Patent ID: 6323894
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: G06Q,G08B,H04M,H04N

Abstract:
A method for directing and exchanging on-line and off-line communications under control of a traffic control system to accomplish transactions that relate to merchandise or a service available for purchase, the method involving selectively interfacing under control of the traffic control system, buyers at a plurality of remote locations using personal computers with video capability, with one or more vendors with a capability to electronically communicate through a public communication system, comprising the steps of:interfacing the buyers with the traffic control system in communication with one or more vendors, through the public communication system wherein at least certain buyers electronically communicate with the traffic control system via digital lines of the public communication system;receiving request data from the buyers, at the traffic control system in communication with the one or more vendors the request data entered by the buyers to indicate an area of interest concerning the merchandise or the service and including an indication of the maximum amount the buyers are willing to pay for select merchandise or service;receiving identification data provided by buyers from the remote video terminals at the traffic control system;storing at least a part of the request data from the buyers at the traffic control system and using at least a part of it to selectively obtain proposed data from the vendor responsive to the buyers' request data;providing access concurrently by the buyers under control of the traffic control system to a video file server for conveying one or more video images as part of the proposed data relating to the area of interest indicated by the buyers, the video images previously obtained from vendors for subsequent viewing by interested buyers; location used by said interfaced buyer to allow the buyer to view the video data and the graphic data relating to the request data prior to making a purchase;also storing at the traffic control system, billing data including a record of charges incurred for each buyer relating to transactions initiated by interfaced buyers; andelectronically transmitting an indication of confirmation relating to the transaction initiated after an interface between the interfaced buyer and the traffic control system is terminated.