System and method for swapping of tangible items
First Claim
1. A system for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:
- an Internet connection;
an electronic database; and
a server computer that is connected to the electronic database, and communicates with users through the Internet connection, wherein the server computer is programmed to;
register a first user in the electronic database, receive a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user through the Internet connection, store the first name in the electronic database, and list the first name on a web site of the server computer;
register a second user in the electronic database, receive a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user through the Internet connection, store the second name in the electronic database, and list the second name on the web site of the server computer;
register a third user in the electronic database, receive a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user through the Internet connection, store the third name in the electronic database, and list the third name on the web site of the server computer;
receive a first request through the Internet connection from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction removes a first credit from the first user in the electronic database that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction, send a first message through the Internet connection to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receive a second message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and store a second credit for the second user in the electronic database to complete the first transaction;
receive a second request through the Internet connection from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction removes the second credit from the second user in the electronic database, send a third message through the Internet connection to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receive a fourth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and store a third credit for the third user in the electronic database to complete the second transaction;
use the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and
issue one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for an on-line swapping service. The service registers members and allows members to list items that each member is willing to swap in exchange for credits with the service for an item from listed by another member. An example of the items that may be swapped using the swapping service is books, such as paperback books. To facilitate delivery through the mail of an item from one member to another member, a printable mailing wrapper is created by the system with the appropriate destination address. The system emails, downloads or otherwise sends the mailing wrapper to the member who is in position of the item to be shipped. That member simply prints the mailing wrapper on a standard printer, and wraps it around the item to be shipped via standard postal services.
83 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A system for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:
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an Internet connection; an electronic database; and a server computer that is connected to the electronic database, and communicates with users through the Internet connection, wherein the server computer is programmed to; register a first user in the electronic database, receive a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user through the Internet connection, store the first name in the electronic database, and list the first name on a web site of the server computer; register a second user in the electronic database, receive a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user through the Internet connection, store the second name in the electronic database, and list the second name on the web site of the server computer; register a third user in the electronic database, receive a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user through the Internet connection, store the third name in the electronic database, and list the third name on the web site of the server computer; receive a first request through the Internet connection from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction removes a first credit from the first user in the electronic database that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction, send a first message through the Internet connection to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receive a second message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and store a second credit for the second user in the electronic database to complete the first transaction; receive a second request through the Internet connection from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction removes the second credit from the second user in the electronic database, send a third message through the Internet connection to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receive a fourth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and store a third credit for the third user in the electronic database to complete the second transaction; use the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and issue one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:
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registering a first user in an electronic database, receiving a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user through an Internet connection, storing the first name in the electronic database, and listing the first name on a web site using a server computer; registering a second user in the electronic database, receiving a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user through the Internet connection, storing the second name in the electronic database, and listing the second name on the web site using the server computer; registering a third user in the electronic database, receiving a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user through the Internet connection, storing the third name in the electronic database, and listing the third name on the web site using the server computer; receiving a first request through the Internet connection from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction removing a first credit from the first user in the electronic database that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction, sending a first message through the Internet connection to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receiving a second message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and storing a second credit for the second user in the electronic database to complete the first transaction, using the server computer; receiving a second request through the Internet connection from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction removing the second credit from the second user in the electronic database, sending a third message through the Internet connection to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receiving a fourth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and storing a third credit for the third user in the electronic database to complete the second transaction, using the server computer; and using the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and issuing one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, whose contents include a program, which, when executed on a server computer, performs a method for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:
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registering a first user, receiving a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user, storing the first name, and listing the first name on a web site using a registration module; registering a second user, receiving a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user, storing the second name, and listing the second name on the web site using the registration module; registering a third user, receiving a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user, storing the third name, and listing the third name on the web site using the registration module; receiving a first request from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction and removing a first credit from the first user that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction using a request an item module; sending a first message to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receiving a second message confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and storing a second credit for the second user to complete the first transaction using a ship an item module; receiving a second request from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction and removing the second credit from the second user using the request an item module; sending a third message to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receiving a fourth message confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and storing a third credit for the third user to complete the second transaction using the ship an item module; using the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a fight to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and issuing one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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Specification