Computerized quotation system and method

Abstract

A computerized system for forming a computer based communications network of network members inclusive of network buyers and or network vendors for processing requests for quotation for goods and services through at least one central processing unit including operating system software for controlling the central processing unit, storage means containing the identification of network members, means for network buyers to generate request for quotation for goods and/or services, means for transmitting said request for quotation to said central processing unit, filter means for selecting appropriate network members to receive said request for quotation based on filter conditions defined by the buyer in said request for quotation and/or by the vendor and/or by the central processing unit, means for broadcasting said request for quotation to the network members selected by said filter means and means for responding to the generator of said request for quotation with either a response to said request for quotation or with a list of said selected network members. Filter conditions may define the class of vendors in terms of geographical location, quantity, language spoken, currency, special conditions of sale, and the like.

1 . A system for engaging in commercial transactions, comprising: 
 filter means for accepting filter conditions from buyers and sellers;    a plurality of buyers for communicating RFQs to said filter means;    a plurality of sellers for communicating quotes to said filter means in response to said RFQs, said filter means including means for determining, based upon said filter conditions, which sellers should receive RFQs from a buyer, and which quotes should be received by the buyer.    
     
     
         2 . A method of utilizing a data network for advertising and selling items for sale by a seller including the steps of: 
 communicating, to the centralized filter means, from said seller, sale information indicating items offered for sale and at least one class of buyers to receive sale information;    communicating, to the centralized filter means, from a potential buyer, a category of item in which said buyer is interested;    using said filter means to match buyer and seller supplied information;    communicating an offer for sale from said seller for at least one item in said category of items indicated, to a buyer if said buyer is within said class and said items are within said category.    
     
     
         3 . A computerized system for facilitating commercial transactions between one or more buyers and one or more participating sellers of goods and services, comprising: 
 means for receiving at least one request for quotation for goods or services specified by said one or more buyers;    filtering means for selecting, according to at least one criterion, one or more sellers from said participating sellers each being capable of supplying said goods or services, and    means for making said request for quotation available only to said selected sellers.    
     
     
         4 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said one or more buyers and 
 said participating sellers are remotely located from said computerized system.    
     
     
         5 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , further comprising means for 
 receiving one or more responses from one of said selected sellers in response to said request for quotation.    
     
     
         6 . The computerized system of  claim 5 , further comprising means for making said responses available to said one or more buyers.  
     
     
         7 . The computerized system of  claim 5 , wherein said received responses comprise at least one quotation regarding said goods or services.  
     
     
         8 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein no quotation in response to said request for quotation is available in said computerized system at least before said request for quotation is made available to said selected sellers.  
     
     
         9 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said one or more buyers.  
     
     
         10 . The computerized system of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said at least one or more buyers in said at least one request for quotation.  
     
     
         11 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said participating sellers.  
     
     
         12 . The computerized system of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one criterion defines a class of requests for quotations for which said at least one of said participating sellers at least prefers not to be selected.  
     
     
         13 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said filtering means.  
     
     
         14 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one criterion comprises a predetermined maximum number of selected sellers to receive said request for quotation.  
     
     
         15 . The computerized system of  claim 14 , wherein said maximum number is set by said filtering means.  
     
     
         16 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said at least criterion comprises a geographical area factor.  
     
     
         17 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said filtering means is operable to use said at least one criterion in determining a likelihood of at least one of said participating sellers to respond to said at least one request for quotation.  
     
     
         18 . The computerized system of  claim 3 , wherein said one or more buyers and said participating sellers are unknown to each other.  
     
     
         19 . In a computerized system, a method for facilitating commercial transactions between one or more buyers and one or more participating sellers, comprising: 
 receiving at least one request for quotation for goods or services specified by said one or more buyers;    selecting, according to at least one criterion, one or more sellers from said participating sellers each being capable of supplying said goods or services, and    making said at least one request for quotation available only to said selected sellers.    
     
     
         20 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said one or more buyers and said participating sellers are remotely located from said computerized system.  
     
     
         21 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , further comprising receiving one or more responses from one of said selected sellers in response to said request for quotation.  
     
     
         22 . The computerized system of  claim 21 , further comprising making said responses available to said one or more buyers.  
     
     
         23 . The computerized system of  claim 21 , wherein said received responses comprise at least one quotation regarding said goods or services.  
     
     
         24 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein no quotation in response to said request for quotation is available in said computerized system at least before said request for quotation is made available to said selected sellers.  
     
     
         25 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said one or more buyers.  
     
     
         26 . The computerized system of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said at least one or more buyers in said at least one request for quotation.  
     
     
         27 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said participating sellers.  
     
     
         28 . The computerized system of  claim 27 , wherein said at least one criterion defines a class of requests for quotations for which said at least one of said participating sellers at least prefers not to be selected.  
     
     
         29 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one criterion is set by said filtering means.  
     
     
         30 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one criterion comprises a predetermined maximum number of selected sellers to receive said request for quotation.  
     
     
         31 . The computerized system of  claim 30 , wherein said maximum number is set by said filtering means.  
     
     
         32 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least criterion comprises a geographical area factor.  
     
     
         33 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said filtering means is operable to use said at least one criterion in determining a likelihood of at least one of said participating sellers to respond to said at least one request for quotation.  
     
     
         34 . The computerized system of  claim 19 , wherein said one or more buyers and said participating sellers are unknown to each other.