Abstract:
A process of developing a computer network based universal transaction system. In one embodiment, such a process includes the steps of obtaining an offering interface broker, providing an offering system that an offering developer wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system with functionality of the offering system being extended by functionality provided by the offering interface broker, obtaining a marketplace interface broker, and providing a marketplace system that a marketplace supplier wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system with functionality of the marketplace system being extended by functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/981,732 entitled “BUSINESS TO MEDIA TRANSACTION BUSINESS PROCESS” filed on Oct. 22, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to facilitating transactions among customers and offer providers, and more particularly to developing computer network connected systems for brokering of transactions relating to any goods or services in any business domain using multiple analog and digital media. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The Internet and other computer networks have proven to be a useful medium for connecting those who offer goods or services with persons seeking to obtain goods or services. For example, a patient might utilize the Internet to access their doctor&#39;s office Web site to schedule an appointment, a driver might access a car rental agency&#39;s Web site via the Internet to reserve a rental car, or a diner might utilize the Internet to access a restaurant&#39;s Web site to obtain a dinner reservation. In other examples, a person might order a pair of skis from a ski shop or an automobile part from an automobile parts dealer. In each of the foregoing examples, the ordering/scheduling function is integrated with the system that presents information about the available good/service. Furthermore, access to the system that presents information about the available goods/services may be limited to particular marketplaces. For example, the doctor&#39;s office, car rental agency&#39;s, restaurant&#39;s, ski shop&#39;s or parts dealer&#39;s Web site might be accessible via a Web portal, but not via a mobile phone portal or a digital television system. Additionally, the customers seeking goods/services may be presented with a myriad of different ordering/scheduling systems and processes in order to order/reserve a variety of differing goods/services since the customers directly interface with the offering systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for developing a computer network based universal transaction system (CNBUTS) capable of performing every type transaction relating to wares between customers and offer providers in real time, simultaneously over every analog and digital media, in multiple digital marketplaces through a single universal agent. In general, a “ware” is any good or service that an individual or an entity may reserve, schedule, order, buy, purchase, sell, deliver, provide, receive, rent, lease, or the like from/to another. The terms “ware” and “good/service” may be used interchangeably herein. In general, a “customer” is any individual or entity that may reserve, schedule, order, buy, purchase, receive, rent, lease, or the like a good or service. The terms “customer” and “buyer/client” may be used interchangeably herein. Further, a “transaction” refers to any activity involving a good or service including reserving, scheduling, ordering, buying, purchasing, selling, delivering, providing, receiving, renting, leasing, or the like of a good or service. 
         [0005]    One aspect of the process of the present invention is to establish the roles, responsibilities and interactions between various actors and components derived from the B2M transaction standard and the universal B2M transaction system. In general, the B2M transaction standard specifies a standard that provides for the visualization of, and the buying, renting/scheduling of goods/services, simultaneously, in real time, and over multiple analog and digital media in multiple analog and digital marketplaces. The B2M transaction standard is more specifically described in a separate United States patent application filed contemporaneously herewith entitled “BUSINESS TO MEDIA TRANSACTION STANDARD” (which application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/981,722 filed Oct. 22, 2007), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In general the universal B2M transaction system provides a system that provides easy brokering of transactions relating to wares between customers and offer providers. The universal B2M transaction system is more specifically described in a separate United States patent application filed contemporaneously herewith entitled “UNIVERSAL BUSINESS TO MEDIA TRANSACTION SYSTEM” (which application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/981,710 filed Oct. 22, 2007), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In accordance with this aspect, this covers the following: 
         [0006]    a. Universal B2M transaction system&#39;s development process; 
         [0007]    b. Universal B2M transaction system&#39;s modules ownership; and 
         [0008]    c. Universal B2M transaction system&#39;s open structure which enables the following:
       i. the ability to offer transaction services to different kinds of domains (e.g. auto parts, medical reservations and ski rental),   ii. the ability to use different technologies and programming languages (e.g. Windows, Unix and OS X/PHP and Java),   iii. the ability to use different languages (e.g. English, German, French and Polish),   iv. the ability to implement a variety of business logic approaches (e.g. goods/service bundles and linked goods/services),   v. the ability to offer access to the system via every analog and digital media (e.g. newspaper, billboard, Internet and cell phone), over multiple marketplaces (e.g. domain specific, geographic, bundled and universal).       
 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the process of the present invention may be presented as a process combining cooperation and interaction of three groups of actors and six components. The three actors are: one or more marketplace suppliers, a universal transaction system operator (UTSO), and one or more offering developers. The components owned by the universal transaction system operator may include: a marketplace interface broker (MIB), an offering interface broker (OIB), and a universal agent. Components that are part of the process but are external to the universal transaction system operator may belong to the marketplace suppliers and offering developers. Such components include, respectively, marketplaces belonging to marketplace suppliers and offering systems belonging to offering developers. Both groups may also own media interfaces. 
         [0015]    The universal transaction system operator may develop the universal agent, the marketplace interface broker and the offering interface broker. Marketplace suppliers receive the marketplace interface broker and develop marketplaces (the buyer&#39;s/client&#39;s interfaces to CNBUTS). Offering developers receive the offering interface broker and develop offering systems (offer provider interfaces to CNBUTS). 
         [0016]    The process of developing CNBUTS allows:
       developing a transaction system with marketplaces and offering systems separated from the universal agent.   creating a transaction system with particular components belonging to different owners, and   creating a transaction system with multiple marketplaces and offering systems.       
 
