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Spread-maximizing travel-services trading system using buyer- and seller-specified multi-attribute values

  • US 6,868,400 B1
  • Filed: 07/06/2000
  • Issued: 03/15/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computerized spread-maximizing trading system for trading multi-attribute products comprising:

  • a plurality of seller trading agents, for accessing seller databases containing seller true values for multi-attribute products distinguished by a variety of attributes with attribute values, each seller trading agent representing a seller;

    a buyer interface, for receiving buyer true values from a buyer, the buyer interface generating buyer true values for the multi-attribute products distinguished by the variety of attributes with attribute values;

    a trading manager, coupled to the buyer interface and to the plurality of seller trading agents, for receiving the buyer true values and the seller true values for the multi-attribute products; and

    an attribute manager, coupled to the trading manager, for generating a plurality of spreads for the multi-attribute products, each spread in the plurality of spreads being a difference of a buyer true value and a seller true value for a specific combination of attribute values;

    wherein the trading manager finds a spread-maximizing product in the multi-attribute products by finding a maximum spread in the plurality of spreads generated by the attribute manager, the maximum spread having a largest difference between the buyer true value and the seller true value, the maximum spread occurring for a spread-maximizing combination of the attribute values that specifies the spread-maximizing product;

    wherein the trading manager selects the spread-maximizing product for sale by the seller to the buyer, the trading manager notifying the buyer of the spread-maximizing combination of the attribute values that specifies the spread-maximizing product, whereby the spread-maximizing product is selected by finding the spread-maximizing combination of the attribute values having a maximum difference between the buyer true values and the seller true values.

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