Consignment nodes

• US 5,845,265 A
• Filed: 11/07/1995
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mercexchange LLC
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/554,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 395/226, 395/237, 395/227, 395/235, 395/236, 395/239, 235/383, 235/381, 705/26, 705/27, 705/35, 705/36, 705/37, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

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 a data record of a good for sale to a market for goods, said market for goods having an interface to a wide area communication network for presenting and offering goods for sale to a purchaser, a payment clearing means for processing a purchase request from said purchaser, a database means for storing and tracking said data record of said good for sale, a communications means for communicating with said system to accept said data record of said good and a payment means for transferring funds to a user of said system, said system comprising:

a digital image means for creating a digital image of a good for sale;

a user interface for receiving textual information from a user;

a bar code scanner;

a bar code printer;

a storage device;

a communications means for communicating with the market; and

a computer locally connected to said digital image means, said user interface, said bar code scanner, said bar code printer, said storage device and said communications means, said computer adapted to receive said digital image of said good for sale from said digital image means, generate a data record of said good for sale, incorporate said digital image of said good for sale into said data record, receive a textual description of said good for sale from said user interface, store said data record on said storage device, transfer said data record to the market for goods via said communications means and receive a tracking number for said good for sale from the market for goods via said communications means, store said tracking number from the market for goods in said data record on said storage device and printing a bar code from said tracking number on said bar code printer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said textual description received from said user interface includes a sale price for said good for sale, wherein said computer adapted to transfer said data record further conveying a binding offer for sale of said good at said price from said computer to said market.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer is further adapted to receive said bar code from said bar code scanner, said bar code identifying said tracking number of said good for sale on the market for goods, transmit said tracking number to said market for goods and retrieve said data record identified by said tracking number, wherein said computer adapted to transmit said tracking number further conveys a withdraw of said binding offer for sale of said good at said price from said computer to said market.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image input means is a digital camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image input means is a digital scanner.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications means is a modem.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications means is via an internet.

8. A market apparatus for use with a posting terminal apparatus, said posting terminal apparatus having means for creating a digital image of a good for sale, means for creating a data record of said good for sale, a tracking number printer means, a tracking number scanner means and means for communicating to said market apparatus, said market apparatus comprising:

a communications means for communicating with the posting terminal apparatus;

a post/de-post communications handler operably connected to said communications means, said communications handler receiving a data record of a good for sale from the posting terminal apparatus, said communication handler detecting a predetermined posting terminal apparatus identification code from the posting terminal apparatus and verifying from said code that the posting terminal apparatus is an authorized user of said market apparatus;

a storage device operably connected to said post/de-post handler, said storage device adapted to receive and store said data record of a good for sale, said data record containing an image of said good for sale and a textual description of said good for sale;

a presentation mapping module operably connected to said storage device and a wide area communication network, said presentation mapping module providing via said wide area communication network an interface to said market apparatus for a participant, said presentation mapping module providing said participant with access to said data record textual description and said image of said good for sale;

a transaction processor operably connected to said wide area communication network and said storage device, said transaction processor adapted to receive a purchase request and payment means from said participant, clear said purchase request and payment means and if said payment means clears then transfer the ownership of said good for sale by modifying said data record of said good for sale to reflect the new ownership of said good for sale by said participant; and

a notification means operably connected to said transaction processor said notification means notifying the posting terminal apparatus in response to said transaction processor transferring ownership of said good for sale denoting with a finality of transaction said new ownership of said good.

9. The market apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a security handler operatively connected between said post/de-post handler and said data storage device, said security handler providing means for authorizing, authenticating and securing said communications between said post/de-post handler and said data storage device.

10. The market apparatus of claim 8 wherein said data storage device is a relational database.

11. The market apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a world wide web server operably connected between said presentation mapping module and said wide area communications network, said world wide web server providing said participant with data entry fields in predetermined categories in which to request a search of said data storage device for a data record of a good for sale.

12. The market apparatus of claim 8 further comprising;

an accounts database operably connected to said transaction processor, said accounts database containing an account number to track the funds payable to said user of said posting terminal apparatus, where said funds payable is generated from transfer of said good to said participant of said market apparatus.

13. The market apparatus of claim 8 wherein said post/de-post handler generates a unique tracking number and sends said unique tracking number to the posting terminal apparatus in response to said post/de-post handler receiving said data record of said good for sale from the posting terminal apparatus.

14. The market apparatus of claim 8 wherein a relationship exists between said market apparatus and a user of the posting terminal apparatus, said relationship conferring on said act of receiving said data record of said good for sale a legally binding offer for sale of said good at a predetermined sale price of said good.

