Systems, methods, and a storage medium for obtaining an offer for a sale of a product or a service

• US 8,417,586 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/123,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired product or a service are provided. The method includes iteratively transmitting a first signal including a first data message using a mobile transceiver device. Each of the first data messages includes information relating to the desired product or service. The method further includes receiving at least one of the first signals having the first data message and determining whether a product or service provider has the desired product or service available for sale. Finally, the method includes transmitting a second signal including a second data message to the mobile transceiver device. The second data message includes an offer to sell the desired product or service.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired item, comprising:

a mobile transceiver device configured to iteratively transmit a first signal including a first data message, the first data message having information relating to the desired item, the mobile transceiver device configured to cycle through multiple communication protocols to iteratively transmit the first signal;

a second transceiver device configured to receive the first signal and route the first data message to a computer server; and

the computer server having a database identifying items, the computer server configured to search the database to determine whether a provider has the desired item available for sale;

the computer server further configured to generate a second data message including an offer to sell the desired item responsive to a determination that the provider has the desired item available for sale and send the second data message to the second transceiver device, the second transceiver device configured to transmit a second signal having the second data message to the mobile transceiver device;

the mobile transceiver device configured to receive a plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item from a plurality of vendors;

the mobile transceiver device configured to organize the offer to sell the desired item and the plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item; and

the mobile transceiver device configured to delete a subset of the offer to sell the desired item and the plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item in response to the subset failing to meet a desired criterion.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the information in the first data message includes an item identifier and a desired price of the desired item.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the information in the first data message further includes a request expiration wherein an offer to sell the desired item is not desired after the request expiration date.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the offer to sell the desired item in the second data message includes an item identifier and a price of the desired item.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the offer to sell the desired item in the second data message further includes an offer expiration date wherein the offer to sell expires after the offer expiration date.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile transceiver device comprises a cellular telephone.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the provider directly receives the first signal having the first data message at a store location.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the iterative transmission of the first signal occurs at predetermined time intervals.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile transceiver device includes a display screen, the mobile transceiver device receiving the second signal and displaying the second data message on the display screen.

10. A device for obtaining an offer for a sale of a desired item, comprising:

a mobile transceiver device configured to iteratively transmit a first signal by cycling through multiple communication protocols, the first signal including a first data message, the first data message having information relating to the desired item, the first message configured for routing to a computer server;

the mobile transceiver device configured to receive a second data message transmitted from the computer server, the second data message including an offer to sell the desired item responsive to a determination that a provider has the desired item available for sale;

the mobile transceiver device configured to receive a plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item from a plurality of vendors;

the mobile transceiver device configured to organize the offer to sell the desired item and the plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item; and

the mobile transceiver device configured to delete a subset of the offer to sell the desired item and the plurality of additional offers to sell the desired item in response to the subset failing to meet a desired criterion.