Patent ID: 7103568

Claim:
An electronic product exchange system comprising: (a) a file server accessible through a generally available wide area network: (1) from personal computers of a multitude of potential buyers coupled to the network, and (2) by a multitude of potential sellers; (b) a first computer database, accessible to the file server, containing pricing and product configuration data for a multitude of different products for sale; (c) a processor coupled to the file server and capable of: (1) searching the first computer database for those products of the multitude that match a request containing select product configuration data transmitted through the wide area network by one of the potential buyers, and (2) automatically transferring the pricing data and product configuration data of the matching products through the wide area network to the personal computer of the potential buyer who made the request; (d) a second computer database coupled to the file server and capable of automatically recording buyer identification data, seller identification data, price, and product configuration data in response to purchase orders transmitted over the wide area network to the file server from the personal computer of a potential buyer; and (e) a third computer database coupled to the file server to which potential buyers can post special offers to purchase, for consideration by a particular, buyer-specified potential seller.