Automated system for adapting market data and evaluating the market value of items

US 9,092,825 B2
Filed: 04/25/2014
Issued: 07/28/2015
Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
Status: Expired due to Term

First Claim

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1. In a networked service provider environment, a computing system comprising:

a service provider server comprising;

a network interface;

a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory;

a metric manager executable by the processor, wherein the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for adapting metric data; and

a metric application operable in coordination with the metric manager, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of the at least one evaluation service including execution of one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to a user-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more interfaces that facilitate communications with the service provider server,wherein the metric application is further programmed to;

receive, from a user-agent via a remotely located user-agent computing device, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value; and

for at least one item identified in a received product specification data set, invoke the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate one or more evaluation metrics for the item, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to;

obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item represented in at least one of the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set;

execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set;

generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value; and

generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.

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Abstract

A computer system including a service provider server invokes an evaluation service that causes a metric application to obtain a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of at least one item identified in a product specification data set and/or a price data set. Each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data of a particular time or period of time. At least one adjustment value is generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item in one or more of the market transaction data sets, transforming the market reference price data and producing normalized market reference price data sets. A synthetic market value is generated for the at least one item in the product specification data set and/or the price data set, and one or more evaluation metrics generated therefrom are communicated via a network interface.

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186 Claims

1. In a networked service provider environment, a computing system comprising:
- a service provider server comprising;
  
  a network interface;
  
  a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
  
  a processor in communication with the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory;
  
  a metric manager executable by the processor, wherein the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for adapting metric data; and
  
  a metric application operable in coordination with the metric manager, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of the at least one evaluation service including execution of one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to a user-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more interfaces that facilitate communications with the service provider server,wherein the metric application is further programmed to;
  
  receive, from a user-agent via a remotely located user-agent computing device, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value; and
  
  for at least one item identified in a received product specification data set, invoke the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate one or more evaluation metrics for the item, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to;
  
  obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item represented in at least one of the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set;
  
  execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set;
  
  generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value; and
  
  generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
- - 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one evaluation service is predefined and stored in the memory, and is invoked by the metric application in response to receiving, from the remotely located user-agent computing device, a product specification data set identifying at least one item for the at least one evaluation service.
  - 3. The system of claim 2, wherein a plurality of evaluation services are predefined and stored in the memory, and selectively invoked by the metric application.
  - 4. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set under multiple evaluation scenarios, wherein at least one evaluation scenario references an alternate item, alternate parameter, alternate time or period of time, alternate database or metric data source, or a combination thereof, or wherein at least one evaluation scenario causes the metric application to filter the normalized market reference price data sets using alternate criteria and/or evaluation parameters before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item, wherein the at least one evaluation metric generated for the at least one item under each of the multiple evaluation scenarios are compared, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate a result of the comparison, via the network interface, to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one synthetic market value and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set are further used by the metric application in one or more subsequent evaluation services.
  - 6. The system of claim 5, wherein invocation of at least one subsequent evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one subsequent evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric comprising a predefined performance measure, wherein the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item in the product specification data set or at least one of the evaluation metrics generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value is a predefined data element that is automatically input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the subsequent evaluation service to generate, at least in part, the predefined performance measure, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the at least one evaluation metric to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device and/or at least one output specified in the one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service.
  - 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one product specification data set received from the user-agent computing device includes price data corresponding to the at least one item, and wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service further causes the metric application to divide the price data corresponding to the at least one item by the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item, to generate at least one relative value metric comprising a ratio or index value for the at least one item, and to manage at least one interface to communicate the at least one relative value metric to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the market transaction data sets include market reference price data that was exposed by at least one buyer agent or at least one seller agent.
  - 9. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the market transaction data sets include market reference price data that was previously gathered in one or more databases and exposed to the processor by a third party via the network interface.
  - 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to communicate the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set to the remotely located user-agent computing device for visual display in the form of a table, chart, or graph.
  - 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to communicate the one or more evaluation metrics to the remotely located user-agent computing device, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage multiple visual interfaces that can be alternatively or simultaneously displayed, wherein the multiple visual interfaces facilitate interactions that enable a user agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail or to display additional linked information or the same data presented in a different format or as determined over a different period of time.
  - 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a user-agent computing device to predefine and add a new evaluation service or to modify a predefined evaluation service or to join two or more predefined evaluation services to form a combined evaluation service, and wherein the new, modified, or combined evaluation service is invoked by the metric application when at least one product specification data set is received from the remotely located user-agent computing device for the new, modified, or combined evaluation service.
  - 13. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application in coordination with the metric manager to manage an interface wherein the user-agent computing device is prompted to identify or select at least one data element or function to be added to or removed from a currently in-progress evaluation service, or to provide additional information required by the currently in-progress evaluation service, thereby modifying the evaluation service, and wherein upon instruction the metric manager is further configured to store the modified evaluation service for re-use by the user-agent computing device.
  - 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a user-agent computing device to predefine and associate one or more instructions for adapting metric data with a specific item, a specific database or source of metric data, a specific parameter, and/or a specific event.
  - 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a user-agent computing device to predefine one or more instructions for adapting metric data that further associate a specific item with one or more other items, item attributes, parameters, databases or sources of metric data, or events, and/or with one or more other predefined instructions, and collectively form a compound, grouped, or multi-variant data element.
  - 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one interface further enables the user-agent computing device to predefine and associate a unique label or code with the compound, grouped, or multi-variant data element, wherein upon identification of the unique label or code, the metric application automatically executes the one or more predefined instructions associated with the item.
  - 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric manager is further programmed to manage predefined instructions that include one or more dynamic or conditional rules, variables, or criteria, including:
    - one or more formulas operationally combining elements and using variables relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics;
      
      a combination of rules, variables, or criteria relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control;
      
      a combination of evaluation services, wherein at least one evaluation service is combined with at least one predefined instruction that specifies employing a process step, action, function, or subroutine, and/or combined with at least one other evaluation service, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control;
      
      orone or more validation rules relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, market transaction data sets, normalized market price data sets, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control.
  - 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a user-agent computing device to predefine for exclusive use by the user-agent at least one instruction for adapting metric data or to modify at least one previously predefined instruction for adapting metric data, and to store the at least one predefined or modified instruction for execution when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metric application in response to receiving a product specification data set from the user-agent computing device.
  - 19. The system of claim 18, wherein one or more of the instructions for adapting metric data predefined or modified by the user-agent computing device, when executed, cause the metric application in coordination with the metric manager to apply at least one predefined method, formula, or algorithm that was preassociated with a specific item, a specific source of metric data, a specific parameter, a specific event, or a combination thereof, to the market reference price data of at least one market transaction data set before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item in the product specification data set.
  - 20. The system of claim 18, wherein one or more of the instructions for adapting metric data that are predefined or modified by the user-agent computing device instruct the metric application to obtain metric data for an alternate item, alternate parameter, or market transaction data from an alternate source, for at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 21. The system of claim 18, wherein at least a subset of the instructions for adapting metric data predefined by the user-agent computing device are applicable to a plurality of user-agents, wherein at least one computing device is designated as an administrator for the predefined or modified instructions that apply to the plurality of user-agents and the at least one evaluation service.
  - 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one computing device designated as the administrator is under control of a service provider, a cooperative, an institution, an organization, or a self-affiliated pool of user-agents.
  - 23. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one synthetic market value and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item represents market information that was pre-adapted for exclusive use by the user-agent computing device, wherein the pre-adapting served to enhance the performance of one or more applications running on one or more computing devices under control of the user-agent by reducing time required to adapt, reverse engineer, de-normalize, or reconfigure third-party market information for use by the one or more applications, improving speed of availability and relevance of the market information available for immediate use by the user-agent.
  - 24. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a user-agent computing device to predefine or preselect one or more methods or algorithms to be applied using the price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets to generate the at least one synthetic market value and to associate the one or more methods or algorithms with at least one evaluation service, and wherein at least one of the predefined or preselected methods or algorithms comprises a replicable mathematical process for determining a mean value, a median value, or variation of a mean or median.
  - 25. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set by generating a volume-weighted average value for the item using data values associated with the item in the plurality of normalized market price data sets.
  - 26. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service execution one or more of the predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply a temporal function that causes the metric application to automatically generate the at least one synthetic market value and the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein an interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents a most current period of time.
  - 27. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one evaluation service or one or more of the predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied by (1) the obtained market transaction data sets or the normalized market reference price data sets, and/or (2) the at least one synthetic market value generated from the price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets, before the one or more evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 28. The system of claim 27, wherein each of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets is determined to satisfy the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria and is used, or is determined to not satisfy the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria and is excluded from use, before generating the at least one synthetic market value.
  - 29. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to evaluate the data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for collective satisfaction of one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria consider at least one of:
    - total volume in units per item per period of time specified;
      