         [0020]    By using MIB and OIB in accordance with the presented process, the transaction system becomes truly universal and can offer transaction services to different kinds of transaction domains (e.g. computer selling, medical services and ski rental, etc.). This is possible due to the fact that CNBUTS is not developed by only one or several developers but it can have as many domain-specific marketplace suppliers and offering developers as the universal agent is able to serve. 
         [0021]    With the MIB and OIB being operating system and programming language agnostic and following the presented process of using them, CNBUTS can be made available for all leading technologies and programming languages. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the process of the present invention states that buyer&#39;s/client&#39;s and offer provider&#39;s interfaces within the CNBUTS are developed independently from the UTSO by different entities. This implicates that language used within graphical user interfaces (GUIs) developed by marketplace suppliers and offering developers depends only on the perceived market needs which allow the system conditions to become multi language with a potentially unlimited number of supported languages. 
         [0023]    The process of the present invention also allows for the possibility of developing CNBUTS with an unlimited number of offering systems developed by different entities (offering developers). 
         [0024]    The process of the present invention further allows for the possibility of developing CNBUTS with an unlimited number of marketplaces developed by different entities (marketplace suppliers). 
         [0025]    The process of the present invention also gives marketplace suppliers freedom in the marketplace development process. Marketplace suppliers can choose what kind and what number of business domains available at the universal agent they want to offer on their marketplaces and how interaction with the buyer/client should look like. As this invention lets an unlimited number of marketplace suppliers cooperate with CNBUTS, the number of marketplaces with different business logics is also potentially unlimited. 
         [0026]    The present invention includes various additional aspects and features. In one more aspect, a process of developing a computer network based universal transaction system includes the steps of obtaining an offering interface broker, providing an offering system, obtaining a marketplace interface broker, and providing a marketplace system. The offering system may be one that an offering developer wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system, with functionality of the offering system being extended by functionality provided by the offering interface broker. The marketplace system may be one that a marketplace supplier wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system, with functionality of the marketplace system being extended by functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker. 
         [0027]    In yet one more aspect, a process of developing a computer network based universal transaction system that enables transactions among one or more customers and one or more offer providers relating to wares offered by the offer providers includes the steps of providing a universal agent system, providing an offering interface broker to an offering developer, and providing a marketplace interface broker to a marketplace supplier. In providing an offering interface broker to an offering developer, the offering interface broker may be usable by the offering developer to develop an offering system including functionality provided by the offering interface broker when there is not an existing offering system that the offering developer wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system and to add functionality provided by the offering interface broker to an existing offering system when there is an existing offering system that an offering developer wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system, with functionality of the offering system being extended by functionality provided by the offering interface broker. In providing a marketplace interface broker to a marketplace supplier, the marketplace interface broker may be usable by the marketplace supplier to develop a marketplace system including functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker when there is not an existing marketplace system that the marketplace supplier wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system and to add functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker to an existing marketplace system when there is an existing marketplace system that a marketplace supplier wants included in the computer network based universal transaction system, with functionality of the marketplace system being extended by functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker. The process may also include the step of including in the computer network based universal transaction system at least one of the universal agent system, the offering system with the functionality provided by the offering interface broker, and the marketplace system with the functionality provided by the marketplace interface broker. 
         [0028]    Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the various aspects of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the various aspects of the present invention. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination, and various features of the various aspects may be combined. These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon review of the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following Detailed Description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a computer network based universal transaction system presenting involved actors and components; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of a computer network based universal transaction system development process. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]      FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of a CNBUTS  100  that may be developed using the CNBUTS development process  200 , one embodiment of which is presented in  FIG. 2 . The CNBUTS development process  200  combines interactions of three (3) groups of actors and six (6) component types (see  FIG. 1 ). Component types used in this process include:
       A media interface  122 ,  142  is a set of all tools (e.g. php-html scripts, OpenTV applications, etc.) needed to support buyer/client  110  to marketplace  124 , marketplace  124  to buyer/client  110 , offer provider  150  to offering system  144 , and offering system  144  to offer provider  150  directed communication through digital media (e.g. mobile phone with an Internet browser, PC with an Internet browser, etc.). The media interface  122  is also a set of tools (e.g. graphics, texts, etc.) needed to enable marketplace  124  to buyer/client  110  directed communication through analog media (e.g. billboards, newspapers, etc.).   A marketplace  124  is a computer network enabled computer system where goods/services are available through media interfaces  122  to the buyers/clients  110 . In this regard, marketplaces  124  may also be referred to herein as marketplace systems  124 .   A marketplace interface broker (MIB)  132  is a tool integrating marketplaces  124  with a universal agent  134 . The MIB  132  provides functionality enabling different kinds of marketplaces  124  to be connected to the universal agent  134 .   A universal agent  134  is a computer network enabled computer system capable of processing transactions of goods/services on behalf of an offer provider  150  and handling transactions between marketplace interface brokers  132  and offering interface brokers  136 . In this regard, the universal agent  134  may also be referred to herein as the universal agent system  134 . The universal agent  134  is connected via a computer network (not shown) to one or more offering systems  144  using offering interface brokers  136  and to marketplaces  124  using marketplace interface brokers  132 .   An offering interface broker (OIB)  136  is a tool integrating offering systems  144  with the universal agent  134 . The OIB  136  provides functionality enabling different kinds of offering systems  144  to be connected to the universal agent  134 .   An offering system  144  is a computer network enabled computer system where goods/services are defined and managed by offer providers  150  through media interfaces  142 .
 
