Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties

• US 7,373,317 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Balijepalli, Srinivas, Kopelman, Joshua M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Application Number:
  US09/427,958
• Time in Patent Office: 3,121 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method for facilitating sales of goods of independent sellers. The method involves receiving a standard identification code, such as a UPC or ISBN code, of readily identifiable goods. The standard identification code is transmitted by a seller to a third-party marketeer who adds the good to its virtual inventory of goods for sale. The marketeer then presents the independent sellers'"'"' goods for sale to buyers shopping in the marketeer'"'"'s marketplace. The marketeer need not take actual possession of the goods, yet the marketeer may properly present the goods for sale because the characteristics of the good identified by the standard identification code are known. The marketeer may set a price for the goods, e.g. as a function of a competing vendor'"'"'s price for a comparable good having the same standard identification code.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating sales of goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer'"'"'s marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:

the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form via the communications network, the data comprising a standard identification code identifying a tangible good, the standard identification code having been provided by the independent seller as typed input keyed into a website interface of a computerized communications device, the standard identification code having been previously established for standardized use in industry and identifying the good in a manner readily-identifiable by the marketer controller computer, the standard identification code being one of an industry-standard universal product code (UPC) and an industry-standard International Standard Book Number (ISBN), the standard identification code being physically attached to the tangible good; and

in response to receipt of the standard identification code identifying the tangible good, the marketeer controller computer storing in the memory data identifying the tangible good, said storing adding the tangible good to a list of goods registered for sale with the marketer controller computer;

whereby the tangible good identified by the standard identification code and offered for sale by the seller is thereby made available to be presented for sale by the marketeer controller computer;

the marketeer controller computer subsequently;

retrieving from a database data stored in association with the tangible good identified by the standard identification code provided by the seller, the retrieved data relating to the tangible good but not being readily identifiable from viewing of the standard identification code, the retrieved data comprising one of a textual description of the tangible good and an image of the tangible good; and

the marketeer controller computer presenting the tangible good for sale by transmitting data for displaying to a buyer the retrieved data relating to the tangible good and a sale price at which the buyer may purchase the tangible good.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the marketeer controller computer setting a sale price at which the buyer may purchase the good, the good being offered for sale by the seller at the sale price, said setting being performed near a time of the sale of the good to the buyer, the sale price being set after the buyer'"'"'s search for the good.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the marketeer controller computer setting a sale price comprises the marketeer controller computer querying multiple vendor controller computers by the marketeer controller computer transmitting data via the communications network to determine multiple respective vendor'"'"'s prices for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code, and deriving the sale price for the seller'"'"'s good from the vendor'"'"'s prices for the comparable good by discounting a lowest price of the multiple vendor'"'"'s prices using a predetermined method.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the marketeer aiding sale of the good by acting as a clearinghouse by receiving the good from the seller, receiving payment in the amount of the sale price from the buyer, and then shipping the good to the buyer and providing compensation to the seller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the marketeer retains a portion of the sale price.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the marketeer controller computer querying a vendor controller computer by the marketer controller computer transmitting data via the communications network to determine a vendor'"'"'s price for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code;

wherein setting a sale price for the good comprises at least the marketeer controller computer deriving the sale price for the seller'"'"'s good from the vendor'"'"'s price for the comparable good by discounting the vendor'"'"'s price using a predetermined method, said querying being performed before said setting of the sale price.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein setting the sale price for the good comprises the marketeer controller computer referencing a database to identify a sales price for the good.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the standard identification code is used to identify the sale price.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the database is stored in the memory of the marketeer controller computer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the database is stored by a third party vendor of goods, the method further comprising the marketeer controller computer querying a vendor'"'"'s controller computer by transmitting data via the communications network to determine the vendor'"'"'s price for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code;

wherein setting a sale price for the good comprises at least deriving the sale price for the seller'"'"'s good from the vendor'"'"'s price for the comparable good by discounting the vendor'"'"'s price using a predetermined method.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the marketeer controller computer storing data in the memory comprises entering a record of the good in the memory of the marketeer controller to register the good with a marketeer as an item for sale by the seller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the UPC comprises a plurality of numeric characters and no alphabetic characters.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the ISBN comprises a plurality of numeric characters and no alphabetic characters.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein said retrieving and said presenting are performed after the buyer'"'"'s search for the good.

