Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties
First Claim
1. A method for pricing goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a 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 to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the data identifying the independent seller'"'"'s good as a specific commercially-available product;
the marketeer controller computer transmitting menu data to a computerized device orperated by the independent seller, the menu data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device orperated by the independent seller to display via a display device a menu including a plurality of different options from which the independent seller may select an option, each of the plurality of different options corresponding to a respective method to be used by the marketeer controller computer for deriving a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, each of the respective methods being predetermined and stored in memory accessible by the marketeer controller computer;
the marketeer controller computer receiving selection data from the independent seller, the selection data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the selection data identifying a certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller;
the marketeer controller computer deriving the sale price by performing a function in accordance with logic specified by a certain respective corresponding to the certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller; and
the marketeer controller computer transmitting sale price data to the computerized device operated by the independent seller, the sale price data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display to the buyer, via the display device, the derived sale price to present the good to the buyer as an item offered for sale at the sale price.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties. An independent seller is presented with a menu including selectable options for deriving a sale price for the independent seller'"'"'s good. Each of the options corresponds to a respective predetermined method for determining the sale price. The sale price for the independent seller'"'"'s good is derived using the predetermined method corresponding to a seller-selected option. Goods in addition to those registered for sale at a website of the marketeer may be presented in an electronic marketplace. Information concerning such additional goods may be retrieved from a database accessible to the marketeer controller. If a buyer wishes to purchase a certain good from the electronic marketplace, and the certain good has not been registered for sale at the website of the marketeer, the marketeer may refer the buyer to a third party vendor.
84 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for pricing goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a 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:
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the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the data identifying the independent seller'"'"'s good as a specific commercially-available product; the marketeer controller computer transmitting menu data to a computerized device orperated by the independent seller, the menu data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device orperated by the independent seller to display via a display device a menu including a plurality of different options from which the independent seller may select an option, each of the plurality of different options corresponding to a respective method to be used by the marketeer controller computer for deriving a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, each of the respective methods being predetermined and stored in memory accessible by the marketeer controller computer; the marketeer controller computer receiving selection data from the independent seller, the selection data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the selection data identifying a certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller; the marketeer controller computer deriving the sale price by performing a function in accordance with logic specified by a certain respective corresponding to the certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller; and the marketeer controller computer transmitting sale price data to the computerized device operated by the independent seller, the sale price data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display to the buyer, via the display device, the derived sale price to present the good to the buyer as an item offered for sale at the sale price. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for pricing goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:
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the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the data identifying the independent seller'"'"'s good; the marketeer controller computer transmitting menu data to a computerized device operated by the independent seller, the menu data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display via a display device a menu including a plurality of selectable options from which the independent seller may select an option, each of the plurality of selectable options corresponding to a respective method to be used by the marketeer controller computer for determining a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, each of the respective methods being predetermined and stored in memory accessible by the marketeer controller computer; the marketeer controller computer receiving selection data from the independent seller, the selection data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the selection data identifying a certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller; the marketeer controller computer setting a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, the sale price being set by performing a function in accordance with logic specified by a certain respective method corresponding to the certain one of said plurality of selectable options selected from the menu by said independent seller; and the marketeer controller computer transmitting sale price data to the computerized device operated by the independent seller, the sale price data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display to the buyer, via the display device, the sale price, to present the good to the buyer as an item available for purchase by the buyer at the sale price. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for pricing goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a 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:
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the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the data identifying the independent seller'"'"'s good; the marketeer controller computer transmitting menu data to a computerized device operated by the independent seller, the menu data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display via a display device a menu including a plurality of selectable options from which the independent seller may select an option, each of the plurality of selectable options corresponding to a respective method to be used by the marketeer controller computer for determining a sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, each of the respective methods being predetermined and stored in a memory accessible by the marketeer controller computer; the marketeer controller computer receiving selection data from the independent seller, the selection data having been transmitted in electronic form to the marketeer controller computer via the communications network, the selection data identifying a certain selected option selected from the menu by the independent seller; proximate to a time of sale of the independent seller'"'"'s good to a buyer, the marketeer controller computer calculating the sale price at which a buyer may purchase the independent seller'"'"'s good, the sale price being calculated in accordance with logic specified by a certain respective method corresponding to the certain one of said plurality of selectable options previously selected from the menu by said independent seller, the predetermined method comprising a mathematical function; and the marketeer controller computer transmitting sale price data to the computerized device operated by the independent seller, the sale price data being transmitted in electronic form via the communications network and causing the computerized device operated by the independent seller to display to the buyer, via the display device, the calculated sale price to the buyer to present the good for sale to the buyer.
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Specification