Negotiation system and method for electronic commerce

• US 6,988,097 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shirota, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYYAN, SUSAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/146,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 705/26, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A search system, an information-providing system and an information search method. “Response information” such as a checkmark for indicating exclusion and a message added by a customer terminal and “additional information” added by a supplier terminal to a commodity retrieved by a search for data in a commodity database of a server based on search criteria input through the customer terminal are associated and stored with “session-specific information” in a session-specific database. When the supplier terminal accesses the server, the “response information” input by the customer terminal is transferred to the supplier terminal. When the customer terminal accesses the server, the “additional information” added by the supplier terminal is transferred to the customer terminal.

Claims

1. A server for storing exhibition information provided from a terminal of an exhibitor over a network and searching said exhibition information based on a first set of search criteria specified from a terminal of a customer via said network, comprising:

a search execution module for searching exhibition information based on said first set of search criteria specified on said terminal of said customer to retrieve the exhibition information meeting said first set of search criteria and for outputting, responsive to said searching, one or more items of said exhibition information meeting said first set of search criteria to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said customer in response to a retrieval of said exhibition information meeting said first set of search criteria, said searching and said outputting being performed during a first session between said server and said terminal of said customer;

a data receiving module for receiving additional information provided concerning said one or more items from said terminal of said customer and for associating and storing said additional information with information for identifying said customer; and

an information output module for outputting said additional information to said terminal of said exhibitor in response to said server being accessed from said terminal of said exhibitor after said data receiving module receives said additional information,

wherein said additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said exhibition information meeting said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said outputting said one or more items, said message associated with said first item and said message to be viewed by said exhibitor via said outputting by said information output module, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said exhibition information meeting said first set of search criteria, said second item output by said search execution module during said first session, and

wherein said search execution module is for excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being output to said terminal of said customer in response to said search execution module searching said exhibition information based on a second set of search criteria during a second session between said server and said terminal of said customer, said second set of search criteria being identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session being subsequent to said first session.

2. The server according to claim 1, further comprising:

a response message reception module for receiving response message information input from said terminal of said exhibitor responding to said message of said additional information output from said information output module; and

a response message output module for outputting said response message information associated with said information for identifying said customer to said terminal of said customer in response to said server being accessed by said terminal of said customer by using said information for identifying said customer after said response message information is received.

3. A server for storing information provided from a terminal of an information provider over a network and searching said information based on search criteria specified from a terminal of an information requester over a network, comprising:

an information adding module for adding session-specific information to a first session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server in response to a first set of search criteria being specified from said terminal of said information requester;

a search execution module for searching information based on the first set of search criteria specified from said terminal of said information requester to retrieve information meeting said first set of search criteria and for outputting one or more items of said information meeting said first set of search criteria to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said information requester in response to said searching, said searching and said outputting being performed during a first session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester;

an information storage for receiving additional information concerning said one or more items to be added to said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria from at least one of said terminal of said information requester and said terminal of said information provider and for associating and storing said additional information with said session-specific information; and

an information output module for obtaining said additional information and said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria to which said additional information is added based on said session-specific information from said information storage, and for outputting said additional information and said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria to said terminal of said information requester or said terminal of said information provider in response to a subsequent session being established between said terminal of said information requester or said terminal of said information provider and said server after said additional information is stored,

wherein said additional information received from said terminal of said information provider comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said outputting by said search execution module during said first session, said message associated with said first item, and said message to be viewed by said information provider via said subsequent session established between said terminal of said information provider and said server, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more item of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria, said second item being output via said search execution module during said first session, and

wherein said search execution module is further for excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being output to said terminal of said information requester in response to said search execution module searching said information based on a second set of search criteria during a second session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester, said second set of search criteria being identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session being subsequent to said first session.

4. The server according to claim 3, further comprising a search criteria storage for associating and storing data about said search criteria specified from said terminal of said information requester with said session-specific information, wherein said search execution module retrieves information based on said search criteria the data about which is stored in said search criteria storage in response to a session being established between said terminal of said information requester and said server after the data about said search criteria is stored.

5. The server according to claim 3, wherein:

said information storage associates and stores requester terminal identification information identifying said terminal of said information requester with said session-specific information; and

said information output module obtains said session-specific information based on said requester terminal identification information obtained in response to said terminal of said information requester accessing said server.

6. A search system for searching for information based on search criteria specified from a terminal of a user accessing said search system through a network, comprising:

a database for storing information-to-be-searched-for;

a search processing module for retrieving information that is to be searched for and meets a first set of search criteria specified from said terminal of said user and for outputting, responsive to said retrieving, one or more items of said retrieved information as a search result to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said user through said network, said retrieving and said outputting being performed during a first session established between said terminal of said user and said search system;

an additional-information receiving module for receiving additional information added to said output search result on said terminal of said user, said additional information associated with said one or more items; and

an information storage for associating and storing said first set of search criteria with said additional information, wherein information about said first set of search criteria and said additional information are retrieved from said information storage, a search is executed based on said first set of search criteria in said search execution module, and search result information in which said additional information is reflected is output in response to a second session and subsequent sessions being established between said terminal of said user and said search system,

wherein said additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information, said displaying said first item responsive to said outputting said one or more items, said message associated with said item, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said retrieved information, said second item output by said search processing module, and

wherein said search processing module is for excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being output to said terminal of said user in response to said search processing module retrieving said information that meets a second set of search criteria during a second session established between said terminal of said user and said search system, said second set of search criteria being identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session being subsequent to said first session.

7. The search system according to claim 6, wherein said search result information including said information-to-be-searched-for provided from a terminal of a supplier is output to said terminal of said supplier supplying the information-to-be-searched-for stored in said database.

8. The search system according to claim 7, wherein supplier additional information added by said terminal of said supplier to said search result information output to said terminal of said supplier is received;

and

a search is executed based on said search criteria in said search processing module and search result information in which said additional information and said supplier additional information are reflected are output in response to a session being established between said terminal of said user or said terminal of said supplier after said supplier additional information is received.

9. An information-providing system, comprising:

a server connectable to a network;

a terminal of an information provider, said terminal connectable to said network for providing information to said server,

wherein said server comprises;

an information storage for storing information provided from said terminal of said information provider;

an information retrieval module for retrieving information from the information stored in said information storage based on a first set of search criteria included in a first request sent from a terminal of an external information requester over said network;

a requester-part sending module for sending one or more items of said retrieved information to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said information requester in response to said retrieving said information based on said first set of search criteria, said retrieving by said information retrieval module and said sending by said requester-part sending module being performed during a first session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server;

an identification module for identifying said terminal or said information provider providing said information sent to said terminal of said information requester;

a provider-part sending module for sending said information retrieved by said information retrieval module to said identified terminal of said information provider, in response to said server being accessed from said terminal of said information provider after said information retrieval module retrieves said information based on said first set of search criteria; and

an additional information storage for receiving requester additional information added through said terminal of said information requester to said information sent to said terminal of said information requester and for associating and storing said requester additional information with said information,

wherein said provider-part sending module sends said requester additional information along with said information to said identified terminal of said information provider,

wherein said requester additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information based on said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said sending said one or more items by said requester-part sending module, said message associated with said first item and said message to be viewed by said information provider via said requester additional information sent by said provider-part sending module, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said retrieved information based on said first set of search criteria, said second item sent by said requester-part sending module during said first session, and

wherein said information retrieval module is further for excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being sent to said terminal of said information requester in response to said information retrieval module retrieving from said information storage based on a second set of search criteria included in a second request from said terminal of said information requester during a second session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server, said second set of search criteria being identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session being subsequent to said first session.

