System and method for extension of group buying throughout the internet

• US 8,639,580 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fintegraph, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Van Horn, Tom, Halbert, Richard V., Woodford, Dale A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/919,909
• Time in Patent Office: 3,452 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method and system are provided that enable partner sites to join in the sale of products/services via an on-line group-buying sale business method. A seller registers a list of products/services to be displayed on partner sites. Customers/visitors who access partner sites may link to one or more on-line group-buying sales conducted on an owner'"'"'s main site. Accordingly, the method and system enable a super demand aggregation for products/services offered for sale by the on-line group-buying sale business method. The invention provides a partner menu tree that allows partners to pre-select products/categories for display to customers linking to the on-line group-buying sale from their partner site. Sellers may provide particular products, services, categories, and abstract terms to help partners select which products/services to display for customers from among all the on-line group-buying sale products/services. The invention has applicability to sales paradigms other than the on-line group-buying sale business method.

Claims

1. A method of offering a targeted online group buying sale by a group buying server, comprising:

receiving a request to access an on-line group-buying web site;

selecting, by the group buying server, the targeted online group buying sale from a plurality of online group buying sales according to geographic buyer location criteria, the targeted online group buying sale corresponding to a featured product or service associated with the geographic buyer location criteria;

providing, by the group buying server, a web page featuring the targeted online group buying sale, the web page indicating a group-purchase price for the featured product or service, the group-purchase price being available according to a step-wise pricing scheme;

receiving an irrevocable offer to join a buying group; and

accepting the irrevocable offer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising completing a sales transaction corresponding to the targeted online group buying sale.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising referring the irrevocable offer to a third-party to complete a transaction agreement for the featured product or service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising debiting the group-purchase price.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying of the targeted online group buying sale.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a bonus associated with the targeted online group buying sale.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a targeted online group buying sale process, comprising:

receiving a request to access an online group-buying web site;

selecting the targeted online group buying sale from a plurality of online group buying sales according to geographic buyer location criteria, the targeted online group buying sale corresponding to a featured product or service targeted to the geographic buyer location criteria;

providing a web page featuring the targeted online group buying sale, the web page indicates a group-purchase price for the featured product or service, the group-purchase price being available according to a step-wise pricing scheme;

receiving an irrevocable offer to join a buying group; and

accepting the irrevocable offer.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising completing a sales transaction corresponding to the targeted online group buying sale.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising referring the irrevocable offer to a third-party to complete a transaction agreement for the featured product or service.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising debiting the group-purchase price.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, the method further comprising notifying of the targeted online group buying sale.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, the method further comprising determining at least one bonus associated with the targeted online group buying sale.

13. An apparatus for offering a targeted online group buying sale comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to access an online group-buying web site;

selecting a targeted online group buying sale from a plurality of online group buying sales according geographic buyer location criteria, the targeted online group buying sale corresponding to a featured product or service associated with the geographic buyer location criteria;

providing a web page featuring the targeted online group buying sale, the web page indicating a group-purchase price for the featured product or service, the group-purchase price being available according to a step-wise pricing scheme;

receiving an irrevocable offer to join a buying group; and

accepting the irrevocable offer.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises completing a sales transaction corresponding to the targeted online group buying sale.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises referring the irrevocable offer to a third-party to complete a transaction agreement for the featured product or service.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises debiting the group-purchase price.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises notifying of the targeted online group buying sale.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises determining a bonus associated with the targeted online group buying sale.

19. A method of offering a targeted online group buying sale selected from a plurality of online group buying sales by a group buying server, comprising:

receiving a request to access an on-line group-buying web site;

selecting, by the group buying server, the targeted online group buying sale from the plurality of online group buying sales according to geographic buyer location criteria, the targeted online group buying sale corresponding to a featured product or service offered by a third-party seller according to the geographic buyer location criteria;

providing, by the group buying server, a web page featuring the targeted online group buying sale, the web page indicating a group-purchase price for the featured product or service, the group-purchase price being according to a step-wise pricing scheme;

receiving an irrevocable offer to join a buying group; and

accepting the irrevocable offer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising completing a sales transaction corresponding to the targeted online group buying sale.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising referring the irrevocable offer to the third-party seller to complete a transaction agreement for the featured product or service.