WO2001008058A3 - Agent system for electronic commerce - Google Patents

Abstract

An agent system of electronic commerce implemented over a wide area computer network includes a host computer system (10) arranged in communicative association (14) with a plurality of client terminals (12); an electronic catalog containing transaction areas listing available transactions between consumers and suppliers, stored in the system, a client terminal interface for displaying on selected ones of the client terminals by consumers and suppliers, of portions of the electronic catalog; a tender manager for entering by consumers of transaction data including the identification by the consumers of a similar set of goods or services sought to be purchased thereby, into a current consumer tenders database (99), wherein, after a first predetermined time has elapsed during which the set is accumulated, the tender manager (80) is operative to prevent addition to the set of additional goods or services by consumers, and to store the set as a tender for bidding.

Description

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT ILOO/00402

A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER

IPC(7) G06F 17/60 US CL :70₅/26, 27, 37 According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC

B. FIELDS SEARCHED

Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)

U.S. 70₅/26, 27, 37

Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used) Please See Extra Sheet.

C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

US 5,835,896 A (FISHER et al) 10 November 1998, col 4, lines 32- 1-5 67, col. 6, lines 39-45, col. 7, lines 18-65, col. 8, lines 30-67, col. 9, lines 17-57, col. 12, line 18-col. 13, line 53, col. 14, lines 2-44

I Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. See patent family annex.

" Special categories of cited documents "T" later document published after the international filing date or priority date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand

"A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered the principle or theory underlying the invention to be of particular relevance

"X" document of particular relevance, the claimed invention cannot be

"E" earlier document published on or after the international filing date considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive step

"L" document which may throw doubts on priority claιm(s) or which is when the document is taken alone cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other special reason (as specified) "Y" document of particular relevance, the claimed invention cannot be considered to involve an invenUve step when the document is

"O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other combined with one or more other such documents, such combination means being obvious to a person skilled in the art

"P" document published prior to the international filing date but later than "&" document member of the same patent family the priority date claimed

Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the inter

09 FEBRUARY 2001 vn_j tfltt& n

Name and mailing address of the ISA/US Authoπzed officer Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks Box PCT VICENT MILLIN Washington, D.C. 20₂31

Facsimile No. (703) 305-3230 Telephone No. (703) 308-1065

Form PCT ISA/210 (second sheet) (July 1998)* INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No PCT/IL00/00402

B FIELDS SEARCHED

Electronic data bases consulted (Name of data base and where practicable terms used)

For no-patent literature Nineteen databases on businesses and industπes, such as The New York Times, Wall Street

Journal, The Gale Group and McGrow-Hill Publishing)

For Patents databases of WIPO, EPO, JAPIO, JPO, Chinese Patent Office and the USPTO

Form PCT/ISA/210 (extra sheet) (July 1998)*