Networked international system for organizational electronic commerce

• US 7,333,942 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Net 1 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Net 1 Incorporated
• Inventors: Cowles, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCHANAN, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US09/534,453
• Time in Patent Office: 2,888 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/14, 705/24, 707/104, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A networked computer architecture (AgoraNet) facilitates and conducts secure electronic commerce based on national deployment independent of the Internet. A “publish and subscribe” model is used in which vendors may publish catalogs and information about product and service offerings to AgoraNet applications hosted at a national site. Subscribing organizations may browse and search vendor data using a Global Naming Service as well as search engines, agents, queries and a subscription service. Buyers and Sellers may communicate directly using an integrated messaging system. Buyers may obtain quotations from Sellers and calculate the Total Landed (delivered) cost of goods prior to purchase. Buyers may place Blanket and standard Purchase Orders and track order shipments to destination. Sellers receive payment electronically for goods and services. Orders for goods and services may be translated to XML or EDI formats and transmitted directly to subscriber order processing systems or serve as input to standard or customized supply chain management applications hosted at AgoraNet sites using AgoraNet for transport.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating worldwide commercial electronic commerce based on national deployment, comprising the steps of:

A. receiving a request from a requester through a network for total landed cost of a purchase based on initial cost of a seller item for an inter-country transaction,

B. determining, from a database, trade costs associated with the purchase by;

performing an exchange rate calculation using the initial cost of the item and the currency type the requester prefers and the currency type the seller prefers,

determining tariff for the item, from a database, based on the country the item is to be shipped from and the country the item is to be shipped to,

determining delivery costs associated with the item, from a database, based on the country the item is to be shipped from and the country the item is to be shipped to,

calculating value for duty to be added to the initial cost based on the country the item is to be shipped from and the country the item is to be shipped to,

calculating value added taxes based on the country the item is to be shipped from and the country the item is to be shipped to, and

determining purchase quantity to ascertain whether a special purchase price applies and adjusting the trade costs accordingly;

determining customer type to ascertain whether a special purchase price applies and adjusting the trade costs accordingly; and

determining whether any trading private or public partner agreements apply which govern the purchase price and adjusting the trade costs accordingly; and

C. adding the trade costs, as adjusted as required, to the initial cost resulting in the total landed cost.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, through the network, an identity of a country the item is to be shipped from and an identity of a country the item is to be shipped to, and

receiving, from the requester through the network, currency type the requester prefers and currency type the seller prefers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying, over the network, to the requester, the total landed cost.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining tariff for the item further comprises the steps of:

sending a request through the network containing an item description to the country the item is to be shipped to, and

receiving, by the requester, through the network, the tariff information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining tariff for the item further comprises the step of:

searching, in the database, a harmonized tariff schedule of the country the item is to be shipped to for the tariff associated to the item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting, through the network, the total landed cost to the requester.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying, through the network, the total landed cost.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requester is a potential buyer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requester is the owner of the item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a product.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, over the network, a request for comparison of total landed cost of an item in multiple countries,

calculating total landed cost for the item in each country requested, and

displaying, through the network, total landed cost of the item in each country requested.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a purchase order over the network, from the requester for the seller item,

notifying the seller, through the network, the requester has agreed to purchase the seller item, and

consummating a monetary exchange through the network.