Builders on-line assistant

• US 8,145,533 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ePt Records, LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: OLA LLC
• Inventors: Fogelson, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCHANAN, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US11/758,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for servicing a customer of a builder by a third-party website provider. The method includes the steps of providing a first website by the third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing and selecting product options for product offerings provided by the builder, receiving from the customer through the first website views and selections of an option of the options provided by the builder and collecting a fee or commission based upon the received selection made by the customer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for servicing a customer of a building contractor through a third-party website provider, such apparatus comprising:

means for establishing the terms of a contract between the customer and the building contractor to build or rehabilitate real estate for the customer at a building site of the real estate, said contract forming a pre-existing agreement;

means for providing a first website by the third-party website provider, said first website being password protected by a password of the customer, said website providing product, service or installation service options of product, service or installation service offerings available from the building contractor for installation into a product space at the building site under the pre-existing contract to build or rehabilitate the real estate between the building contractor and the customer;

means for providing a second website associated with the first website by the third-party website provider for entry of information related to the customer by the contractor, said second website being password protected by a password of the contractor;

means for receiving from the customer through the first website a selection of an option of the options provided by the building contractor associated with the preexisting contract; and

means for altering the terms of the pre-existing contract based on said product, service, or installation options selected by the customer.

2. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 further comprising means for collecting a fee or commission from the contractor.

3. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 wherein the means for providing the first website further comprises means for providing a webpage associated with a feature offered by the contractor.

4. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 3 wherein the means for providing the webpage further comprises means for providing a plurality of options on the webpage relating to the feature for selection of the option by the customer.

5. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 4 further comprising means for providing a plurality of webpages each related to a feature provided by the contractor to the customer.

6. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a hyperlink to a manufacturer on the webpage for selection by the customer.

7. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 6 wherein the means for providing the hyperlink further comprises means for collecting a commission from the manufacturer for any sale based upon activation of the hyperlink.

8. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 wherein the entered information further comprises features of the offerings.

9. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 wherein the entered information further comprises an identifier of the customer.

10. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the contractor as in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a third website for access by a general public for general information on features provided by the contractor.

11. An apparatus for servicing a customer of a building contractor through a third-party website provider, such apparatus comprising:

a contract term establishment processor establishing terms of a contract between the customer and the building contractor to build or rehabilitate real estate for the customer at a building site of the real estate, said contract forming a pre-existing contract;

a first website provided by the third-party website provider, said website providing product, service or installation service options of product, service or installation service offerings available from the building contractor for installation at the building site into the building or rehabilitation of the real estate by the building contractor for the customer under the pre-existing contract;

a second website associated with the first website provided by the third-party website provider for entry of information related to the customer by the building contractor;

a selection processor receiving from the customer through the first website a selection of an option of the options provided by the building contractor associated with the pre-existing contract; and

a contract term change processor for altering the term of the preexisting contract based on said product, service or installation options selected by the customer.

12. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the building contractor as in claim 11 further comprises a commission processor adapted to collect a fee or commission based upon the selection made by the customer.

13. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the building contractor as in claim 11 wherein the first website further comprises a webpage adapted to provide a feature offered by the building contractor.

14. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the building contractor as in claim 13 further comprising a plurality of webpages adapted to provide a plurality of features provided by the building contractor to the customer.

15. The apparatus for servicing the customer of the building contractor as in claim 11 further comprising a hyperlink to a manufacturer on the webpage for selection by the customer.

16. The method of servicing the customer as in claim 11 wherein the product, service or installation service offerings further comprise fixtures to be delivered for installation or installed within the building or renovation of the real estate by the building contractor for the customer.