WO2012001666A1 - Matching buyers and sellers - Google Patents

Matching buyers and sellers Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2012001666A1
WO2012001666A1 PCT/IB2011/052917 IB2011052917W WO2012001666A1 WO 2012001666 A1 WO2012001666 A1 WO 2012001666A1 IB 2011052917 W IB2011052917 W IB 2011052917W WO 2012001666 A1 WO2012001666 A1 WO 2012001666A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
party
ussd
cellular telephone
platform
message
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2011/052917
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Roger Henri Levy
Original Assignee
Vexisat (Proprietary) Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vexisat (Proprietary) Limited filed Critical Vexisat (Proprietary) Limited
Publication of WO2012001666A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012001666A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
    • G06Q30/08—Auctions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/58—Message adaptation for wireless communication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/14—Session management
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/14—Session management
    • H04L67/141—Setup of application sessions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/50—Network services
    • H04L67/56—Provisioning of proxy services
    • H04L67/562—Brokering proxy services
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/12—Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
    • H04W4/14—Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the matching of parties such as buyers and sellers of goods, services and property, and employers and employees by means of mobile telephones. More particularly it relates to a system for matching parties and to a method of matching parties.
  • a system for matching a first party with a second party which includes
  • a processor for supplying information to a cellular telephone of the first party and for processing responses received from the cellular telephone of the first party; a storage unit for storing the information to be supplied to parties wishing to be matched and for storing data in respect of the first party;
  • a message generating module for generating a message to be sent to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network
  • USB Universal Serial Bus
  • a method of matching a first party with a second party which includes
  • USB Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
  • the USSD platform may be located at a network operator or at an aggregator and the first interface may be connected therewith via a data line.
  • the first interface may be connected with the USSD platform only if the first party has sufficient funds in credit with the network operator.
  • the network operator or the aggregator may first check if the first party that is seeking to connect with a facility providing the matching service has sufficient funds, before connecting the USSD platform with the first interface.
  • the system may further include a GSM engine whereby the message is transmitted to the first and/or the second party Alternatively this could be done by the aggregator, the message being supplied to the aggregator via the first interface.
  • a GSM engine whereby the message is transmitted to the first and/or the second party Alternatively this could be done by the aggregator, the message being supplied to the aggregator via the first interface.
  • the system may also include the USSD platform.
  • the message sent to the first and/or second party may be a text message (such as an SMS) or in an audio visual form (such as an MMS).
  • the system may further include a second interface for connecting the processor with the Internet, such that information may be received from the second party via the Internet.
  • the system 10 comprises a GSM engine 12, a first interface unit 14, a processor 16, a storage unit 18, a message generator 20 and a second interface 22.
  • the first interface unit 14 communicates with a USSD platform 30 via a data line 32.
  • the USSD platform is interconnected with a cellular telephone network, indicated generally by 26.
  • the second interface 22 communicates with the Internet 24.
  • the USSD platform 30 is located at a network operator or an aggregator. Prospective sellers of goods, services and/or property and prospective employers, record their goods, services, property and positions via the Internet in conventional fashion, details of the goods, services, property and positions being stored in a structured manner in databases in the storage unit 18.
  • a prospective purchaser of the goods, services or property, or a person seeking work wishes to investigate what is available, that person operates his cell phone 28 by dialing a predetermined number, and a USSD session is established with the USSD platform 30.
  • the USSD platform checks if the person has a suitable credit balance with the relevant network operator, and if so, establishes a data connection with the first interface unit 14, via the data line 32.
  • a USSD session is then conducted between the processor 16 and the cell phone 28, with the processor providing the person with various options and the person then selecting one of the available options. This is done in a USSD manner with various menus being sent to the cell phone 28, as determined by the processor 16, with the person responding accordingly, in an interactive manner.
  • the processor checks the information in the relevant database to see if there is a match for the prospective purchaser or the person seeking work.
  • the processor 16 determines if there is a match between the prospective purchaser or employee and any supplier or employer. If there is a match, the processor 16 arranges for the message generator to generate an appropriate SMS or MMS which is sent to the cell phone 28 by the GSM engine 12, using the person's cell phone number, which is supplied from the USSD platform 30 or is extracted from data supplied during the USSD session.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides a system for matching a first party with a second party, which includes a processor (16) for supplying information to a cellular telephone (28) of the first party and for processing responses received from the cellular telephone of the first party, a storage unit (18) for storing the information to be supplied to parties wishing to be matched and for storing data in respect of the first party, a message generating module (20) for generating a message to be sent to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network (26), and a first interface (14) for connecting with an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ("USSD") platform (30) such that the information supplied to the cellular telephone of the first party and the responses thereto are transferred between the processor and the cellular telephone in a USSD manner. Thus, the invention provides a method of matching a first party with a second party, by establishing a communication link (32) with an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ("USSD") platform that is connected, via a USSD session, with a cellular telephone of the first party, supplying information to the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform, receiving responses from the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform, processing the responses from the first party, matching the first party with an appropriate second party, and generating and transmitting a message to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network to introduce the two parties.