15. A method for facilitating sales of goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer'"'"'s marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:

the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form via the communications network, a standard identification code identifying a tangible good, the standard identification code having been provided by the independent seller as typed input keyed into a website interface of a communications device, the standard identification code comprising a numeric UPC or ISBN code previously established for standardized use in industry, the standard identification code being physically attached to the tangible good;

the marketeer controller computer storing data in the memory to add the tangible good to a list of goods registered for sale with a marketeer; and

in response to a particular buyer'"'"'s search for the tangible good,

the marketeer controller computer retrieving from a database data associated with the tangible good identified by the standard identification code provided by the seller, the database being stored in the memory of the marketeer controller;

the marketeer controller computer querying a vendor'"'"'s controller computer by transmitting data in electronic form via the communications network to determine the vendor'"'"'s price for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code;

the marketeer controller computer deriving a sale price at which the particular buyer may presently purchase the seller'"'"'s tangible good, the sale price being derived from the vendor'"'"'s price for the comparable good by the marketeer controller computer discounting the vendor'"'"'s price, the tangible good being offered for sale by the seller at the sale price; and

the marketeer controller computer presenting the tangible good for sale by displaying to the buyer the data retrieved from the database, the retrieved data relating to and identifying characteristics of the tangible good, the retrieved data not being identifiable when observing only the standard identification code provided by the seller;

whereby the seller identifies the tangible good to the marketer controller computer by providing a UPC or ISBN code, and whereby the tangible good is presented for sale to the buyer by displaying on a video monitor the retrieved data, the retrieved data being information that has not been provided by the seller and that is not readily identifiable when observing the standard identification code provided by the seller.

16. A method for facilitating sales of goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer'"'"'s marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:

the marketeer controller computer receiving from an independent seller a standard identification code identifying the good in a readily-identifiable manner, the standard identification code having been typed by the independent seller into a website interface of a computerized communications device and transmitted in electronic form via the communications network to the marketer controller computer; and

in response to receipt of the standard identification code identifying the good, the marketeer controller computer storing in the memory data adding the good to a list of goods registered for sale with the marketer controller computer;

whereby the good identified by the standard identification code and offered for sale by the seller is thereby made available to be presented for sale by the marketeer controller computer;

the marketeer controller computer subsequently;

retrieving from a database data stored in association with the good identified by the standard identification code provided by the seller, the retrieved data relating to the good but not being readily identifiable from viewing of the standard identification code, the retrieved data comprising an image of the good;

determining a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the good; and

presenting the good for sale by transmitting data for displaying for displaying on a video monitor, to a buyer, the retrieved data relating to the good and the sale price at which the buyer may purchase the good.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the sale price comprises:

the marketeer controller computer querying a vendor controller computer by the marketer controller computer transmitting data via the communications network to determine a vendor'"'"'s price for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code; and

deriving the sale price for the seller'"'"'s good from the vendor'"'"'s price for the comparable good by discounting the vendor'"'"'s price using a predetermined method.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the marketeer retains a portion of the sale price.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the marketeer controller computer storing data in the memory comprises entering a record of the good in the memory of the marketeer controller to register the good with the marketeer as an item for sale by the seller.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the marketeer aiding sale of the good by acting as a clearinghouse by receiving the good from the seller, receiving payment in the amount of the sale price from the buyer, and then shipping the good to the buyer and providing compensation to the seller.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the standard identification code comprises a UPC code.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the standard identification code comprises an ISBN code.

23. A method for facilitating sales of goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer'"'"'s marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:

the marketeer controller computer receiving from an independent seller a standard identification code identifying the good in a readily-identifiable manner, the standard identification code having been typed by the independent seller into a website interface of a computerized communications device and transmitted in electronic form via the communications network to the marketer controller computer; and

in response to receipt of the standard identification code identifying the good, the marketeer controller computer storing in the memory data adding the good to a list of goods registered for sale with the marketer controller computer;

whereby the good identified by the standard identification code and offered for sale by the seller is thereby made available to be presented for sale by the marketeer controller computer;

in response to a buyer'"'"'s search for the good, the marketeer controller computer subsequently;

retrieving from a database data stored in association with the good identified by the standard identification code provided by the seller, the retrieved data relating to the good but not being readily identifiable from viewing of the standard identification code, the retrieved data comprising one of a textual description of the good and an image of the good;

querying multiple vendor controller computers by the marketeer controller computer transmitting data via the communications network to determine multiple respective vendors'"'"' prices for a comparable good identified by the standard identification code; and

deriving the sale price for the seller'"'"'s good from the vendors'"'"' prices for the comparable good by discounting a lowest price of the multiple respective vendors'"'"' prices using a predetermined method; and

presenting the good for sale by transmitting data for displaying for displaying on a video monitor, to a buyer, the retrieved data relating to the good and the sale price at which the buyer may purchase the good.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the marketeer controller computer storing data in the memory comprises entering a record of the good in the memory of the marketeer controller to register the good with the marketeer as an item for sale by the seller.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the marketeer aiding sale of the good by acting as a clearinghouse by receiving the good from the seller, receiving payment in the amount of the sale price from the buyer, and then shipping the good to the buyer and providing compensation to the seller.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the marketeer retains a portion of the sale price.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the marketeer controller computer storing data in the memory comprises entering a record of the good in the memory of the marketeer controller to register the good with the marketeer as an item for sale by the seller.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the marketeer aiding sale of the good by acting as a clearinghouse by receiving the good from the seller, receiving payment in the amount of the sale price from the buyer, and then shipping the good to the buyer and providing compensation to the seller.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the marketeer retains a portion of the sale price.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the standard identification code comprises a UPC code.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the standard identification code comprises an ISBN code.