      frequency/liquidity of the market transaction data sets;
      
      concentration/fragmentation of the market transaction data sets by source of the transaction data;
      
      or concentration/fragmentation of the market transaction data sets by the type of transaction.
  - 30. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the parameter values identified with the at least one item in the product specification data set or in an obtained market transaction data set pertain to a grade, a rating measure, a species, an item type, a brand, a quantity, a size, a unit of measure, a tally, a location, a method of delivery, a delivery date, a time of service, a warranty, a payment term, or a transaction type.
  - 31. The system of claim 30, wherein a delivery date or time of service identified in the product specification data set or in an obtained market transaction data set specifies one or more fulfillment dates in the future.
  - 32. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is programmed to ascertain the parameter values of the at least one item represented in each obtained market transaction data set to determine if any of the predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service are applicable to the obtained market transaction data set.
  - 33. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of market transaction data sets includes market reference price data for an item that is non-fungible in that the item is not a perfect substitute for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes the metric application to generate and apply at least one adjustment value to the market reference price data for the non-fungible item, and wherein the resulting transformation of the market reference price data occurs independent of unit-of-measure conversion of data in the market transaction data sets defined by a unit-of-measure.
  - 34. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets obtained from two or more different databases or data sources, and wherein the transformation of the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set occurs independent of unit-of-measure conversion of data in the market transaction data sets defined by a unit-of-measure.
  - 35. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate and apply at least one adjustment value to at least one obtained market transaction data set for each of the one or more parameter values that differ from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the adjustment value serves to minimize a difference between the market transaction data set with the differing parameter and (1) an average of responsive market transaction data sets over the particular period of time, or (2) an average of a control group of market transaction data sets, and wherein the at least one adjustment value is generated using a least squares or similar curve-fit algorithm and applied to the price data associated with the at least one item in the market transaction data set.
  - 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one parameter that differs pertains to a location, and wherein the applied adjustment value generated by the metric application for the differing location parameter is not determined by calculating a point-to-point cost of freight to transport the item from the location identified in the market transaction data set to the location identified in the product specification data set.
  - 37. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item based, at least in part, on a formula, rule, or correlation that is applied to market transaction price data for at least one other item, wherein the at least one other item is a different item or differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 38. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one received product specification data set identifies a plurality of items that are to be evaluated as a bundled item or wherein at least one item identified in the product specification data set is a combined item that represents a bundled product, a tally, a list, or an assembly of one or more component parts, wherein the bundled or combined item is offered or sold for a single price, and wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to:
    - for each item or component part of the bundled or combined item, obtain metric data from the at least one database or data source, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the item or component part, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with at least one item or component part at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item or component part represented in at least one of the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item identified in the product specification data set;
      
      execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the item or component part as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the item or component part identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item or component part, and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item or component part;
      
      generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part, wherein the market reference price data in the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item;
      
      generate one or more evaluation metrics for the bundled or combined item based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value generated for each item or component part of the bundled or combined item,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics for the bundled or combined item to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 39. The system of claim 38, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric for the bundled or combined item identified in the product specification data set under multiple evaluation scenarios, wherein at least one evaluation scenario references an alternate item or component part, alternate parameter, alternate time or period of time, alternate database or metric data source, or combination thereof, or wherein at least one evaluation scenario causes the metric application to filter the normalized market reference price data sets using alternate criteria and/or evaluation parameters before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the bundled or combined item, wherein the at least one evaluation metric generated for the bundled or combined item under the multiple evaluation scenarios are compared, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate a result of the comparison, via the network interface, to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 40. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the processor of the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain at least one market transaction data set responsive to attributes of at least one item identified in the product specification data set, and wherein the querying or monitoring occurs continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event.
  - 41. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to filter each of the normalized market reference price data sets for inclusion or exclusion using one or more predefined control values, criteria, and/or parameter values, before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 42. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to rank or sort the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets using one or more predefined control values, criteria, and/or parameter values, and to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set using only data associated with a sorted segment or ranked portion of the normalized market reference price data sets.
  - 43. The system of claim 42, wherein the sorted segment includes only the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized price data sets representing the latest time or period of time, or wherein the ranked portion includes only the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized price data sets representing the lowest normalized price data for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 44. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to limit the metric data to be obtained to market transaction data sets exposed at a predefined time, over at least one predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein a predefined interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents a most current period of time.
  - 45. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to filter the market transaction data sets and use only market transaction data sets that resulted in a purchase or a contract to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 46. The system of claim 1, wherein the product specification data set includes a quantity value for the at least one item and the normalized market reference price data sets comprise a normalized value per unit for the at least one item, and wherein generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item comprises generating a synthetic market value per unit for the item that is multiplied by the quantity value identified for the at least one item in the product specification data set.
  - 47. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to convert data denoted by one or more units of measure into standardized or common units of measure prior to generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, and wherein after generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item in the product specification data set, the metric application is further caused to reconvert the resulting data values back into the units of measure denoted for the at least one item in the product specification data set before generating the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item, and to manage at least one interface to communicate the one or more evaluation metrics to the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 48. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to consistently convert data expressed in units of measure into one of the following:
    - (1) standardized or common units of measure;
      
