Methods and systems for searching for goods in a virtual marketplace

• US 8,352,328 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, GREGORY L
• Application Number:
  US12/890,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating a computerized market for used and collectible goods by use of a plurality of low cost posting terminals and a market maker computer in a legal framework that establishes a bailee relationship and consignment contract with a purchaser of a good at the market maker computer that allows the purchaser to change the price of the good once the purchaser has purchased the good thereby to allow the purchaser to speculate on the price of collectibles in an electronic market for used goods while assuring the safe and trusted physical possession of a good with a vetted bailee.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for performing a search for a good offered for sale via an electronic marketplace, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computer, search parameters to facilitate the search for the good;

communicating the search parameters to a second computer having a database of data records corresponding with goods offered for sale via the electronic marketplace;

receiving, from the second computer, search results from the database of data records of the second computer, the search results satisfying the search parameters;

receiving from the second computer a network address associated with yet another computer participating in the electronic marketplace; and

displaying the search results.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the search results includes displaying the search results received from the second computer along with search results retrieved from a database coupled with the first computer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the search results includes displaying the search results received from the second computer along with search results received from databases associated with a plurality of other computers.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein one or more of the computers in the plurality of other computers includes a database storing information about goods organized into categories that reflect a specialization of goods offered via the one or more computers.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking a list of network addresses maintained at the first computer, the network addresses for computers participating in the electronic marketplace; and

communicating the search parameters to computers associated with each network address.

6. A computer-based electronic marketplace, comprising:

a first computer executing instructions representing an instance of an agent handler, the agent handler to;

receive search parameters to facilitate a search for a good;

communicate the search parameters to a second computer having a second instance of an agent handler, the second computer coupled with a database of data records corresponding with goods offered for sale via the electronic marketplace;

receive, from the second computer, a network address associated with yet another computer participating in the electronic marketplace;

receive, from the second computer, search results from the database of data records of the second computer, the search results satisfying the search parameters; and

cause the search results to be displayed.

7. The computer-based electronic marketplace of claim 6, wherein the agent handler is to display the search results received from the second computer along with search results retrieved from a database coupled with the first computer.

8. The computer-based electronic marketplace of claim 6, wherein the agent handler is to display the search results received from the second computer along with search results received from databases associated with a plurality of other computers.

9. The computer-based electronic marketplace of claim 6, wherein one or more of the computers in the plurality of other computers includes a database storing information about goods organized into categories that reflect a specialization of goods offered via the one or more computers.

10. The computer-based electronic marketplace of claim 6, wherein the agent handler is to

check a list of network addresses maintained at the first computer, the network addresses for computers participating in the electronic marketplace;

and

communicating the search parameters to computers associated with each network address.

11. A server-based electronic marketplace to facilitate a search for a good, the server comprising:

a processor executing instructions representing an electronic agent to facilitate a search of a plurality of network-connected computers for the good, each network-connected computer managing a database of data records corresponding with goods being offered for sale, the electronic agent i) to receive a search parameter via a web-based form, ii) to reconcile a database of network addresses of computers participating in an electronic marketplace by receiving from one or more computers of the plurality of network-connected computers one or more network addresses associated with computers participating in the electronic marketplace, iii) to communicate the search parameters to one or more of the plurality of network-connected computers, iv) receive search results satisfying the search parameters from one or more of the plurality of network-connected computers, and v) to display the search results.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein one search parameter indicates a category of goods to be searched, the database of data records organized such that goods are assigned to one or more categories.