Method and apparatus for holding an online live auction to combine features of both the internet and traditional, real world auctions

• US 20060112003A1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Handler, Brad, Levy, Daniele
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• 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: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for conducting a live auction that combines various features of traditional and online auctions. According to one aspect of the present invention, the live auction includes a live, in-person auction component and a real-time online bidding environment component. Bidding information associated with an item in the online bidding environment is updated to reflect a current bid associated with the item in the live, in-person auction. During the live, in-person auction, a bid is be accepted from an online bidder in the online environment that reflects the online bidder'"'"'s bid price for the item. Subsequently, the system bids on behalf of the online bidder against other online bidders as well as one or more live bidders that are participating in the live, in-person. As such, the live auction enables real-time online bidding in a live, in-person auction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting to one or more remote auction bidders information about an item being auctioned at a live auction site;

receiving one or more remote auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned;

processing remote and onsite auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned;

accepting, by an auctioneer of the live auction site, an auction bid, wherein the accepted auction bid is selected from a plurality of onsite auction bids and remote auction bids; and

transmitting information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids to at least one remote auction bidder, wherein the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids is determined by an auctioneer of the live auction site.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing live audio and video data at the live auction site; and

streaming the captured live audio and video data to one or more remote auction bidders.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the remote and onsite auction bids includes, comparing one of the remote auction bids to a current onsite bid;

if the one of the remote auction bids is greater than the current onsite bid, placing the one of the remote auction bids at the live auction site; and

if the one of the remote auction bids is not greater than the current onsite bid, discarding the remote auction bid.

4. A system comprising:

a live auction interface operable to process onsite and remote auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for an item being auctioned at a live auction site by an auctioneer, to transmit to one or more of the remote auction bidders information pertaining to the item being auctioned, and to transmit to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids; and

a real time bidding process to receive remote auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned and to bid at the live auction site on behalf of the remote auction bidder.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transmitting of the information pertaining to the item being auctioned and the information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote bids is performed over a network infrastructure.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the information pertaining to the item being auctioned is selected from the group consisting of text-based item listings, thumbnail images, streaming audio, and streaming video.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting information about a live auction to an online attendee of the live auction;

receiving an online bid from the online attendee;

presenting the online bid to an auction conductor;

receiving a live bid, wherein the live bid was submitted to the auction conductor by a live attendee of the live auction; and

presenting the live bid to the online attendee.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

presenting the online bid to live attendees of the live auction.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a final auction bid, wherein the final auction bid is a bid accepted by the auction conductor.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

presenting information about acceptance of at least one of the live bid and the online bid to the online attendee.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the information about acceptance of at least one of the live bid and the online bid includes audio and video information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the information about the live auction includes audio and video information.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the presenting of the live bid to the online attendee occurs in near real-time.

14. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform the method of claim 7.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first device configured to present information to online bidders of an integrated live and online auction, the information being about an item for sale at the integrated live and online auction;

a second device to receive online bids from the online bidders, wherein the online bids are associated with the item; and

a live auction interface configured to present the online bids to live bidders at the integrated live and online auction, and to present live bids to the online bidders.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information includes thumbnail images of the item.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information includes textual information.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the live auction interface is to receive a final bid which was accepted by an auction conductor.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a third device configured to present audio and video information about progress of the integrated live and online auction.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a third device configured to conduct a teleconference including the live bidders and online bidders, the teleconference to monitor the progress of the integrated live and online auction.

21. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

integrating online bidders with live bidders to form an integrated auction for selling an item, the integrating including,

transmitting audio and video information to the online bidders, the audio and video information indicating progress of the integrated auction;

receiving bids associated with the online bidders and the live bidders; and

presenting certain of the bids to an auction conductor, the online bidders and the live bidders.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a final auction bid, wherein the final auction bid is a bid accepted by the auction conductor.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 to perform operations further comprising:

presenting the final auction bid to the online bidders and the live bidders.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the bids associated with the live bidders were submitted by the live bidders to the auction conductor.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the online bidders receive the certain of the bids in near real-time.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 to perform operations further comprising:

presenting textual information about the item to the online bidders.

27. A computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing live audio and video data at a live auction with an auctioneer;

transmitting the captured live audio and video data to one or more remote auction bidders, each remote auction bidder operating a bidding device, enabling remote auction bidders to hear the auctioneer and view real-time video from the live auction site, the live audio and video being received along with information regarding an item being auctioned at the live auction site and information regarding acceptance and rejection of onsite and remote auction bids over an IP network, the bidding device being operable to receive and transmit auction bids for the item being auctioned;

transmitting to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding the item being auctioned;

receiving auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned;

processing auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned at the live auction site;

accepting an auction bid, the auction bid being accepted by the auctioneer and the accepted auction bid is selected from a plurality of onsite auction bids and remote auction bids; and

transmitting information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids to at least one remote bidding device.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids includes audio and video information.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the processing of the auction bids includes,

comparing an auction bid from a remote auction bidder to a current bid of the onsite auction;

if the auction bid from the remote auction bidder is greater than the current bid of the onsite auction, placing the auction bid from the remote auction bidder at the onsite auction site; and

if the auction bid from the remote auction bidder is not greater than the current bid of the onsite auction, discarding auction bid from the remote auction bidder.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the bidding device is computer.

31. A system to integrate a remote auction audience with an onsite auction audience, the system comprising:

a first system to process auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for an item being auctioned at a live auction site;

a second system to;

transmit to one or more remote auction bidder'"'"'s information pertaining to the item being auctioned,

receive auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the items being auctioned; and

transmit to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids;

the first and second systems operating under direction of an auctioneer.