      (2) units of measure specified for the at least one item in the one or more predefined instructions;
      
      or(3) units of measure specified for the at least one item in the product specification data set,and to only generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set using data possessing consistent units of measure.
  - 49. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface that facilitates an integrated data exchange between the processor of the service provider server and at least one application running on a remotely located user-agent computing device or facilitates an integrated data exchange with at least one other computing device in communication with the service provider server via the network interface, and to execute movement of data in an integrated data exchange.
  - 50. The system of claim 49, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to manage at least one interface to facilitate data communication in XML format, wherein the metric application is able to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in the integrated data exchange.
  - 51. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics previously generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein said causing the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics comprises causing the metric application to:
    - obtain more-current metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the more-current metric data comprises an updated plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the updated plurality of market transaction data sets includes at least one more-current market transaction data set or excludes at least one previously-obtained market transaction data set that is no longer responsive to the at least one item or no longer represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time;
      
      execute the one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets in the updated plurality of market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item, and producing a plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item;
      
      generate at least one updated synthetic market value for the at least one item, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets are input into the at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one updated synthetic market value; and
      
      generate one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set based at least in part on the at least one updated synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more updated evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 52. The system of claim 51, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to update the at least one synthetic market value of the at least one item and/or the one or more evaluation metrics based at least in part on the synthetic market value in real-time or near real-time.
  - 53. The system of claim 51, wherein the at least one evaluation service or one or more of the predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service specify one or more validation rules and/or statistical criteria to be satisfied before the one or more updated evaluation metrics are generated and communicated, via the network interface, to at least the user-agent computing device.
  - 54. The system of claim 51, wherein at least one of the evaluation metrics is a comparative metric, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare the one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item to one or more previously-generated evaluation metrics, a predefined base market value, or one or more third-party reported market values for the at least one item, to generate at least one comparative metric for the at least one item and to manage at least one interface to communicate the comparative metric to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device.
  - 55. The system of claim 54, wherein the at least one comparative metric comprises a ratio or index value generated by dividing the one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item by the one or more previously-generated evaluation metrics, a predefined base market value, or one or more third-party reported market values for the at least one item.
  - 56. The system of claim 54, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to communicate the at least one comparative metric to the remotely located user-agent computing device for visual display in the form of a table, chart, or graph.
  - 57. The system of claim 56, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage multiple visual interfaces that can be alternatively or simultaneously displayed, and wherein the multiple visual interfaces facilitate interactions that enable a user-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, or to display additional linked information or the same data presented in a different format or as determined over a different period of time.
  - 58. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply at least one predefined validation rule and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied before the one or more evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item, and further causes the metric application to measure a deviation of the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item from a previously-generated synthetic market value or a predefined base market value for the at least one item, wherein exceeding a predefined threshold deviation from the previously-generated synthetic market value or the predefined base market value for the at least one item causes the metric application to regenerate the synthetic market value using the same and/or at least one preselected alternate evaluation service before generating the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item, and/or to determine based on the at least one predefined validation rule or statistical criteria whether to invalidate the at least one synthetic market value or to generate an alert or to flag at least one evaluation metric generated based at least in part on the synthetic market value as falling outside the predefined threshold deviation when communicating, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 59. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is further programmed to produce documentation that enables an audit of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to document the data and process steps used by the at least one evaluation service to generate each evaluation metric by replicating the process steps of the at least one evaluation service using the data that was previously associated with and used in each process step, and to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the documentation for the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set to the remotely located user-agent computing device and/or at least one output specified in the one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service.
  - 60. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables the remotely located user-agent computing device to trigger an event that causes the metric application to manage an interface wherein the user-agent computing device is prompted to identify or select at least one data element or function to be added to a currently in-progress evaluation service or to remove a data element or function from the currently in-progress evaluation service, modifying at least one evaluation service currently in-progress for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 61. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is further programmed to impute one or more item attributes, parameters, or associations using one or more mathematical or statistical processes applied using at least one known item, attribute, parameter identified in the product specification data set, or one or more instructions previously received from the remotely located user-agent computing device.
  - 62. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one synthetic market value and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item is a synthetic value that represents market information usable by the user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more instructions predefined by the user-agent computing device causes the metric application to manage at least one interface that facilitates an integrated data exchange between the processor of the service provider server and one or more applications running on at least one remotely located computing device under control of the user-agent,wherein the interface enables the one or more applications running on the remotely located user-agent computing device to identify at least one product specification data set that includes at least one item defined by two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value, and wherein receipt of the product specification data set causes the metric application to invoke at least one evaluation service and/or execute one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate at least one evaluation metric for the at least one item and to manage at least one interface to facilitate an integrated data exchange wherein the at least one evaluation metric is communicated, via the network interface, to the one or more applications running on the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 63. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one synthetic market value or the one or more evaluation metrics generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set comprises a synthetic value that represents market information and does not represent price data associated with an actual bid or offer-to-sell.
  - 64. The system of claim 1, further comprising storing at least a subset of data received by the service provider server or generated by the service provider server in one or more databases accessible to the processor of the service provider server.
  - 65. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory of the service provider server further includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, provide a multi-value cross-compilation tool configured to manage interactions with data stored in one or more databases accessible to the processor.
  - 66. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to expose, to at least one tracking system, at least a subset of the data received or generated by the service provider server responsive to the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 67. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage one or more interfaces to control one or more preprogrammed utilities or functions running on the service provider server or the remotely located user-agent computing device that pertain to the at least one evaluation service currently invoked by the metric application, including launching or closing of a preprogrammed utility or function, and to execute movement of data in an integrated data exchange between the service provider server and at least one preprogrammed utility or function, wherein the one or more preprogrammed utilities or functions include at least one of a calculator, a unit-of-measure converter, a load building/sizing utility, a production planning utility, a requisition/purchase authorization utility, a print utility, a calendar, or a regulatory or certification process.
  - 68. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of subroutines of the at least one evaluation service and/or multiple evaluation services, in parallel, in combination, or sequentially.
  - 69. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and comprising electronically created market transaction data sets.
  - 70. The system of claim 69, wherein the market reference price data further does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.
  - 71. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one smoothed evaluation metric for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item in the product specification data set and one or more earlier-generated synthetic market values for the item are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the evaluation service to generate at least one smoothed synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, and wherein the at least one smoothed evaluation metric is generated based at least in part on the at least one smoothed synthetic market value.
  - 72. The system of claim 1, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to manage at least one interface that enables a remotely-located user-agent computing device to identify at least one source for metric data, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of historical price data sets for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or historical price data associated with the user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received, and to identify at least one predefined algorithm,wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service further causes the metric application to obtain the metric data from the identified source and to execute one or more predefined instructions as applicable to adapt each of the historical price data sets in the plurality of historical price data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the historical price data associated with the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the historical price data associated with the at least one item, and to generate at least one evaluation metric using the transformed historical price data sets, wherein the historical price data are input into the at least one predefined algorithm to generate the at least one evaluation metric, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to facilitate communication of the at least one evaluation metric to at least the remotely located user-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 73. The system of claim 1, wherein the obtained metric data was automatically exposed, via the network interface, to the processor by the at least one database or data source, wherein the exposing occurred without prompting by the processor.
  - 74. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more evaluation metrics are generated without using a predictive model, wherein the data values associated with the at least one item identified in the product specification data set are not input into a pre-constructed model that produces a predictable outcome.

