Method and apparatus for permitting stage-door access to on-line vendor information

• US 8,620,756 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph M. Fuisz, Richard C. Fuisz
• Original Assignee: Joseph M. Fuisz, Richard C. Fuisz
• Inventors: Fuisz, Richard C., Fuisz, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lemieux, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US13/594,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The present invention provides Internet users with access to an on-line vendor that has detailed product information some or all of which is supplied by at least one product supplier. Through selected storage and sharing of data, an on-line store is married to a supplier'"'"'s product database. The on-line vendor is able to provide greater product information at a vastly reduced cost. The product supplier is provided with a unique company forum in which company activities such as sales training can be consolidated with advertising activities and product information to provide the most economical and up-to-date training information for the company.

Claims

1. An on-line vendor system, comprising:

a plurality of on-line vendor systems that may be selectively accessed by on-line vendor users and comprising at least data relating to a selection of available products for sale by a plurality of on-line vendors;

at least one a database containing on-line vendor user information related to at least one of user preferences of on-line vendor users of the plurality of on-line vendor systems, product purchase trends of on-line vendor users of the plurality of on-line vendor systems and internal hits of on-line vendor users of the plurality of on-line vendor systems;

a product supplier system maintained by a product supplier; and

a management system dynamically connecting the plurality of on-line vendor systems and the product supplier system for selectively controlling access by the product supplier to the at least one database containing on-line vendor user information of the plurality of on-line vendor systems.

2. The on-line vendor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one database containing on-line vendor user information contains information related to user preferences of on-line vendor users.

3. The on-line vendor system according to claim 2, wherein the information related to user preferences of on-line vendor users comprises information concerning the type of products purchased and the frequency of purchases.

4. The on-line vendor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one database containing on-line vendor user information comprises information related to product purchase trends of on-line vendor users.

5. The on-line vendor system according to claim 4, wherein the information related to product purchase trends of on-line vendor users includes information concerning product purchase trends of products supplied by the product supplier.

6. The on-line vendor system according to claim 5, wherein the information related to product purchase trends of on-line vendor users includes information concerning the relative rate of sales of a product of the product supplier with the relative rate of sales of a competing product.

7. The on-line vendor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one database containing on-line vendor user information contains information related to internal hits of on-line vendor users.

8. The on-line vendor system according to claim 7, wherein the information related to internal hits of on-line vendor users includes at least one of general page tracking, tracking of pages of the product supplier, and an amount of data requested by on-line vendor users.

9. An on-line vendor system, comprising:

an on-line vendor system that may be selectively accessed by on-line vendor users and comprising at least data relating to a selection of available products for sale by the on-line vendor;

at least one database containing on-line vendor user information related to at least one of user preferences of on-line vendor users, product purchase trends of on-line vendor users and internal hits of on-line vendor users;

a plurality of product supplier systems maintained by product suppliers; and

a management system dynamically connecting the on-line vendor system and the plurality of product supplier systems for selectively controlling access to the at least one database containing on-line vendor user information of the on-line vendor system.