Method and system for performing proxy bidding

• US 20030083983A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold, Fisher, Alan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/316,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083983A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 method and system for performing bidding includes receiving a maximum bid amount a bidder is willing to pay for an item from a bidder using an electronic auction system. A proxy bid is continuously and automatically incremented by a preset bid increment to be greater than a current high bid when the current high bid is not associated with the bidder and the current high bid is not greater than the maximum bid amount.

Claims

1. A method of conducting an electronic auction, the method including:

receiving from a bidder, using an electronic auction system, a maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to pay for an item; and

continuously and automatically incrementing a proxy bid for the bidder by a preset bid increment to be greater than a current high bid when the current high bid is not associated with the bidder and the current high bid is not greater than the maximum bid amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bidder submits the maximum bid amount via a web-based bid form and via the Internet to the electronic auction system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the proxy bid on an merchandise catalog page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum bid amount is not displayed to other bidders.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous incrementing of the proxy bid continues until the auction is closed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset bid increment is a percentage above a second highest bid.

7. An electronic auction system comprising:

a manager continuously and automatically to increment a proxy bid for an item to be auctioned, across a network, on the behalf of a bidder up to a maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to pay for the item.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the proxy bid is incremented to be greater than a current high bid and not greater than the maximum bid amount.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein manager increments the proxy bid when the current high bid is not associated with the bidder.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the proxy bid is a predetermined amount greater than the current high bid.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the manager is to receive the maximum bid amount when an initial bid is placed by the bidder.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an electronic mail messenger to compose and generate an email message to the bidder, the email message including bid information informing the bidding of the proxy bid.

13. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more machines to perform a method of conducting an electronic auction, the method including:

receiving from a bidder, using an electronic auction system, a maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to pay for an item; and

continuously and automatically incrementing a proxy bid for the bidder by a preset bid increment to be greater than a current high bid when the current high bid is not associated with the bidder and the current high bid is not greater than the maximum bid amount.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the bidder submits the maximum bid amount via a web-based bid form and via the Internet to the electronic auction system.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the proxy bid to the bidder on an merchandise catalog page.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the maximum bid amount is not displayed to other bidders.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the continuous incrementing of the proxy bid continues until the auction is closed.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the preset bid increment is a percentage above the second highest bid.

19. An electronic auction system comprising:

manager means for continuously and automatically incrementing a proxy bid for an item to be auctioned, across a network, on the behalf of a bidder up to a maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to pay for the item; and

storage means, coupled to the manager means, to store the proxy bid.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the proxy bid is incremented to be greater than a current high bid and not greater than the maximum bid amount.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein manager performs the proxy bid when the current high bid is not associated with the bidder.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the proxy bid is a predetermined amount greater than the current high bid.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the manager means is to receive the maximum bid amount when am initial bid is placed by the bidder.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a messaging means for composing and generating an email message to the bidder, the email message includes bid information informing the bidding of the proxy bid.