Method and apparatus for optimizing seller selection in a multi-seller environment
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a preferred seller from a group of independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, each seller of the group of sellers offering a good for sale that is fungible or quasi-fungible with respect to the goods of the other sellers of the group of sellers, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing the good;
searching, by computer in an automated fashion, a database to identify goods for sale having certain buyer-searchable characteristics, the identified goods collectively being offered for sale by the group of sellers, each seller of the group of sellers having listed its good for sale within the multiple seller environment;
establishing at least one criterion for selecting a seller from the group of sellers, a first criterion of the at least one criterion being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying;
identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a first seller of the group of sellers;
identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a second seller of the group of sellers;
determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the first seller for satisfying the first criterion;
determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the second seller for satisfying the first criterion; and
selecting, by computer in an automated fashion, a preferred seller as a function of the ratings, the preferred seller being selected in an automated manner from among the first and second sellers, the preferred seller being selected as the respective seller having a best respective rating for satisfying the first criterion;
wherein the identifying, determining and selecting steps are performed after the searching step, andwherein the at least one criterion comprises multiple criteria, each of the multiple criteria having a specified relative importance to be used in determining the ratings; and
facilitating sale of the good from the preferred seller to the buyer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for selecting a seller in a multi-seller environment in which multiple sellers are offering for sale one or more goods desired by the buyer. A criterion for selecting a seller may be specified by the buyer or an intermediary. After identifying a seller offering the desired good(s) for sale, a seller is selected which best satisfies the criterion. More than one criterion may be specified. If the buyer desires to purchase multiple goods, a seller offering one or more of the multiple goods may be selected or a seller solution including a combination of sellers may be selected. A computer-implemented method and an apparatus for carrying out the computer-implemented method is also provided.
-
Citations
49 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a preferred seller from a group of independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, each seller of the group of sellers offering a good for sale that is fungible or quasi-fungible with respect to the goods of the other sellers of the group of sellers, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing the good; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, a database to identify goods for sale having certain buyer-searchable characteristics, the identified goods collectively being offered for sale by the group of sellers, each seller of the group of sellers having listed its good for sale within the multiple seller environment; establishing at least one criterion for selecting a seller from the group of sellers, a first criterion of the at least one criterion being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a first seller of the group of sellers; identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a second seller of the group of sellers; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the first seller for satisfying the first criterion; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the second seller for satisfying the first criterion; and selecting, by computer in an automated fashion, a preferred seller as a function of the ratings, the preferred seller being selected in an automated manner from among the first and second sellers, the preferred seller being selected as the respective seller having a best respective rating for satisfying the first criterion; wherein the identifying, determining and selecting steps are performed after the searching step, and wherein the at least one criterion comprises multiple criteria, each of the multiple criteria having a specified relative importance to be used in determining the ratings; and facilitating sale of the good from the preferred seller to the buyer. - 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, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method for selecting a preferred seller from among independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, the independent sellers offering goods for sale, the method being computer-implemented to be carried out in an automated fashion, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing a first good having certain characteristics that may be used to search a computer database of different goods; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, the computer database to identify a plurality of goods for sale, each of the plurality of goods having the certain characteristics, each of the identified goods being offered for sale by a respective independent seller, the respective independent sellers collectively forming a group of sellers, each seller of the group of sellers offering the first good for sale that has the certain characteristics, each seller of the group of sellers having listed its good for sale within the multiple seller environment; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a first rating for a first seller of the group of sellers, the first rating reflecting a relative degree to which the first seller satisfies at least one criterion for selecting a seller from the group of sellers offering fungible or quasi-fungible goods for sale, the at least one criterion for selecting a seller being distinct from the certain characteristics used for the searching to identify goods, a first criterion of the at least one criterion being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a second rating for a second seller of the group of sellers, the second rating reflecting a relative degree to which the second seller satisfies the first criterion; selecting, by computer in an automated fashion, a preferred seller as a function of the ratings, the preferred seller being selected from among the first and second sellers, wherein said ratings quantify a respective seller'"'"'s relative degree of satisfaction of the at least one criterion; and facilitating sale of the first good and the second good from the preferred seller to the buyer. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A method for selecting a preferred seller from among independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, the independent sellers offering goods for sale, the method being computer-implemented to be carried out in an automated fashion, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing a first good having certain characteristics that may be used to search a computer database of different goods; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, the computer database to identify a plurality of goods for sale, each of the plurality of goods having the certain characteristics, each of the identified goods being offered for sale by a respective independent seller, the respective independent sellers collectively forming a group of sellers, each seller of the group of sellers offering a good for sale that has the certain characteristics, each seller of the group of sellers having listed its good for sale within the multiple seller environment; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a first rating for a first seller of the group of sellers, the first rating quantifying a relative degree to which the first seller satisfies a criterion for selecting a seller from the group of sellers offering fungible or quasi-fungible goods for sale, the criterion for selecting a seller being a standard involving a characteristic of a seller and being distinct from the certain characteristics used for the searching to identify goods, the criterion being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a second rating for a second seller of the group of sellers, the second rating quantifying a relative degree to which the second seller satisfies the criterion; selecting, by computer in an automated fashion, a preferred seller as a function of the ratings, the preferred seller being selected from among the first and second sellers; and facilitating sale of the first good and the second good from the preferred seller to the buyer.
-
-
43. A computer-implemented method for selecting a preferred seller from a group of independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing a first good; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, a database to identify goods for sale having certain buyer-searchable characteristics, the identified goods collectively being offered for sale by the group of sellers, each seller of the group of sellers having listed its good for sale within the multiple seller environment; establishing at least one criterion for selecting a seller from the group of sellers, the criterion including a standard involving application of logic to at least one fact and being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a first seller of the group of sellers; identifying, by computer in an automated fashion, a second seller of the group of sellers; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the first seller for satisfying the criterion, the first seller'"'"'s rating reflecting a relative degree to which a first fact relating to proposed purchase of the first good from the first seller meets the standard; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a rating of the second seller for satisfying the criterion, the second seller'"'"'s rating reflecting a relative degree to which a second fact relating to proposed purchase of the first good from the second seller meets the standard, wherein said ratings quantify a respective seller'"'"'s relative degree of satisfaction of the criterion; selecting a preferred seller as a function of the ratings, the preferred seller being selected in an automated manner from among the first and second sellers; wherein the identifying, determining and selecting steps are performed after the searching step; and facilitating sale of the first good and the second good from the preferred seller to the buyer.
-
-
44. A method for selecting a preferred seller from among independent sellers in a multiple seller environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing a first good having certain characteristics; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, the computer database to identify a plurality of goods having the certain characteristics, each of the identified goods being offered for sale by a respective independent seller, the respective independent sellers collectively forming a group of different sellers, each seller of the group of different sellers having listed its identified good for sale within the multiple seller environment; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a first rating for a first seller of the group of sellers, the first rating reflecting a relative degree to which the first seller satisfies a criterion that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a second rating for a second seller of the group of sellers, the second rating reflecting a relative degree to which the second seller satisfies the criterion, wherein each of the first and second ratings comprises a seller reliability rating; and facilitating sale of the identified good and the second good from the first seller to the buyer. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
-
-
48. A method for selecting a preferred seller in a multiple seller environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a computer, an expression of a buyer'"'"'s interest in purchasing a first good having certain characteristics that may be used to search a computer database of different goods; searching, by computer in an automated fashion, the computer database to identify goods having the certain characteristics, each of the goods being offered for sale by a respective independent seller, the respective independent sellers collectively forming a group of different sellers, each seller of the group of different sellers having listed its identified good for sale within the multiple seller environment; and selecting a preferred seller from among the group of different sellers, said selecting comprising; identifying a criterion for selecting a seller from the among the group of different sellers, the criterion being distinct from the certain characteristics used for the searching to identify goods, and being that the seller offer a second good that the buyer has previously expressed an interest in buying; determining, by computer in an automated fashion, a respective rating for each seller of the group of sellers, each rating reflecting a relative degree to which the respective seller satisfies the criterion; wherein the preferred seller is selected as a particular seller having a respective rating indicating a greater degree of satisfaction of the criterion than another seller, wherein each of the respective ratings comprises a seller reliability rating; and facilitating sale of the identified good and the second good from the preferred seller to the buyer. - View Dependent Claims (49)
-
Specification