WO2001024043A2 - Service fourni par un reseau de vente d'inventaires dynamiques et offrant le meilleur prix sans indetermination - Google Patents

Service fourni par un reseau de vente d'inventaires dynamiques et offrant le meilleur prix sans indetermination Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001024043A2
WO2001024043A2 PCT/US2000/041000 US0041000W WO0124043A2 WO 2001024043 A2 WO2001024043 A2 WO 2001024043A2 US 0041000 W US0041000 W US 0041000W WO 0124043 A2 WO0124043 A2 WO 0124043A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
network
consumer
inventory
lowest price
service
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/041000
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2001024043A8 (fr
Inventor
Byron D. Bishop
Original Assignee
Microsoft Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Microsoft Corporation filed Critical Microsoft Corporation
Priority to AU13673/01A priority Critical patent/AU1367301A/en
Publication of WO2001024043A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001024043A2/fr
Publication of WO2001024043A8 publication Critical patent/WO2001024043A8/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/02—Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a network-based, such as Internet-based or telephony-based, service for offering a lowest price to a consumer for a specified item of inventory.
  • a network-based such as Internet-based or telephony-based
  • the present invention pertains to an Internet-based travel service, having access to a searchable database containing dynamic inventory, which can perform a search of the inventory and determine the lowest price that can be offered to cover an inquiry made by a consumer.
  • the consumer decides to purchase at the price offered, the details regarding the inventory purchased are displayed to the consumer at 650. Having displayed the details to the consumer, all of the necessary billing and delivery information is obtained and the purchase is then complete as indicated at 660, and the flow ends at 670. If the consumer does not decide to purchase the inventory at the lowest price offered, an alternate offer is made to the consumer at 675. This alternate offer could be related to the consumer query, but it could also be a separate special offer that is unrelated to the consumer's query. The consumer decides whether to purchase the alternately offered inventory at 680. If the consumer does not decide to purchase based on the alternate offer, no sale is made and the flow ends at 685.
  • 'Clicking' is a term of art that describes the act of moving a mouse cursor in the browser window onto a particular spot in the browser window and then pressing the mouse button. Then, once the lowest price is computed for that item, the lowest price and some details for the item to be purchased are displayed, and the consumer is given a chance to purchase with this displayed criteria. This is shown in browser window 180b. The consumer can click on 'Yes' to purchase and can click on 'No' to decline to purchase. Other input means can be used as well to indicate a consumer response. If a purchase is made, complete details of the item purchased are subsequently displayed in the browser window.
  • a browser sequence such as the one just described can be implemented.
  • a different browser window can be used for each step, for example.
  • a different browser instance could be created for some steps.
  • Pop-up menus or windows could be used.
  • Dynamic windows using applets, plug-ins, Xcontrols, Java, javascript and the like could be implemented. Keyboard or other inputs could be used in place of a mouse input.
  • the number of different ways to implement web pages or browser instances are countless, and thus the implementation described above is for illustrative purpose only.
  • Fig. 6B is a flow chart of a variation of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
  • the main difference between Figure 6 A and Figure 6B is that, in Figure 6B, even if the consumer purchases the lowest priced inventory, the alternate offer is still made. Thus, instead of proceeding from a complete purchase 660 to the end 670, another offer can be made to the consumer at 675.
  • Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention.
  • a main advantage of the arrangement of Figure 7 is that multiple inventory choices can be passed on to the consumer to provide greater choice. In the event that multiple choices of inventory satisfy both the lowest pricing criteria and the consumer's request, and if the consumer wishes to purchase at the lowest price, then the consumer can choose from among all of the choices. Alternatively, the consumer could be informed before or concurrently with the lowest price offer that multiple results satisfy the lowest price inquiry. The consumer thus benefits from the additional choices where all other criteria are satisfied.
  • a consumer makes a limited query 710 for the purchase of dynamic inventory.
  • Software with access to dynamic inventory database 700 determines which of the inventory match the consumer's criteria at 720. Then, by a prescribed algorithm, the software computes a lowest price that can be offered. This lowest price is then offered to the consumer at 730, albeit without full disclosure to the consumer regarding all of the purchase details. The consumer then makes a decision whether to purchase at 740. If the consumer decides to purchase at the price offered, a determination is made by the software at 745 whether multiple inventory satisfied both the consumer's criteria and the lowest price determination. If there are not multiple choices, the flow continues as usual to 750 where the details of the inventory purchased are displayed to the consumer.
  • billing and delivery information is obtained at 760 to complete the purchase and the flow ends at 770. If there are multiple choices, then the multiple choices are displayed to the consumer at 780 from which the consumer chooses at 790. Having chosen the inventory from among the choices, billing and delivery information are obtained at 760 to complete the purchase and the flow ends at 770. If, however, the consumer does not wish to purchase at the lowest price, no multiple choices are offered, no sale is made and the flow ends at 775. The fact that multiple choices satisfy the consumer query and lowest price criteria could also be made known and displayed to the consumer before the consumer decides to purchase at the lowest price. In accordance with the third embodiment, if the lowest price formula indicates multiple results which match the consumer's inquiry, the multiple results can be displayed to the consumer.
  • FIG 8 is a block diagram of a system for updating the dynamic inventory database.
  • Four databases are shown feeding dynamic inventory database 500. Some of these databases could be a local database 810. Other databases could be a global distribution system 840.
  • the type of database for databases such as database 810, 820, 830 and 840 may govern. For example, for a global distribution system 840, it may be advisable to send a periodic query for updating inventory, whereas for a local database 810, requests for updates can be made more frequently and with greater breadth.
  • updated inventory is stored in the memory of the dynamic inventory database 500.
  • billing and delivery information is obtained after pricing
  • billing and delivery information can be obtained at any time in accordance with the present invention.
  • the present invention has been described with respect to an Internet-based travel service, the present invention can be applied to any service that vends dynamic inventory. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
  • Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
  • Operations Research (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un service fourni par un réseau ou par téléphone, recevant d'un client une demande d'inventaire, consultant une base de données d'inventaires, et déterminant le prix le plus bas correspondant à un inventaire conforme à la demande du client. Une fois le prix le plus bas déterminé, ils est proposé au client, bien que certains détails relatifs à l'inventaire à acquérir lui soient en partie inconnus. Si le client décide d'acquérir l'inventaire au prix le plus bas offert, l'achat est conclu et on lui fournit alors tous les détails concernant ledit inventaire. Si le client ne souhaite par acheter l'inventaire partiellement décrit au prix le plus bas formulé, on peut lui faire une offre plus spécifique. Si les résultats multiples correspondent à la demande du client à ce même prix le plus bas, ils peuvent lui être présentés pour qu'il y fasse son choix.
PCT/US2000/041000 1999-09-29 2000-09-27 Service fourni par un reseau de vente d'inventaires dynamiques et offrant le meilleur prix sans indetermination WO2001024043A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU13673/01A AU1367301A (en) 1999-09-29 2000-09-27 Network-based service for selling dynamic inventory and offering lowest price with no guessing

