IP Library Granted Patent US 8,676,664
Granted Patent B2
US 8,676,664 · App. 13/227,734 · Granted Mar 18, 2014

System and method for enhancing buyer and seller interaction during a group-buying sale

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,676,664
App. No.
13/227,734
Granted
Mar 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system are provided that enable buyers and sellers to communicate with each other and to negotiate the purchase terms of featured merchandise in a group-buying opportunity. Sellers and buyers may use various forms of on-line group-buying mechanisms in conjunction with the negotiation features of the invention. Buyers may send various inquiries to sellers regarding merchandise offered for sale through the online group-buying sale. Sellers may respond to buyer questions and queries, and in some instances, sellers may communicate instructions to the on-line group-buying mechanism to alter the course of an on-line group-buying sale in progress, e.g., a further reduction in price. The method and system further provides a mechanism for calculating a demand curve based on received buyer offers and applying the demand curve to an on-line group-buying sale.

Claims (53)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform operations for an on-line group-buying sale, comprising:

providing communication support for a plurality of on-line group-buying sales in a negotiating room;

conducting a first on-line group-buying sale of a featured item in association with the negotiating room, wherein the featured item includes products and/or services;

providing a flash demand curve for the featured item using hypothetical offers received from the first on-line group-buying sale;

providing a sale demand curve associated with the flash demand curve; and

conducting a second on-line group-buying sale of the featured item using the sale demand curve.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , storing further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

conducting a third on-line group-buying sale in association with the negotiating room; and

providing another flash demand curve for the featured item using hypothetical offers received from the third on-line group-buying sale; and

wherein the sale demand curve is further associated with the another flash demand curve.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 , storing further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

modifying the featured item during the third on-line group-buying sale to include at least another product and/or service; and

receiving an identification of the products and/or services included in the featured item for the second on-line group-buying sale before conducting the second on-line group-buying sale.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , storing further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

providing another flash demand curve for the featured item associated with the second on-line group-buying sale;

initiating the second on-line group-buying sale before the first on-line group-buying sale; and

replacing the another flash demand curve with the sale demand curve.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , storing further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

providing at least one communication via the negotiation room; and

wherein the first on-line group-buying sale includes a second featured item.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , storing further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing the flash demand curve in a data repository.

7. A system for selling featured items, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to communicate with the processor, the memory including instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing communication support for a plurality of on-line group-buying sales in a negotiating room;

conducting a first on-line group-buying sale of a featured item in association with the negotiating room, wherein the featured item includes products and/or services;

providing a flash demand curve for the featured item using hypothetical offers received from the first on-line group-buying sale;

providing a sale demand curve associated with the flash demand curve; and

conducting a second on-line group-buying sale of the featured item using the sale demand curve

a negotiating room stored on a computer readable medium and configured to conduct an on-line group-buying sale of featured items, wherein the negotiating room comprises a voting mechanism configured to calculate at least one flash demand curve for the featured items using offers; and

an on-line group-buying mechanism stored on a computer readable medium and configured to facilitate a sale of the featured items using a sale demand curve developed from the at least one flash demand curve.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the negotiating room further comprises:

a message receiver and transmitter configured to receive communications wherein at least some of the communications include the hypothetical offers for the featured items.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the on-line group-buying mechanism begins selling the featured items using an initial demand curve before the on-line group-buying sale in the negotiating room begins, the system further comprising:

a seller representative stored on a computer readable medium and configured to send an instruction to the on-line group-buying mechanism to replace the initial demand curve with the sale demand curve.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to execute data processing, comprising:

determining demand for a featured item during an on-line group-buying sale;

conducting a first on-line group-buying sale associated with a negotiating room;

providing at least one flash demand curve for the featured item using hypothetical offers received from the first on-line group-buying sale;

providing the at least one flash demand curve to create a sale demand curve for the featured item; and

initiating a second on-line group-buying sale of the featured item using the sale demand curve.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the hypothetical offers received from the first on-line group-buying sale are irrevocable purchase offers.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the hypothetical offers received from the first on-line group-buying sale include revocable purchase offers.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising providing an a second hypothetical offer for another featured item, wherein the flash demand curve includes an indication of the second hypothetical offer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the hypothetical offers comprise real-time offers.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising continuously updating the flash demand curve.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising updating the flash demand curve at predetermined time intervals.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the flash demand curve depicts a demand for the featured item among a group of prospective buyers within a predetermined time period.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising modifying a price of the featured item in the second on-line group-buying sale.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform further operations comprising including an additional item with the featured item in the second on-line group-buying sale.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the sale demand curve comprises completed sales of the at least one of a revocable or irrevocable offer received from the first on-line group-buying sale.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising converting the hypothetical offers to at least one of a revocable or irrevocable offer.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037575 FRAME: 0708. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT . Recorded May 4, 2016
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 79 LLC
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 81 LLC
Reel/Frame 038602/0593 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 25, 2016
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 79 LLC
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 81 LLC
Reel/Frame 037575/0708 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2012
From: KASHLESS, INC.
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 79 LLC
Reel/Frame 027900/0676 →