Dynamic Price Tracking for Products and Services in Electronic Commerce

1 . A computing system for tracking price changes in assets including products and services, comprising:

a data storage device for storing executable code; and

a processing system associated with the data storage device and configured to run the code, wherein the code is configured when run to:

receive an identity and a price of an asset, the price comprising a first value and subject to change over time;

identify at least one rule for determining whether a specified action is authorized when the price changes from the first value to a second value;

track the price over time;

identify a change in the price from the first value to the second value; and

issue a notification sufficient to identify the second value when the at least one rule authorizes the action.

2 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the at least one rule comprises issuing the notification only when a difference between the first value and the second value satisfies a condition.

3 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the notification further comprises identifying the action.

4 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the action comprises issuing a refund relating to a purchase of the asset.

5 . The computing system of claim 4 wherein the at least one rule comprises a criterion for determining whether a purchaser of the asset is entitled to a refund.

6 . The computing system of claim 4 wherein the at least one rule authorizes the action, and wherein the code is further configured to process the refund on behalf of a purchaser of the asset.

7 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the data is received from a client machine, and the action comprises purchasing of the asset by a user of the client machine.

8 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the code is further configured to:

receive an e-mail from a client machine over a network, the e-mail comprising a request to track the price of the asset; and

track the price in response to the request.

9 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the code is further configured to:

issue to a client machine a request to verify that the asset to be purchased is available; and

receive a response from the client machine comprising the verification.

10 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the code is further configured to create one or more electronic files comprising the second value and an identity of the asset.

11 . The computing system of claim 10 wherein the one or more electronic files comprise a web page.

12 . A computing system comprising:

a data storage device having executable code stored thereon; and

a processing system configured to run the executable code; the code configured when run to:

(a) receive an identity and a first price of an asset, the price subject to change over time;

(b) determine at least one tracking rule for the asset;

(c) cause a query to be executed in accordance with the at least one tracking rule, the query configured to identify whether a price of the asset has changed;

(d) issue a notification comprising a second price identified in step (c) if the notification is authorized by the at least one tracking rule; and

(e) repeat steps (c)-(d) one or more times if the notification is not authorized.

13 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking rule comprises not issuing the notification when a price different from the first price is not identified.

14 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking rule comprises causing the query to be executed when the asset is active.

15 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking rule comprises issuing the notification when the second price is different from the first price by at least a specified amount.

16 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking rule comprises a request to execute the query at a specified network location.

17 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the query is executed by the computing system.

18 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the query is executed by another computer in communication with the computing system over a network connection.

19 . The computing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking rule comprises issuing a refund to a purchaser of the asset in response to the identifying the second price.

20 . The computing system of claim 19 wherein the notification further comprises information sufficient to convey that the refund is authorized.

21 . The computing system of claim 19 wherein the code is further configured to authorize the refund on behalf of the purchaser.

22 . The computing system of claim 19 wherein the code is further configured to process a refund in response to a confirmation by the purchaser.

23 . A computer comprising:

a display;

a memory device having executable code stored thereon;

a processing system associated with the display and the memory device and configured to run the code, the code configured when run to:

execute a query at a website;

retrieve an identity and a price of an asset from the website;

send the identity and the price over a network to a specified node;

receive a request from the node to execute an automated query at the website to determine whether the price has changed;

execute an automated query at the website in response to the one or more requests;

send data retrieved by the query to the node, the data comprising a new price;

receive a notification from the node in accordance with a tracking rule; and

displaying the notification on the display.

24 . The computer of claim 23 wherein the tracking rule comprises one or more conditions upon which a purchaser of the asset is entitled to a refund.

25 . The computer of claim 24 wherein the notification comprises an entitlement to a purchaser of the asset to a refund.

26 . The computer of claim 23 wherein the tracking rule comprises a minimum amount of a change in the price of the asset for the notification to be sent.

27 . The computer of claim 23 wherein the code is further configured to:

identify the tracking rule; and

send the tracking rule to the node.

28 . The computer of claim 23 wherein the tracking rule comprises a default rule and wherein the code is configured to send to the node a new tracking rule, the new tracking rule overriding the default tracking rule at the node.

29 . The computer of claim 23 wherein the notification comprises a web page.