Method, apparatus and system for advancing a bidder to a selected rank

• US 20020099643A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: FreeMarkets Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Halter, Sheila C., Harrigal, Kimberly A., Stevens, Robert G., Becker, David J., Wagner, Douglas R., Scoular, David M., Atkinson, Scott W., Rago, Vincent F., Lang, Robert B. Jr., Abeshouse, Daniel, Rupp, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method and system for conducting an auction having at least two competing bidders is disclosed. The method includes receiving bid data from at least one bidder and providing the bid data to a bidder that meets a condition for receiving the bid data. An apparatus for determining a suggested bid value that surpasses a selected bid is also disclosed. The apparatus includes a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide a user selectable facility which, when selected establishes the value of the selected bid, calculates the suggested bid value by subtracting a predetermined minimum differential value from the selected bid value, and conveys the suggested bid value to the user.

Claims

1. A method of conducting an auction having at least two competing bidders, comprising:

receiving bid data from at least one bidder; and

providing the bid data to a bidder that meets a condition for receiving the bid data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a bidder meets a condition for receiving the bid data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder has placed at least one bid.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder is the lead bidder.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining, whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder is ranked above a predetermined number of bidders.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder is ranked above a predetermined percentage of bidders.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder has entered a bid within a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes:

establishing a best bid placed by any bidder;

calculating a difference between a best bid placed by the bidder and the best bid placed by any one of the at least two bidders; and

determining whether said calculated difference for the bidder is less than a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes:

establishing a best bid placed by all bidders;

calculating a difference between a best bid placed by the bidder and the best bid placed by any one of the at least two bidders; and

determining whether said calculated difference for the bidder is less than a predetermined percentage.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether a bidder meets a condition includes determining whether the bidder has placed at least one bid that is better than a predetermined amount.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the bid data includes an amount of money for which at least one of the at least two bidders is willing to sell a good.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the bid data includes an amount of money for which at least one of the at least two bidders is willing to sell a service.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the bid data includes the total value for which at least one of the at least two bidders is willing to sell a good.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the total value is represented by a numeric value.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the bid data includes a numeric value representative of the total value for which at least one of the at least two bidders is willing to sell a service.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing bid data includes providing bid data related to all of the at least two bidders that have submitted at least one bid.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing bid data includes providing bid data related to less than all of the at least two bidders that have submitted at least one bid.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the rank of a bidder based on the best numeric value bid by the bidder; and

wherein said providing bid data further comprises providing bid data related to the next better ranked bidder to the bidder.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing said bid data to a bidder only after the bidder has submitted a valid bid.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction is electronic.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction is held online.

22. An apparatus for determining a suggested bid value that surpasses a selected bid, comprising:

a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide a user selectable facility which, when selected;

establishes the value of the selected bid;

calculates the suggested bid value by applying a predetermined minimum differential value to the selected bid value; and

conveys the suggested bid value to the user.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said applying a predetermined minimum differential value to the selected bid value includes subtracting the predetermined minimum differential value from the selected bid value.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said applying a predetermined minimum differential value to the selected bid value includes subtracting the predetermined minimum differential value from the selected bid value.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said applying a predetermined minimum differential percentage to the selected bid value includes subtracting the predetermined minimum differential percentage from the selected bid value.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said applying a predetermined minimum differential percentage to the selected bid value includes subtracting the predetermined minimum differential percentage from the selected bid value.

25. An apparatus for determining a suggested bid value that surpasses a selected bid, comprising:

a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide a user selectable facility which, when selected;

establishes the value of the selected bid;

calculates the suggested bid value by applying a predetermined minimum differential percentage to the selected bid value; and

conveys the suggested bid value to the user.