Interactive remote auction bidding system

• US 20030195839A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David L. Dinwoodie
• Original Assignee: David L. Dinwoodie
• Inventors: Dinwoodie, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

An interactive remote auction bidding system for conducting an auction utilizes a data input device for communication over a network to the auction site. The system includes a data processor located at the auction site for generating bid information for communication over the network to the remote locations. A processor located at the auction side monitors the participants'"'"' data input devices for sensing participant bids generated by the participants'"'"' data input devices. The system further displays visual bid information at the auction site for transmission over the network to the participants and generates audible bid information in support of that visual bid information.

Claims

1. A method for conducting an auction to produce a winning bidder who receives the subject of the auction in exchange for the winning bid, the auction having bidders, where a plurality of bidders have data input devices for communicating over a first network to the auction site and wherein information from the auction site is broadcast to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices over a second network, comprising;

generating an asking bid;

displaying at the auction site in real-time, the asking bid;

broadcasting in real-time over the second network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices;

generating bid acceptance signals representing a desire to acquire the subject of the auction at a current bid by the bidders using the data input devices communicating over the first network to the auction site wherein at least one of the bidders using data input devices is a bid spotter acting as a bidder on behalf of a plurality of bidders, generating bid acceptance signals representing a desire to acquire the subject of the auction at a current bid by using the data input devices communicating over the network to the auction site and wherein if a bid spotter is the winning bidder, then the bidder on whose behalf the bid spotter made the winning bid is the bidder who receives the subject of the auction.;

beginning a bid acceptance time window in which to accept bid acceptance signals;

monitoring the first network for bid acceptance signals;

accepting a first bid acceptance signal after the bid acceptance time window begins;

terminating the bid acceptance time window after receiving the first bid acceptance signal and prior to receiving any subsequent bid acceptance signals;

identifying the bidder whose bid acceptance signal was accepted as the current bid;

changing the asking bid to the current bid;

repeating at least one additional cycle of generating, displaying, broadcasting, generating, beginning, monitoring, accepting, terminating, identifying, and changing, wherein each cycle starts with a new asking bid and ends with a new current bid which was the preceding new asking bid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction site comprises the location of at least one computer participating in running the bidding system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction site comprises the location of the auctioneer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction site comprises the location of at least one computer participating in running the bidding system and the location of the auctioneer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one computer participating in running the bidding system and the auctioneer are located in the same building.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one computer participating in running the bidding system and the auctioneer are located in the same complex.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the auctioneer is located in a different building than the at least one computer participating in running the bidding system and hence wherein the auction site comprises more than one location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices comprises broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices located in a remote location from the auction site.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one bidder receiving a broadcast while located in a remote location from the auction site is located in a different city than the auction site.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one bidder receiving a broadcast while located in a remote location from the auction site is located in a different building but in the same complex as the auction site.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one bidder receiving a broadcast while located in a remote location from the auction site is located in a different room but in the same building as the auction site.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one bidder receiving a broadcast while located in a remote location from the auction site is located in the same hall as the auction site but is in a portion of the hall where the bidder is relying on the broadcast and a data input device to successfully participate in the auction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices comprises broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices located at the auction site.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices comprises broadcasting in real-time over the network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices located in a remote location from the auction site and to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices located at the auction site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bid spotter and the plurality of bidders on whose behalf the bid spotter is bidding are located at the auction site.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bid spotter and the plurality of bidders on whose behalf the bid spotter is bidding are located in a remote location from the auction site.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote location from the auction site is located in a different city than the auction site.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote location from the auction site is located in a different building but in the same complex as the auction site.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote location from the auction site is located in a different room but in the same building as the auction site.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of bidders using data input devices is a bid spotter and at least one of the plurality of bidders using data input devices is a bidder acting on their own behalf.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of bidders on whose behalf the bid spotter is acting as a bidder is also independently generating acceptance signals with a data input device.

