Methods and apparatus for facilitating transactions
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating server-implemented transactions in a wide area network between a first party and one or more second parties, the method comprising:
- providing by a transaction server an ask price for a particular product to a first party, wherein the ask price is associated with a particular second party;
submitting by the first party a bid price for the particular product of the particular second party in response to receiving the ask price, wherein the bid price is lower than the ask price;
providing by the transaction server information relating to a transaction between the first party and the particular second party to a third party'"'"'s computer via the wide area network, the information including the bid price associated with the first party and the ask price associated with the particular second party, wherein any interested entity facilitates consummation of the transaction as the third party via the wide area network; and
transmitting a response from the third party'"'"'s computer to the transaction server after receiving the bid price and the ask price, the response from the third party one of;
a counteroffer wherein the counteroffer covers at least part of a first difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server transmits the counteroffer to the first party as an ask price; and
an acceptance wherein the acceptance covers the difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server terminates negotiations with one or more second parties for the particular product and completes the transaction.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for facilitating transactions in a wide area network. Information relating to a transaction between a first party and a second party is provided to a third party via the wide area network. The third party is then enabled to facilitate consummation of the transaction between the first and second parties via the wide area network. According to a specific embodiment, the information includes a bid price associated with the first party and an ask price associated with the second party, the third party being enabled to cover at least part of a difference between the bid and ask prices via the wide area network.
166 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating server-implemented transactions in a wide area network between a first party and one or more second parties, the method comprising:
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providing by a transaction server an ask price for a particular product to a first party, wherein the ask price is associated with a particular second party; submitting by the first party a bid price for the particular product of the particular second party in response to receiving the ask price, wherein the bid price is lower than the ask price; providing by the transaction server information relating to a transaction between the first party and the particular second party to a third party'"'"'s computer via the wide area network, the information including the bid price associated with the first party and the ask price associated with the particular second party, wherein any interested entity facilitates consummation of the transaction as the third party via the wide area network; and transmitting a response from the third party'"'"'s computer to the transaction server after receiving the bid price and the ask price, the response from the third party one of; a counteroffer wherein the counteroffer covers at least part of a first difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server transmits the counteroffer to the first party as an ask price; and an acceptance wherein the acceptance covers the difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server terminates negotiations with one or more second parties for the particular product and completes the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer program product for facilitating transactions in a wide area network between a first party and one or more second parties, comprising:
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at least one computer readable medium; and computer program instructions stored in the at least one computer readable medium for causing at least a transaction server to; provide an ask price for a particular product to a first party, wherein the ask price is associated with a particular second party; submit by the first party a bid price for the particular product of the particular second party in response to receiving the ask price, wherein the bid price is lower than the ask price; provide information relating to a transaction between the first party and the particular second party to a third party'"'"'s computer via the wide area network, the information including the bid price associated with the first party and the ask price associated with the particular second party, wherein any interested entity facilitates consummation of the transaction as the third party via the wide area network; and transmitting a response from the third party'"'"'s computer to the transaction server after receiving the bid price and the ask price, the response from the third party one of; a counteroffer wherein the counteroffer covers at least part of a first difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server transmits the counteroffer to the first party as an ask price; and an acceptance wherein the acceptance covers the difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server terminates negotiations with one or more second parties for the particular product and completes the transaction.
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27. A method of facilitating server-implemented transactions in a wide area network between a first party and one or more second parties, the method comprising:
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providing by a transaction server an ask price for a particular product to a first party, wherein the ask price is associated with a particular second party; submitting by the first party a bid price for the particular product of the particular second party in response to receiving the ask price, wherein the bid price is lower than the ask price; selectively providing by the transaction server information relating to a plurality of bids on a transaction site to a third party'"'"'s computer via the wide area network, a first one of the bids involving the first party and the second party, the first bid including the bid price associated with the first party and the ask price associated with the particular second party, wherein any interested entity facilitates consummation of the transaction as the third party via the wide area network; transmitting a response from the third party'"'"'s computer to the transaction server after receiving the bid price and the ask price, the response from the third party one of; a counteroffer wherein the counteroffer covers at least part of a first difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server transmits the counteroffer to the first party as an ask price; and an acceptance wherein the acceptance covers the difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server terminates negotiations with one or more second parties for the particular product and completes the transaction; and notifying the other of the first party or the second party of the response via the wide area network.
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28. A method of facilitating server-implemented transactions in a wide area network between a first party and one or more second parties, the method comprising:
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providing by a transaction server an ask price for a particular product to a first party, wherein the first ask price is associated with a particular second party; submitting by the first party a bid price for the particular product of the particular second party in response to receiving the first ask price, wherein the bid price is lower than the ask price; providing by the transaction server information relating to a plurality of bids on a transaction site to a third party'"'"'s computer via the wide area network, the information being of a real-time nature and including the bid price associated with the first party and the ask price associated with the particular second party, wherein the information further comprises one or more of real-time offers, ask prices, counteroffers, time in which offers and counteroffers are made, number and trend of completed transactions, number and trend of incomplete transactions, and transactional history, wherein any interested entity facilitates consummation of the transaction as the third party via the wide area network; and transmitting a response from the third party'"'"'s computer to the transaction server after receiving the bid price and the ask price, the response from the third party one of; a counteroffer wherein the counteroffer covers at least part of a first difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server transmits the counteroffer to the first party as an ask price; and an acceptance wherein the acceptance covers the difference between the bid price and the ask price, wherein the transaction server terminates negotiations with one or more second parties for the particular product and completes the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification