Method and apparatus for combining items in an on-line charitable auction or fund raising event

• US 20050080714A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BiddingForGood Incorporated (FrontStream Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: BiddingForGood Incorporated (FrontStream Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: McHale, Gregory Charles, Maib, Carl
• Application Number:
  US10/953,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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

The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, individual auction items in the auction catalog or database may be combined into a single item to create a new ‘parent’ item with a parent item name and parent fair market value and which functions similar to other auction items.

Claims

1. In a computer system operatively connectable to a network and capable of communicating with one or more other processes operatively connectable to the network, a method comprising:

(A) receiving data defining a first item to be offered in an auction, the first item having a fair market value;

(B) receiving data defining a second item to be offered in the auction, the second item having a fair market value; and

(C) receiving instructions to combine the first item and the second item into a composite item to be offered in the auction as a single item, the composite item having a fair market value different from the fair market value of one of the first and second items.

2. In a computer system operatively connectable to a network and capable of communicating with one or more other processes operatively connectable to the network, a method comprising:

(A) maintaining data defining a plurality of objects representing items to be offered in an auction, each of the plurality of objects having a plurality of parameters associated therewith; and

(B) receiving instructions to combine selected of the plurality of the objects into a parent object representing a combination of items to be offered in the auction as a single composite item, the parent object having a plurality of parameters associated therewith.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a donor data record identifying a donor of the object and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) combining the donor data records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object donor data record associated with the parent object.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises an auction properties record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) combining the auction properties records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object auction properties record associated with the parent object.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a fair market value and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) combining the fair market values of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object fair market value associated with the parent object.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises an image record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) combining the image records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object image record associated with the parent object.

7. A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively connectable to a network and capable of communicating with one or more other processes operatively connectable to the network, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

(A) program code for maintaining data defining a plurality of objects representing items to be offered in an auction, each of the plurality of objects having a plurality of parameters associated therewith; and

(B) program code for receiving instructions to combine selected of the plurality of the objects into a parent object representing a combination of items to be offered in the auction as a single composite item, the parent object having a plurality of parameters associated therewith.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a donor data record identifying a donor of the object and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program code for combining the donor data records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object donor data record associated with the parent object.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a auction properties record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program code for combining the auction properties records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object auction properties record associated with the parent object.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a fair market value and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program code for combining the fair market values of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object fair market value associated with the parent object.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises an image record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program code for combining the image records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object image record associated with the parent object.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for use with a computer system operatively connectable to a network and capable of communicating with one or more other processes operatively connectable to the network, the computer data signal comprising:

(A) program code for maintaining data defining a plurality of objects representing items to be offered in an auction, each of the plurality of objects having a plurality of parameters associated therewith; and

(B) program code for combining selected of the plurality of the objects into a parent object representing a combination of items to be offered in an auction as a single composite item, the parent object having a plurality of parameters associated therewith.

13. In a computer system operatively connectable to a network and capable of communicating with one or more other processes operatively connectable to the network, apparatus comprising:

(A) program logic for maintaining data defining a plurality of objects representing items to be offered in an auction, each of the plurality of objects having a plurality of parameters associated therewith; and

(B) program logic for combining selected of the plurality of the objects into a parent object representing a combination of items to be offered in an auction as a single composite item, the parent object having a plurality of parameters associated therewith.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a donor data record identifying a donor of the object and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program logic for combining the donor data records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object donor data record associated with the parent object.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises an auction properties record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program logic for combining the auction properties records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object auction properties record associated with the parent object.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises a fair market value and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program logic for combining the fair market values of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object fair market value associated with the parent object.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the plurality of objects comprises an image record and wherein (B) further comprises:

(B1) program logic for combining the image records of the selected of the plurality of objects into a parent object image record associated with the parent object.

18. In a computer usable memory, a data structure for enabling selected of a plurality of component auction objects representing items in an auction to be combined into a parent auction object representing a combination of items to be offered as a composite item in the auction, each of the component auction objects having a plurality of parameters associated therewith, the data structure comprising:

(A) data identifying the parent auction object representing a composite item;

(B) data identifying a plurality of selected component auction objects that comprise the parent auction object; and

(C) data identifying at least one parameter associated with the parent auction object.

19. The data structure of claim 18 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the component auction objects comprises donor data and wherein (C) comprises:

(C1) data identifying the donor data associated with each of the plurality of selected component auction objects that comprise the parent auction object.

20. The data structure of claim 18 wherein some of the parameters associated with each of the component auction objects comprises auction properties and wherein (C) comprises:

(C1) data identifying auction properties associated with each of the plurality of selected component auction objects that comprise the parent auction object.

21. The data structure of claim 18 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the component auction objects comprises a fair market value and wherein (C) comprises:

(C1) data identifying a composite fair market associated with the parent auction object, the composite fair market value being different from the fair market values associated with any of the component auction objects.

22. The data structure of claim 18 wherein one of the parameters associated with each of the component auction objects comprises a image data and wherein (C) comprises:

(C1) data identifying image data associated with each of the plurality of selected component auction objects that comprise the parent auction object.