Live auctioning system and methods
First Claim
1. A method of conducting a live auction using a computer-readable medium having computer useable executable instructions thereon to perform the method, said method comprising:
- providing access for auction participants to a live auction for one or more auctioned lots of products or services that is conducted and overseen by an auction administrator at an auction host location, access to the live auction being provided to bidders present at the live auction and also to at least one remote auction participant through an auction host computer system that is in electronic communication with the remote auction participant over a computer communications network, said at least one remote auction participant having a remote participant interface embodied on a remote computer device configured for electronic communication with the auction host computer system;
receiving information from the remote computer system of said at least one remote auction participant through the remote participant interface transmitted to the auction host computer system;
detecting with the auction host computer system an interface configuration of said at least one remote participant and adjusting data transmission to said at least one remote auction participant based upon the detected configuration;
conducting a test bid upon said at least one remote auction participant initially accessing information through the network provided from the auction host computer system, the test bid mimicking a bid request that is transmitted to the auction host computer system over the network to evaluate whether information from the at least one remote auction participant is being properly received by the auction host computer system through the network before actual bidding commences;
transmitting substantially in real time from the auction host computer system auction-related data and at least one of video and audio feeds of the live auction through the computer communications network to the remote computer system of the at least one remote auction participant by way of said remote participant interface;
displaying to the bidders present at the auction host location information regarding the conducted auction and current bid information on an auction display of the auction host computer system;
receiving at least one bid for a lot of products or services from the at least one remote auction participant transmitted over the communications network to the auction host computer system and displaying the bid to other auction participants;
in response to said at least one remote auction participant placing a winning bid, electronically notifying the at least one remote auction participant over the communications network of said winning bid; and
closing the auction for the auctioned lot.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An auctioning method is conducted using an interactive auction host system. The method includes providing access for auction participants to a live auction for one or more auctioned lots of products or services that is conducted and overseen by an auction administrator at an auction host location. At least some of the access to the live auction is provided to remote auction participants through an auction host system of the auction host system. Data is transmitted substantially in real time from the auction host system, which may include auction-related data and at least one of video and audio feeds of the live auction through a network to one or more remote auction participants located at a remote participant interface. Information provided from the remote auction participants through the remote participant interface is provided and received by auction host system. At least one of various other actions are performed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of conducting a live auction using a computer-readable medium having computer useable executable instructions thereon to perform the method, said method comprising:
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providing access for auction participants to a live auction for one or more auctioned lots of products or services that is conducted and overseen by an auction administrator at an auction host location, access to the live auction being provided to bidders present at the live auction and also to at least one remote auction participant through an auction host computer system that is in electronic communication with the remote auction participant over a computer communications network, said at least one remote auction participant having a remote participant interface embodied on a remote computer device configured for electronic communication with the auction host computer system; receiving information from the remote computer system of said at least one remote auction participant through the remote participant interface transmitted to the auction host computer system; detecting with the auction host computer system an interface configuration of said at least one remote participant and adjusting data transmission to said at least one remote auction participant based upon the detected configuration; conducting a test bid upon said at least one remote auction participant initially accessing information through the network provided from the auction host computer system, the test bid mimicking a bid request that is transmitted to the auction host computer system over the network to evaluate whether information from the at least one remote auction participant is being properly received by the auction host computer system through the network before actual bidding commences; transmitting substantially in real time from the auction host computer system auction-related data and at least one of video and audio feeds of the live auction through the computer communications network to the remote computer system of the at least one remote auction participant by way of said remote participant interface; displaying to the bidders present at the auction host location information regarding the conducted auction and current bid information on an auction display of the auction host computer system; receiving at least one bid for a lot of products or services from the at least one remote auction participant transmitted over the communications network to the auction host computer system and displaying the bid to other auction participants; in response to said at least one remote auction participant placing a winning bid, electronically notifying the at least one remote auction participant over the communications network of said winning bid; and closing the auction for the auctioned lot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of conducting a live electronic auction comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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providing access for auction participants to a live auction for one or more auctioned lots of products or services that is conducted and overseen by an auction administrator at an auction host location, at least some of the access to the live auction being provided to a plurality of remote auction participants through an auction host computer system over a computer communications network; detecting with the auction host computer system a remote participant interface configuration of a computer device of each of said remote auction participants and adjusting data transmission to each of said remote auction participants based upon the respective detected interface configuration; transmitting substantially in real time from the auction host computer system auction-related data and at least one of video and audio feeds of the live auction through the computer communications network to said plurality of remote auction participants in accordance with the remote participant interface configuration of each of said remote participant computer devices; receiving information from the plurality of remote auction participants through their respective remote participant interfaces transmitted over the computer communications network to the auction host computer system; receiving, by the auction host computer system, at least one bid for an auction lot of products or services from one of said plurality of remote auction participants and displaying the bid to other auction participants; receiving additional new bids from other remote auction participants, said bids being electronically transmitted from the computer devices of said remote auction participants over the communications network to said auction host computer system, each new bid raising the bid amount by a preselected incremental amount assigned for the auctioned lot; providing each remote auction participant with a limited number of cut bids for at least one auctioned lot that allows each remote auction participant to place a cut bid in an amount that is less than the preselected incremental full bid amount assigned for each auctioned lot; preventing the remote auction participant from placing further cut bids when the limited number of cut bids has been placed; in response to one of said plurality of remote auction participants placing a winning bid, electronically notifying said one of said plurality of remote auction participants over the communications network of said winning bid; and closing the auction for the auctioned lot. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-useable executable instructions embodied thereon performing a method of conducting a live auction comprising:
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providing access for auction participants to a live auction for one or more auctioned lots of products or services that is conducted and overseen by an auction administrator at an auction host location, at least some of the access to the live auction being provided to remote auction participants through an auction host computer system over a computer communications network; accessing, by at least one remote auction participant through the network, information provided from the auction host computer system; detecting, with the auction host computer system, a remote participant interface configuration of a computer device of at least one remote auction participant and adjusting data transmission to said at least one remote auction participant based upon the detected configuration of said computer device; transmitting from the auction host computer system auction-related data and at least one of video and audio feeds of the live auction through the computer communications network to said at least one remote auction participant in accordance with said remote participant interface configuration of said at least one remote auction participant computer device; receiving information from the at least one remote auction participant through the remote participant interface transmitted to the auction host computer system, the information received by the auction host computer system including a proxy bid amount for at least one selected lot received from said at least one remote auction participant through the remote participant interface, the proxy bid amount being a maximum bid amount of the at least one remote auction participant for the at least one selected lot, the proxy bid amount being compared to other bids received for the at least one selected lot by the live auction system before or during the auction of the at least one lot; providing the at least one remote auction participant with a selectable bid protection option on the remote participant interface that allows the auction host to increase the bid of the at least one remote auction participant by a selected bid increment above the maximum bid amount if the selected bid increment is necessary for a winning bid, said bid protection option acting as a passive proxy bid that becomes active only when the auction for the lot becomes active; receiving at least one bid for a lot of products or services from a remote auction participant over the communications network; displaying an amount of said at least one bid to other auction participants; notifying the successful auction participant of a winning bid; and closing the auction for the auctioned lot. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification