Multi-transaction system and method

• US 7,742,978 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Safeguard Delaware, Inc. (Safeguard Scientifics (Delaware), Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swap.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Boesel, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Havan; Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US11/733,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 705 37- 38
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A multi-transaction system comprises a transaction module configured to access a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information to enable procurement of an item. The set of transaction systems includes an automated trading system configured to enable a user to receive the item in a trade for at least one other item associated with the user, and further includes at least one of an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item and an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item. A method is provided for performing corresponding functions.

Claims

1. A multi-transaction system, comprising:

a transaction module configured to access a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information to enable procurement of a want item by a first user, wherein the set of transaction systems includes;

an automated trading system configured to determine a non-currency, non-negotiated exchange of items that have approximately the same trade value, without evaluating price, value, or credits associated with the items, whereby the first user would receive the want item and give up a have item;

where the want item is identified as a have item of a second user,

wherein set of transaction systems further includes at least one of;

an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item; and

an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated trading system is also configured to access a have list and a want list of each of a plurality of users, including the first and the second users, and the want item is on a want list of the first user and a have list of the second user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine an N-way trade and N is greater than two.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine the trade in real-time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated trading system comprises:

a storage system configured to store a set of data representing a plurality of users and a plurality of tradable items associated with the plurality of users;

a trade module configured to access the storage system and determine at least one trade among at least two users from the plurality of users, wherein the trade is determined based on a set of have items and a set of want items associated with each of the at least two users; and

an interface configured to couple to the trade module and to transmit a signal representing at least a portion of the trade.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a notification module configured to selectively generate and transmit an electronic notification to a user device, wherein the electronic notification includes at least some of the transaction information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the item is a type of tradable item from a group comprising a book, recorded music, a movie, a video game, a software program, and a collectible item.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface module configured to present, via a user device, at least some of the transaction information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface module is configured to prepare at least some of the transaction information as comparative transaction information from at least two transaction systems from the set of transaction systems.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface module is configured to present mechanisms to execute a transaction with at least one of the automated trading system, the auction system, and the online sales system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of transaction systems are independent systems that are remote to each other and the transaction module is configured to couple the set of transaction systems to the user device via at least one network to provide the transaction information.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering module configured to filter the transaction information based on one or more filtering parameters to determine a subset of transactions selectable from the set of transaction systems.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the filtering parameters include user-related filtering parameters configured to determine a trade, auction or sale transaction partner based on a user rating.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction module is further configured to select a transaction partner for one or more of the trading system, the auction system and the online sales system from a set of preferred transaction partners.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction information includes one or more of text, graphics, video, audio, web page links, and executable computer code.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a set of network interfaces configured to couple the transaction module to at least one transaction system in the set of transaction systems.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the set of network interfaces includes an interface to the World Wide Web.

18. A method of enabling procurement of an item using multiple types of transaction systems, the method including steps carried out by at least one computer processor accessing at least one storage media and comprising:

a computer receiving an electronic request for procurement of a want item by a first user;

in response to the electronic request, accessing a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information enabling procurement of the want item, the set of transaction systems including;

1) an automated trading system configured to determine a non-currency, non-negotiated exchange of items that have approximately the same trade value, without evaluating price, value, or credits associated with the items, whereby the first user would receive the want item and give up a have item, where the want item is identified as a have item of a second user, the set of transaction systems further including at least one of;

2) an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item; and

3) an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item; and

providing the transaction information via a wired or wireless network to a user device configured to procure the item from at least one transaction system selected from the set of transaction systems.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the automated trading system accesses a have list and a want list of each of a plurality of users, including the first and the second users, and the want item is on a want list of the first user and a have list of the second user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine an N-way trade and N is greater than two.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine the trade in real-time.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the automated trading system is configured for:

storing in a storage system a set of data representing a plurality of users and a plurality of tradable items associated with the plurality of users;

accessing the storage system and determining at least one trade among at least two users from the plurality of users, wherein the trade is determined based on a set of have items and a set of want items associated with each of the at least two users; and

transmitting a signal representing at least a portion of the trade.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the item is a type of tradable item from a group comprising a book, recorded music, a movie, a video game, a software program, and a collectible item.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the transaction information further includes providing at least some of the transaction information for graphic presentation on the user device.

25. The method of claim 18, further including:

presenting user interface mechanisms configured to execute a transaction with at least one of the automated trading system, the auction system, and the online sales system.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the transaction information further includes presenting at least some of the transaction information as comparative transaction information from at least two transaction systems selected from the set of transaction systems.

27. The method of claim 18, further including determining a set of transactions favorable to the user by filtering the transaction information using one or more filtering parameters.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more filtering parameters include user-related filtering parameters configured to determine a transaction partner based on a user rating of the transaction partner.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the transaction information includes one or more of text, graphics, video, audio, web page links, and executable computer code.

30. The method of claim 18, further including:

selecting a transaction partner for one or more of the trading system, the auction system and the online sales system from a set of preferred transaction partners.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of transaction systems are independent systems that are remote to each other and the method further includes:

coupling the set of transaction systems to the user device via at least one network to provide the transaction information.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one network includes the World Wide Web.

33. The method of claim 31, further including selectively generating and sending to the user device, via the at least one network, an electronic notification comprising at least some of the transaction information.

34. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

A. accessing a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information enabling procurement of a want item by a first user, the set of transaction systems including;

1) an automated trading system configured to determine a non-currency, non-negotiated exchange of items that have approximately the same trade value, without evaluating price, value, or credits associated with the items, whereby the first user would receive the want item and give up a have item, where the want item is identified as a have item of a second user,

the set of transaction systems further including one or more of;

2) an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item; and

3) an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item; and

B. providing the transaction information to a user device configured to procure the item from at least one transaction system selected from the set of transaction systems.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the automated trading system accesses a have list and a want list of each of a plurality of users, including the first and the second users, and the want item is on a want list of the first user and a have list of the second user.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine an N-way trade and N is greater than two.

37. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the automated trading system is configured to determine the trade in real-time.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the method further includes selectively generating and sending to the user device an electronic notification comprising at least some of the transaction information.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the electronic notification is an e-mail that includes mechanisms for procuring the item from at least one of the transaction systems.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the mechanisms include a link to a web site configured to conduct a transaction to procure the item.

41. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the item is a type of tradable item from a group comprising a book, recorded music, a movie, a video game, a software program, and a collectible item.

42. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein providing the transaction information further includes providing at least some of the transaction information for graphic presentation on the user device.

43. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the method further includes:

C. presenting user interface mechanisms configured to execute a transaction with at least one of the automated trading system, the auction system, and the online sales system.

44. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein part B further includes presenting the at least some of the transaction information as comparative transaction information from at least two transaction systems selected from the set of transaction systems.

45. The computer program product of claim 34, the method further including determining a set of transactions favorable to the user by filtering the transaction information using one or more filtering parameters.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the one or more filtering parameters includes user-related filtering parameters configured to determine a transaction partner based on a user rating of the transaction partner.

47. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the transaction information includes one or more of text, graphics, video, audio, web page links, and executable computer code.

48. The computer program product of claim 34, the method further including:

C. selecting a transaction partner for one or more of the trading system, the auction system and the online sales system from a set of preferred transaction partners.

49. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the set of transaction systems are independent systems that are remote to each other and the method further includes:

C. coupling the set of transaction systems to the user device via at least one network to provide the transaction information.

50. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein the at least one network includes the World Wide Web.