System for marketing goods and services utilizing computerized central and remote facilities

• US 7,379,900 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2000
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Variant Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Variant Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Wren, Stephen Corey
• Primary Examiner(s): Zurita, James
• Application Number:
  US09/504,374
• Time in Patent Office: 3,024 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27, 705/26, 709/202
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

A system for shopping for goods and services includes central communications facilities and remote communications facilities connected by communications links and means permitting data communications between them. Central communications facilities offer goods and services in competition with each other. Each central communications facility stores, in addition to data, graphics in the form of video, and audio in the form of computerized voice and music. Computer input devices at each remote communications facility permit customers to access the data, graphics and audio. Computers at each remote communications facility also enable that facility to receive and download the data, graphics, and audio. Each remote communications facility is adapted to enable a customer, after viewing the data, graphics, and audio, to electronically negotiate a price for the purchase of the goods and services. Each central communications facility can generate and transmit to the remote facility transaction specific paperwork relative to the price so negotiated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for marketing goods and/or services, comprising:

a computerized central communications facility of a first provider providing information relating to goods and/or services to a customer at a computerized remote facility, said computerized central communications facility configured to provide information permitting the customer to select and contact at least one other computerized central communications facility of a second provider to request and access additional information relating to said goods and/or services;

a communication device at said computerized central communications facility of a first provider, said computerized central communications facility communicating with the computerized remote facility, said communication including transmitting said information to the computerized remote facility; and

a database of information relating to said goods and/or services accessible to the customer at said computerized remote facility;

wherein said computerized central communications facility is adapted to record a search stopping point for future reference.

2. An apparatus for marketing goods and/or services, comprising:

a computerized central communications facility of a second provider providing information relating to goods and/or services to a customer at a computerized remote facility upon request, said computerized central communications facility of a second provider selected and contacted by the customer using information provided by another computerized central communications facility of a first provider having provided information relating to said goods and/or services;

a communication device at said computerized central communications facility, said computerized central communications facility communicating with said computerized remote facility, said communication including transmitting said information to said computerized remote facility; and

a database of information relating to said goods and/or services accessible to said customer at said computerized remote facility;

wherein said customer can access, search or browse said database, and

wherein the apparatus compiles each customer'"'"'s profile based on the customer'"'"'s search.

3. An apparatus for marketing goods and/or services, comprising:

a computerized central communications facility providing information relating to goods and/or services to customers at a plurality of computerized remote facilities, each of said plurality of computerized remote facilities remote from and linked to said computerized central communications facility; and

a database of information relating to said goods and/or services accessible to customers at said plurality of computerized remote facilities;

wherein said computerized central communications facility provides auctioning services including receipt of auction bids placed by customers from said plurality of computerized remote facilities.

4. An apparatus for marketing goods and/or services, comprising:

a computerized central communications facility of a first provider providing information relating to goods and/or services to a customer at a computerized remote facility, said computerized central communications facility configured to provide information permitting the customer to select and contact at least one other computerized central communications facility of a second provider to request and access additional information relating to said goods and/or services;

a communication device at said computerized central communications facility of a first provider, said computerized central communications facility communicating with the computerized remote facility, said communication including transmitting said information to the computerized remote facility; and

a database of information relating to said goods and/or services accessible to the customer at said computerized remote facility;

wherein at least one of said first provider or said second provider is charged a fee to provide said information relating to goods and/or services to said customer.

5. An apparatus for marketing goods and/or services, comprising:

a computerized central communications facility of a second provider providing information relating to goods and/or services to a customer at a computerized remote facility upon request, said computerized central communications facility of a second provider selected and contacted by the customer using information provided by another computerized central communications facility of a first provider having provided information relating to said goods and/or services;

a communication device at said computerized central communications facility, said computerized central communications facility communicating with said computerized remote facility, said communication including transmitting said information to said computerized remote facility; and

a database of information relating to said goods and/or services accessible to said customer at said computerized remote facility;

wherein at least one of said first provider or said second provider is charged a fee to provide said information relating to goods and/or services to said customer.