Patent ID: 8396782

Claim:
An automated trading support method, comprising, prior to the commencement of said automated trading: notifying one or more machine-implemented supplier transaction agents of trading requirements specified by a machine-implemented client transaction agent, said notifying comprising communicating said trading requirements in computer-readable form to said one or more supplier transaction agents; said trading requirements comprising interface description information for creating an automated service interface that interoperates with an automated trading application implemented by or on behalf of a client; said automated service interface implementing one or more interface operations that said client automated trading application can invoke to facilitate product or service acquisition; advising said client transaction agent of automated services offered by or on behalf of one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements, said advising comprising communicating information about said automated services in computer-readable form to said client transaction agent; and whereby said client automated trading application can subsequently invoke said automated services to perform said automated trading.