Method and system to publish a seller fixed price offer

• US 20040215527A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Grove, Brian Alan, Grove, Steve, Sandler, Andrew Leigh, Edson, Zachary James
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

An auction method presents an auction price-setting process and a fixed price process for purchasing a seller'"'"'s offering to a buyer. The seller is provided with a mechanism to adjust and publish a seller fixed-price offer during the auction price-setting process.

Claims

1. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to automatically publish at least one of a proxy bid information and a reserve price if a high proxy bid is less than the reserve price, the proxy bid information and the reserve price being associated with a listing for an item during an auction price-setting process.

2. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically retract publication of the proxy bid information upon the high proxy bid exceeding the reserve price.

3. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

4. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the publication is performed during the auction price-setting process.

5. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the publication is performed after the auction price-setting process.

6. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically notify a buyer when the reserve price is published.

7. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the publication includes publishing for view by a specific bidder only.

8. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to facilitate an exchange of proxy information of a buyer and reserve price information of a seller, the proxy information and the reserve price information being associated with a listing utilizing the auction price-setting process.

9. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged upon conclusion of the auction price-setting process.

10. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged during the auction price-setting process.

11. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically invite at least one of the seller and the buyer to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information.

12. The network-based commerce system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the buyer and the seller is automatically invited to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information when a proxy bid associated with the seller and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

13. The network-based commerce system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined proximity is within twenty percent of each other.

14. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the exchange of information is a secured exchange of information.

15. The network-based commerce system of claim 11, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing.

16. The network-based commerce system of claim 11, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing before the auction price-setting process.

17. The network-based commerce system of claim 11, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing after the auction price-setting process.

18. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the exchange is performed by automatically publishing at least one of the proxy information and the reserve price information.

19. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

20. The network-based commerce system of claim 8, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to notify automatically the buyer when the reserve price has been published.

21. A network-based commerce system to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, and the network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to facilitate display of a reserve price of a listing an item in connection with an auction price-setting process to a seller, the seller being one of a plurality of sellers.

22. A network-based commerce system to facilitate a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to communicate a plurality of at least one of a reserve price or a fixed-price offer within the context of the auction price-setting process, wherein a specific price is communicated to a specific buyer from a seller.

23. The network-based commerce system of claim 22, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price offer is based on a location of the buyer.

24. The network-based commerce system of claim 22, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price is adjusted based on the seller.

25. The network-based commerce system of claim 22, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically publish at least one a proxy bid information and a reserve price.

26. A network-based commerce system including:

a means for automatically publishing at least one of a proxy bid information and a reserve price if a high proxy bid is less than the reserve price, the proxy bid information and the reserve price being associated with a listing for an item in an auction price-setting process; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for automatically publishing, for storing the proxy bid information and the reserve price.

27. The network-based commerce system of claim 26, further including:

a means for automatically retracting publication of the proxy bid information upon the high proxy bid exceeding the reserve price, the means for retracting coupled to the storage means.

28. The network-based commerce system of claim 26, further including:

a means for facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing, the means for facilitating coupled to the storage means.

29. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including

a means for facilitating an exchange of proxy information of a buyer and reserve price information of a seller, the proxy information and the reserve price information being associated with a listing of an item utilizing the auction price-setting process;

and

a storage means, coupled to the means for facilitating, for storing the proxy information.

30. The network-based commerce system of claim 29, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged upon conclusion of the auction price-setting process.

31. The network-based commerce system of claim 29, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged during the auction price-setting process.

32. A network-based commerce system to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, and the method including:

a means for facilitating display of a reserve price of a listing in connection with an auction price-setting process to a seller; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for facilitating, for storing the reserve price.

33. A network-based commerce system including:

a means for communicating a plurality of at least one of a reserve price and a fixed-price offer within the context of the auction price-setting process, wherein a specific price is communicated to a specific buyer from a seller; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for communicating, for storing the reserve price.

34. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

automatically publishing at least one of a proxy bid information and a reserve price if a high proxy bid is less than the reserve price, the proxy bid information and the reserve price being associated with a listing for an item during an auction price-setting process.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, further including:

automatically retracting publication of the proxy bid information upon the high proxy bid exceeding the reserve price.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, further including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the publication is performed during the auction price-setting process.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the publication is performed after the auction price-setting process.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, further including:

automatically notifying a buyer when the reserve price is published.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the publishing includes publishing for view by a specific bidder only.

41. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including

facilitating an exchange of proxy information of a buyer and reserve price information of a seller, the proxy information and the reserve price information being associated with a listing utilizing the auction price-setting process.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged upon conclusion of the auction price-setting process.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged during the auction price-setting process.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:

automatically inviting at least one of the seller and the buyer to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein at least one of the buyer and the seller is automatically invited to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information when a proxy bid associated with the seller and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the predetermined proximity is within twenty percent of each other.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the exchange of information is a secured exchange of information.

48. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing.

49. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing before the auction price-setting process.

50. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing after the auction price-setting process.

51. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the exchange is performed by automatically publishing at least one of the proxy information and the reserve price information.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, further including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, further including:

notifying automatically the buyer when the reserve price has been published.

54. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, and the method including:

facilitating display of a reserve price of a listing in connection with an auction price-setting process to a seller.

55. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to facilitate a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

communicating a plurality of at least one of a reserve price or a fixed-price offer within the context of the auction price-setting process, wherein a specific price is communicated to a specific buyer from a seller.

56. The machine-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price offer is based on a location of the buyer.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price is adjusted based on the seller.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 55, further comprising:

automatically publishing at least one a proxy bid information and a reserve price.

59. A method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

automatically publishing at least one of a proxy bid information and a reserve price if a high proxy bid is less than the reserve price, the proxy bid information and the reserve price being associated with a listing for an auction price-setting process.

60. The method of claim 59, further including:

automatically retracting publication of the proxy bid information upon the high proxy bid exceeding the reserve price.

61. The method of claim 59, further including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the publication is performed during the auction price-setting process.

63. The method of claim 59, wherein the publication is performed after the auction price-setting process.

64. The method of claim 59, further including:

automatically notifying a buyer when the reserve price is published.

65. The method of claim 59, wherein the publishing includes publishing for view by a specific buyer only.

66. A method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including

facilitating an exchange of proxy information of a buyer and reserve price information of a seller, the proxy information and the reserve price information being associated with a listing utilizing the auction price-setting process.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged upon conclusion of the auction price-setting process.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the proxy information and the reserve price information are automatically exchanged during the auction price-setting process.

69. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

automatically inviting at least one of the seller and the buyer to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein at least one of the buyer and the seller is automatically invited to exchange the proxy and the reserve price information when a proxy bid associated with the seller and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the predetermined proximity is within twenty percent of each other.

72. The method of claim 66, wherein the exchange of information is a secured exchange of information.

73. The method of claim 69, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing.

74. The method of claim 69, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing before the auction price-setting process.

75. The method of claim 69, wherein the invitation is indicated in the listing after the auction price-setting process.

76. The method of claim 66, wherein the exchange is performed by automatically publishing at least one of the proxy information and the reserve price information.

77. The method of claim 66, further including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item utilizing the auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

78. The method of claim 66, further including:

notifying automatically the buyer when the reserve price has been published.

79. A method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, and the method including:

facilitating display of a reserve price of a listing in connection with an auction price-setting process to a seller.

80. A method to facilitate a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

communicating a plurality of at least one of a reserve price or a fixed-price offer within the context of the auction price-setting process, wherein a specific price is communicated to a specific buyer from a seller.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price offer is based on a location of the buyer.

82. The method of claim 80, wherein the at least one of the reserve price and the fixed-price is adjusted based on the seller.

83. The method of claim 80, further comprising:

automatically publishing at least one a proxy bid information and a reserve price.