Description

MATCHING BUYERS AND SELLERS
This invention relates to the matching of parties such as buyers and sellers of goods, services and property, and employers and employees by means of mobile telephones. More particularly it relates to a system for matching parties and to a method of matching parties.
Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system for matching a first party with a second party, which includes
a processor for supplying information to a cellular telephone of the first party and for processing responses received from the cellular telephone of the first party; a storage unit for storing the information to be supplied to parties wishing to be matched and for storing data in respect of the first party;
a message generating module for generating a message to be sent to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network; and
a first interface for connecting with an Unstructured Supplementary Service
Data ("USSD") platform such that the information supplied to the cellular telephone of the first party and the responses thereto are transferred between the processor and the cellular telephone in a USSD manner. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of matching a first party with a second party, which includes
establishing a communication link with an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ("USSD") platform that is connected, via a USSD session, with a cellular telephone of the first party;
supplying information to the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform;
receiving responses from the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform;
processing the responses from the first party; matching the first party with an appropriate second party; and generating and transmitting a message to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network to introduce the two parties,
It will thus be appreciated that the initial communication with the first party is via a USSD session.
As indicated above the parties may be buyers and sellers of goods, services and property, and people looking for work and employers seeking employees. The USSD platform may be located at a network operator or at an aggregator and the first interface may be connected therewith via a data line..
The first interface may be connected with the USSD platform only if the first party has sufficient funds in credit with the network operator. Thus, either the network operator or the aggregator may first check if the first party that is seeking to connect with a facility providing the matching service has sufficient funds, before connecting the USSD platform with the first interface.
The system may further include a GSM engine whereby the message is transmitted to the first and/or the second party Alternatively this could be done by the aggregator, the message being supplied to the aggregator via the first interface.
The system may also include the USSD platform.
The message sent to the first and/or second party may be a text message (such as an SMS) or in an audio visual form (such as an MMS).
The system may further include a second interface for connecting the processor with the Internet, such that information may be received from the second party via the Internet.
The invention will now be described by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing which shows a system for matching and introducing parties in accordance with the invention. .
Referring to the drawing a system for matching and introducing parties in accordance with the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The system 10 comprises a GSM engine 12, a first interface unit 14, a processor 16, a storage unit 18, a message generator 20 and a second interface 22. The first interface unit 14 communicates with a USSD platform 30 via a data line 32. The USSD platform is interconnected with a cellular telephone network, indicated generally by 26. The second interface 22 communicates with the Internet 24. The USSD platform 30 is located at a network operator or an aggregator. Prospective sellers of goods, services and/or property and prospective employers, record their goods, services, property and positions via the Internet in conventional fashion, details of the goods, services, property and positions being stored in a structured manner in databases in the storage unit 18. If a prospective purchaser of the goods, services or property, or a person seeking work, wishes to investigate what is available, that person operates his cell phone 28 by dialing a predetermined number, and a USSD session is established with the USSD platform 30. The USSD platform checks if the person has a suitable credit balance with the relevant network operator, and if so, establishes a data connection with the first interface unit 14, via the data line 32. A USSD session is then conducted between the processor 16 and the cell phone 28, with the processor providing the person with various options and the person then selecting one of the available options. This is done in a USSD manner with various menus being sent to the cell phone 28, as determined by the processor 16, with the person responding accordingly, in an interactive manner. When the relevant information has been obtained from the person the USSD session is terminated and the processor checks the information in the relevant database to see if there is a match for the prospective purchaser or the person seeking work.
Thus, the processor 16 then determines if there is a match between the prospective purchaser or employee and any supplier or employer. If there is a match, the processor 16 arranges for the message generator to generate an appropriate SMS or MMS which is sent to the cell phone 28 by the GSM engine 12, using the person's cell phone number, which is supplied from the USSD platform 30 or is extracted from data supplied during the USSD session.
It will be appreciated that prospective purchasers or employees could also submit their details via their cell phones 28, also using a USSD session.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A system for matching a first party with a second party, which includes a processor for supplying information to a cellular telephone of the first party and for processing responses received from the cellular telephone of the first party; a storage unit for storing the information to be supplied to parties wishing to be matched and for storing data in respect of the first party;
a message generating module for generating a message to be sent to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network; and
a first interface for connecting with an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ("USSD") platform such that the information supplied to the cellular telephone of the first party and the responses thereto are transferred between the processor and the cellular telephone in a USSD manner.
2. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the parties are buyers and sellers of goods, services or property.
3. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the parties are people looking for work and employers seeking employees.
4. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , which includes a data line connecting the first interface with the USSD platform.
5. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the USSD platform is located at a network operator.
6. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the USSD platform is located at an aggregator.
7. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the first interface is connected with the USSD platform only if the first party has sufficient funds in credit with the network operator.
8. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , which includes a GSM engine whereby the message is transmitted to the first and/or the second party.
9. The system as claimed in Claim 6, in which the message is transmitted via the first interface to the cellular telephone of the first party, via the aggregator.
10. The system as claimed in Claim 1 , which includes the USSD platform.
1 1 . The system as claimed in Claim 1 , which includes a second interface for connecting the processor to the Internet.
12. A method of matching a first party with a second party, which includes establishing a communication link with an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ("USSD") platform that is connected, via a USSD session, with a cellular telephone of the first party;
supplying information to the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform;
receiving responses from the cellular telephone of the first party via the USSD platform;
processing the responses from the first party;
matching the first party with an appropriate second party; and
generating and transmitting a message to the first and/or the second party via a cellular telephone network to introduce the two parties,
13. The method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the parties are buyers and sellers of goods, services or property.
14. The method claimed in Claim 12, in which the parties are people looking for work and employers seeking employees.
15. The method claimed in Claim 12, in which the USSD platform is located at a network operator.
16. The method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the communication link with the USSD platform is via a data line.
17. The method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the USSD platform is located at an aggregator.
18. The method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the communication link with the USSD platform is established only if the first party has sufficient funds in credit with the network operator.
19. The method as claimed in Claim 12, which includes directly transmitting the message to the first party and/or the second party.
20. The method as claimed in Claim 17, which includes indirectly transmitting the message to the first party and/or the second party via the aggregator.
21 . The method as claimed in Claim 12, which includes receiving information from a second party via the Internet.
22. A system for matching a first party with a second party, substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawing.
23. A method of matching a first party with a second party, substantially herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawing.
PCT/IB2011/052917 2010-07-02 2011-07-01 Matching buyers and sellers WO2012001666A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA2010/03945 2010-07-02
ZA201003945 2010-07-02

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012001666A1 true WO2012001666A1 (en) 2012-01-05

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ID=44514859

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2011/052917 WO2012001666A1 (en) 2010-07-02 2011-07-01 Matching buyers and sellers

Country Status (2)

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WO (1) WO2012001666A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA201104876B (en)

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070214024A1 (en) * 2006-03-08 2007-09-13 Gaurav Jain Airline transactions using mobile handsets
WO2010020482A1 (en) * 2008-08-21 2010-02-25 Nokia Siemens Networks Oy Match maker service

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070214024A1 (en) * 2006-03-08 2007-09-13 Gaurav Jain Airline transactions using mobile handsets
WO2010020482A1 (en) * 2008-08-21 2010-02-25 Nokia Siemens Networks Oy Match maker service

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA201104876B (en) 2012-06-27

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