10. The information-providing system according to claim 9, said system further comprising one or more terminals of one or more other information providers in addition to said information provider, said one or more terminals connectable to said network for providing information to said server, wherein said server further comprises an additional information storage for receiving provider additional information added through said terminal of said information provider to said information sent to said terminal of said information provider and for associating and storing said provider additional information with said information,

wherein said requester-part sending module sends said provider additional information along with said retrieved information to said terminal of said information requester,

wherein said terminal of said information provider further comprises an access right setting module for setting an access right for said provider additional information,

wherein said provider-part sending module sends said provider additional information to said one or more terminals of said one or more other information providers if said access right is not set, and

wherein said provider-part sending module does not send said provider additional information to said one or more terminals of said one or more other information providers if said access right is set.

11. The information-providing system according to claim 10, wherein said provider-part sending module sends all of said retrieved information and said provider additional information if said retrieved information is provided by a plurality of information providers including said information provider and at least one of said one or more other information providers.

12. An information-providing terminal of a plurality of information-providing terminals connectable to a server through a network for providing information to said server, comprising:

an information receiving module for receiving information from said server in response to an information-providing terminal of the plurality of information-providing terminals accessing said server after said information provided from said information-providing terminal is retrieved by a search according to search criteria input from an external source to said server;

an information display for displaying one or more items of said received information in one or more display areas of said information display in a one-to-one correspondence, said displaying in response to said accessing said server by said information-providing terminal;

an access right setting module for prohibiting disclosure to other information-providing terminals of said plurality of information-providing terminals of at least some of said information provided from said information-providing terminal among said retrieved information,

wherein said other information-providing terminals are authenticated as providers of said information to said server;

an information adding module far adding additional information to said information displayed on said information display; and

an information sending module for sending said additional information to said server,

wherein said additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying an item of said one or more items of said information retrieved by said search according to said search criteria, said displaying said item responsive to said accessing said server by said information-providing terminal, said message associated with said item and said message to be viewed by a user of said external source via said sending by said information sending module.

13. An information search method for a server to search for information stored in a database according to a request sent from a terminal of an information requester over a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of search criteria data input on said terminal of said information requester over said network during a first session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester;

searching information stored in said database to retrieve information meeting said first set of search criteria and sending, responsive to said searching, one or more items of said information meeting said first set of search criteria to the terminal of said information requester for display in one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said information requester, said searching performed daring said first session;

receiving additional information added to said information meeting said first set of search criteria by said terminal of said information requester over the network;

associating and storing said first set of search criteria with requester identification information identifying said information requester; and

,

sending said information meeting said first set of search criteria along with said additional information to said terminal of said information provider, in response to said server being accessed through said network by said terminal of said information provider providing said information meeting said first set of search criteria to said database,

wherein said additional information comprises;

a message to said information provider input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said information meeting said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said sending, said message associated with said first item and said message to be viewed by said information provider via said sending to said terminal of said information provider, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of information meeting said first set of search criteria, said second item sent via said sending to said terminal of said information requester, and

wherein said information search method further comprises;

receiving a second set of search criteria input on said terminal of said information requester over said network during a second session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester;

searching, during said second session, information stored in said database to retrieve information meeting said second set of search criteria; and

excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being sent to said terminal of said information requester in response to said searching during said second session,

wherein said second get of search criteria is identical to said first set of search criteria, and wherein said second session is subsequent to said first session.

14. A method performed by a server storing information provided from a terminal of an information provider over a network for searching said information based on search criteria specified from a terminal of an information requester through said network, comprising the steps of:

assigning unique session-specific information to a first session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server in response to a first set of search criteria being specified from said terminal of said information requester;

receiving said first set or search criteria specified from said terminal of said information requester;

searching the information stored in said server based on said first set of search criteria to retrieve information meeting said first set of search criteria;

outputting one or more items of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said information requester, in response to said searching, said searching and said outputting being performed during a first session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester;

receiving additional information concerning said one or more items and added to said retrieved information by at least one of said terminal of said information requester and said terminal of said information provider;

associating and storing said additional information with said session-specific information; and

