Pre-qualifying sellers during the matching phase of an electronic commerce transaction
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented system providing seller pre-qualification during the matching phase of an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:
- one or more seller databases including product data for one or more products;
a global content directory server coupled with the one or more seller databases, the global content directory comprising;
a directory structure comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized product classes, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class;
one or more pointers for each product class, each pointer identifying a corresponding seller database in which product data enabling a product transaction is stored for products categorized in the product class, each seller database associated with a seller having values for one or more seller attributes; and
a search interface operable to communicate, in response to selection of a product class and specification of one or more seller attribute criteria, a search query for product data only to one or more seller databases associated with sellers having seller attribute values matching the specified seller attribute criteria, these seller databases being identified by the one or more pointers associated with the selected product class.
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Abstract
A system providing seller pre-qualification during the matching phase of an electronic commerce transaction includes a directory structure 44 comprising multiple hierarchically organized product classes, each product class categorizing multiple products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class. The system also includes one or more pointers for each product class, each pointer identifying a seller database 32 in which product data enabling a product transaction is stored for products categorized in the product class. Each seller database 32 is associated with a seller 30 having values for one or more seller attributes. The system further includes a search interface 45 operable to communicate, in response to selection of a product class and specification of one or more seller attribute criteria, a search query for product data only to one or more seller databases 32 associated with sellers 30 having seller attribute values matching the specified seller attribute criteria, these seller databases 32 being identified by the one or more pointers associated with the selected product class.
135 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented system providing seller pre-qualification during the matching phase of an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:
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one or more seller databases including product data for one or more products; a global content directory server coupled with the one or more seller databases, the global content directory comprising; a directory structure comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized product classes, each product class categorizing a plurality of products and defining one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class; one or more pointers for each product class, each pointer identifying a corresponding seller database in which product data enabling a product transaction is stored for products categorized in the product class, each seller database associated with a seller having values for one or more seller attributes; and a search interface operable to communicate, in response to selection of a product class and specification of one or more seller attribute criteria, a search query for product data only to one or more seller databases associated with sellers having seller attribute values matching the specified seller attribute criteria, these seller databases being identified by the one or more pointers associated with the selected product class. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-implemented system providing seller pre-qualification during the matching phase of an electronic commerce transaction, comprising:
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one or more seller databases including product data for one or more products; a global content directory server coupled with the one or more seller databases, the global content directory comprising a directory structure comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized product classes, each product class corresponding to a plurality of products having in common one or more product attributes, each product in a product class being defined by a product attribute value for each product attribute for the product class, each product being further defined by a seller attribute value for each of one or more seller attributes, the seller attribute values for a product being associated with a particular seller from which the product may be purchased; a search interface operable to communicate to one or more seller databases a search query for product data in response to selection of a product class, specification of one or more product attribute criteria, and specification of one or more seller attribute criteria; and a presentation interface operable to communicate search results in response to the search query, the search results comprising product data for one or more products within the selected product class with product attribute values matching the specified product attribute criteria and with seller attribute values matching the specified product attribute criteria. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification