System and method for facilitating commercial transactions over a data network

• US 7,206,756 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Versata Development Group, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Trilogy Development Group Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: Walsky, Joshua P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C.
• Application Number:
  US09/760,061
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/20, 705/36.R, 235/381, 463/25, 345/25, 706/47, 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A method, a computer system and a computer program product to facilitate comparison-price shopping over a data network, such as the Internet, is provided that includes a price availability feature guaranteeing a price of a product associated with product-related information stored on a server. To that end, information that concerns a product is rendered on a display in a browser window. The information rendered typically includes offered price data. A server is provided that includes a plurality of addresses in an address space, and a subportion of the plurality of addresses is associated with an identification code. Acceptance to the offered price data is achieved by storing the information in the subportion, defining agreed price data. The agreed price data is maintained in the absence of a predetermined system event.

Claims

1. A method, employing a browser in data communication over a network with a server, for determining a price of a product, said method comprising:

providing information concerning said product for display in a browser window, said information including a first offered price of said product;

receiving information from said browser indicating an agreement by a user of the browser of said first offered price for said product;

storing product related information including said first offered price, wherein said product is configured with multiple features, said stored product related information includes said features of said product and said stored product related information is associated with an identification code corresponding to said user of the browser;

receiving a purchase request associated with said identification code, wherein the purchase request indicates an agreement to purchase said product for said first offered price;

prior to responding to said purchase request, determining if an event has occurred prior to receiving said purchase request to cause modification of the first offered price, wherein the event that caused modification of the first offered price is unrelated to any data received from said user subsequent to storing said product related information; and

changing said first offered price of said product to a second offered price of said product in response to said event that caused modification of the first offered price.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes expiration of a preset amount of time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said preset time is in a range of one to ten days.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes changes in said product related information associated with said product.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said information corresponds to characteristics of an automobile.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein changing said first offered price comprises:

varying one or more features with which said product is configured.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first offered price includes tax information associated with a geographic region and a manufacture'"'"'s suggested retail price (MSRP), and said changing said agreed price comprises:

varying said MSRP independently of said tax information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said event corresponds to a change in a specification of said product.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein agreement to said price is effected by storing said product-related information in said subportion of said addresses associated with said server.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, coupled to said processor and coupled to a client computer via a network, wherein said network interface permits said client computer to be in data communication over said network with said processor;

computer readable medium coupled to said processor; and

computer code, encoded in said computer readable medium, for determining a price of a product by virtue of being configured to cause said processor to;

provide information concerning said product for display by a client computer coupled to the, said display information including a first offered price of said product;

receive information from said client computer indicating an agreement by a user of the client computer of said first offered price for said product;

store product related information including said first offered price data, wherein said product is configured with multiple features, said stored product related information includes said features of said product, and said stored product related information is associated with an identification code corresponding to the user of the client computer;

receive a purchase request associated with said identification code, wherein the purchase request indicates an agreement to purchase said product for said first offered price;

determine, prior to responding to said purchase request if an event has occurred prior to receiving said purchase request to cause modification of the first offered price, wherein the event that caused modification of the first offered price is unrelated to any data received from said user subsequent to storage of said product related information; and

change said first offered price of said product to a second offered price of said product in response to the event that caused modification of the first offered price.

11. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes expiration of a preset amount of time.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein said preset amount of time is in a range of one to ten days.

13. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes changes in said product related information associated with said product.

14. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said information corresponds to characteristics of an automobile.

15. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said code to change said first offered price is further configured to cause said processor to:

vary one or more features with which said product is configured.

16. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said first offered price includes tax information associated with a geographic region and a manufacture'"'"'s suggested retail price (MSRP), and said computer code configured to cause said processor to change said first offered price is further configured to cause said processor to:

vary said MSRP independently of said tax information.

17. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein said event corresponds to a change in a specification of said product.

18. The computer system as recited in 10 wherein agreement to said first offered price is effected by code to cause the processor to store said product-related information in a subportion of addresses associated with said server.

19. A computer program storage medium for operation on a server computer system in data communication over a network with at least one client computer system employing a browser application, the computer program product comprising code for determining a price of a product, said computer program storage medium comprising:

for each client computer system;

code to provide display information to said browser application concerning said product, said display information including a first offered price of said product;

code to associate an identification code corresponding to a user of said client system;

code to receive product-related information from said client computer system indicating an acceptance of said first offered price;

code to store said product-related information, wherein said product is configured with multiple features, said stored product related information includes said features of said product, and said stored product related information is associated with said identification code;

code to receive a purchase request associated with said identification code, wherein the purchase request indicates an agreement to purchase said product for said first offered price;

code to determine, prior to responding to said purchase request, if an event has occurred prior to receiving said purchase request to cause modification of the first offered price, wherein the event that caused modification of the first offered price is unrelated to any data received from said user subsequent to storage of said product related information; and

code to change said first offered price of said product to a second offered price of said product in response to the event that caused modification of the first offered price.

20. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein event is a predetermined event that includes expiration of a preset amount of time.

21. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 20 wherein said preset amount of time is in a range of one to ten days.

22. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes changes in said product related information associated with said product.

23. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said information corresponds to characteristics of an automobile.

24. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said code to change said first offered price is further configured to cause said processor to:

code to vary one or more features with which said product is configured.

25. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said first offered price includes tax information associated with a geographic region and a manufacture'"'"'s suggested retail price (MSRP), and said computer code configured to cause said processor to change said first offered price is further configured to cause said processor to:

code to vary said MSRP independently of said tax information.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 19 wherein said event corresponds to a change in a specification of said product.

27. The computer program storage medium as recited in claim 19 wherein agreement to said first offered price is effected by code to cause the processor to store said product-related information in a subportion of addresses associated with said server.

28. An apparatus, employing a browser in data communication over a network with a server, for determining a price of a product, said apparatus comprising:

means for providing information concerning said product for display in a browser window, said information including a first offered price of said product;

means for receiving information from said browser indicating an agreement by a user of the browser of said first offered price for said product;

means for storing product related information including said first offered price, wherein said product is configured with multiple features, said stored product related information includes said features of said product and said stored product related information is associated with an identification code corresponding to the user of the browser;

means for receiving a purchase request associated with said identification code, wherein the purchase request indicates an agreement to purchase said product for said first offered price;

means for determining, prior to responding to said purchase request, if an event has occurred prior to receiving said purchase request to cause modification of the first offered price, wherein the event that caused modification of the first offered price is unrelated to any data received from said user subsequent to storage of said product related information; and

means for changing said first offered price of said product to a second offered price of said product in response to the event that caused modification of the first offered price.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes expiration of a preset amount of time.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein said preset amount of time is in a range of one to ten days.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes changes in said product related information associated with said product.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein said information corresponds to characteristics of an automobile.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein said changing said first offered price comprises:

means for varying one or more features with which said product is configured.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein said first offered price includes tax information associated with a geographic region and a manufacture'"'"'s suggested retail price (MSRP), and said changing said agreed price comprises:

means for varying said MSRP independently of said tax information.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein said event corresponds to a change in a specification of said product.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 28 wherein agreement to said first offered price is effected by means for storing said product-related information in a subportion of addresses associated with said server.

37. A method of operating a server computer system for determining a price of a product, said server computer system having a plurality of addresses in an address space associated therewith and said server computer system is in data communication over a network with at least one client system employing a browser application, the method comprising:

for each client computer system;

providing display information to said browser application concerning said product, said information including a first offered price of said product;

associating a subportion of said plurality of server addresses with an identification code corresponding to said client system;

receiving product-related information from said client computer system indicating an acceptance of said first offered price;

storing said received product-related information and said first offered price in said subportion of said plurality of server addresses, wherein the accepted first offered price defines an agreed price;

receiving a purchase request associated with said identification code, wherein the purchase request indicates an agreement to purchase said product for said first offered price;

prior to responding to said purchase request, determining if an event has occurred prior to receiving said purchase request to cause modification of the first offered price, wherein the event that caused modification of the first offered price is unrelated to any data received from said user subsequent to storing said product related information; and

changing said agreed price of said product to a second offered price of said product in response to the event that caused modification of the first offered price.

38. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein event is a predetermined event that includes expiration of a preset amount of time.

39. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein said preset amount of time is in a range of one to ten days.

40. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein said event is a predetermined event that includes changes in said product related information associated with said product.

41. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein said information corresponds to characteristics of an automobile.

42. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein changing said agreed price comprises:

varying one or more features with which said product is configured.

43. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein said first offered price includes tax information associated with a geographic region and a manufacture'"'"'s suggested retail price (MSRP), and changing said agreed price comprises:

varying said MSRP independently of said tax information.

44. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein said event corresponds to a change in a specification of said product.

45. The method of claim 37 wherein agreement to said first offered price is effected by storing said product-related information in a subportion of addresses associated with said server.