Real time communication of purchase requests

• US 6,282,517 B1
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AutoWeb, Inc. (California)
• Original Assignee: Autobytel Incorporated
• Inventors: Nelson, Tim E., Waggoner, Kevin J., Nottage, Douglas S., Wolfe, Don P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kanof, Pedro R.
• Application Number:
  US09/231,409
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37, 705/27, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A method and apparatus for formulating and submitting a purchase request over a computer network and making said purchase request available to a dealer immediately. A Data Center system has a system database, a buyer interface, and a dealer interface. The system database includes an exclusive database region for each participating dealer. A potential buyer submits a purchase request over a computer network to the Data Center system. The purchase request includes a product identification data and a buyer location information. The Data Center system further contains dealer information, product information, and the like. The Data Center system determines at least one appropriate dealer to receive the purchase request. The Data Center creates a purchase request record from the data and information provided in the purchase request. The Data Center then communicates the purchase request to the appropriate dealer by immediately storing the purchase request record into the appropriate dealer'"'"'s exclusive database region. Thus, the purchase request record becomes immediately available to the appropriate dealer.

Claims

1. A method of communicating a purchase request to a dealer in a Data Center system having a system database, a buyer interface, and a dealer interface, wherein said buyer interface and dealer interface provide a remote interface to said Data Center, said buyer interface and dealer interface provide immediate access to said system database, said method comprising the acts of:

creating an exclusive database region for each of a plurality of participating dealers in said system database;

providing each of said plurality of dealers direct access to said exclusive database region over a computer network, wherein said access is through said dealer interface;

receiving said purchase request over a computer network from a potential buyer, said purchase request including product identification data and buyer location information;

comparing said product identification data and said buyer location information with at least one of a plurality of records that are associated with at least one of said plurality of dealers;

identifying in response to said step of comparing at least one of said plurality of dealers to notify;

creating a purchase request record for said purchase request; and

communicating said purchase request to said identified dealer, said communicating includes storing said purchase request record into said exclusive database region for said identified dealer immediately upon creation of said purchase request record, and wherein said purchase request is accessed by the identified dealer via at least one web page that is provided by a server that is remote to the identified dealer.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said act of receiving said purchase request comprises receipt of a request that is transmitted through a plurality of web pages.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said product identification data includes a vehicle make and a vehicle model.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said purchase request records is either a new vehicle purchase request record or a used vehicle purchase request record.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said dealer identification is based on a vehicle make specified in said product identification data and a zip code specified in said buyer location information.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said dealer identification is based on a search of a used vehicle inventory for a vehicle specified in said product identification data.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein said search is further based on both a buyer search radius and a dealer search radius.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said dealer identification is based on an identification number.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the act of adding a new vehicle purchase request record to a new vehicle purchase requests field in a dealer record associated with said identified dealer.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the act of adding a used vehicle purchase request record to a used vehicle purchase requests field in a dealer record associated with said identified dealer.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the act of adding a new vehicle purchase request record to a list of new vehicle purchase request records.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the act of adding a used vehicle purchase request record to a list of used vehicle purchase request records.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the act of setting a dealer identification number field to a dealer identification number for said identified dealer.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes the acts of:

displaying a list of purchase requests to said identified dealer; and

refreshing said list to include a new purchase request immediately upon the creation of said new purchase request.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicate includes sending an e-mail message to an e-mail message paging service.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said act of communicating includes logically connecting a new purchase request record to a dealer record.

17. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising the act of receiving only one new vehicle purchase request from said buyer within a 48 hour period.

18. A purchase request communication system, wherein said purchase request is remotely entered by a potential buyer over a computer network, said purchase request communication system comprising:

a system database which provides an exclusive database region for each of a plurality of dealers;

an entry system which creates said purchase request, and which provides at least a first web page to said buyer;

a dealer management system which provides said plurality of dealers remote access into said exclusive database region via using at least a second web page; and

a processing system which creates a purchase request record for said purchase request, said processing system identifying which of a plurality of dealers based on said purchase request, said processing system immediately storing said purchase request record in said exclusive database region for said identified dealer.

19. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said purchase request record is either a new vehicle purchase request record or a used vehicle purchase request record.

20. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said dealer identification is based on a vehicle make and a zip code specified in said purchase request.

21. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said dealer identification is determined in response to a search of a used vehicle inventory for a vehicle specified in said purchase request.

22. The method as described in claim 21, wherein said search is further based on both a buyer search radius and a dealer search radius.

23. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said dealer identification is determined in response to an evaluation of an identification number.

24. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by adding a new vehicle purchase request record to a new vehicle purchase requests field in a dealer record associated with said dealer.

25. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by adding a used vehicle purchase request record to a used vehicle purchase requests field in a dealer record associated with said dealer.

26. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by adding a new vehicle purchase request record to a list of new vehicle purchase request records.

27. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by adding a used vehicle purchase request record to a list of used vehicle purchase request records.

28. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by setting a dealer identification number field to a dealer identification number for said identified dealer.

29. The purchase request communication system as defined in claim 18, wherein said communication system communicates said purchase request to said dealer by sending an e-mail message to an e-mail message paging service.

30. A purchase request communication system for communicating to at least one of a plurality of dealers a purchase request submitted by a potential buyer, said communication system having a system database, a buyer interface, and a dealer interface, said system database including an exclusive database region for each of said plurality of dealers, said communication system comprising:

means for receiving a purchase request over a computer network from a potential buyer, said purchase request including at least a product identification data and a buyer location information;

means for comparing said product identification data and said buyer location information with at least one of a plurality of records that are associated with at least one of said plurality of dealers;

means for identifying in response to said comparing means at least one of said dealers to notify;

means for creating a purchase request record for said purchase request; and

means for communicating said purchase request to said identified dealer, said communicating includes storing said purchase request record into said exclusive database region for said identified dealer immediately upon said formulating said purchase request record, and wherein said purchase request is accessed by the identified dealer via at least one web page that is provided by a server that is remote to the identified dealer.

31. The communication system as defined in claim 30, additionally comprising:

means for displaying a list of purchase requests to said identified dealer; and

means for refreshing said list to include a new purchase request immediately upon tie creation of said new purchase request.

32. The communication system as defined in claim 30, additionally comprising means for sending an e-mail message to an e-mail message paging service.

33. The communication system as defined in claim 30, wherein said dealer identification is based on both a buyer provided search radius and a dealer provided search radius.