,

responsive to a subsequent session being established between said terminal of said information requester or said terminal of said information provider and said server after said additional information is stored, obtaining said additional information and said retrieved information to which said additional information is added based on said session-specific information, and outputting said additional information and said retrieved information to said terminal of said information requester or said terminal of said information provider,

wherein said additional information received by said terminal of said information provider comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said outputting said one or more items, said message associated with said first item and said message to be viewed by said information provider via said subsequent session established between said terminal of said information provider and said server, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria, said outputting comprising outputting said second item during said first session, and

wherein said method further comprises;

receiving a second set of search criteria specified from said terminal of said information requester during a second session established between said server and said terminal of said information requester;

searching the information stored in said server based on said second set of search criteria to retrieve information meeting said second set of search criteria during said second session; and

excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being output to said terminal of said information requester in response to searching said information stored in said server based on said second set of search criteria during said second session,

wherein said second set of search criteria is identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session is subsequent to said first session.

15. A method performed by a server for searching for information based on search criteria specified from a terminal of a user accessing said server through a network, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information-to-be-searched-for meeting a first set of search criteria specified by said terminal of said user from a database storing information-to-be-searched-for and outputting, responsive to said retrieving, one or more items of said retrieved information as a search result to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said user through said network, said retrieving and said outputting being performed during a first session established between said terminal of said user and said server;

receiving additional information added to said output search result by said terminal of said user;

associating and storing said first set of search criteria with said additional information;

invoking said stored search criteria information and said additional information in response to subsequent sessions being established between said terminal of said user and said server; and

executing a search based on said invoked search criteria and outputting search result information in which said additional information is reflected,

wherein said additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information, said displaying said first item responsive to said outputting said one or more items, said message associated with said first item, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said retrieved information, said second item output via said outputting during said first session, and

wherein said method further comprises;

retrieving information-to-be-searched-for meeting a second set of search criteria specified by said terminal of said user from a database storing information-to-be-searched-for during a second session established between said terminal of said user and said server; and

excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being output to said terminal of said user in response to said retrieving during said second session, said second set of search criteria being identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session being subsequent to said first session.

16. An information providing method in a server receiving information from a terminal of an information provider over a network, comprising the steps of:

storing the information provided from said terminal of said information provider;

from said stored information, retrieving information meeting a first set of search criteria included in a first request sent from a terminal of an external information requester over said network;

sending one or more items of said retrieved information to one or more display areas in a one-to-one correspondence, said one or more display areas displayed on said terminal of said information requester in response to said retrieving said information meeting said first set of search criteria, said retrieving and said sending being performed during a first session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server;

identifying said terminal of said information provider providing said information sent to said terminal of said information requester; and

,

sending said retrieved information to said terminal of said identified terminal of said information provider in response to said server being accessed from said terminal of said information provider after said retrieving said information meeting said first set of search criteria;

receiving requester additional information added through said terminal of said information requester to said retrieved information sent to said terminal of said information requester;

associating and storing said requester additional information with said retrieved information,

wherein said sending said retrieved information comprises sending said requester additional information alone with said retrieved information to said identified terminal of said information provider,

wherein said requester additional information comprises;

a message input in a message field included in a display area of said one or more display areas, said display area displaying a first item of said one or more items of said retrieved information based on said first set of search criteria, said displaying said first item responsive to said sending said one or more items, said message associated with said first item and said message to be viewed by said information provider after said sending said retrieved information, and

an indicator indicating a second item of said one or more items of said retrieved information meeting said first set of search criteria, said second item sent via said sending said one or more items during said first session, and

wherein said method further comprises;

from said stored information, retrieving information meeting a second set of search criteria included in a second request sent from a terminal of said external information requester over said network during a second session established between said terminal of said information requester and said server; and

excluding said second item indicated by said indicator from being sent to said terminal of said information requester in response to said retrieving information meeting said second set of search criteria during said second session,

wherein said second set of search criteria is identical to said first set of search criteria, and said second session is subsequent to said first session.