Electronic sales system

• US 7,305,360 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Refinitiv US Organization, LLC (Refinitiv US Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Financial Limited (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lamoureux, Bob, Jaminet, Paul, Kopikis, Alexis, Moochhala, Zenobia
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCHANAN, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US09/696,765
• Time in Patent Office: 2,596 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/26, 705/64, 705/75
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method comprises making a set of personal profiles available, from at least one buy-side user to at least one sell-side user, each personal profile in the set of personal profiles including a first set of first values for a plurality of information fields, the plurality of information fields relating to commercial transactions. Based upon the at least part of the set of personal profiles, the method receives a request to enter into a trusted relationship from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user, and receives a set of trusted relationship information from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user. The method sends the set of trusted relationship information, from the at least one buy-side user to the at least one sell-side user. The relationship includes a variable level of trust which affects the amount of infrastructure functionality available to one or more users and wherein the variable level of trust comprises a first level of trust and a second level of trust and wherein the first level of trust is set by the at least one buy-side user and the second level of trust is set by the at least one sell-side user.

Claims

1. A method adapted to be used for commercial transactions, the method comprising the steps of:

making a first set of personal profiles available, from at least one buy-side user to at least one sell-side user, each personal profile in the first set of personal profiles including a first set of first values for a plurality of information fields, the plurality of information fields relating to commercial transactions,

receiving a second set of personal profiles, from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user, each personal profile in the second set of personal profiles including a second set of values for the plurality of information fields,

based upon at least part of the first set of personal profiles and at least part of the second set of personal profiles, making at least part of the second set of personal profiles available from the at least one buy-side to the at least one sell-side user,

based upon the at least part of the first set of personal profiles and the at least part of the second set of personal profiles, receiving a request to enter into a trusted relationship from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user,

receiving a set of trusted relationship information, and

making the set of trusted relationship information available whereby a commercial transaction is facilitated and a trusted relationship is entered into between the at least one sell-side user and the at least one buy-side user and wherein the relationship includes a variable level of trust which affects the amount of infrastructure functionality available to one or more users and wherein the variable level of trust comprises a first level of trust and a second level of trust and wherein the first level of trust is set by the at least one buy-side user and the second level of trust is set by the at least one sell-side user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable level of trust limits the commercial transaction and further comprising:

selecting the at least one sell-side user based on a list of contacts;

linking a sample bundle to the request to enter into a trusted relationship, wherein the sample bundle indicates a quality of bundles of the at least one sell side user;

preparing at least one bundle at the at least one sell-side user;

sending the at least one bundle, from the at least one sell-side user to the at least one buy-side user; and

receiving a response to the at least one bundle from the at least one buy-side to the at least one sell-side user, wherein the response to the at least one bundle and the at least one bundle are sent through different communication channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first level of trust and the second level of trust are not the same.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable level of trust limits the commercial transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable level of trust is set based upon at least one of the at least part of the first set of personal profiles and at least part of the second set of personal profiles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable level of trust is set based on the set of trusted relationship information.

7. A method comprising:

making a set of personal profiles available, from at least one buy-side user to at least one sell-side user, each personal profile in the set of personal profiles including a first set of first values for a plurality of information fields, the plurality of information fields relating to commercial transactions,

based upon the at least part of the set of personal profiles, receiving a request to enter into a trusted relationship from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user,

receiving a set of trusted relationship information from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user, and

sending the set of trusted relationship information, from the at least one buy-side user to the at least one sell-side user, in order to facilitate a commercial transaction and enter into a trusted relationship between the at least one sell-side user and the at least one buy-side user, wherein the relationship includes a variable level of trust which affects the amount of infrastructure functionality available to one or more users and wherein the variable level of trust comprises a first level of trust and a second level of trust and wherein the first level of trust is set by the at least one buy-side user and the second level of trust is set by the at least one sell-side user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first level of trust and the second level of trust are not the same.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable level of trust limits the commercial transaction.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable level of trust is set based upon at least part of the set of personal profiles.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable level of trust is set based on the set of trusted relationship information.

12. A method comprising:

providing a network adapted to be used in a set of future commercial transactions,

making a set of personal profiles available, from at least one buy-side user to at least one sell-side user, the set of personal profiles relating to a set of previous commercial transactions,

based upon the at least part of the set of personal profiles, receiving a request to enter into a trusted relationship, from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user,

receiving a set of trusted relationship information from the at least one sell-side user at the at least one buy-side user, and

sending the set of trusted relationship information, from the at least one buy-side user to the at least one sell-side user, in order to facilitate at least one commercial transaction in the set of future commercial transactions and enter into a trusted relationship between the at least one sell-side user and the at least one buy-side user, wherein the relationship includes a variable level of trust which affects the amount of infrastructure functionality available to one or more users and wherein the variable level of trust comprises a first level of trust and a second level of trust and wherein the first level of trust is set by the at least one buy-side user and the second level of trust is set by the at least one sell-side user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first level of trust and the second level of trust are not the same.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable level of trust limits the at least one commercial transaction in the set of future commercial transactions.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable level of trust is set based upon at least part of the set of personal profiles.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable level of trust is set based on the set of trusted relationship information.