75. In a networked service provider environment, a computing system comprising:
- a service provider server comprising;
  
  a network interface;
  
  a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
  
  a processor in communication with the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory;
  
  a metric manager executable by the processor, wherein the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for adapting metric data; and
  
  a metric application operable in coordination with the metric manager, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of the at least one evaluation service including execution of one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to a buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more interfaces that facilitate communications with the service provider server,wherein the metric application is further programmed to;
  
  receive, from a buyer-agent via a remotely located buyer-agent computing device, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value;
  
  receive a plurality of price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data sets, and wherein each price data set includes price data representing an offer and identifies at least one item that is defined by one or more parameter values; and
  
  for each received price data set, invoke the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to;
  
  obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item identified in one or more of the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item identified in the price data set;
  
  execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item identified in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the price data set;
  
  generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value; and
  
  generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value, wherein each of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item in each of the plurality of received price data sets provides an objective measure with which to compare the at least one item across the plurality of price data sets, andwherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, at least a subset of the received price data sets and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the respective price data sets to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
- View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149)
- - 76. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to divide the price data for the at least one item identified in the price data set by the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item, to generate a relative value metric comprising a ratio or index value.
  - 77. The system of claim 76, wherein the relative value metric summarily measures a multi-parameter relationship of the price data identified for the at least one item in the price data set to the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item in a single measure, wherein a relative value metric of less than one (<
    - 1.0) is indicative of a price less than the item'"'"'s synthetic market value, and a relative value metric greater than one (>
      
      1.0) is indicative of a price higher than the item'"'"'s synthetic market value.
  - 78. The system of claim 76, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to sort and/or rank a plurality of received price data sets by the relative value metric generated for the at least one item identified in each price data set.
  - 79. The system of claim 78, wherein execution of one or more instructions predefined by the buyer-agent computing device that pertain to the at least one evaluation service cause the metric application to automatically transmit on behalf of the buyer-agent a purchase notice to the at least one seller-agent providing at least one price data set with the lowest relative value metric for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 80. The system of claim 79, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage at least one interface that facilitates an integrated data exchange between the processor of the service provider server at least one application running on the at least one remotely located seller-agent computing device in communication with the service provider server via a network interface, and to automatically execute movement of the purchase notice in an integrated data exchange.
  - 81. The system of claim 76, wherein at least one item identified in at least one of the plurality of received price data sets is not a perfect substitute for the same item as identified in another price data set in that the item varies by one or more parameter values from the same item identified in another price data set, and wherein the relative value metric generated for the at least one item identified in each price data set provides an objective measure with which to compare the at least one item across the plurality of price data sets, including price data sets possessing unequal parameter values.
  - 82. The system of claim 76, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions pertaining to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically generate an updated relative value metric for the at least one item in the at least one price data set by dividing the price data for the item identified in the price data set by at least one updated synthetic market value generated for the at least one item in the price data set.
  - 83. The system of claim 76, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to trigger an automatic alert to be communicated to one or more outputs in response to the relative value metric exceeding or falling below a predefined trigger value, wherein the predefined trigger value is expressed as a numerical value, a percent of change, or a ratio or index value.
  - 84. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to sort and/or rank a plurality of received price data sets by at least one of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in each price data set.
  - 85. The system of claim 75, wherein the market transaction data sets include market reference price data that was exposed by at least one buyer agent or at least one seller agent.
  - 86. The system of claim 75, wherein the at least one synthetic market value and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set are further used by the metric application in one or more subsequent evaluation services.
  - 87. The system of claim 86, wherein invocation of at least one subsequent evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one subsequent evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric comprising a predefined performance measure, wherein the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item identified in the price data set or at least one of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value is a predefined data element that is automatically input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the subsequent evaluation service to generate, at least in part, the predefined performance measure, and to manage at least one interface to communicate via the network interface the at least one evaluation metric to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device and/or at least one output specified in the one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service.
  - 88. The system of claim 75, wherein the at least one evaluation service is predefined and stored in the memory, and invoked by the metric application in response to receiving, from the remotely located buyer-agent computing device, a product specification data set identifying at least one item for the at least one evaluation service.
  - 89. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric for the at least one item identified in the price data set under multiple evaluation scenarios, wherein at least one evaluation scenario references an alternate item, alternate parameter, alternate time or period of time, alternate database or metric data source, or a combination thereof, or wherein at least one evaluation scenario causes the metric application to filter the normalized market reference price data sets using alternate criteria and/or evaluation parameters before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item, wherein the at least one evaluation metric generated for the at least one item under each of the multiple evaluation scenarios are compared, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate the price data set and the result of the comparison, via the network interface, to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 90. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to display the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in one or more of the plurality of price data sets to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 91. The system of claim 90, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage at least one visual interface to facilitate interactions that enable a buyer-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, or to display additional linked information or the same data presented in a different format or as determined over a different period of time.
  - 92. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine and associate one or more instructions for adapting metric data with a specific item, a specific database or source of metric data, a specific seller-agent, a specific parameter, and/or a specific event.
  - 93. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine one or more instructions for adapting metric data that further associate a specific item with one or more other items, item attributes, parameters, seller-agents, databases or sources of metric data, or events, and/or with one or more other predefined instructions, and collectively form a compound, grouped, or multi-variant data element.
  - 94. The system of claim 93, wherein the at least one interface further enables the buyer-agent computing device to predefine and associate a unique label or code with a compound, grouped, or multi-variant data element, wherein upon identification of the unique label or code, the metric application automatically executes the predefined instructions that are associated with the item.
  - 95. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine and add a new evaluation service or to modify a predefined evaluation service or to join two or more predefined evaluation services to form a combined evaluation service, and wherein the new, modified, or combined evaluation service is invoked by the metric application when at least one product specification data set is received from the remotely located buyer-agent computing device for the new, modified, or combined evaluation service.
  - 96. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric manager is further programmed to manage predefined instructions that include one or more dynamic or conditional rules, variables, or criteria, including:
    - one or more formulas operationally combining elements and using variables relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics;
      
      a combination of rules, variables, or criteria relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control;
      
      a combination of evaluation services, wherein at least one evaluation service is further combined with at least one predefined instruction that specifies employing a process step, action, function, or subroutine, and/or combined with at least one other evaluation service, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control;
      
