Methods and software for a pricing-method-agnostic ecommerce marketplace for manufacturing services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11276095-B1
Application number	US-201514928001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically generating, transmitting, and receiving one or more price requests and corresponding pricing from one or more price-providers. In some embodiments, such systems and methods are embodied in a pricing-method-agnostic ecommerce marketplace that allows each price-provider to select the pricing method it desires to use to generate its price for a corresponding price request. Examples of differing pricing methods include methods utilizing “stock” pricing engines of differing sophistication, customized pricing engines, pricing engines split between the marketplace and a price-provider, and/or pricing engines located offboard the marketplace, as well as pricing methods that are performed entirely outside the control of the marketplace, among others. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of fabricating a structure, the method comprising:
displaying to a user a plurality of user-selectable pricing-method options for a price-provider;
prompting the user to select at least one of the user-selectable pricing-method options from among the plurality displayed;
receiving from the user a selection of one of the user-selectable pricing-method options from among the plurality displayed;
based on the selected pricing method option, associating a pricing method corresponding to the selected pricing method option with the price-provider to create a first association;
storing the first association of the in a first datastore;
receiving a price request from a price-requestor, the price request soliciting the price from the price-provider for supplying the one or more instantiations, wherein receiving the price request further comprises:
detecting an active screen displaying the structure; and
automatedly selecting the structure based on the detection;

based on the receiving the price request, querying the first datastore for the first association based on the price-provider;
based on the querying, causing execution of the computer-implemented pricing method;
determining the price as a function of the execution of the pricing method; and
presenting the price to the price-requestor.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying of a plurality of user-selectable pricing method options includes displaying a basic pricing method option and an enhanced pricing method option, wherein each of the basic and enhanced pricing method options are provided by the ecommerce marketplace.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 , wherein the displaying of a plurality of user-selectable pricing method options further includes displaying a custom pricing method option.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3 , further comprising displaying to the supplier a pricing method selection GUI designed and configured to allow the supplier to customize the computer-implemented pricing method.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 4 , wherein the ecommerce marketplace includes a pricing engine having marketplace-side components, and the displaying of a price generating process customization UI includes displaying a price generating process customization UI designed and configured to customize the computer-implemented pricing method to use at least one price-provider-side pricing engine component to complete the pricing engine.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , where the displaying of a plurality of user-selectable pricing method options includes displaying a price-provider-side pricing engine option that controls the ecommerce marketplace to send pricing engine input to a price-provider-side pricing engine and to receive the price from the price-provider-side pricing engine.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying of a plurality of user-selectable price generating options includes displaying a price-provider-side pricing option that controls the ecommerce marketplace to send request-input pricing information to a supplier-side pricing method and to receive the price from the supplier-side pricing process.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying of a plurality of user-selectable pricing method options includes displaying a pricing method selection graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the pricing method selection GUI displays:
a first pricing method option that allows the price-provider to select a pricing method that includes an ecommerce marketplace provided pricing engine;
a second pricing method option that allows the price-provider to select a pricing method that allows the price-provider implement a price-provider customized pricing engine; and
a third pricing method that allows the price-provider to implement a price-provider-provided pricing engine located offboard the ecommerce marketplace;
wherein the pricing method selection GUI allows the price-provider to select from among the first, second, and third pricing options.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an interrogator designed and configured to output a set of model-based pricing information;
providing a basic pricing engine designed and configured to use a subset of the set of model-based pricing information;
providing an enhanced pricing engine designed and configured to use a set of the model-based pricing information that is larger than the subset of the basic pricing engine; and
allowing the price-provider to select between the basic pricing engine and the enhanced pricing engine.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving from the user of a selection of one of the user-selectable pricing-method options includes receiving a selection of a customizable pricing option requiring customization information, the method further comprising displaying a pricing method customization graphical user interface (GUI) designed and configured to allow the user to input the customization information.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10 , wherein the displaying of a pricing method customization GUI includes displaying a pricing method customization GUI that allows the user to retrieve a third-party pricing engine.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 10 , wherein the displaying of a pricing method customization GUI includes displaying a pricing method customization GUI that allows the user to map interrogator outputs to at least one offboard pricing engine component.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10 , further comprising: storing the customization information in second datastore;
associating the customization information with the price-provider to create a second association; and
storing the second association in the first datastore.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13 , wherein the second association comprises a pointer to the customization information in the second datastore.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the user a selection of two or more of the user-selectable pricing-method options from among the plurality displayed; and
receiving from the user a handling instruction for handling two or more computer-implemented pricing methods corresponding to the two or more selected user-selectable pricing-method options.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15 , further comprising, based on receiving of the price request:
obtaining a determined price from each of the two or more computer-implemented pricing methods; and
handling the determined prices according to the handling instructions so as to generate the price.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15 , further comprising presenting to the user a menu containing a plurality of user-selectable handling methods for handling a plurality of selected computer-implemented pricing methods, the receiving of the handling instructions corresponding to a user selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable handling methods.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein said displaying to a user a plurality of user-selectable pricing-method options includes displaying the plurality of user-selectable pricing-method options via a grap

Assignees

• Desprez Llc

Inventors

• Jacobs Ii James L

Classifications

• G06Q30/0641 Primary

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0621 Primary

  by configuring or customising goods or services · CPC title