Sell-side icon

• US 8,630,930 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Icon One, Inc.
• Inventors: Gellman, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Lalita M
• Application Number:
  US12/589,010
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/26.1, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 40/00 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

Abstract

A network-based reverse auction system value discovery system that involves at least four major customers: consumers, and the three sell-side customers bidder/sellers, product manufacturers, and advertisers who are not also product manufacturers. Initially, a shopping list is constructed containing e.g., widely available goods (WAGs). The shopping list is the base of the value discovery network and adds significant value for each of the four key customers. A sell-side icon may be used to add items to the shopping list.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use by a computer system that implements an item-list-storing website at which products are offered for purchase, the computer system being configured to electronically store, for a consumer, at least one item list at the item-list-storing website and the computer system being further configured to add, to the item list, a selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add to the item list the selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the method comprising

a) receiving, by the computer system, a first indication that the consumer wishes to add, to the item list stored at the item-list-storing website, a first product displayed at a first product-displaying website that is different from the item-list-storing website, wherein the received first indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system in response to a selection by the consumer of an icon displayed on a display screen at a time when the first product-displaying website was being displayed on the display screen, and wherein the received first indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon in accordance with this step a),

b) responsive to the received first indication, adding, by the computer system, to the item list stored at the item-list-storing website, the first product displayed at the first product-displaying website,

c) receiving, by the computer system, a second indication that the consumer wishes to add, to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, a second product displayed at a second product-displaying website that is different from the item-list-storing website and from the first product-displaying website, the second product being different from the first product, wherein the received second indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system in response to a selection by the consumer of the identical icon that was selected in accordance with step a), said selection in accordance with this step c) being at a time when the second product-displaying website was being displayed on the display screen, and wherein the received second indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon in accordance with this step c), and

d) responsive to the received second indication, adding, by the computer system, to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, the second product displayed at the second product-displaying website.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

selling to the consumer, by the computer system, one or more of the products that are offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website that the consumer had selected for purchase from the item list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, in steps b) and d), the first and second products displayed at the first and second product-displaying websites, respectively, are added to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website without the consumer having to enter the item-list-storing website.

4. A computer-implemented method for use by a computer system that implements an item-list-storing website at which products are offered for purchase, the computer system being configured to electronically store, for a consumer, a first item list at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured to add, to the first item list, a selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add to the first item list the selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured to electronically store for the consumer at the item-list-storing website, concurrently with the storing of the first item list, at least a second item list, and the computer system being further configured to add, to the second item list, another selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add, to the second item list, said another selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the method comprising

receiving, by the computer system, an indication that the consumer wishes to add, to an item list stored at the item-listing-storing website, a product displayed at a product-displaying website that is different from the item-list-storing website, wherein the received indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system in response to a selection by the consumer of an icon displayed on a display screen at a time when the product-displaying website was being displayed on the display screen, and wherein the received indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon, and

responsive to the received indication, adding, by the computer system, the product displayed at the product-displaying website to a selected one of the first and second item lists based on a selection made by the consumer selecting one of a) said first item list or b) said second item list.

5. A computer-implemented method for use by a computer system that implements an item-list-storing website at which products are offered for purchase, the computer system being configured to electronically store, for a consumer, at least one item list at the item-list-storing website and the computer system being further configured to add, to the item list, a selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add to the item list the selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured in such a way that the consumer can purchase at the item-list-storing website one or more of the products selected by the consumer from the item list, the method comprising

a) receiving, by the computer system, a first indication that the consumer has selected an icon displayed on a display screen on which is also then displayed, at a first product-displaying website different from the item-list-storing website, a first product displayed at the product-displaying website, wherein the consumer'"'"'s selecting of the icon is an indication that the consumer wishes to add the first product then being displayed at the first product-displaying website to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website,

b) responsive to said received first indication, adding, by the computer system, to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, the first product displayed at the first product-displaying website, wherein the received first indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon in accordance with step a),

c) receiving, by the computer system, a second indication that the consumer has selected an icon displayed on a display screen on which is also then displayed, at a second product-displaying website different from the item-list-storing website and from the first product-displaying website, a second product that is different from the first product and that was displayed at the second product-displaying website, the icon selected in accordance with this step c) being identical to the icon that was selected in accordance with a), wherein the consumer'"'"'s selecting of the icon in accordance with this step c) is an indication that the consumer wishes to add the second product then being displayed at the second product-displaying website to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, and

d) responsive to said received second indication, adding, by the computer system, to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, the second product displayed at the second product-displaying website, wherein the received second indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon in accordance with step c).

6. The method of claim 5 wherein, in said adding, the product displayed at the product-displaying website is added to the item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website without the consumer entering the item-list-storing website.