      orone or more validation rules relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, market transaction data sets, normalized market price data sets, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, recursive, or subject to another prespecified method of control.
  - 97. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine for exclusive use by the buyer-agent at least one instruction for adapting metric data or to modify at least one previously predefined instruction for adapting metric data, and to store the at least one predefined or modified instruction for execution when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metric application in response to receiving a product specification data set from the buyer-agent computing device.
  - 98. The system of claim 97, wherein one or more of the instructions for adapting metric data predefined or modified by the buyer-agent computing device, when executed, cause the metric application to apply at least one predefined method, formula, or algorithm that was preassociated with a specific item, a specific seller-agent, a specific database or source of metric data, a specific parameter, a specific event, or a combination thereof, to the market reference price data of at least one market transaction data set before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 99. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine or preselect one or more methods or algorithms to be applied using the price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets to generate the at least one synthetic market value and to associate the one or more methods or algorithms with at least one evaluation service, and wherein at least one of the predefined or preselected methods or algorithms comprises a replicable mathematical process for determining a mean value, a median value, or variation of a mean or median.
  - 100. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the at least one price data set by generating a volume-weighted average value for the item using data values associated with the item in the plurality of normalized market reference data sets.
  - 101. The system of claim 75, wherein the at least one evaluation service or one or more of the predefined instructions associated with the evaluation service specify a temporal function that causes the metric application to automatically generate the at least one synthetic market value and one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one identified item continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein an interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents a most current period of time.
  - 102. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the processor of the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to receive one or more price data sets, wherein each price data set is responsive to attributes of at least one item identified in the product specification data set, includes price data representing an offer, and identifies at least one item that is further defined by one or more parameter values.
  - 103. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables the buyer-agent computing device to communicate one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data set to the service provider server.
  - 104. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application in coordination with the metric manager to manage one or more interfaces that enables one or more seller-agents and/or third-party intermediaries to stream or expose without prompting by the service provider server one or more price data sets representing actionable offers to sell one or more identified items, or one or more catalogs or price lists that identify actionable price data for one or more items, via the network interface, to the service provider server.
  - 105. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to:
    - generate at least one request for quote (RFQ) for at least one item identified in the product specification data set, and launch one or more interfaces to communicate the RFQ, via the network interface, to at least one seller-agent computing device on behalf of the buyer-agent, andreceive one or more price data sets responsive to the at least one item identified in the RFQ from at least one seller-agent computing device, via the network interface, wherein each received price data set includes price data representing an offer and identifies at least one item that is defined by one or more parameter values.
  - 106. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage one or more interfaces to facilitate via the service provider server a dynamic negotiation between the buyer-agent computing device and the at least one seller-agent computing device that provided at least one price data set responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein at least one additional price data set is received from the at least one seller-agent computing device via the network interface in response to a counter-offer, wherein the metric application is programmed to automatically generate at least one synthetic market value and one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in each additional price data set, and to communicate, via the network interface, the at least one additional price data set and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in each additional price data set to the remotely located buyer-agent computing device that provided the product specification data set, and wherein the dynamic negotiation continues until a counter-offer is accepted or the dynamic negotiation ceases.
  - 107. The system of claim 106, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage at least one interface to facilitate negotiations, wherein voice communications between the buyer-agent computing device and at least one seller-agent computing device are streamed via the network interface.
  - 108. The system of claim 75, wherein one or more of the parameter values identified with the at least one item in the product specification data set, an obtained market transaction data set, or a received price data set pertain to a grade, a rating measure, a species, an item type, a brand, a quantity, a size, a unit of measure, a tally, a location, a method of delivery, a delivery date, a time of service, a warranty, a payment term, or a transaction type.
  - 109. The system of claim 108, wherein one or more of the parameter values identified with at least one item further comprise a financial delivery.
  - 110. The system of claim 75, wherein the price data associated with at least one item identified in at least one received price data set is expressed as a formula in which the price is to be derived at least in part from one or more specified evaluation metrics, to be generated or reported at one or more times or periods of time in the future.
  - 111. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the resulting transformation of the market reference price data occurs independent of unit-of-measure conversion of data in the market transaction data sets defined by a unit-of-measure.
  - 112. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate and apply at least one adjustment value to at least one obtained market transaction data set for each of the one or more parameter values that differ from the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the adjustment value serves to minimize a difference between the market transaction data set with the differing parameter and (1) an average of responsive market transaction data sets over the particular period of time, or (2) an average of a control group of market transaction data sets, and wherein the adjustment value is generated using a least squares or similar curve-fit algorithm and applied to the price data associated with the at least one item in the market transaction data set.
  - 113. The system of claim 112, wherein the at least one parameter that differs pertains to a location, and wherein the applied adjustment value generated by the metric application for the differing location parameter is not determined by calculating a point-to-point cost of freight to transport the item from the location identified in the market transaction data set to the location identified in the price data set.
  - 114. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction for adapting metric data that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item in the price data set based, at least in part, on a formula, rule, or correlation that is applied to market transaction price data for at least one other item, wherein the at least one other item is a different item or differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 115. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction for adapting metric data that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to filter each of the normalized market reference price data sets for inclusion or exclusion using one or more predefined control values, criteria, and/or parameter values, before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 116. The system of claim 115, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to filter the market transaction data sets and to use only market transaction data sets that resulted in a purchase or a contract to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 117. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to rank or sort the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets using one or more predefined control values, criteria, and/or parameter values, and to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set using only data associated with a sorted segment or ranked portion of the normalized market reference price data sets.
  - 118. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to limit the metric data to be obtained to market transaction data sets exposed at a predefined time, over at least one predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein a predefined interval of time can include a continuously sliding interval of time that represents a most current period of time.
  - 119. The system of claim 75, wherein at least one received price data set identifies a plurality of items that are to be evaluated as a bundled item or wherein at least one item identified in a price data set is a combined item that represents a bundled product, a tally, a list, or an assembly of one or more component parts, wherein the bundled or combined item is offered or sold for a single price, and wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to:
    - for each item or component part of the bundled or combined item, obtain metric data from the at least one database or data source, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the item or component part, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with at least one item or component part at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item or component part represented in at least one of the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item;
      
      execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the item or component part represented in the one or more market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item or component part, and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item;
      
      generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part; and
      
      generate one or more evaluation metrics for one or more items or component parts of the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set based at least in part on the synthetic market values,wherein at least one evaluation metric is a combined evaluation metric generated at least in part by summing the synthetic market values for the plurality of items or component parts of the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set, andwherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the at least one price data set and the corresponding one or more evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 120. The system of claim 119, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate at least one evaluation metric for the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set under multiple evaluation scenarios, wherein at least one evaluation scenario references an alternate item or component part, alternate parameter, alternate period of time, alternate database or metric data source, or combination thereof, or wherein at least one evaluation scenario causes the metric application to filter the normalized market reference price data sets using alternate criteria and/or evaluation parameters before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the bundled or combined item, wherein the at least one evaluation metric generated for the bundled or combined item under the multiple evaluation scenarios are compared, and wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate a result of the comparison, via the network interface, to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 121. The system of claim 75, wherein at least one received price data set identifies a plurality of items that are to be evaluated as a bundled item or wherein at least one item identified in a price data set is a combined item that represents a bundled product, a tally, a list, or an assembly of one or more component parts, wherein the bundled or combined item is offered or sold for a single price, and wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to disaggregate the single price of the bundled or combined item into a plurality of items or component parts and price data values associated with each item or component part, wherein the metric application is caused to:
    - for each item or component part of the bundled or combined item, obtain metric data from the at least one database or data source, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the item or component part in the price data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with at least one item or component part at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item or component part represented in the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set;
      
      execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the item or component part represented in the one or more market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item or component part, and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item;
      
      generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item or component part identified in the price data set;
      
      multiply the at least one synthetic market value for each item or component part by a quantity value identified for each item or component part in the price data set, producing a component market value total for each item or component part;
      
      sum the component market value totals for the items or component parts of the bundled or combined item, thereby generating a synthetic market value total for the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set; and
      
      generate a price data value to be associated with at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item by dividing the synthetic market value generated for the at least one item or component part by the synthetic market value total generated for the bundled or combined item, producing a ratio or percent that the at least one item or component part represents of the bundled or combined item, and multiply the single price for the bundled or combined item identified in the price data set by the ratio or percent the at least one item or component part represents of the bundled or combined item to generate the price data value for the at least one item or component part,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the price data value generated for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 122. The system of claim 121, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare the price data value generated for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item to the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item identified in each price data set, generating at least one comparative metric.
  - 123. The system of claim 121, further comprising comparing a plurality of price data sets that identify the bundled or combined item, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to divide the price data value generated for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item by the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item or component part of the bundled or combined item to generate a relative value metric for the at least one item or component part as identified in each price data set, and wherein the relative value metric generated for the at least one item or component part provides an objective measure with which to compare the at least one item or component part across a plurality of price data sets possessing unequal parameters.
  - 124. The system of claim 75, wherein each price data set includes a quantity value for the at least one item identified in the price data set and the normalized market reference price data sets comprise a normalized value per unit for the at least one item, wherein generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item comprises generating a synthetic market value per unit for the item that is multiplied by the quantity value for the at least one item identified in the price data set, and wherein the at least one evaluation metric generated for the at least one item comprises a comparable quantity for the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 125. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to consistently convert data expressed in units of measure into at least one of the following:
    - (1) standardized or common units of measure;
      
      (2) units of measure specified in the one or more predefined instructions;
      
      or(3) units of measure specified for the at least one item in the product specification data set,and to only generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set using data possessing consistent units of measure.
  - 126. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface that facilitates an integrated data exchange between the processor of the service provider server and at least one application running on a remotely located buyer-agent computing device and/or facilitates an integrated data exchange with at least one other computing device in communication with the service provider server via the network interface, and to execute movement of data in an integrated data exchange.
  - 127. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the processor of the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain at least one market transaction data set responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in one or more of the price data sets, and wherein the querying or monitoring occurs continuously, at a predefined time, over at least one predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event.
  - 128. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied by (1) each obtained market transaction data set or each normalized market reference price data set, and/or (2) the at least one synthetic market value generated from the normalized market reference price data sets, before the one or more evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item identified in the price data set.
  - 129. The system of claim 128, wherein each of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets is determined to satisfy the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria and is used, or is determined to not satisfy the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria and is excluded from use before generating the at least one synthetic market value.
  - 130. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to evaluate the data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for collective satisfaction of one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria consider at least one of:
    - total volume in units per item per period of time specified;
      
      frequency/liquidity of the market transaction data sets;
      
      concentration/fragmentation of the market transaction data sets by source of the transaction data;
      
      or concentration/fragmentation of the market transaction data sets by the type of transaction.
  - 131. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply at least one predefined validation rule and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied before generating the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set, and further causes the metric application to measure a deviation of the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item from a previously-generated synthetic market value or a predefined base market value for the at least one item, wherein exceeding a predefined threshold deviation from the previously-generated synthetic market value or the predefined base market value for the at least one item causes the metric application to regenerate the synthetic market value using the same and/or at least one preselected alternate evaluation service before generating the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item, and/or to determine based on the at least one predefined validation rule or statistical criteria whether to invalidate the at least one synthetic market value or to generate an alert or to flag at least one evaluation metric generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value as falling outside the predefined threshold deviation when communicating, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 132. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics previously generated for the at least one item identified in the price data set, continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein said causing the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics comprises causing the metric application to:
    - obtain more-current metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the more-current metric data comprises an updated plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the updated plurality of market transaction data set includes at least one more-current market transaction data set or excludes at least one previously-obtained market transaction data set that is no longer responsive to the at least one item or no longer represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time;
      
      execute the one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets in the updated plurality of market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item represented in the one or more market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item, and producing a plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item;
      
      generate at least one updated synthetic market value for the at least one item, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets are input into the at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one updated synthetic market value; and
      
      generate one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set based at least in part on the at least one updated synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further program to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more updated evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 133. The system of claim 132, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to update the at least one synthetic market value of the at least one item and/or the one or more evaluation metrics based at least in part on the synthetic market value in real-time or near real-time.
  - 134. The system of claim 132, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare the price data for the at least one item identified in the at least one price data set to the at least one updated synthetic market value generated for the at least one item.
  - 135. The system of claim 132, wherein at least one of the evaluation metrics is a comparative metric, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare the one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item to one or more previously-generated evaluation metrics for the at least one item, a predefined base market value, or one or more third-party reported market values for the at least one item, to generate at least one comparative metric for the at least one item and to manage at least one interface to communicate the comparative metric to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device.
  - 136. The system of claim 135, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to communicate the at least one comparative metric to the remotely located buyer-agent computing device for visual display in the form of a table, chart, or graph, and wherein the metric application is programmed to manage multiple visual interfaces that can be alternatively or simultaneously displayed, wherein the multiple visual interfaces facilitate interactions that enable a buyer-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, or to display additional linked information or the same data presented in a different format or as determined over a different period of time.
  - 137. The system of claim 132, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service further causes the metric application to automatically generate updated price data for at least one item identified in a previously-received price data set, wherein the price data associated with the at least one item in the price data set was predefined as a formula and/or specified to be derived at least in part using the one or more updated evaluation metrics.
  - 138. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is further programmed to impute one or more item attributes, parameters, or associations using one or more mathematical or statistical processes applied using at least one known item, attribute, parameter identified in the price data set, or one or more instructions previously received from the remotely located buyer-agent computing device.
  - 139. The system of claim 75, wherein execution of one or more instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service cause the metric application to:
    - obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets representing market reference price data responsive to at least one alternate item, wherein the alternate item is a substitute item or an item with at least one differing parameter value from that of the at least one item identified in the price data set;
      
      execute the one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one alternate item in the plurality of market transaction data sets, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one alternate item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the price data set;
      
      generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item using normalized market reference price data for the at least one alternate item; and
      
      generate one or more evaluation metrics based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value, wherein at least one evaluation metric compares the price data associated with the at least one item identified in the price data set to the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one alternate item.
  - 140. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application, to expose to at least one tracking system, at least a subset of the data received or generated by the service provider server responsive to the at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set and/or one or more received price data sets.
  - 141. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application is further programmed to coordinate execution of subroutines of the at least one evaluation service and/or multiple evaluation services, in parallel, in combination, or sequentially.
  - 142. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and comprising electronically created market transaction data sets.
  - 143. The system of claim 142, wherein the market reference price data further does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.
  - 144. The system of claim 75, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to manage at least one interface to facilitate data communication in XML format, wherein the metric application is able to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in an integrated data exchange.
  - 145. The system of claim 75, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables the remotely located buyer-agent to trigger an event that causes the metric application to manage an interface wherein the buyer-agent computing device is prompted to identify or select at least one data element or function to be added to a currently in-progress evaluation service or to remove a data element or function from the currently in-progress evaluation service, modifying at least one evaluation service currently in-progress for at least one item identified in the at least one received price data set.
  - 146. The system of claim 75, wherein the obtained metric data was automatically exposed, via the network interface, to the processor by the at least one database or data source, wherein the exposing occurred without prompting by the processor.
  - 147. The system of claim 75, wherein the one or more evaluation metrics are generated without using a predictive model, wherein the data values associated with the at least one item identified in the price data set are not input into a pre-constructed model that produces a predictable outcome.
  - 148. The system of claim 75, wherein one or more of the evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item without regard to the price data associated with the at least one item in any of the plurality of price data sets and without comparing the data values identified in one price data set to the data values identified in another price data set.
  - 149. The system of claim 75, wherein one or more of the evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item without regard to a price the buyer-agent last paid for the at least one item and without identifying the buyer-agent'"'"'s prior transaction data related to the at least one item identified in the price data set.

