Interactive computer-implemented system and method for negotiating sale of goods and/or services
First Claim
1. An interactive, computer-implemented system for conducting a negotiating session between a customer and a simulated merchant for purchases of goods and/or services on a web site distributed over the internet, the system comprising:
- storage media on which is stored merchant behavioral data representative of behavioral attributes of the simulated merchant, data relating to the on-going negotiating session between the customer and the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the customer, and product data including information relating to goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant;
a customer interface accessible with a web browser adapted to enable the customer to input data relating to the purchase of particular goods and/or services, wherein the data input by the customer is stored within said storage media; and
a computer in communication with said storage media and said customer interface and programmed with an algorithm including commands which when executed by the computer cause the computer to;
A. receive data input by the customer and store the data input by the customer in said storage media, wherein the stored customer data includes an offer for the purchase of goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant;
B. generate merchant responses including the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state and a counteroffer or an acceptance of the customer'"'"'s offer,(1) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state based on data retrieved from the storage media, including (a) an emotion vector derived from a matrix of merchant responses and customer responses, (b) the results of the merchant'"'"'s last negotiating session, and (c) the results of the customer'"'"'s previous negotiating sessions and(2) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the counter-offer based on data retrieved from the storage media, including the divergence of the customer'"'"'s offer from a predetermined expected value, (b) the response time of the customer, and (c) the traffic volume on the web site;
C. transmit the merchant response to the customer;
D. receive further data input by the customer, including data responding to the merchant response and store the further data input by the customer in said storage media; and
E. repeating steps A through D to provide an interactive negotiation between the human customer and the simulated merchant for the purchase of the particular goods and/or services until an agreement is achieved between the human customer and the simulated merchant or the negotiation is terminated;
whereby the occurrence of a sale for said particular goods and/or services at a specific price is determined as a function of customer replies to merchant responses to customer-inputted data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-implemented method and system for negotiating the purchase of goods and/or services by customers utilizes a simulated human merchant having predefined behavioral attributes. An algorithm representing behavioral attributes of a simulated human merchant is used to receive customer input data relating to particular goods and/or services desired to be purchased. The customer input data is processed to generate merchant responses to the customer input data, and the sale of goods and/or services are agreed to at a particular price as a result of processing of customer replies to merchant responses according to the algorithm.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An interactive, computer-implemented system for conducting a negotiating session between a customer and a simulated merchant for purchases of goods and/or services on a web site distributed over the internet, the system comprising:
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storage media on which is stored merchant behavioral data representative of behavioral attributes of the simulated merchant, data relating to the on-going negotiating session between the customer and the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the customer, and product data including information relating to goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; a customer interface accessible with a web browser adapted to enable the customer to input data relating to the purchase of particular goods and/or services, wherein the data input by the customer is stored within said storage media; and a computer in communication with said storage media and said customer interface and programmed with an algorithm including commands which when executed by the computer cause the computer to; A. receive data input by the customer and store the data input by the customer in said storage media, wherein the stored customer data includes an offer for the purchase of goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; B. generate merchant responses including the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state and a counteroffer or an acceptance of the customer'"'"'s offer, (1) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state based on data retrieved from the storage media, including (a) an emotion vector derived from a matrix of merchant responses and customer responses, (b) the results of the merchant'"'"'s last negotiating session, and (c) the results of the customer'"'"'s previous negotiating sessions and (2) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the counter-offer based on data retrieved from the storage media, including the divergence of the customer'"'"'s offer from a predetermined expected value, (b) the response time of the customer, and (c) the traffic volume on the web site; C. transmit the merchant response to the customer; D. receive further data input by the customer, including data responding to the merchant response and store the further data input by the customer in said storage media; and E. repeating steps A through D to provide an interactive negotiation between the human customer and the simulated merchant for the purchase of the particular goods and/or services until an agreement is achieved between the human customer and the simulated merchant or the negotiation is terminated; whereby the occurrence of a sale for said particular goods and/or services at a specific price is determined as a function of customer replies to merchant responses to customer-inputted data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer-implemented method for conducting on an internet web site a negotiating session between a customer and a simulated merchant for the purchase of goods and/or services, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. storing merchant behavioral data representative of behavioral attributes of the simulated merchant, data relating to the on-going negotiating session between the customer and the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the customer, and data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the simulated merchant; B. storing product data including information relating to goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; C. receiving data input by the human customer in connection with the negotiating session, including an offer for the purchase of goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; D. storing data input by the customer; E. providing an algorithm for generating merchant responses based on the merchant behavioral data, the product data, and data input by the customer; F. using the algorithm to generate a merchant response including the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state and a counteroffer or an acceptance of the customer'"'"'s offer, (1) wherein the simulated merchant'"'"'s emotional state is determined based on data retrieved from the storage media, including (a) an emotion vector derived from a matrix of merchant responses and customer responses, (b) the results of the merchant'"'"'s last negotiating session, and (c) the results of the customer'"'"'s previous negotiating sessions and (2) wherein the counter-offer is determined based on data retrieved from the storage media, including (a) the divergence of the customer'"'"'s offer from a predetermined expected value, (b) the response time of the customer, and (c) the traffic volume on the web site; G. transmitting the merchant response to the customer; H. receiving further data input by the customer, including data responding to the merchant response; I. repeating steps D through H to provide an interactive negotiation for the purchase of the particular goods and/or services between the human customer and the simulated merchant until an agreement is achieved between the human customer and the simulated merchant or the negotiation is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification