

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

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

code for 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;

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

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

code for 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 me transaction description; and

code for 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.

8. The computer medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate listing service.

9. The computer medium of claim 8, where the real estate listing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.

10. The computer medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate leasing service.

11. The computer medium of claim 10, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for a lease.

12. The computer medium of claim 10, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.

13. A system for performing a purchase transaction over a network, the system comprising:

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

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

means for 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;

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

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

means for 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

means for 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.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate listing service.

15. The system of claim 13, where the real estate listing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of a good and a service comprises a real estate leasing service.

17. The system of claim 16, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for a lease.

18. The system of claim 16, where the real estate leasing service includes a designated time frame for acceptance.