The actors cooperating in the process of developing CNBUTS include:
   A universal transaction system operator  130  that is the provider of three components: the universal agent  134 , the marketplace interface broker  132  and the offering interface broker  136 .   A marketplace supplier  120  that is the developer of one or more marketplaces  124  and one or more media interfaces  122 .   An offering developer  140  that is the developer of one or more offering systems  144  and one or more media interfaces  142 .         
         [0042]    CNBUTS development may proceed in accordance with a process  200  such as depicted in  FIG. 2 . When the CNBUTS development process begins, there are several initial conditions  202  including: (1) the universal transaction system operator  130  provides the universal agent  134  with adequate functionality; (2) the universal transaction system operator  130  provides the MIB  132  and the OIB  136  with the adequate functionality and features; and (3) the universal transaction system operator  130  makes the MIB  132  and the OIB  136  available to the market, so any interested offering developer  140  and marketplace supplier  120  can obtain, respectively, the OIB  136  and the MIB  132 . 
         [0043]    With the initial conditions  202  satisfied, one embodiment of the CNBUTS development process  200  proceeds in the following manner. In a first step  210 , the offering developer  140  obtains the OIB  136  from the universal transaction system operator  130 . In a second step  220  the offering developer undertakes one of two sub-steps. If the offering developer  140  already has an offering system  144 , the offering developer  140  undertakes sub-step  222  wherein the offering developer  140  adds functionality provided by the OIB  136  to the existing offering system  144 ; else, the offering developer  140  undertakes sub-step  224  wherein the offering developer  140  develops an offering system  144  with functionality provided by the OIB  136 . In a third step  230 , the offering developer  140  develops at least one media interface  142  for accessing its offering system  144 . 
         [0044]    In a fourth step  240 , the marketplace supplier  120  obtains the MIB  132  from the universal transaction system operator  130 . In a fifth step  250 , the marketplace supplier  120  undertakes one of two sub-steps. If the marketplace supplier  120  already has a marketplace system  124 , the marketplace supplier  120  undertakes sub-step  252  wherein the marketplace supplier  120  adds functionality provided by the MIB  132  to the existing marketplace system  124 ; else, the marketplace supplier  120  undertakes sub-step  254  wherein the marketplace supplier  120  develops the marketplace system  124  with functionality provided by the MIB  132 . In a sixth step  260 , the marketplace supplier  120  develops at least one media interface  122  for accessing its marketplace system  120 . 
         [0045]    In other embodiments of the CNBUTS development process, the order of one or more of the aforementioned steps ( 210 - 260 ) may be arranged in a different manner. For example, steps undertaken by the offering developer  140  (e.g., steps  210 - 230 ) may proceed in parallel with the steps undertaken by the marketplace supplier  120  (e.g., steps  240 - 260 ) or after the steps undertaken by the marketplace supplier  120 . Regardless of the order in which the steps are arranged, the CNBUTS  100  starts to work at its full functionality when at least one offering developer  140  and at least one marketplace supplier  120  fulfill their respective activities of the CNBUTS development process  200 . 
       Ownership of CNBUTS 
       [0046]    Actors (e.g., the universal transaction system operator  130 , marketplace suppliers  120  and offering developers  140 ) participating in development of CNBUTS  100  partially own the system  100  by owning its specified elements. Three groups of actors and their components are listed below:
       The universal transaction system operator  130  owns the universal agent system  134 , the offering interface broker  136  and the marketplace interface broker  132 ,   Each offering developer  140  owns at least one offering system  144  and at least one media interface  142 , and   Each marketplace supplier  120  owns at least one marketplace system  124  and at least one media interface  122 .
 