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US40825999A 1999-09-29 1999-09-29
US09/408,259 1999-09-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001024043A2 true WO2001024043A2 (fr) 2001-04-05
WO2001024043A8 WO2001024043A8 (fr) 2002-01-03

Family

ID=23615539

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2000/041000 WO2001024043A2 (fr) 1999-09-29 2000-09-27 Service fourni par un reseau de vente d'inventaires dynamiques et offrant le meilleur prix sans indetermination

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU1367301A (fr)
WO (1) WO2001024043A2 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003012715A1 (fr) * 2001-07-31 2003-02-13 Sigmazen Limited Systeme et procede de determination de prix
WO2017053969A3 (fr) * 2015-09-25 2017-05-26 Onvoya, Inc. Obtention de services auprès de fournisseurs de produits

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
No Search *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003012715A1 (fr) * 2001-07-31 2003-02-13 Sigmazen Limited Systeme et procede de determination de prix
WO2017053969A3 (fr) * 2015-09-25 2017-05-26 Onvoya, Inc. Obtention de services auprès de fournisseurs de produits
US10510023B2 (en) 2015-09-25 2019-12-17 Onriva, Inc. Obtaining services from product providers
US11507895B2 (en) 2015-09-25 2022-11-22 Onriva Llc Obtaining services from product providers

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU1367301A (en) 2001-04-30
WO2001024043A8 (fr) 2002-01-03

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