Methods of communicating purchase requests to vehicle dealers

• US 7,536,318 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AutoWeb, Inc. (California)
• Original Assignee: Autobytel Incorporated
• Inventors: Nelson, Tim E., Nottage, Douglas S., Waggoner, Kevin J., Wolfe, Don P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, William J.
• Application Number:
  US11/841,873
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating a purchase request to a dealer immediately. A Data Center system has a system database accessible to a plurality of dealers. A potential buyer submits a purchase request over a computer network to the Data Center system. The purchase request may include product identification data and buyer location information. The Data Center system identifies at least one appropriate dealer to receive the purchase request. The Data Center creates a purchase request record from the data and information provided in the purchase request. The Data Center then communicates the purchase request to the appropriate dealer by immediately storing the purchase request record into the system database such that the purchase request is accessible only to the at least one identified dealer. The purchase request becomes available to the at least one identified dealer immediately upon the creation of the purchase request record.

Claims

1. A method of communicating a purchase request to a dealer comprising:

creating a system database accessible by each of a plurality of dealers;

providing each of said plurality of dealers direct access to the system database over a computer network;

storing information defining a plurality of geographic regions in the system database;

assigning at least one of the geographic regions to each of said plurality of dealers and storing information about the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region in said system database, wherein each dealer has access to purchase requests having location information indicating a location within the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region, and wherein at least one other dealer located in the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region is excluded from access to purchase requests having location information indicating a location within the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region;

receiving a purchase request over a computer network from a potential buyer, the purchase request comprising product identification data and buyer location information wherein the buyer location information is indicative of a location from where the buyer desires to make a purchase;

comparing the product identification data and the buyer location information with at least one of a plurality of records that are associated with at least one of the plurality of dealers;

identifying one or more dealers to notify in response to the act of comparing, wherein each of the identified dealers has an assigned geographic region stored in said system database that includes a location specified by the buyer location information;

communicating the purchase request to the identified dealers by a process that comprises storing the purchase request in the system database in a manner that restricts access to the purchase request to the identified dealers and the identified dealers can access the purchase request as soon as the purchase request is stored in the system database by accessing at least one server on the computer network that is remote from the identified dealers;

receiving, from a dealer, purchase request management information that relates to managing a purchase request assigned to the dealer, and storing the purchase request management information in the system database in association with the purchase request; and

upon access, by a dealer, of a purchase request stored in the system database, presenting to the dealer purchase request management information previously stored in association with the purchase request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase request management information comprises a status of the purchase request.

3. A method of communicating a purchase request to a dealer comprising:

providing each of a plurality of dealers with direct access to a system database over a computer network;

storing information defining a plurality of geographic regions in the system database;

assigning at least one of the geographic regions to each of said plurality of dealers and storing information about the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region in said system database, wherein each dealer has access to purchase requests having location information indicating a location within the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region, and wherein at least one other dealer located in the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region is excluded from access to purchase requests having location information indicating a location within the dealer'"'"'s assigned geographic region;

receiving a purchase request over a computer network from a potential buyer, the purchase request comprising product identification data and buyer location information, wherein the buyer location information is indicative of a location from where the buyer desires to make a purchase;

comparing the product identification data and the buyer location information with at least one of a plurality of records that are associated with at least one of the plurality of dealers;

identifying one or more dealers to notify in response to the act of comparing, wherein each of the identified dealers has an assigned geographic region stored in said system database that includes a location specified by the buyer location information; and

communicating the purchase request to the identified dealers by a process that comprises storing the purchase request in the system database in a manner that restricts access to the purchase request to the identified dealers and the identified dealers can access the purchase request as soon as the purchase request is stored in the system database by accessing at least one server on the computer network that is remote from the identified dealers.