Automated dynamic negotiation of electronic service contracts
First Claim
1. A method for automating contract negotiation between a first party having a first computing system and a second party having a second computing system, each of the first computing system and the second computing system being coupled to a communications network and having one or more applications running thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
- establishing a common negotiation protocol that specifies negotiation operations, the negotiation protocol being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to the contract negotiation;
conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a negotiation meta contract to control the contract negotiation, in accordance with the negotiation protocol, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation;
communicating a request to negotiate; and
conducting a fully automated negotiation, according to the negotiation meta contract, between the one or more applications running on each of the first computing system and the second computing system,wherein each of the first computing system and the second computing system maintains a contract state of the negotiation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for automating contract negotiation between a plurality of parties over a communications network. The parties communicate and agree upon a negotiation protocol before commencing the negotiation in a meta contract that is formed to govern or control the negotiation process. The automatic negotiation may include at least one sub negotiation. Machine-executable rules are specified to enable an automatic negotiation to take place between servers over a communications network. A successful negotiation may result in the formation of an electronic commerce contract. Each party may maintain the contract state of the overall negotiation, which may take place among two or more parties, wherein at least one party may be represented by a broker. Thus, complex negotiations may be handled automatically by the inventive method. The negotiation may be conducted semi-automatically to allow for human intervention in the negotiation process.
21 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for automating contract negotiation between a first party having a first computing system and a second party having a second computing system, each of the first computing system and the second computing system being coupled to a communications network and having one or more applications running thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a common negotiation protocol that specifies negotiation operations, the negotiation protocol being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to the contract negotiation; conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a negotiation meta contract to control the contract negotiation, in accordance with the negotiation protocol, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation; communicating a request to negotiate; and conducting a fully automated negotiation, according to the negotiation meta contract, between the one or more applications running on each of the first computing system and the second computing system, wherein each of the first computing system and the second computing system maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for conducting a negotiation between a first party having a first computer system and a second party having a second computer system, each of said first computer system and the second computer system being coupled to a communication network and having one or more applications running thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a specification of machine-executable rules of negotiation for the first computing system and the second computing system for generating at least one contract, the specification being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to conducting the negotiation; conducting a pre-negotiatlon between the first party and the second party to form a starting state for a contract in accordance with the specification, wherein the starting state is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation, the at least one electronic document being selectable from one of;
a previous contract, a publicly defined template, and a template defined prior to the negotiation by one of the first party and the second party; andconducting a fully automated negotiation, according to the starting state, between the one or more applications running on each of the first comouting system and the second computing system, wherein each of the first computing system and the second computing system maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for conducting an automatic negotiation between a first party having a first computer system and a second party having a second computer system, each of said first computer system and the second computer system being coupled to a communication network and having one or more applications running thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a common negotiation protocol that specifies negotiation operations, the negotiation protocol being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to the negotiation; conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a template prior to the negotiation in accordance with the negotiation protocol, wherein the template is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation, wherein the template contains business logic for performing a negotiation electronically; registering the business logic, prior to the negotiation, with a server accessible by one or more of the first party and the second party; and implementing the business logic in a fully automated negotiation conducted between the first computer system and the second computer system over the communication network, wherein each of the first computer system and the second computer system maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for conducting a negotiation between a first party having a first server and a second party having a second server, each of said first server and the second server being coupled to a communication network and having one or more applications running thereon, comprising the steps of:
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providing a specification of machine-executable rules of negotiation for the first server and the second server for generating at least one contract, the specification being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to conducting the negotiation; enabling a fully automated negotiation to take place between the first server and the second server in accordance with the specification of machine-executable rules; and conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a meta contract for controlling the fully automated negotiation in accordance with the specification, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation, wherein each of the first server and the second server maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for conducting a negotiation between a first party having a first computer system and a second party having a second computer system, each of said first computer system and the second computer system being coupled to a communication network and having one or more applications running thereon, comprising the steps of:
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providing a specification of machine-executable rules of negotiation for the first computer system and the second computer system for generating at least one contract, the specification being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to conducting the negotiation; conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a meta contract to control the negotiation, in accordance with the specification, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation; and enabling a fully automated negotiation to take place between the first computer system and the second computer system in accordance with the specification of machine-executable rules; wherein a third party having a third computer system is an intermediary for facilitating the a fully automated negotiation, wherein each of the first party, the second party, and the third party maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of conducting a negotiation over a data communication network between a service provider having a server computing system and a service requester having a client computing system, comprising the steps of:
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establishing, by the service provider and the service requester, a common negotiation protocol that specifies negotiation operations, the negotiation protocol being agreed upon by the service provider and the service requester prior to the contract negotiation; conducting a pre-negotiation between the service provider and the service requester to form a negotiation meta-contract to control the negotiation, in accordance with the negotiation protocol, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in pail from information provided by at least one of the service provider and the service requester in at least one electronic document, prior to the negotiation; receiving, at the server computing system, a request to negotiate from the client computing system;
responsive to the request to negotiate, conducting a fully automated negotiation with the client computing system by the server computing system in accordance with the negotiation meta-contract,wherein each of the server computing system and the client computing system maintains a contract state of the negotiation. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of conducting business over the Internet, wherein a first party and a second party negotiate contractual terms between a first data communication network component and a second data communication network component, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a specification of machine-executable rules of negotiation for generating at least one contract, the specification being agreed upon by the first party and the second party prior to negotiating the contractual terms; conducting a pre-negotiation between the first party and the second party to form a meta contract to control negotiating, in accordance with the specification, wherein the meta contract is formed at least in part from information provided by at least one of the first party and the second party in at least one electronic document, prior to negotiation; and originating a fully automated negotiation at the first data communication network component in accordance with the rules of negotiation, wherein each of the first data communication network component and a second data communication network component maintains a contract state of the negotiation.
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Specification