Patent ID: 8498944
Filing Date: 2013-07-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. An interactive, computer-implemented system for conducting a negotiating session between a customer and a simulated merchant for purchases of goods and/or services on a web site distributed over the internet, the system comprising: storage media on which is stored merchant behavioral data representative of behavioral attributes of the simulated merchant, data relating to the on-going negotiating session between the customer and the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the simulated merchant, data relating to prior negotiating sessions conducted by the customer, and product data including information relating to goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; a customer interface accessible with a web browser adapted to enable the customer to input data relating to the purchase of particular goods and/or services, wherein the data input by the customer is stored within said storage media; and a computer in communication with said storage media and said customer interface and programmed with an algorithm including commands which when executed by the computer cause the computer to: A. receive data input by the customer and store the data input by the customer in said storage media, wherein the stored customer data includes an offer for the purchase of goods and/or services sold by the simulated merchant; B. generate merchant responses including the simulated merchant's emotional state and a counteroffer or an acceptance of the customer's offer, (1) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the simulated merchant's emotional state based on data retrieved from the storage media, including (a) an emotion vector derived from a matrix of merchant responses and customer responses, (b) the results of the merchant's last negotiating session, and (c) the results of the customer's previous negotiating sessions and (2) wherein the algorithm is adapted to determine the counter-offer based on data retrieved from the storage media, including the divergence of the customer's offer from a predetermined expected value, (b) the response time of the customer, and (c) the traffic volume on the web site; C. transmit the merchant response to the customer; D. receive further data input by the customer, including data responding to the merchant response and store the further data input by the customer in said storage media; and E. repeating steps A through D to provide an interactive negotiation between the human customer and the simulated merchant for the purchase of the particular goods and/or services until an agreement is achieved between the human customer and the simulated merchant or the negotiation is terminated; whereby the occurrence of a sale for said particular goods and/or services at a specific price is determined as a function of customer replies to merchant responses to customer-inputted data.