Electronic transactions based on deal forms

Abstract

In the preferred computer system, the user is provided with a separate Internet-accessible entity referred to here as the “personal page.” A personal page, preferably, includes memory for storing information related to the user. For example, on his/her personal page the user indicates what he/she wishes to purchase, possibly along with other criteria associated with the purchase, such as, for example, a time that the purchase should take The user is provided with the ability to create personalized bidding rules that vendors that offer goods and services must respect. Vendors have the ability to specify similar criteria, which describe the goods and/or services they offer. Vendors can indicate, for example, the prices of their goods, times and places that their services are available, etc. Preferably, these specifications, called “vendor scripts,” are embodied in active software/data entities (agents) that traverse sites on the Internet visiting sites hosting users' personal pages. Thus, preferably, vendor software/data agents (comprising vendor scripts) are the mobile, active elements in the system and purchasing requirements are stationary and more passive in comparison.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method for facilitating an electronic transaction, comprising:
 generating a first deal form for a buyer, the first deal form including first attribute values;   comparing the first deal form with a second deal form from a vendor, the second deal form including second attribute values to determine whether the first deal form and the second deal form are compatible; and   initiating the electronic transaction in response to determining that the first deal form is compatible with the second deal form.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 receiving buying requirements from a buyer;   populating the first attribute values of the first deal form based on the buying requirements.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 receiving the second deal form from the vendor.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the second attributes values are associated with goods and services available from the vendor. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 translating the first attribute values and the second attribute values from a high level language to a lower language equivalent.   
     
     
         42 . A system for facilitating an electronic transaction, comprising:
 means for generating a first deal form for a buyer, the first deal form including first attribute values;   means for comparing the first deal form with a second deal form from a vendor, the second deal form including second attribute values to determine whether the first deal form and the second deal form are compatible; and   means for initiating the electronic transaction in response to determining that the first deal form is compatible with the second deal form.   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 means for receiving buying requirements from the buyer;   means for populating the first attribute values of the first deal form based on the buying requirements.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 means for receiving the second deal form from the vendor.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the second attributes values are associated with goods and services available from the vendor. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 means for translating the first attribute values and the second attribute values from a high level language to a lower language equivalent.   
     
     
         47 . An article of manufacture including a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 generating a first deal form for a buyer, the first deal form including first attribute values;   comparing the first deal form with a second deal form from a vendor, the second deal form including second attribute values to determine whether the first deal form and the second deal form are compatible; and   initiating the electronic transaction in response to determining that the first deal form is compatible with the second deal form.   
     
     
         48 . The article of manufacture of  claim 47 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving buying requirements from the buyer;   populating the first attribute values of the first deal form based on the buying requirements.   
     
     
         49 . The article of manufacture of  claim 47 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the second deal form from the vendor.   
     
     
         50 . The article of manufacture of  claim 47 , wherein the second attributes values are associated with goods and services available from the vendor. 
     
     
         51 . The article of manufacture of  claim 47 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 translating the first attribute values and the second attribute values from a high level language to a lower language equivalent.