Mediation service method for collecting and selling pieces of selling price information that matches a request

• US 7,493,271 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Entani, Naruto
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US09/987,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/26.44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• 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 system and method for mediating a providing selling information over a network is provided. The method includes receiving an information request that requests selling price information about a commodity from at least one information requester terminal, and communicating the information request to a plurality of information provider terminals; collecting pieces of selling price information that are received from part of the plurality of information provider terminals, and match the information request, in response to the information request, and generating collected selling price information that matches the information request; supplying the collected selling price information to the information requester terminal, and charging the information requester terminal a prescribed information supply fee and mediation commission; and performing processing for paying a prescribed informer fee to the part of the plurality of information provider terminals that provided the pieces of selling price information that match the information request.

Claims

1. A selling price information mediation service method for mediating and supplying selling price information, which includes selling prices of a commodity in respective stores and information about the respective stores, over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, from an information requester terminal, an information request that requests selling price information about a commodity, and communicating the information request directly to a plurality of information provider terminals;

collecting selling price information at the server which matches the information request from at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals in response to the information request, and generating collected selling price information that matches the information request;

supplying the collected selling price information from the server to said information requester terminal, and charging said information requester terminal a prescribed information supply fee and mediation commission; and

providing payment of a prescribed informer fee from the server to the at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals that provided the pieces of selling price information that match the information request.

2. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 1, wherein a selling price information mediating service employs a membership system, and said method further comprises:

registering, at the server, an information requester at said information requester terminal after receiving registration information from said information requester and registering information providers at said information provider terminals as members after receiving registration information from said information providers; and

identifying an information requester or an information provider who has caused a problem by distributing erroneous information, upon occurrence of the problem.

3. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 2, further comprising keeping a history of the information provider who caused a problem by distributing erroneous information and disclosing the history to said information requester terminal.

4. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 1, wherein the information request includes information of a selling price limit of the commodity, and further comprising supplying said information requester terminal with only pieces of selling price information with selling prices each of which is at most the selling price limit.

5. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 1, wherein the information request includes information indicating a restrictive area where an information requester at said information requester terminal can buy the commodity, and further comprising supplying said information requester terminal with only pieces of selling price information of stores located in the restrictive area.

6. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying said information requester terminal with a portion of the collected selling price information, excluding information about stores, before supplying the remaining collected selling price information to said information requester terminal, wherein the remaining collected selling price information is supplied after the charging of said prescribed information supply fee.

7. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 1, further comprising providing payment of said prescribed informer fee to a portion of said at least one information provider terminals that provided selling price information actually supplied to said information requester terminal after supplying the collected selling price information to said information requester terminal.

16. A selling price information mediation service method according to claim 2, wherein said registration information comprises at least one of a registration identification and a password.

8. A system for mediating and providing selling price information over a network, the system comprising:

at least one information requester terminal which requests selling price information;

a plurality of information provider terminals, each of which provide selling price information for a retailer; and

a management server which mediates selling price information;

wherein the mediating selling price information comprises;

receiving an information request that requests selling price information about a commodity from at least one information requester terminal, and communicating the information request directly to a plurality of information provider terminals;

collecting pieces of selling price information which match the information request from at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals in response to the information request, and generating collected selling price information that matches the information request;

supplying the collected selling price information to said information requester terminal, and charging said information requester terminal a prescribed information supply fee and mediation commission; and

providing payment of a prescribed informer fee to the at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals that provided the pieces of selling price information that match the information request.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said management server comprises a membership system, and said membership system comprises:

registering an information requester at said information requester terminal after receiving registration information from said information requester and registering information providers at said information provider terminals as members after receiving registration information from said information providers; and

identifying an information requester or an information provider who has caused a problem by distributing erroneous information, upon occurrence of the problem.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said membership system keeps a history of the information provider who caused a problem by distributing erroneous information and discloses the history to said information requester terminal.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the information request includes information of a selling price limit of the commodity, and the management server supplies said information requester terminal with only pieces of selling price information with selling prices each of that is at most the selling price limit.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the information request includes information indicating a restrictive area where an information requester at said information requester terminal can buy the commodity, and said management server supplies said information requester terminal with only pieces of selling price information of stores located in the restrictive area.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein said management server supplies said information requester terminal with a portion of the collected selling price information, excluding information about stores, before supplying the remaining collected selling price information to said information requester terminal, wherein the remaining collected selling price information is supplied after the charging of said prescribed information supply fee.

14. A system according to claim 8, wherein said management server performs providing payment of said prescribed informer fee to a portion of said at least one information provider terminals that provided selling price information actually supplied to said information requester terminal after selling the collected selling price information to said information requester terminal.

17. A system according to claim 9, wherein said registration information comprises at least one of a registration identification and a password.

15. A management server for mediating selling price information over a network, the management server comprising:

a receiving unit which receives an information request which requests selling price information about a commodity from at least one information requester terminal,

a communication unit which communicates the information request directly to a plurality of information provider terminals;

a collecting unit which collects pieces of selling price information matching the information request from at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals, and generates collected selling price information that matches the information request;

a supplying unit which supplies the collected selling price information to said information requester terminal and charges said information requester terminal a prescribed information supply fee and mediation commission; and

a processing unit which provides payment of a prescribed informer fee to the at least one of said plurality of information provider terminals that provided the pieces of selling price information that match the information request.