150. In a networked service provider environment, a computing system comprising:
- a service provider server comprising;
  
  a network interface;
  
  a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
  
  a processor in communication with the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory;
  
  a metric manager executable by the processor, wherein the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one evaluation service and a plurality of predefined instructions for adapting metric data; and
  
  a metric application operable in coordination with the metric manager, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of the at least one evaluation service including execution of one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to a buyer-agent and the at least one evaluation service, and to manage one or more interfaces that facilitate communications with the service provider server,wherein the metric application is further programmed to;
  
  receive, from a buyer-agent via a remotely located buyer-agent computing device, one or more product specification data sets, wherein each product specification data set identifies at least one item that is defined by two or more parameter values, or a plurality of items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter value;
  
  receive one or more price data sets responsive to at least one item identified in the product specification data sets, wherein each price data set includes price data representing an offer and identifies at least one item that is defined by one or more parameter values; and
  
  for at least one item identified in at least one product specification data set and identified in at least one responsive price data set, invoke the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate one or more evaluation metrics for the item identified in the product specification data set, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to;
  
  obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item represented in the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set;
  
  execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set; and
  
  generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value, andgenerate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further programmed to;
  
  for at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set and identified in the at least one responsive price data set, invoke the at least one evaluation service to automatically generate one or more evaluation metrics for the item identified in the price data set, wherein invoking the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to;
  
  obtain metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the metric data comprises a plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein each market transaction data set is defined by at least one parameter value and represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time, and wherein at least one item represented in the plurality of market transaction data sets differs by one or more parameter values from the at least one item identified in the price data set;
  
  execute one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with the at least one item as represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the price data set, transforming the market reference price data associated with the at least one item and producing a plurality of normalized market reference price data sets for the at least one item identified in the price data set;
  
  generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the price data set, wherein the market reference price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one synthetic market value and generate one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the price data set based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value; and
  
  generate one or more evaluation metrics for at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set and identified in the at least one received price data set, wherein at least one of the evaluation metrics is a comparative metric that compares the price data for the at least one item in the price data set and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item in the price data set with the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the respective item identified in the product specification data set,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, at least a subset of the one or more received price data sets and the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item in each price data set to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
- View Dependent Claims (151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186)
- - 151. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application receives a plurality of price data sets and invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare two or more received price data sets, wherein the price data sets are ranked or grouped by the at least one comparative metric generated for the at least one item in each price data set.
  - 152. The system of claim 150, wherein the product specification data set and the at least one price data set include a quantity value for the at least one item and the normalized market reference price data sets comprise a normalized value per unit for the at least one item, and wherein generating at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item comprises generating a synthetic market value per unit for the at least one item and multiplying the synthetic market value per unit for the item by the quantity value for the at least one item.
  - 153. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate a relative value metric for the at least one item identified in at least one received price data set wherein the price data for the at least one item identified in the at least one price data set is divided by the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item identified in the price data set, producing a ratio or index value.
  - 154. The system of claim 153, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to compare two or more received price data sets, wherein the two or more price data sets are ranked or grouped by the relative value metric generated for the at least one item identified in each price data set.
  - 155. The system of claim 154, wherein execution of one or more predefined instructions predefined by the buyer-agent computing device that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically transmit on behalf of the buyer-agent at least one purchase notice to at least one remotely located seller-agent computing device providing at least one price data set with a lowest relative value metric for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set.
  - 156. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface that facilitates an integrated data exchange between the processor of the service provider server and at least one application running on the at least one remotely located seller-agent computing device in communication with the service provider server via the network interface, and to automatically execute movement of the purchase notice in an integrated data exchange.
  - 157. The system of claim 153, wherein the metric application receives a plurality of price data sets, wherein at least one item identified in one or more of the responsive price data sets is not a perfect substitute for the same item identified in another price data set in that the item varies by one or more parameter values from the item identified in another price data set, and wherein the relative value metric generated for the at least one item identified in each price data set provides an objective measure with which to compare the at least one item across the plurality of price data sets, including the one or more price data sets possessing unequal parameters.
  - 158. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate a comparative metric for the at least one item in the price data set in which at least one of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the at least one price data set is divided by at least one of the one or more evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, producing a ratio or index value.
  - 159. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate a comparative metric for the at least one item in the price data set in which the price data for the at least one item identified in the at least one price data set is divided by at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item in the product specification data set, producing a ratio or index value.
  - 160. The system of claim 150, wherein the at least one synthetic market value and/or the one or more evaluation metrics generated based at least in part of the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or the at least one received price data set are further used by the metric application in one or more subsequent evaluation services.
  - 161. The system of claim 150, wherein the at least one evaluation service is predefined and stored in the memory, and invoked by the metric application in response to receiving, from the remotely located buyer-agent computing device, a product specification data set identifying at least one item for the at least one evaluation service.
  - 162. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage one or more visual interfaces to communicate the one or more evaluation metrics to the remotely located buyer agent computing device for visual display in the form of a table, chart, or graph, wherein the metric application is programmed to manage multiple visual interfaces that can alternatively or simultaneously be displayed, and wherein the multiple visual interfaces facilitate interactions enable a buyer-agent to expose underlying data in one or more layers of detail, or to display linked information or the same data presented in a different format or as determined over a different period of time.
  - 163. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine and associate one or more instructions for adapting metric data with a specific item, a specific database or source of metric data, a specific seller-agent, a specific parameter, and/or a specific event.
  - 164. The system of claim 163, wherein the at least one interface further enables the buyer-agent computing device to predefine and associate a unique label or code with a specific item, wherein upon identification of the unique label or code, the metric application automatically executes the one or more predefined instructions that are associated with the item.
  - 165. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine and add a new evaluation service or to modify a predefined evaluation service or to join two or more predefined evaluation services to form a combined evaluation service, and wherein the new, modified, or combined evaluation service is invoked by the metric application when at least one product specification data set is received from the remotely located buyer-agent computing device for the new, modified, or combined evaluation service.
  - 166. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric manager is further programmed to manage one or more dynamic or conditional rules, variables, or criteria, including:
    - one or more formulas operationally combining elements and using variables relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics;
      
      a combination of rules, variables, or criteria relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or another prespecified method of control;
      
      a combination of evaluation services, wherein at least one evaluation service is combined with at least one predefined instruction that specifies employing a process, step, action, function or subroutine, and/or combined with at least one other evaluation service, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, sequential, recursive, or another prespecified method of control;
      
      orone or more validation rules relating to a plurality of items, parameters, events, databases or metric data sources, market transaction data sets, normalized market price data sets, synthetic market values, or evaluation metrics, the execution of which may be conditional, priority weighted, recursive, or other prespecified method of control.
  - 167. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine for exclusive use by the buyer-agent at least one instruction for adapting metric data or to modify at least one previously predefined instruction for adapting metric data, and to store the at least one predefined or modified instruction until executed when the at least one evaluation service is invoked by the metric application in response to receiving a product specification data set from the buyer-agent computing device.
  - 168. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application in coordination with the metric manager is programmed to manage at least one interface that enables a buyer-agent computing device to predefine or preselect one or more methods or algorithms to be applied using the price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets to generate the at least one synthetic market value and to associate the one or more methods or algorithms with at least one evaluation service, and wherein at least one of the predefined or preselected methods or algorithms comprises a replicable mathematical process for determining a mean value, a median value, or variation of a mean or median.
  - 169. The system of claim 150, wherein the market transaction data sets include market reference price data that was exposed by at least one buyer agent or at least one seller agent.
  - 170. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the processor of the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to obtain at least one market transaction data set responsive to attributes of at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or responsive to attributes of the at least one item identified in the one or more received price data sets, and wherein the querying or monitoring occurs continuously, at a predefined time, over at least one predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event.
  - 171. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application is further programmed invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate and apply at least one adjustment value responsive to each parameter that differs from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set or identified in a received price data set, wherein the adjustment value serves to minimize a difference between the market transaction data set with the differing parameter and (1) an average of responsive market transaction data sets over the particular period of time, or (2) an average of a control group of market transaction data sets, and wherein the adjustment value is generated using a least squares or similar curve-fit algorithm and applied to the price data associated with the at least one item in the market transaction data set.
  - 172. The system of claim 150, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction for adapting metric data that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to generate the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set or at least one price data set based, at least in part, on a formula, rule, or correlation that is applied to market transaction price data for at least one other item, wherein the at least one other item is a different item or differs by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set or the at least one price data set.
  - 173. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply one or more predefined predetermined validation rules and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied by (1) the obtained market transaction data sets or the normalized market reference price data sets, and/or (2) the at least one synthetic market value generated from the price data of the plurality of normalized market reference price data sets, before the one or more evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or at least one price data set.
  - 174. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics previously generated for the at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set or identified in at least one received price data set, continuously, at a predefined time, over a predefined interval of time, or upon occurrence of a predefined event, wherein said causing the metric application to automatically update the one or more evaluation metrics comprises causing the metric application to:
    - obtain more-current metric data from at least one database or data source accessible to the processor, wherein the more-current data comprises an updated plurality of market transaction data sets responsive to the at least one item, wherein the updated plurality of market transaction data sets includes at least one more-current market transaction data set or excludes at least one previously-obtained market transaction data set that is no longer responsive to the at least one item or no longer represents market reference price data associated with the at least one item at a particular time or period of time;
      
