Method and system for creative collaborative marketplaces

• US 8,086,501 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rao, Venkatesh Guru
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US12/331,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/26.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method of conducting a multi-level transaction includes receiving a primary call for proposals, receiving one or more primary bids by a computing system with respect to the primary call for proposals, receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals for each primary bid, receiving one or more secondary bids by a computing system with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals, automatically determining an estimate of a trustworthiness rating for each primary bid, receiving the selection of a primary bid based on the estimates of the trustworthiness rating, and displaying the selection of the primary bid. Each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid. The estimate of the trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary bid trustworthiness ratings.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a multi-level transaction, comprising:

receiving a primary call for proposals;

receiving, by a computing system, one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals;

for each primary bid, receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals, wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid;

receiving, by a computing system, one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals;

for each primary bid, automatically determining an estimate of a trustworthiness rating, wherein the estimate of the trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary bid trustworthiness ratings, wherein determining the estimate of the trustworthiness rating comprises;

receiving a number of previous transactions associated with a primary bid,

for each secondary call for proposals;

determining a maximum secondary number of previous transactions by selecting a maximum number of previous transactions from all secondary bids associated with the secondary call for proposals, and

determining a minimum secondary number of previous transactions by selecting a minimum number of previous transactions from all secondary bids associated with the secondary call for proposals,

determining a maximum final number of previous transactions based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more maximum secondary numbers of previous transactions,

determining a minimum final number of previous transactions based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more minimum secondary numbers of previous transactions, and

selecting the estimate of the trustworthiness rating based on the maximum final number of previous transactions and the minimum final number of previous transactions;

receiving the selection of a primary bid based on the estimates of the trustworthiness rating; and

displaying the selection of the primary bid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a secondary bid trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with each secondary bid corresponding to a secondary call for proposals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving one or more secondary bids comprises:

receiving a probability of success rating; and

receiving a completeness level associated with the one or more secondary bids.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a closing rating associated with the completion of each transaction;

computing a final rating based on the closing rating for each transaction; and

updating the one or more estimates of a trustworthiness rating for each transaction based on the final rating.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein computing a final rating comprises:

retaining a value rating based on a weight of one or more closing ratings.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein computing a final rating comprises:

averaging one or more closing ratings.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein computing one or more final ratings comprises:

receiving a rating;

multiplying the rating with a value associated with each transaction to determine a point valuation;

adding the point valuation to a cumulative rating to create a total cumulative rating; and

dividing the total cumulative rating by a historical total of a nominal value of one or more past transactions to determine a value-weighted rating.

8. A system for conducting a multi-level transaction, comprising:

a processor in communication with an output device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a primary call for proposals,

receive one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals,

receive one or more secondary calls for proposals for each primary bid, wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid,

receive one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals,

determine an estimate of a trustworthiness rating for each primary bid, wherein the estimate of the trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary bid trustworthiness ratings, wherein determining the estimate of the trustworthiness rating comprises;

receiving a number of previous transactions associated with a primary bid,

for each secondary call for proposals;

determining a maximum secondary number of previous transactions by selecting a maximum number of previous transactions from all secondary bids associated with the secondary call for proposals, and

determining a minimum secondary number of previous transactions by selecting a minimum number of previous transactions from all secondary bids associated with the secondary call for proposals,

determining a maximum final number of previous transactions based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more maximum secondary numbers of previous transactions,

determining a minimum final number of previous transactions based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more minimum secondary numbers of previous transactions, and

selecting the estimate of the trustworthiness rating based on the maximum final number of previous transactions and the minimum final number of previous transactions, and

cause the selection of one of the one or more primary bids based on the estimates of the trustworthiness rating.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a secondary bid trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with each secondary bid corresponding to a secondary call for proposals.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive one or more secondary bids comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a probability of success rating; and

receive a completeness level associated with the one or more secondary bids.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a closing rating associated with the completion of each transaction;

compute a final rating based on the closing rating for each transaction; and

update the one or more estimates of a trustworthiness rating for each transaction based on the final rating.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

retain a value rating based on a weight of one or more closing ratings.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

average one or more closing ratings.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a rating;

multiply the rating with a value associated with each transaction to determine a point valuation;

add the point valuation to a cumulative rating to create a total cumulative rating; and

divide the total cumulative rating by a historical total of a nominal value of one or more past transactions to determine a value-weighted rating.

