Method and apparatus for producing goods in an automated manner

• US 7,630,919 B1
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Obrecht
• Original Assignee: Wells Obrecht
• Inventors: Obrecht, Wells
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US08/900,360
• Time in Patent Office: 4,519 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/7, 705/10, 705/11
• US Class Current: 705/26.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes

Abstract

An automatic system and method optimizes the purchasing of goods and services by a buyer. A request for a quote for goods or services required is received from a buyer. This request is processed and dealers are selected based on the criteria of the buyer and other criteria. The selected dealers are then sent the request for goods and services and quotes are solicited. Quotes from the selected dealers, for the goods or services, are then receivable within a predetermined time period. Thereafter, the received quotes of the providers of the goods or services are ranked. The ranking and the report of the providers are then outpribed in steps S₂ and S₃ of FIG. 2.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing goods or services from a seller by a buyer, the method being implemented in a network having a central computer system and at least one terminal, comprising:

(a) receiving, at said central computer system, a request from a buyer, using said at least one terminal, for requesting goods or services, said request including a predetermined plurality of criteria related to the goods or services and a predetermined criteria related to sellers of the goods or services;

(b) selecting, by said central computer system, sellers from a predetermined group of at least two sellers that offer the requested goods or services by excluding sellers from said predetermined group of sellers that do not meet the received predetermined plurality of criteria related to the goods and services and related to the sellers, and ranking said selected sellers based on the time that the respective sellers received a last request before said request from said buyer;

(c) transmitting, using said network, the request of the buyer including said received predetermined plurality of criteria related to said goods or services to the selected sellers of the goods or services;

(d) receiving, by said central computer system, within a predetermined time interval, responses from at least one seller to the request;

(e) compiling, by said central computer, information provided in the responses received from at least one seller within the predetermined time interval;

(f) ranking, by said central computer, the responding sellers based upon a weighted evaluation of the compiled information including the plurality of criteria and selecting sellers in order from highest ranking; and

(g) providing, to said at least one terminal, the ranked selected sellers and respective responses for access by the buyer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said central computer system includes a database containing information for a plurality of sellers including a critical evaluation of each said seller, wherein in (b), selecting is performed by excluding sellers, from said predetermined group of sellers, that have a critical evaluation below a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

(h) the buyer, using said terminal, accepting a response provided among the ranked selected sellers through communication with the seller corresponding to the accepted response;

and

(i) transmitting, using said network, the responses that were provided for access by the buyer to each of the ranked selected sellers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in (d), responses are obtained from seller information stored in the central computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in (g), accessing by the buyer is performed by an internet connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the goods are selected from the group consisting of vehicles, computers, or appliances and the services are selected from the groups consisting of legal, financing, medical, or insurance.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the goods are vehicles.

8. A system for obtaining information for the purchasing of goods or services, the system being implemented as a network connecting buyers and sellers, the system comprising:

a user terminal programmed to provide an interactive form interface for inputting a request for desired goods or services from a buyer, the form presenting predetermined criteria related to the goods or services and predetermined criteria related to sellers of the goods or services, and transmit to a central computer system the criteria related to the goods and services and the criteria related to sellers of the goods or services that is input in the form;

the central computer system programmed to select sellers from a predetermined group of sellers that offer the requested goods or services by excluding sellers from said predetermined group of sellers that do not meet the received predetermined criteria related to the goods and services and related to the sellers, and rank said selected sellers based on the time that the respective sellers received a last request before said request from said buyer;

said network programmed to transmit the request, including inputted criteria related to said goods or services, of the buyer to the chosen predetermined number of sellers;

said central computer system programmed to receive, within a predetermined time interval, responses from the responding sellers;

said central computer system programmed to compile information provided in the response received within the predetermined time interval, and rank the sellers based upon a weighted evaluation of the compiled information, and select sellers in order of highest ranking; and

said central computer system programmed to provide the compiled responses of the ranked selected sellers and respective responses in a report format for access by the buyer using the user terminal.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user terminal is a computer.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said central computer system includes a database for a plurality of sellers and a critical evaluation of each said seller, wherein selecting sellers from the predetermined group of sellers is performed by excluding sellers that have a critical evaluation below a predetermined value.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising,

said user terminal programmed to accept a response provided among the ranked selected sellers through communication with the seller corresponding to the accepted response;

and

said network programmed to transmit the responses that were provided for access by the buyer to each of the ranked selected sellers.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the central computer is further programmed to obtain a response for a seller from information previously provided by the seller that is stored in the central computer.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein said central computer system is further programmed to provide the compiled responses of the ranked selected sellers and respective responses to said user terminal using an internet connection.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the goods are selected from the group consisting of vehicles, computers, or appliances.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the goods are vehicles.

16. A system for obtaining information from providers for the purchasing of automobiles by prospective buyers comprising:

a computer programmed to receive a request for a desired automobile from a prospective buyer, the request including plurality of predetermined criteria related to the automobile and a plurality of predetermined criteria related to providers of automobiles;

a central computer system programmed to select at least two providers from a predetermined group of providers of the automobile by excluding providers from said predetermined group of providers that do not meet the plurality of predetermined criteria related to the automobile and the plurality of predetermined criteria related to the providers, and rank said selected at least two providers based on the time that the respective providers received a last request before said request from said prospective buyer;

said computer programmed to transmit the request of the prospective buyer including said received predetermined criteria related to said automobile to the selected at least two providers;

the central computer system programmed to receive, within a predetermined time interval, responses from the selected providers;

the central computer system programmed to compile information provided in the response received within the predetermined time interval for ranking the providers based upon a weighted evaluation of the compiled information including the plurality of criteria, and for selecting providers in order from highest ranking; and

said computer programmed to provide the ranked selected providers and respective responses for access by the prospective buyer using an internet connection.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the automobile is a previously owned automobile.