Method, System and Apparatus for Matching Sellers to a Buyer Over a Network and for Managing Related Information

Abstract

An improved system and method for facilitating a transaction between a buyer and one of a number of sellers is provided. The transaction is related to a project specified by the buyer. A set of sellers are identified from a database. A flow control process operates over a number of processing cycles. In each processing cycle, the flow control process selects sellers from the set for classification as sellers of a particular type (“Invited Sellers”). The system automatically enables at least one action carried out by the sellers of the particular type. The duration of the processing cycles preferably varies over the processing cycles and is derived from a time period specified by the buyer as well as a predetermined constant that results in exponential reduction of the process cycle durations. The number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type preferably varies over processing cycles and depends upon a number of offers that are submitted by sellers of the particular type and received by the buyer. In the initial processing cycle, the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type depends on a number of offers the buyer wishes to receive as dictated by input from the buyer. In the preferred embodiment, the at least one action enabled by the process includes: i) the sellers of the particular type submitting offers and information related to the offers and storing the offers and related information (such as multimedia files) in a database for access by the buyer; ii) the sellers of the particular type accessing detailed information related to the offer; iii) communication between the sellers of the particular type and the buyer; iv) automatic notification to the sellers of the particular type of their classification to the particular type; and/or v) automatic notification to the buyer of the sellers of the particular type.

1 . A method for facilitating a transaction between a buyer and one of a number of sellers, the transaction related to a project specified by the buyer, the method comprising: 
 identifying a set of sellers stored in a database;    for each processing cycle over a number of processing cycles, selecting sellers from the set for classification as sellers of a particular type; and    automatically enabling at least one action carried out by the sellers of the particular type.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the duration of the processing cycles varies over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the duration of the processing cycles are derived from a time period specified by the buyer.    
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the durations of the processing cycles over time are derived from a predetermined constant that results in exponential reduction of said durations.    
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type varies over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type depends upon a number of offers that are submitted by sellers of the particular type and received by the buyer.    
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type in an initial processing cycle depends on a number of offers the buyer wishes to receive as dictated by input from the buyer.    
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type is constant over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one action includes the sellers of the particular type submitting offers and information related to the offers and storing the offers and related information in a database for access by the buyer.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the information related to the offers includes multimedia files related to the offers.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one action includes the sellers of the particular type accessing detailed information related to the offer.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one action includes communication between the sellers of the particular type and the buyer.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 automatically notifying the sellers of the particular type of their classification to the particular type.    
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 automatically notifying the buyer of the sellers of the particular type.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 calculating likelihood indices for the sellers of the set; and    ranking the sellers of the set according to the corresponding likelihood indices.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the selection of sellers from the set over said processing cycles is adapted to select higher ranked sellers before lower ranked sellers.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the likelihood index for a seller is derived from a number of index calculations.    
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said index calculations include a group of relevancy subindices and a group of priority subindices.    
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said relevancy sub indices include at least one of: a preferred-seller index, a geographical-proximity index, a keyword-matching index, and a relevant-samples-of-work index; and    said priority subindices include at least of: a quality-assurance index, a preferred-seller popularity index, a proposal-history index, a seller-seniority index, and a pay-per-proposal submission index.    
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the sellers of the set are identified by an automated process that matches requirements of the project as specified by the buyer to profile data of sellers.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein: 
 the automated process performs similarity analysis with respect to the requirements of the project and the profile data of sellers.    
     
     
         22 . A system for facilitating a transaction between a buyer and one of a number of sellers, the transaction related to a project, the system comprising: 
 means for interacting with a buyer over a communication network to specify a project and storing data related to the project in a database;    means for interacting with a number of sellers over the communication network and storing data related to the sellers in the database;    logic that performs an automated process for identifying a set of sellers stored in a database;    logic that operates of over a number of processing cycles, wherein in each processing cycle, the logic selects sellers from the set for classification as sellers of a particular type; and    logic that automatically enables at least one action carried out by the sellers of the particular type.    
     
     
         23 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the duration of the processing cycles varies over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         24 . A system according to  claim 23 , wherein: 
 the duration of the processing cycles are derived from a time period specified by the buyer.    
     
     
         25 . A system according to  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the durations of the processing cycles over time are derived from a predetermined constant that results in exponential reduction of said durations.    
     
     
         26 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type varies over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         27 . A system according to  claim 26 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type depends upon a number of offers that are submitted by sellers of the particular type and received by the buyer.    
     
     
         28 . A system according to  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 means for interacting with the buyer over the communication network to specify a number of offers that the buyer wished to receive for the project, wherein the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type in an initial processing cycle depends on the number of offers the buyer wishes to receive as specified by the buyer.    
     
     
         29 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the number of sellers selected for classification as sellers of a particular type is constant over the processing cycles.    
     
     
         30 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said at least one action is carried out by means for interacting with sellers of the particular type over the communication network to submit offers and information related to the offers and storing the offers and related information in the database for access by the buyer.    
     
     
         31 . A system according to  claim 30 , wherein: 
 the information related to the offers includes multimedia files related to the offers.    
     
     
         32 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said at least one action is carried out by means for providing the sellers of the particular type access to detailed information related to the offer.    
     
     
         33 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said at least one action is carried out by means for providing communication between the sellers of the particular type and the buyer.    
     
     
         34 . A system according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 means for automatically notifying the sellers of the particular type of their classification to the particular type.    
     
     
         35 . A system according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 means for automatically notifying the buyer of the sellers of the particular type.    
     
     
         36 . A system according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 logic for calculating likelihood indices for the sellers of the set, and    logic for ranking the sellers of the set according to the corresponding likelihood indices.    
     
     
         37 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the selection of sellers from the set over said processing cycles is adapted to select higher ranked sellers before lower ranked sellers.    
     
     
         38 . A system according to  claim 37 , wherein: 
 the likelihood index for a seller is derived from a number of index calculations.    
     
     
         39 . A system according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said index calculations include a group of relevancy subindices and a group of priority subindices.    
     
     
         40 . A system according to  claim 39 , wherein: 
 said relevancy sub indices include at least one of: a preferred-seller index, a geographical-proximity index, a keyword-matching index, and a relevant-samples-of-work index; and    said priority subindices include at least of: a quality-assurance index, a preferred-seller popularity index, a proposal-history index, a seller-seniority index, and a pay-per-proposal submission index.    
     
     
         41 . A system according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 wherein the automated process matches requirements of the project as specified by the buyer to profile data of sellers.    
     
     
         42 . A system according to  claim 41 , wherein: 
 the automated process performs similarity analysis with respect to the requirements of the project and the profile data of sellers.    
     
     
         43 . An application server, operably coupled to the Internet, for facilitating a transaction between a buyer and one of a number of sellers, the transaction related to a project, the application server comprising: 
 a database;    means for interacting with a buyer computer system over a communication network to specify a project and storing data related to the project in the database;    means for interacting with a number of seller computer systems over the communication network and storing data related to the sellers in the database;    logic that performs an automated process for identifying a set of sellers stored in a database;    logic that operates of over a number of processing cycles, wherein in each processing cycle, the logic selects sellers from the set for classification as sellers of a particular type; and    logic that automatically enables at least one action carried out by the sellers of the particular type.