15. A method of conducting a multi-level transaction, comprising:

receiving a primary call for proposals;

receiving, by a computing system, one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals;

for each primary bid, receiving one or more secondary calls for proposals, wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid;

receiving, by a computing system, one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals;

for each primary bid, automatically determining an estimate of a trustworthiness rating, wherein the estimate of the trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary bid trustworthiness ratings, wherein determining an estimate of the trustworthiness rating for each primary bid comprises;

receiving a number of previous transactions associated with a primary bid,

for each secondary call for proposals, determining a secondary number of previous transactions by averaging a number of previous transactions for each secondary bid associated with the secondary call for proposals, and

determining the estimate of the trustworthiness rating based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more secondary numbers of previous transactions;

receiving the selection of a primary bid based on the estimates of the trustworthiness rating; and

displaying the selection of the primary bid.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a secondary bid trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with each secondary bid corresponding to a secondary call for proposals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving one or more secondary bids comprises:

receiving a probability of success rating; and

receiving a completeness level associated with the one or more secondary bids.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a closing rating associated with the completion of each transaction;

computing a final rating based on the closing rating for each transaction; and

updating the one or more estimates of a trustworthiness rating for each transaction based on the final rating.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein computing a final rating comprises:

retaining a value rating based on a weight of one or more closing ratings.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein computing a final rating comprises:

averaging one or more closing ratings.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein computing one or more final ratings comprises:

receiving a rating;

multiplying the rating with a value associated with each transaction to determine a point valuation;

adding the point valuation to a cumulative rating to create a total cumulative rating; and

dividing the total cumulative rating by a historical total of a nominal value of one or more past transactions to determine a value-weighted rating.

22. A system for conducting a multi-level transaction, comprising:

a processor in communication with an output device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a primary call for proposals,

receive one or more primary bids with respect to the primary call for proposals,

receive one or more secondary calls for proposals for each primary bid, wherein each secondary call for proposals includes a job request associated with the primary bid,

receive one or more secondary bids with respect to the one or more secondary calls for proposals,

determine an estimate of a trustworthiness rating for each primary bid, wherein the estimate of the trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with the primary bid and one or more secondary bid trustworthiness ratings, wherein determining the estimate of the trustworthiness rating comprises;

receiving a number of previous transactions associated with a primary bid,

for each secondary call for proposals, determining a secondary number of previous transactions by averaging a number of previous transactions for each secondary bid associated with the secondary call for proposals, and

determining the estimate of the trustworthiness rating based on the number of previous transactions associated with the primary bid and the one or more secondary numbers of previous transactions, and

cause the selection of one of the one or more primary bids based on the estimates of the trustworthiness rating.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a secondary bid trustworthiness rating is based on a trustworthiness rating associated with each secondary bid corresponding to a secondary call for proposals.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive one or more secondary bids comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a probability of success rating; and

receive a completeness level associated with the one or more secondary bids.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a closing rating associated with the completion of each transaction;

compute a final rating based on the closing rating for each transaction; and

update the one or more estimates of a trustworthiness rating for each transaction based on the final rating.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

retain a value rating based on a weight of one or more closing ratings.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

average one or more closing ratings.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compute a final rating comprise one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a rating;

multiply the rating with a value associated with each transaction to determine a point valuation;

add the point valuation to a cumulative rating to create a total cumulative rating; and

divide the total cumulative rating by a historical total of a nominal value of one or more past transactions to determine a value-weighted rating.