While there is only one universal transaction system operator  130 , the number of offering developers  140  and marketplace suppliers  120  participating in developing a CNBUTS  100  is not limited.
       
 
       Roles and Responsibilities 
       [0050]    The role of the universal transaction system operator  130  in the CNBUTS development process  200  includes:
       supplying marketplace suppliers  120  and offering developers  140 , respectively, with MIBs  132  and OTBs  136 ;   assuring error-free and secure communication between provided MIBs  132  and OTBs  136 ;   providing the universal agent  134  which will operate efficiently and reliably; and   providing the functionality that satisfies marketplace suppliers  120  and offering developers  140  needs according to the CNBUTS  100 .       
 
         [0055]    The role of marketplace suppliers  120  includes:
       building marketplaces  124  in any area of perceived market need (e.g. auto parts, hair-dressers, ski rentals, hotels, etc.);   establishing the tailored user interfaces for marketplaces  124 ;   linking or excluding goods/service domains in order to improve the buyer/client experience on a given marketplace  124 ; and   providing access to marketplaces  124  to the buyers/clients  110  through required analog and digital media by media interfaces  122  (e.g. newspapers, billboards, cell phones, WWW sites, digital TV applications, etc.).       
 
         [0060]    The role of offering developers  140  includes:
       building offering systems  144  in any perceived need business domain (e.g. computer sales, auto parts, hair-dressers, ski rentals, hotels, etc.);   establishing the tailored user interfaces for offering systems  144 ;   developing offer provider&#39;s  150  transaction delegations within offering systems  144 ;   developing functionality of assigning offer provider&#39;s  150  offer to a unique universal service code;   linking to offering systems  144  any other domain-specific tools (e.g. patient medical records, restaurant table configuration, etc.); and   providing access to offering systems  144  to the offer providers  150  through required digital media by media interfaces  142  (e.g. cell phone applications, WWW applications, digital TV applications, computer network enabled local applications, etc.).       
 
         [0067]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, further modifications and adaptations of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.