Patent Application
20070078722
The present invention generally relates to mobile wireless communications, and more particularly relates to a system and a method for conducting marketplace transactions via mobile wireless communications.
Many marketplaces in the business world are embodied as a traditional brick-and-mortar type marketplace (e.g., a physical storefront) or as an electronic marketplace, such as used for business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-customer (B2C) applications. Marketplaces for customer-to-customer (C2C) applications have also been established to connect potential buyers with sellers, but these marketplaces are generally smaller or limited in scale because of the disproportional resources traditionally associated with customers in comparison with businesses, such as found in B2B or B2C applications.
One example of a common C2C marketplace is a home garage sale. Millions of American households conduct home garage sales each weekend. Newspaper classified advertisements and locally placed signs are typically used to generate awareness and interest in available items at the home garage sale. These methods generally rely upon a primary traffic of potential buyers who actively seek the home garage sale and a secondary traffic of potential buyers who subsequently express an interest in the home garage sale after viewing the advertisement or signs. When potential buyers travel in geographic regions away from the locally placed signs, transactional opportunities derived from secondary traffic may decrease.
Another example of a common C2C marketplace is a web-based marketplace for potential buyers to bid on items offered for sale by sellers. These web-based marketplaces provide some transactional convenience to both the potential buyer and seller. However, physical inspection of the goods is not conveniently possible in pure web-based marketplaces. Buyer access to such web-based marketplaces typically require the buyer to seek out the web-based marketplace, such as by using a personal computer via the Internet, for each instance the buyer desires to interact with the web-based marketplace. While this particular web-based marketplace has seen a growth in user popularity, the web-based marketplace relies on a primary traffic of potential buyers who actively seek the web-based marketplace and overlooks opportunities to add or increase a secondary traffic of potential buyers.
Accordingly, a method for mobile wireless transactions is desired. More particularly, a method for mobile wireless transactions is desired that more efficiently drives traffic to a marketplace. In addition, a system for mobile wireless transactions is desired. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention. For example, the present invention allows the combination of allowing physical inspection of purchases with the convenience of a web-based marketplace.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description.
Referring to the drawings,
In general, a seller 12 accesses matching system 20 via the Internet 14, using for example a personal computer, and submits individual items or a list of items available for purchase to matching system 20. For example, seller 12 logs onto a web-based personal account in matching system 20 and lists products and corresponding prices for sale with a time period and location of the products. A buyer 18 or a user of mobile wireless unit 16 accesses matching system 20, via the Internet 14 or via mobile wireless unit 16, to submit individual items or a list of items desired for purchase by buyer 18. In another exemplary embodiment, the user of mobile wireless unit 16 selects one or more product preferences for comparison by matching system 20 with the products available for purchase. For example, a user of mobile wireless unit 16 having an interest in purchasing products opts-in matching system 20 and provides product preferences and a preferred format for receiving information via mobile wireless unit 16 of products available for purchase that match the product preferences. Matching system 20 compares the list of items available for purchase and the list of items desired for purchase and selects any matches between these lists for transmission to mobile wireless unit 16. Additionally, matching system 20 tracks mobile wireless unit 16 such as via conventional location information provided by a positioning system associated with mobile wireless unit 16 (e.g., via satellite transponder 22 and terrestrial station 24). Seller 12 may update the items available for purchase until an option to purchase a particular available item has been reserved.
Referring to
In system 10, initiation of a mobile wireless transaction preferably begins when mobile wireless unit 16 is within a predetermined proximity to the available item. Processor 30 intermittently or continuously determines a location of mobile wireless unit 16, such as by a Global Positioning System function, and this location is transmitted to matching system 20. Processor 30 additionally controls transmitter 34 to transmit a variety of signals to matching system 20 including, but not necessarily limited to, a signal having data indicating the user of mobile wireless unit 16 seeks an option to purchase one or more available items, a signal having data indicating a request to inspect an available item and/or pick-up the available item. In an exemplary embodiment, the user of mobile wireless unit 16 may select the option to purchase or indicate a request (e.g., the request to inspect or the request to pick-up) using input unit 31, such as a touchpad, touch-screen, keyboard, push-button, and the like. Additionally, transmitter 34 may transmit the list of items desired to be purchased by the user of mobile wireless unit 16 or any updates to such list.
To establish and maintain communication in system 10, transmitter 34 includes signal processing circuitry for up-linking to satellite transponder 22, modulation, coding, and the like. Receiver 36 includes signal processing circuitry for down-linking with satellite transponder 22, demodulation, decoding, and the like. Transmitter 34 and receiver 36 may include signal processing circuitry for a variety of RF based communication techniques. Receiver 36 receives a variety of signals transmitted from matching system 20 including, but not necessarily limited to, a signal having data indicating one or more available items for purchase and a signal having data indicating directions to available items for purchase. After extracting the data contained in the signals received from matching system 20, receiver 36 transfers the data to processor 30. For example, receiver 36 extracts data pertaining to an available item for purchase (e.g., product type, price, and location of the product) and processor 30 displays such data at user input unit 31.
Referring to
Server 42 compares the available items for purchase with the product preferences of the user to produce matches. Server 42 determines when mobile wireless unit 16 is within a predetermined proximity (e.g., a geographical region or a distance) to any of the matched items and controls transmitter 44 to transmit a signal indicating that such item is available for purchase. Examples of proximities include within a city, within a state, within a distance, etc. By matching available items for purchase with the product preferences of the user and alerting the user when the mobile wireless unit 16 is within the predetermined proximity, system 10 more efficiently drives both primary traffic and secondary traffic to the marketplace. The user can set preferences that shall be used by Server 42. Examples of such preferences include, but are not limited to, the Server using such preferences to determine whether the user is interested in receiving notifications about items, or whether the user is interested in making the purchase.
In addition to transmitting signals indicating available items for purchase, transmitter 44 transmits a variety of other signals. For example, in response to requests from mobile wireless unit 16, transmitter 44 transmits a signal having data indicating a scheduled date/time for inspection of an available item, a signal having data indicating a scheduled date/time for pick-up of an available item, and a signal having directions to the available item. Receiver 46 receives a variety of signal transmitted from mobile wireless unit 16 including, but not necessarily limited to, a signal indicating the location of mobile wireless unit 16, a signal indicating the user of mobile wireless unit 16 seeks an option to purchase an available item, a signal reserving a date/time for inspection of the available item, a signal reserving a date/time for pick-up of the available item, and a signal indicating product preferences or items desired by the user of mobile wireless unit 16. Transmitter 44 and receiver 46 may communicate with mobile wireless unit 16 via a network connection to the Internet 14 and transmission using terrestrial station 24 and satellite transponder 22. In another exemplary embodiment, transmitter and receiver 46 may directly communicate with mobile wireless unit 16 and include conventional signal processing circuitry for RF based communication.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
