Patent ID: 6332135
Filing Date: 2001-12-18
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A apparatus for ordering sample quantities, comprising:a network;a multivariate negotiations system including a storage space, sample quantity software, and negotiations software, such negotiations software including an automated negotiations engine for analyzing terms, the analysis of terms comprising understanding the purpose of the terms, formatting the terms according to the purpose, and placing them into user supplied context for use by a buyer and a seller, the multivariate negotiations system being connected to the network and responsive to terminals communicating along a communications path over the network;a first storage area in the storage space for storing a seller's sample quantity ordering terms;a seller terminal for use by a seller connected to the network, the seller terminal including software for sending and receiving terms along a communications path over the network which flows through the multivariate negotiations system;a buyer terminal for use by a buyer connected to the network, the buyer terminal including software for sending and receiving terms along a communications path over the network which flows through the multivariate negotiations system, during iterative processing, the sample quantity software selecting any sample quantity ordering terms offered by the seller terminal, sending the sample quantity ordering terms to the buyer terminal upon request at any time during negotiations, and processing payment between buyer and seller therefor, the automated negotiations engine recognizing the users at the seller terminal and the buyer terminal as negotiators and recognizing one of the users as a deciding entity, such automated negotiations engine further recognizing any changes in the terms and storing in the storage space the terms each terminal proposes, and recognizing the terminal to which proposed terms are being sent as the indicated terminal, sending terms to the indicated terminal, the automated negotiations engine indicating any changes in the terms until a set of terms is acted upon in a final manner by the deciding entity.