Method and system for performing a progressive auction

• US 20030088503A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold, Fisher, Alan S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,977 B2
• 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 to facilitate an electronic auction includes receiving a bid from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of merchandise items via a web-based bid form. Each bid including a bid price and a quantity bid. One or more of the merchandise items of the plurality of merchandise items are awarded to each of a plurality of successful bidders of the plurality of bidders at different prices based on the quantity bid by each of the plurality of successful bidders.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate an electronic auction, the method including:

receiving a bid from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of merchandise items via a web-based bid form, each bid including a bid price and a quantity bid;

awarding one or more merchandise items of the plurality of merchandise items to each of a plurality of successful bidders of the plurality of bidders at different prices based on the quantity bid by each of the plurality of successful bidders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first successful bidder of the plurality of successful bidders for a higher quantity of a same item is awarded the same item at a price of a lowest successful bid at the higher quantity or any lower quantity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a single unit of the items at a price of a lowest successful bid for a single unit of the plurality of merchandise items based on the quantity bid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the successful bidders of the plurality of bidders who successfully bid on larger quantities of the items have lower prices than those successful bidders that bid on smaller quantities of the items.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the successful bidders onto a merchandise catalog page.

6. An electronic auction system including:

a manager to receive a bid from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of merchandise items via a web-based form, each bid including a bid price and a quantity bid, wherein the manager awards one or more merchandise items of the plurality of merchandise items to each of a plurality of successful bidders of a plurality of bidders at different prices based on the quantity bid by each of the plurality of successful bidders.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the manager awards a first successful bidder of the plurality of successful bidders for a higher quantity of a same item at a price of a lowest successful bid at the higher quantity or any lower quantity.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the manager awards a single unit of the items at a price of a lowest successful bid for a single unit of the item based on the quantity bid.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the successful bidders of the plurality of bidders who successfully bid on larger quantities of the items have lower prices than those successful bidders that bid on smaller quantities of the items.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a merchandise page generator to update a merchandise catalog page based on instructions from the manager to display the successful bidders.

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

receiving a bid from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of merchandise items via a web-based bid form, each bid including a bid price and a quantity bid;

awarding one or more merchandise items of the plurality of merchandise items to each of a plurality of successful bidders of the plurality of bidders at different prices based on the quantity bid by each of the plurality of successful bidders.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a first successful bidder of the successful plurality of bidders for a higher quantity of a same item is awarded the same item at a price of a lowest successful bid at the higher quantity or any lower quantity.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising awarding a single unit of the items at a price of a lowest successful bid for a single unit of the item based on the quantity bid.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the successful bidders of the plurality of bidders who successfully bid on larger quantities of the items have lower prices than those successful bidders that bid on smaller quantities of the items.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising updating the successful bidders onto a merchandise catalog page.

16. An electronic auction system including:

a manager means for receiving a bid from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of merchandise items via a web-based form, each bid including a bid price and a quantity bid, wherein the manager means awards one or more merchandise items of the plurality of merchandise items to each of a plurality of successful bidders of the plurality of bidders at different prices based on the quantity bid by each of the plurality of successful bidders; and

a storage means, coupled to the manager means, for storing the bid.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the manager means awards a first successful bidder of the plurality of successful bidders for a higher quantity of a same item at a price of a lowest successful bid at the higher quantity or any lower quantity.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the manager means awards a single unit of the items at a price of a lowest successful bid for a single unit of the item based on the quantity bid.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the successful bidders of the plurality of bidders who successfully bid on larger quantities of the items have lower prices than those successful bidders that bid on smaller quantities of the items.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a page generation means for updating a merchandise catalog page based on instructions from the manager means to display the successful bidders.