7. A computer-implemented method for use by a computer system that implements an item-list-storing website at which products are offered for purchase, the computer system being configured to electronically store, for a consumer, a first item list at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured to add, to the first item list, a selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add to the first item list the selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured to electronically store for the consumer at the item-list-storing website, concurrently with the storing of the first item list, at least a second item list, the computer system being further configured to add to the second item list another selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website in response to an indication from the consumer that the consumer wishes to add to the second item list said another selected one or more of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, the computer system being further configured in such a way that the consumer can purchase at the item-list-storing website one or more of the products selected by the consumer from the first item list, and the computer system being further configured in such a way that the consumer can purchase at the item-list-storing website one or more of the products selected by the consumer from the second item list, the method comprising

receiving, by the computer system, an indication that the consumer has selected an icon displayed on a display screen on which is also then displayed, at a product-displaying website different from the item-list-storing website, a product displayed at the product-displaying website, wherein the consumer'"'"'s selecting of the icon is an indication that the consumer wishes to add the product then being displayed at the product-displaying website to an item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, and

responsive to said received indication, adding, by the computer system, the product displayed at the product-displaying website to a selected one of the first and second item lists based on a selection made by the consumer selecting one of a) said first item list or b) said second item list,

wherein the received indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system without the consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon.

8. A computer-implemented method for use by a computer system that implements an item-list-storing website at which products are offered for purchase, the method comprising

a) storing, by the computer system, at the item-list-storing website, a plurality of item lists, at least ones of the plurality of item lists being each associated with a respective different one of a plurality of consumers,

b) adding, by the computer system, to the item list associated with a first one of the consumers, at least a first one of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, this adding being carried out in response to an indication from the first consumer that the first consumer wishes to add, to one of the item lists associated with the first consumer, the at least first one of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website,

c) adding, by the computer system, to the item list associated with a second one of the consumers, at least a second one of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website, this adding being carried out in response to an indication from the second consumer that the second consumer wishes to add, to one of the item lists associated with the second consumer, the second one of the products offered for purchase at the item-list-storing website,

d) receiving, by the computer system, an indication that the first consumer wishes to add, to the first consumer'"'"'s associated item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, at least a third product, which is displayed at a first product-displaying website different from the item-list-storing website, wherein this indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system i) in response to a selection by the consumer of an icon displayed on a display screen at a time when the first product-displaying website was being displayed on the screen, and ii) without the first consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the consumer selected the icon, and

e) adding, by the computer system, said at least third product to the item list that is electronically stored at the item-list-storing website and that is associated with the first consumer, this adding being carried out in response to the indication received in accordance with step d),

f) receiving, by the computer system, an indication that the second consumer wishes to add, to the second consumer'"'"'s associated item list electronically stored at the item-list-storing website, at least a fourth product, which is displayed at a second product-displaying website, wherein this indication was automatically transmitted to the computer system i) a in response to a selection by the second consumer of the identical icon that was selected by the first consumer in accordance with step a), said identical icon having been on icon displayed on a display screen at a time when the second product-displaying website was being displayed on the screen, and ii) without the second consumer interacting with the item-list-storing website implemented by the computer system at the time that the second consumer selected the icon, and

g) adding, by the computer system, said at least fourth product to the item list that is electronically stored at the item-list-storing website and that is associated with the second consumer, this adding being carried out in response to the indication received in accordance with step f).

9. A non-transitory tangible medium on which is stored software that, when executed by a computer,

causes the computer to display a particular icon on a screen, the icon being associated with an item-list-storing website,

causes the computer, in response to a consumer selecting said particular icon while a page of a first product-displaying website is then also being displayed on the screen, to cause a first product then being displayed on said page of the first product-displaying website to be placed on an item list that is stored at the item-list-storing website without there being any interaction by the consumer with the item-list-storing website at that time, the first product-displaying website being different from the item-list-storing website, and

causes the computer, in response to the consumer selecting said particular icon while a page of a second product-displaying website is then also being displayed on the screen, to cause a second product then being displayed on said page of said second product-displaying website to be placed on an item list that is stored at the item-list-storing website without there being any interaction by the consumer with the item-list-storing website at that time,

the second product being different from the first product, the second product-displaying website being different from the item-list-storing website, and the second product-displaying website being different from the first product-displaying website.

10. The non-transitory tangible medium of claim 9 wherein the software, when executed by the computer to display said particular icon, causes said particular icon to be displayed in a corner of the screen.

11. A method comprising

downloading, to a consumer'"'"'s computer, software that, when executed by a computer,

causes the computer to display a particular icon on a screen, the icon being associated with an item-list-storing website,

causes the computer, in response to a consumer selecting said particular icon while a page of a first product-displaying website is then also being displayed on the screen, to cause a first product then being displayed on said page of the first product-displaying website to be placed on an item list that is stored at the item-list-storing website without there being any interaction by the consumer with the item-list-storing website at that time, the first product-displaying website being different from the item-list-storing website, and

causes the computer, in response to the consumer selecting said particular icon while a page of a second product-displaying website is then also being displayed on the screen, to cause a second product then being displayed on said page of the product-displaying website to be placed on an item list that is stored at the item-list-storing website without there being any interaction by the consumer with the item-list-storing website at that time,

the second product being different from the first product, the second product-displaying website being different from the item-list-storing website, and the second product-displaying website being different from the first product-displaying website.