      execute the one or more predefined instructions for adapting metric data that pertain to the at least one evaluation service, as applicable to each of the one or more market transaction data sets in the updated plurality of market transaction data sets, wherein execution of the one or more predefined instructions causes at least one adjustment value to be generated and applied to the market reference price data associated with at least one item represented in one or more of the market transaction data sets that differ by at least one parameter value from the at least one item identified in the product specification data set, transforming the market reference price data and producing a plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets responsive to the at least one item;
      
      generate at least one updated synthetic market value for the at least one item, wherein the market reference price data associated with the plurality of more-current normalized market reference price data sets are input into at least one predefined algorithm associated with the at least one evaluation service to generate the at least one updated synthetic market value; and
      
      generate one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set or identified in the at least one received price data set based at least in part on the at least one updated synthetic market value,wherein the metric application is further programmed to manage at least one interface to communicate, via the network interface, the one or more updated evaluation metrics to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device.
  - 175. The system of claim 174, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply one or more predefined validation rules and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied before generating the at least one updated synthetic market value and/or the one or more updated evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or identified in at least one price data set.
  - 176. The system of claim 150, wherein at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service further causes the metric application to regenerate the at least one comparative metric using one or more updated evaluation metrics generated for the at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set and/or identified in at least one price data set.
  - 177. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of the one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to apply at least one predefined validation rule and/or statistical criteria that must be satisfied before the one or more evaluation metrics are generated for the at least one item, and further causes the metric application to measure a deviation of the at least one synthetic market value generated for the at least one item at least one previously-generated synthetic market value or a predefined base market value for the at least one item, wherein exceeding a predefined threshold deviation from the previously-generated synthetic market value or the predefined base market value for the at least one item causes the metric application to regenerate the synthetic market value using the same and/or at least one preselected alternate evaluation service before generating the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item, and/or to determine based on the at least one predefined validation rule or statistical criteria whether to invalidate the at least one synthetic market value or to generate an alert or to flag the one or more evaluation metrics generated based at least in part on the at least one synthetic market value as falling outside the predefined threshold deviation when communicating, via the network interface, the one or more evaluation metrics for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or identified in at least one price data set to at least the remotely located buyer-agent computing device from which the product specification data set was received.
  - 178. The system of claim 150, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction for adapting metric data that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to filter each of the normalized market reference price data sets for inclusion or exclusion using one or more predefined control values, criteria, and/or parameter values identified in at least one of the predefined instructions, before generating the at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in the product specification data set and/or identified in a received price data set.
  - 179. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to expose to at least one tracking system, at least a subset of the data received or generated by the service provider server responsive to the at least one item identified in the at least one product specification data set and/or identified in a received price data set.
  - 180. The system of claim 150, wherein the metric application is programmed to coordinate invocation of subroutines of the at least one evaluation service and/or multiple evaluation services, in parallel, in combination, or sequentially.
  - 181. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to obtain only metric data resulting from a computer-based interaction and comprising electronically created market transaction data sets.
  - 182. The system of claim 181, wherein the price data further does not include human-reported transaction data or transaction data that was manually transcribed into a digital format.
  - 183. The system of claim 150, wherein invocation of the at least one evaluation service and/or execution of one or more predefined instructions that pertain to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to manage at least one interface to facilitate data communication in XML format, wherein the metric application is able to dynamically change, dynamically route, and/or pre-configure the data for movement of the data in an integrated data exchange.
  - 184. The system of claim 150, wherein execution of at least one predefined instruction that pertains to the at least one evaluation service causes the metric application to automatically query one or more databases or data sources accessible to the processor of the service provider server or to monitor one or more data streams to receive one or more price data sets, wherein each price data set is responsive to attributes of at least one item identified in the product specification data set and is further defined by at least one or more parameter values, to automatically generate at least one synthetic market value for the at least one item identified in each received price data set, and to generate at least one evaluation metric for the at least one item based at least in part on the synthetic market value, and wherein the price data associated with the at least one item identified in each of the one or more received price data sets is automatically compared to at least one evaluation metric generated for the at least one item, producing at least one comparison value.
  - 185. The system of claim 150, wherein one or more of the parameter values identified with the at least one item in the product specification data set, an obtained market transaction data set, or a received price data set pertain to a grade, a rating measure, a species, an item type, a brand, a quantity, a size, a unit of measure, a tally, a location, a method of delivery, a delivery date, a time of service, a warranty, a payment term, or a transaction type.
  - 186. The system of claim 150, wherein the obtained metric data was automatically exposed, via the network interface, to the processor by the at least one database or data source, wherein the exposing occurred without prompting by the processor.

Specification

Resources

Litigation Campaign Assessment

Current Assignee
Buymetrics Incorporated
Original Assignee
Buymetrics Incorporated
Inventors
Hansen, Valerie
Primary Examiner(s)
Niquette, Robert R

Application Number

US14/262,682
Publication Number

US 20140236801A1
Time in Patent Office

459 Days
Field of Search

None
US Class Current

1/1
CPC Class Codes

G06F 16/24575   using context

G06F 16/24578   using ranking

G06F 16/248   Presentation of query results

G06F 16/951   Indexing; Web crawling tech...

G06F 7/08   Sorting, i.e. grouping reco...

G06Q 10/087   Inventory or stock manageme...

G06Q 20/10   specially adapted for elect...

G06Q 20/201   Price look-up processing, e...

G06Q 30/02   Marketing; Price estimation...

G06Q 30/0201   Market modelling; Market an...

G06Q 30/0205   Location or geographical co...

G06Q 30/0206   Price or cost determination...

G06Q 30/0283   Price estimation or determi...

G06Q 30/04   Billing or invoicing

G06Q 30/0603   Catalogue ordering

G06Q 30/0611   Request for offers or quotes

G06Q 30/0623   Item investigation

G06Q 30/0629   for generating comparisons

G06Q 40/00   Finance; Insurance; Tax str...

G06Q 40/04   Trading; Exchange, e.g. sto...

G06Q 40/06 : Asset management; Financial...

G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

G06Q 40/12 : Accounting

G06Q 50/16 : Real estate

G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation

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Automated system for adapting market data and evaluating the market value of items

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Abstract

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186 Claims

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Automated system for adapting market data and evaluating the market value of items

First Claim

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Accused Products

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Abstract

209 Citations

186 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

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