15. A market apparatus for use with a posting terminal apparatus, said posting terminal apparatus having a digital camera for creating a digital image of a good for sale, a record maker module for creating a data record of said good for sale, a tracking code printer, a tracking code scanner and a posting terminal communication interface for communicating with said market apparatus, said market apparatus comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with the posting terminal apparatus;

a post/de-post communications handler operably connected to communication interface, said communications handler receiving a data record of a good for sale from the posting terminal apparatus, said communication handler detecting a predetermined posting terminal apparatus identification code from the posting terminal apparatus and verifying from said identification code that the posting terminal apparatus is an authorized user of said market apparatus;

a storage device operably connected to said post/de-post handler, said storage device adapted to receive and store said data record of a good for sale, said data record containing an image of said good for sale and a textual description of said good for sale;

a presentation mapping module operably connected to said storage device and a wide area communication network, said presentation mapping module providing via said wide area communication network an interface to said market apparatus for a participant, said presentation mapping module providing said participant with access to said data record textual description and said image of said good for sale;

a transaction processor operably connected to said wide area communication network and said storage device, said transaction processor adapted to receive a purchase request and payment from said participant, clear said purchase request and payment and if said payment clears then transfer the ownership of said good for sale by modifying said data record of said good for sale to reflect the new ownership of said good for sale by said participant; and

a notification means operably connected to said transaction processor said notification means notifying the posting terminal apparatus in response to said transaction processor transferring ownership of said good for sale denoting with a finality of transaction said new ownership of said good.

16. The market apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a security handler operatively connected between said post/de-post communications handler and said storage device, said security handler providing means for authorizing, authenticating and securing said communications between said post/de-post communications handler and said storage device.

17. The market apparatus of claim 15 wherein said storage device is a relational database.

18. The market apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a world wide web server operably connected between said presentation mapping module and said wide area communications network, said world wide web server providing said participant with data entry fields in predetermined categories in which to request a search of said storage device for a data record of a good for sale.

19. The market apparatus of claim 15 further comprising;

an accounts database operably connected to said transaction processor, said accounts database containing an account number to track the funds payable to said user of said posting terminal apparatus, where said funds payable is generated from transfer of said good to said participant of said market apparatus.

20. The market apparatus of claim 15 wherein said post/de-post communications handler generates a unique tracking code and sends said unique tracking code to the posting terminal apparatus in response to said post/de-post communications handler receiving said data record of said good for sale from the posting terminal apparatus.

21. The market apparatus of claim 15 wherein a relationship exists between said market apparatus and a user of the posting terminal apparatus, said relationship conferring on said act of receiving said data record of said good for sale a legally binding offer for sale of said good at a predetermined sale price of said good.

22. The market apparatus of claim 15 wherein said notification means is via electronic mail.

23. A system for presenting a data record of a good for sale to a market for goods, said market for goods having an interface to a wide area communication network for presenting and offering goods for sale to a purchaser, access to a transaction processor for processing a purchase request from said purchaser, a database for storing and tracking said data record of said good for sale, a communication interface for communicating with said system to accept said data record of said good and a payment means for transferring funds to a user of said system, said system comprising:

a digital camera for creating a digital image of a good for sale;

a user interface for receiving textual information from a user;

a printer for printing said digital image of said good for sale and said textual information from said user;

a storage device;

a communication interface for communicating with the market; and

a computer locally connected to said digital camera, said user interface, said storage device and said communication interface, said computer adapted to receive said digital image of said good for sale from said digital camera, generate a data record of said good for sale, incorporate said digital image of said good for sale into said data record, receive a textual description of said good for sale from said user interface, store said data record on said storage device, transfer said data record to the market for goods via said communication interface, receive a tracking code for said good for sale and store said tracking code in said data record on said storage device.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said textual description received from said user interface includes a sale price for said good for sale, wherein said computer adapted to transfer said data record further conveys a binding offer for sale of said good at said price from said computer to said market.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein said computer is further adapted to receive a bar code from a bar code scanner, said bar code identifying said tracking code of said good for sale on the market for goods, transmit said tracking code to said market for goods and retrieve said data record identified by said tracking code, wherein said computer adapted to transmit said tracking code further conveys a withdraw of said good from said market.

26. An electronic market for use with a posting terminal apparatus, said posting terminal apparatus having a digital imaging device for creating a digital image of a good for sale, a computer interface for creating a data record of said good for sale and a communication interface for communicating with said electronic market, said electronic market comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with the posting terminal apparatus;

a posting communications handler operably connected to said communication interface, said communications handler receiving inputs for a data record of a good for sale from the posting terminal apparatus, said communications handler detecting a predetermined posting terminal identification code from the posting terminal apparatus and verifying from said code that the posting terminal apparatus is an authorized user of said electronic market;

a storage device operably connected to said posting communications handler, said storage device adapted to receive and store and said data record of said good for sale, said data record indexing an image of said good for sale, a textual description of said good for sale and a code for said good for sale;

a presentation mapping module operably connected to said storage device and a wide area communication network, said presentation mapping module providing via said wide area communication network an interface to said electronic market for a participant, said presentation mapping module providing said participant with access to said data record textual description and said image of said good for sale;

a transaction processor operably connected to said wide area communication network and said storage device, said transaction processor adapted to receive a purchase request and electronic payment information from said participant, transfer said purchase request to said posting terminal, and verify electronic payment information from said participant and if said electronic payment verifies then notify the owner of said good for sale by modifying a data record indexed to said data record for said good for sale to reflect said purchase request of said good for sale by said participant; and

a notification module operably connected to said transaction processor, said notification module providing notification to the posting terminal apparatus in response to said transaction processor processing said purchase request and verifying said electronic payment information.

27. The electronic market of claim 26 wherein said market is further adapted to delay payment of said electronic payment for said good for sale from a first owner to a second owner for a predetermined interval.

28. The electronic market of claim 26 wherein said market is further adapted to delay payment of said electronic payment for said good of sale from a first owner to a second owner until a predetermined signal is received.

29. The electronic market of claim 27 wherein said notification module is an electronic mail system.