Facilitating electronic commerce through a two-tiered electronic transactional system

• US 20010007981A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 07/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating a computerized market for used and collectible goods by use of a plurality of low cost posting terminals and a market maker computer in a legal framework that establishes a bailee relationship and consignment contract with a purchaser of a good at the market maker computer that allows the purchaser to change the price of the good once the purchaser has purchased the good thereby to allow the purchaser to speculate on the price of collectibles in an electronic market for used goods while assuring the safe and trusted physical possession of a good with a vetted bailee.

Claims

1. A system for presenting goods to an electronic market for goods comprising:

a posting terminal, said posting terminal having an input device for receiving an image of a good, user interface software to create with a user a record of a good, and digital interface to transfer said record of a good;

a posting handler connected to said posting terminal via said digital interface, said posting handler processing a posting request from said posting terminal;

a database operably connected to said posting handler, said database storing information from said record of a good;

a database to presentation layer mapping module, said presentation layer mapping module communicating data from said database and translating said data to a presentation format; and

a transaction processor operably connected to said database server, said transaction processor clearing financial transactions and transferring legal title to said good in response to a participant purchase request.

2. The system of

claim 1

wherein said posting terminal comprises:

a computer;

a digital camera operably connected to said computer;

a modem operably connected to said computer, said computer receiving an image of a good from said digital camera, generating with said user a record of said goods, said record of said good having a sales price and a description of said good, and transferring said record of said good to said modem.

3. The system of

claim 2

wherein said presentation layer is hypertext transport protocol (http).

4. The system of

claim 2

wherein said presentation layer is the JAVA protocol.

5. The system of

claim 2

wherein said participate accesses said database through an internet world wide web interface and world wide web browser.

6. A method for establishing an electronic market place for goods through a central market maker computer and a network of posting terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a data record of a good at said posting terminal, said record of said good conveying legal title to said good;

transferring said record of said good to a market maker computer, storing said record of said good from said step of transferring in a database at said market maker computer;

displaying said record of said good to a participant;

clearing a financial payment from said participant for said good at said market maker computer; and

transferring legal title to said good at said market maker computer by changing ownership designated in said record of said good at said market maker computer.

7. The method of

claim 6

comprising the further steps of:

accepting a new sale price for said good from said participant;

modifying said record of said good at said market maker computer to reflect said new sales price from said step of accepting; and

displaying said record of said good, said record of said good reflecting said new sales price to a second participant.

8. The method of

claim 6

comprising the further steps of:

storing the record of said good, said record of said good denoting the sale price; and

displaying said record of said sales of said good on a mass storage medium.

9. The method of claims 8 wherein said mass storage medium is CD-ROM.

10. A method for establishing a two-tiered electronic market place for goods through a central market maker computer and a network of posting terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a data record of a good at a posting terminal;

said record having a retail sales price and a dealer-to-dealer sales price;

transferring said record of said good to a market maker computer;

storing said record of good in a database at said market maker computer;

displaying said record of said good to a participant, said record of said good displaying the retail price of said good if said participant is a retail customer and displaying said retail price and said dealer-to-dealer price if said participant is a dealer participant.