Read-only user access for web based auction

• US 10,127,608 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wiesehuegel, Leland James, Roberts, Rebecca Lynn, Morrison, William James, Rzepka, Jacob Marvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shui, Ming
• Application Number:
  US14/109,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A networked computer arrangement and method in which a manufacturer or service provider may communicate to a plurality of traders the items, including goods and/or services, which may be available for purchase, the quantities of those available items, and any other conditions to be met for the purchase of the available items. Traders may apply guest bidder profiles or entitlement schema to the available goods lists to produce offerings for a plurality of guest brokers. Only bid-relevant product information is presented to each guest broker as needed in order to protect the offering party'"'"'s overall position on the offered good(s). Guest broker profiles or entitlement schema may be based on perspective contractual arrangements between potential brokers, traders, and a manufacturer or service provider. Offerings are presented to the guest brokers, who are restricted from participating in the bidding process.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, performs a method, comprising;

hosting, by a server, an offering and bidding process in which a first computing device associated with a trader receives, from the server, a notification of at least one of available products and services provided by an offering party;

transmitting an offer from the first computing device associated with the trader to a second computing device associated with a broker, wherein the broker resells the at least one of the available products and services;

accessing a reseller master agreement associated with the broker, wherein the reseller master agreement specifies one or more rules associated with the offering and bidding process as it relates to the broker;

providing a user interface on the second computing device that enables the broker to make one or more bids to purchase the at least one of the available products and services, wherein the one or more products and services have been filtered based, at least in part, on the rules specified by the reseller master agreement; and

receiving, from the second computing device, at least one of the one or more bids to purchase the at least one of the available products and services.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions for presenting one or more entitled offerings to a guest user associated with a guest profile that restricts the one or more entitled offerings the guest user is allowed to view.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the guest profile comprises one or more item category parameters.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the guest profile comprises one or more guest location parameters.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions for establishing a broker entitlement profile for the broker, wherein the broker entitlement profile includes broker item entitlement parameters.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein transmitting the offer comprises transmitting an available item list to the broker, wherein the item list includes products and services that match the item entitlement parameters.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions for establishing a broker entitlement profile for the broker, wherein the broker entitlement profile includes a broker location parameter.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein transmitting the offer comprises transmitting an available item list to the broker, wherein the item list includes products and services that match the broker location parameter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting the offer comprises removing products and services from the at least the one of the available products and services that the broker is not authorized to resell.

10. A method, comprising:

hosting an offering and bidding process by a server, wherein the server provides a notification to a first computing device associated with a trader of one or more available products and services provided by an offering party;

transmitting an offer from the first computing device associated with the trader to a second computing device associated with a broker, wherein the broker resells the at least one of the available products and services;

accessing a reseller master agreement associated with the broker, wherein the reseller master agreement specifies one or more rules associated with the offering and bidding process as it relates to the broker;

providing a user interface on the second computing device that enables the broker to make one or more bids to purchase the at least one of the available products and services, wherein the one or more products and services have been filtered based, at least in part, on the rules specified by the reseller master agreement; and

receiving, from the second computing device, at least one of the one or more bids to purchase the one or more available products and services.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting one or more entitled offerings to a guest user associated with a guest profile that restricts the one or more entitled offerings the guest user is allowed to view.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the guest profile comprises one or more item category parameters.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the guest profile comprises one or more guest location parameters.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising establishing a broker entitlement profile for the broker, wherein the broker entitlement profile includes broker item entitlement parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the offer comprises transmitting an available item list to the broker, wherein the item list includes products and services that match the item entitlement parameters.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising establishing a broker entitlement profile for the broker, wherein the broker entitlement profile includes a broker location parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the offering further comprises transmitting an available item list to the broker, wherein the item list includes products and services that match the broker location parameter.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the offer comprises removing products and services from the at least the one of the available products and services that the broker is not authorized to resell.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method, comprising:

hosting an offering and bidding process in which a server provides a notification to a first computing device associated with a trader of one or more available products and services provided by an offering party;

transmitting an offer from the first computing device associated with the trader to a second computing device associated with a broker, wherein the broker resells the at least one of the available products and services;

accessing a reseller master agreement associated with the broker, wherein the reseller master agreement specifies one or more rules associated with the offering and bidding process as it relates to the broker;

providing a user interface on the second computing device that enables the broker to make one or more bids to purchase the at least one of the available products and services, wherein the one or more products and services are filtered based, at least in part, on the rules specified by the reseller master agreement and wherein the ability to make the one or more bids are based, at least in part, on the rules specified by the reseller master agreement and

receiving, from the second computing device, at least one of the one or more bids to purchase the one or more available products and services.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for establishing a broker entitlement profile for the broker.