Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Reservation – check-in – or booking display for reserved space
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2002-01-29
Millin, Vincent (Department: 2164)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Reservation, check-in, or booking display for reserved space
C705S026640, C705S027200, C343S823000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343273
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to computerized multimedia systems, and more particularly to such systems for exploring and executing transactions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The review and selection of art has been a “hit and miss” process for as long as art has been offered for sale. The aggregation of large quantities of art in the hands of individual art dealers or galleries was a first step towards placing a greater array of possibilities in front of a prospective buyer. However, since the artwork displayed or stored in a gallery represents only a minuscule fraction of the artwork available around the world, dealers normally use transparencies to create more opportunities to make a sale. Catalogues and the like provide still further methods for a dealer to show a client a more comprehensive selection of artwork. However, there is no method by which an art dealer can readily identify the specific features or elements a prospective customer seeks in artwork and then offer that customer artwork with those particular characteristics, unless the artwork is physically located in its gallery, or under its control Thus, if the prospective customer is not satisfied with the artwork offered by that dealer from its own stock, the dealer is generally unable to make a sale.
If a customer is seeking a particular piece of artwork or works by a particular artist, a dealer may try to obtain such artwork from another dealer. However, there has been no method by which a dealer can readily identify inventory of artwork owned by other art dealers except through visits to such dealers, review of published catalogues, or referrals of other dealers who might be familiar with the particular piece of artwork or the works of an artist being sought. If such a dealer is identified, communication between the parties is generally by phone and mail and a photograph or transparency of the desired artwork is sent to the dealer who represents the prospective customer. The prospective customer may then be invited back to the gallery to examine the photograph or transparency and decide whether to proceed with the purchase.
These “systems” are grossly inefficient. There is no quick, systematic method for a dealer to identify the particular elements or features of artwork that a prospective customer may be seeking. Conversely, if a prospective customer desires specific artwork, or works of a specific artist, there is no system that allows the dealer to identify where such works can be found. If the dealer knows where to find such works, long periods of time may elapse communicating with the other dealer, waiting for the arrival of a transparency, and then reigniting the interest of the prospective customer. The present “systems” are equally inefficient for a dealer that wants to sell his own inventory of artwork. He must either wait for a prospective customer to walk into his gallery or send out expensive catalogues. A dealer has no other effective way to apprise other galleries of the artwork he has available to sell.
Another drawback to the present “systems” is the very high cost to dealers. A substantial investment in inventory, real estate (for physical space to display and store the artwork), insurance, handling, personnel, etc. must be incurred in maintaining an inventory of artwork.
Clearly, the current systems are both inefficient for the consumer, or purchaser of artwork, and the art dealer. Thus, the purchase of artwork is often a time consuming process, with the identification of a desired piece of artwork, more likely, the result of chance or serendipity.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for alleviating the foregoing problems and improving upon the prior systems and methods.
It is another object of the present invention to make available for sale a significantly greater selection of artwork than has previously been readily ascertainable.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a prospective purchaser with a large selection of artwork that conforms to the specific tastes of the prospective purchaser and thereby facilitate a reduction in the time required to find desired artwork.
It is a further object to increase the sales potential of an art dealer by making his inventory available for immediate purchase by other dealers.
It is yet another object to provide dealers with ready access to artwork from the inventory of other dealers without requiring additional space or investment in inventory, insurance, real estate and other related costs.
It is a still further object to enable dealers to electronically market their artwork and electronically consummate transactions involving such artwork on a worldwide basis.
It is still another object of the present invention to facilitate an orderly and readily available market for the sale of artwork, through a systematized process that maintains a historical record of prices at which works of art are sold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a computerized system incorporating high resolution imaging, printing and database management, in a multimedia environment, for the marketing, selection, purchase, and sale of unique, high monetary value characteristic products, including the processing of all documents to effect and settle the resulting transaction, over a high speed communications network on a dynamic, real time basis. The system is preferably used for the purchase and sale of art by dealers in the art industry, but is readily adaptable for use with other product categories with similar characteristics such as antiques, jewelry, oriental rugs, numismatics, philately, and others.
The system of the present invention (the “System”) specifically addresses existing limitations within the art industry that directly impact a dealer's profitability. The System provides member dealers access to an extensive and diverse collection of artwork from the inventories of other member dealers around the world to satisfy the most demanding customers while, concurrently, offering member dealers the opportunity to sell their inventory throughout the world. It also enables artists to offer their work for sale directly through any member dealer.
Original works of art are photographed with high resolution cameras, converted to digital images on computer controlled electronic scanning equipment, categorized by different criteria, and stored in a complex computer database along with information about the artist and artwork. The digital images and related data are available twenty four hours a day for virtually instantaneous transmission over the desired media, i.e. fiber optic cables to dealers who are part of a wide area network which extends around the world (the “Network”). Each dealer in the Network has use of high resolution monitors and sophisticated color printing equipment so that the works of art can be viewed or printed in photographic quality along with information about the artist and artwork, and all other data necessary to effect a sale. The System enables a member dealer to offer its customers a “virtual inventory,” or access to the authorized works of art of every dealer on the Network.
The System replicates the interaction between a salesperson and customer during the sale process with the added benefits of a wealth of information and alternative selections at the salesperson's fingertips. The System is very “user friendly,” readily learned, and quickly implemented. Despite it's sophistication, salespersons and customers can use the System with no more difficulty than using a bank's automatic teller machine.
The System is preferably housed in a prefabricated unit that can be modified to the decor of the dealer's gallery. In one embodiment the unit is approximately six and one-half feet high, five feet wide, and two feet deep, with two different size, flush-mounted, high resolution monitors. A rounded elongate table approximately four and a half feet long and three feet wide, extends out from th
Corapcioglu Ahmet K.
Graham John D.
Lipman Alexander
Miller Robert H.
Nahan Kenneth
Akers Geoffrey
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Honicorp, Inc.
Millin Vincent
LandOfFree
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