22. A method for conducting an auction to produce a winning bidder who receives the subject of the auction in exchange for the winning bid, the auction having bidders, where a plurality of bidders have data input devices for communicating over a first network to the auction site and wherein information from the auction site is broadcast to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices over a second network, comprising;

generating an asking bid;

displaying at the auction site in real-time, the asking bid;

broadcasting in real-time over the second network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices;

generating bid acceptance signals representing a desire to acquire the subject of the auction at a current bid by the bidders using the data input devices communicating over the first network to the auction site;

beginning a bid acceptance time window in which to accept bid acceptance signals;

monitoring the first network for bid acceptance signals;

accepting a first bid acceptance signal after the bid acceptance time window begins;

terminating the bid acceptance time window after receiving the first bid acceptance signal and prior to receiving any subsequent bid acceptance signals;

identifying the bidder whose bid acceptance signal was accepted as the current bid;

changing the asking bid to the current bid;

generating a response communicating confirmation of bid acceptance and communicating the response over the first network to the bidder having the current bid;

generating a response communicating that the bidder is no longer the high bidder over the first network to the bidder was the previous high bidder;

repeating at least one additional cycle of generating, displaying, broadcasting, generating, beginning, monitoring, accepting, terminating, identifying, and changing, wherein each cycle starts with a new asking bid and ends with a new current bid which was the preceding new asking bid.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

generating a response communicating bid not accepted and communicating the response over the first network to each bidder who communicates a bid acceptance received after the bid acceptance time window terminated.

24. A method for conducting an auction to produce a winning bidder who receives the subject of the auction in exchange for the winning bid, the auction having bidders, where a plurality of bidders each belonging to one of a plurality of groups of bidders have data input devices for communicating over a first network to the auction site and wherein information from the auction site is broadcast to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices over a second network, comprising;

generating an asking bid;

displaying at the auction site in real-time, the asking bid;

broadcasting in real-time over the second network the asking bid to at least one of the plurality of bidders having data input devices;

generating bid acceptance signals representing a desire to acquire the subject of the auction at a current bid by the bidders using the data input devices communicating over the first network to the auction site;

beginning a first bid acceptance time window for a first group of bidders in which to accept bid acceptance signals after delaying a first controlled amount of time following broadcasting the asking bid;

monitoring the first network for bid acceptance signals;

beginning a second bid acceptance time window for a second group of bidders in which to accept bid acceptance signals after delaying a second controlled amount of time following broadcasting the asking bid wherein the second controlled amount of time is longer than the first controlled amount of time;

accepting a first bid acceptance signal after the first bid acceptance time window begins;

terminating all bid acceptance time windows after receiving the first bid acceptance signal and prior to receiving any subsequent bid acceptance signals;

identifying the bidder whose bid acceptance signal was accepted as the current bid;

changing the asking bid to the current bid;

repeating at least one additional cycle of generating, displaying, broadcasting, generating, beginning, monitoring, accepting, terminating, identifying, and changing, wherein each cycle starts with a new asking bid and ends with a new current bid which was the preceding new asking bid.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising after beginning a second bid acceptance time window, beginning a third bid acceptance time window for a third group of bidders in which to accept bid acceptance signals after delaying a third controlled amount of time following broadcasting the asking bid wherein the third controlled amount of time is longer than the second controlled amount of time.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first bid acceptance signal is transmitted by one of the first group of bidders and is accepted before the second bid acceptance time window opens.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first bid acceptance signal is transmitted by either of the first or second group of bidders and is accepted after the second bid acceptance time window opens.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the first group of bidders are bidders located at the auction site and wherein the second group of bidders are bidders located remote from the auction site.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the first group of bidders are bid spotters located at the auction site and wherein the second group of bidders are other bidders located at the auction site.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the first group of bidders are bid spotters located at the auction site and wherein the second group of bidders are bidders located remote from the auction site.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the first group of bidders are live bidders and wherein the second group of bidders are proxy bidders.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first group of bidders are bidders located at the auction site, wherein the second group of bidders are bidders located remote from the auction site, and wherein the third group of bidders are proxy bidders.