Multiparty computer-assisted haggling

• US 8,423,422 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US13/174,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.4, 705/26.41
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to a computer-implemented architecture that can facilitate computer-assisted haggling and/or negotiation between multiple parties simultaneously. For example, various proxies associated with both buyers and sellers can be configured to negotiate with other proxies to buy or sell an item. The negotiations can be required to be progressive and during the negotiations a buyer or seller is, typically, allowed to withdraw his or her proposals. The architecture can include a registration component that can resolve concurrency and facilitate a registration of an agreement between two of the parties. The registration of an agreement can create a binding obligation between the parties after which other outstanding proposals can be terminated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system comprising the following computer components stored in a computer storage media and executable by one or more processors:

a plurality of seller proxies configured to negotiate offers to sell a plurality of similar items for respective sellers at respective proposed sell prices;

a buyer proxy configured to negotiate an offer to purchase at least one of the plurality of similar items for a buyer at a proposed buy price; and

a registration component configured to;

receive one or more registration requests from;

i) a seller proxy when a seller accepts the offer to purchase at the proposed buy price;

or

ii) the buyer proxy when the buyer accepts an offer to sell at a proposed sell price;

initiate one or more registrations after receiving the one or more registration requests, wherein each registration creates a binding agreement between the buyer and a seller; and

resolve concurrency ensuring that the buyer does not purchase more than a pre-set quantity of similar items by terminating outstanding offers to purchase after the pre-set quantity has been satisfied.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the proposed buy price is an initial proposed buy price, and the buyer proxy is further configured to provide a progressive counteroffer buy price responsive to receiving one or more of the respective proposed sell prices that fail to satisfy the initial proposed buy price.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the progressive counteroffer buy price is applied to negotiations with each of the plurality of seller proxies.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the progressive counteroffer buy price is applied to negotiations with a particular one of the plurality of seller proxies.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the progressive counteroffer buy price is required to close at least a fixed percentage of a price gap between the initial proposed buy price and a particular one of the respective proposed sell prices.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the proposed buy price is configured to be valid for a pre-defined period of time.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein each of the respective proposed sell prices are configured to be valid for a pre-defined period of time.

8. A computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the pre-set quantity is one.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the pre-set quantity is more than one.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 9, wherein the pre-set quantity is reduced if a total aggregate purchase is realized.

11. A method comprising:

negotiating, for each of a plurality of computer seller proxies, a sale offer of a plurality of similar items for respective sellers at respective proposed sell prices;

negotiating, via a computer buyer proxy, a purchase offer of at least one of the plurality of similar items for a buyer at a proposed buy price;

receiving, at any time during the negotiations, a registration request from;

i) a computer seller proxy when a seller accepts the purchase offer at the proposed buy price;

or

ii) the computer buyer proxy when the buyer accepts one of the sale offers at a proposed sell price;

initiating a registration after receiving the registration request, the registration creating a binding agreement between the buyer and a seller; and

subsequent to initiating the registration, resolving concurrency ensuring that the buyer does not purchase more than a pre-set quantity of the plurality of similar items by terminating outstanding offers to purchase after the pre-set quantity has been satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the proposed buy price is an initial proposed buy price, the method further comprising providing a progressive counteroffer buy price responsive to receiving one or more of the respective proposed sell prices that fail to satisfy the initial proposed buy price.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the progressive counteroffer buy price is required to close at least a fixed percentage of a price gap between the initial proposed buy price and a particular one of the respective proposed sell prices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the proposed buy price is configured to be valid for a pre-defined period of time.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the respective proposed sell prices are configured to be valid for a pre-defined period of time.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-set quantity is one.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-set quantity is more than one.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-set quantity is reduced if a total aggregate purchase amount is realized.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, from each of a plurality of computer seller proxies during a negotiation, an offer to sell an item at a proposed sell price, wherein the offer to sell can be withdrawn by the computer seller proxy prior to registration of a binding agreement;

receiving, from a computer buyer proxy during the negotiation, one or more offers to purchase the item at a proposed purchase price, wherein each offer to purchase can be withdrawn by the computer buyer proxy prior to registration of a binding agreement;

receiving, during the negotiation, one or more registration requests from;

i) a computer seller proxy when a seller accepts the offer to purchase the item at the proposed purchase price;

or

ii) the computer buyer proxy when a buyer accepts one of the offers to sell the item at the proposed sell price;

registering a binding agreement for each of the one or more registration requests; and

resolving concurrency ensuring that the computer buyer proxy does not exceed purchasing a pre-set quantity of the items by terminating outstanding offers to purchase after the pre-set quantity has been satisfied.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the items being sold by the plurality of computer seller proxies are similar.