Method, medium, and system for providing quotes

• US 7,881,978 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ryero Corporation
• Inventors: Baptiste, Ryan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US11/985,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Methods, computer executable program instructions, and systems including program instructions are provided for use with quotes. A method embodiment includes providing a website that receives a request for quotes (RFQ) from a buyer-business. The method also includes providing control to a seller-business via the website to authorize the buyer-business to receive quotes on behalf of the seller-business. The method further includes charging a fee to the seller-businesses for quotes delivered to the buyer-business on behalf of the seller-businesses.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first website of a first provider to display quotes to a buyer-business from a seller-business in response to requests for quotes received from the buyer-business;

receiving a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business;

authorizing the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business in response to a request from the seller-business approving the request for authorization;

creating price lists including a first price list assigned to the buyer-business and a second price list assigned to a geographic region;

linking functionality of the first website of the first provider to a second website of a second provider;

receiving a request for quotes through the second website from a buyer-individual;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the second website, a quote for the buyer-individual based at least in part on the second price list assigned to the geographic region;

displaying, via the second website, the quote to the buyer-individual;

charging, to the seller-business, a first fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual; and

charging, to the first provider, a second fee payable to the second provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual;

wherein the abovementioned steps are performed using a computer processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes:

receiving a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer-business;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, a quote for the buyer-business based at least in part on the first price list assigned to the buyer-business;

displaying, via the first website, the quote to the buyer-business; and

charging, to the seller-business, a fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-business.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method includes:

storing the price lists in a database associated with the first website;

receiving adjustments via the first website, from the seller-business, to the price lists;

creating, in response to a subsequent request for quotes received through the first website, a subsequent quote for the buyer-business based at least in part on an adjusted first price list assigned to the buyer-business; and

displaying, via the first website, the subsequent quote to the buyer-business.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein creating price lists includes entering price and availability information, by the seller-business.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving adjustments includes receiving adjustments via the first website, from the seller-business, to the price lists on a per buyer-business basis.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein storing the price lists in a database includes restricting other seller-businesses from accessing the price lists.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes:

receiving a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from a plurality of seller-businesses;

authorizing the buyer-business to receive quotes from those of the plurality seller-businesses in response to a request from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

receiving a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer- business;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, quotes for the buyer-business on behalf of those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

displaying, via the first website, quotes to the buyer-business from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization; and

charging, to those of the seller-businesses approving the request for authorization, a fee payable to the first provider for the quotes displayed to the buyer-business.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the quote includes:

displaying a price and a turn-around time for completion of a project; and

displaying a price for each of a number of products included in the project.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying a price for each of a number of products includes displaying a price for a number of alternative products for the number of products.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the method includes:

receiving a request from the seller-business, via the first website, to restrict the buyer-business from receiving quotes from the seller-business; and

revoking authorization of the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business in response to the request from the seller-business to restrict the buyer-business from receiving quotes.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions cause a computer processor to perform the following steps:

providing a first website of a first provider to display quotes to a buyer-business from a seller-business in response to requests for quotes received from the buyer-business;

receiving a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business;

authorizing the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business in response to a request from the seller-business approving the request for authorization;

creating price lists including a first price list assigned to the buyer-business and a second price list assigned to a geographic region;

linking functionality of the first website of the first provider to a second website of a second provider;

receiving a request for quotes through the second website from a buyer-individual;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the second website, a quote for the buyer-individual based at least in part on the second price list assigned to the geographic region;

displaying, via the second website, the quote to the buyer-individual;

charging, to the seller-business, a first fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual; and

charging, to the first provider, a second fee payable to the second provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computer processor to perform additional steps including:

receiving a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer-business;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, a quote for the buyer-business based at least in part on the first price list assigned to the buyer-business;

displaying, via the first website, the quote to the buyer-business; and

charging, to the seller-business, a fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-business.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computer processor to perform additional steps including:

creating additional price lists for a second seller-business;

restricting the buyer-business from access to the price lists and the additional price lists; and

restricting the seller-business from access to the additional price lists.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computer processor to perform additional steps including:

receiving a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from a plurality of seller-businesses;

authorizing the buyer-business to receive quotes from those of the plurality seller-businesses in response to a request from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

receiving a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer-business;

creating, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, quotes for the buyer-business on behalf of those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

displaying, via the first website, quotes to the buyer-business from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization; and

charging, to those of the seller-businesses approving the request for authorization, a fee payable to the first provider for the quotes displayed to the buyer-business.

15. A system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory, connected to the computer processor, the memory storing executable instructions which cause the computer processor to;

provide a first website of a first provider to display quotes to a buyer-business from a seller-business in response to requests for quotes received from the buyer-business;

receive a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business;

authorize the buyer-business to receive quotes from the seller-business in response to a request from the seller-business approving the request for authorization;

create price lists including a first price list assigned to the buyer-business and a second price list assigned to a geographic region;

link functionality of the first website of the first provider to a second website of a second provider;

receive a request for quotes through the second website from a buyer-individual;

create, in response to the request for quotes received through the second website, a quote for the buyer-individual based at least in part on the second price list assigned to the geographic region;

display, via the second website, the quote to the buyer-individual;

charge, to the seller-business, a first fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual; and

charge, to the first provider, a second fee payable to the second provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-individual.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

receive a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer-business;

create, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, a quote for the buyer-business based at least in part on the first price list assigned to the buyer-business;

display, via the first website, the quote to the buyer-business; and

charge, to the seller-business, a fee payable to the first provider for the quote displayed to the buyer-business.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

display statistics to the seller-business via the first website related to use of the first website by the buyer-business, where statistics are selected from the group including;

a number of quotes received by the buyer-business;

a number of quotes accepted by the buyer-business; and

length of time the buyer-business has been associated with the system; and

display statistics to the buyer-business via the first website related to use of the first website by the seller-business, where statistics are selected from the group including;

a number of buyer-businesses authorized to receive quotes from the seller-business;

a number of products offered by the seller-business; and

a number of product options offered by the seller-business.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

receive a request from the buyer-business for authorization for the buyer-business to receive quotes from a plurality of seller-businesses;

authorize the buyer-business to receive quotes from those of the plurality seller-businesses in response to a request from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

receive a request for quotes through the first website from a buyer-business;

create, in response to the request for quotes received through the first website, quotes for the buyer-business on behalf of those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization;

display, via the first website, quotes to the buyer-business from those of the plurality of seller-businesses approving the request for authorization; and

charge, to those of the seller-businesses approving the request for authorization, a fee payable to the first provider for the quotes displayed to the buyer-business.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to display a list of the plurality of seller-business to the buyer-business upon receiving a request from the buyer-business to view the list of the plurality of seller-businesses.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to provide a communication link between the first and second websites for facilitating acceptance of the quote, where the communication link is one selected from the group including:

email, text messaging, instant messaging, voice-over-IP, and video conferencing.