Technique for providing a personalized auction service through an information assistance provider

• US 20070005483A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Inventors: Graham, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/262,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005483A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

To provide a personalized auction service, data pertaining to one or more of a user'"'"'s accounts with different online auction service providers (OASPs), such as URLs of the OASPs and account access data, is maintained in a folder by an information assistance service, which is unaffiliated with the OASPs. When the user calls the information assistance service, the user'"'"'s folder is retrieved. The user'"'"'s OASP accounts may be accessed on behalf of the user based on the URLs of the OASPs and account access data in the user'"'"'s folder. An information assistance provider including, for example, an operator and/or a voice server, may perform on behalf of the user one or more operations with respect to one or more of the user'"'"'s OASP accounts, including initiating an auction, for example.

Claims

1. A method performed by a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving via a wireless communications device a request to initiate an auction with an online auction service unaffiliated with the communications system; and

initiating the auction with the online auction service, based on the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a user, the method further comprising:

receiving from the user information identifying an auction account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the auction account is with the online auction service.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

accessing a data file associated with the user and stored by the system;

retrieving from the data file data concerning access to the auction account; and

accessing the auction account, based on the data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises one or more data items selected from the following:

a user name and a password.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a user, the method further comprising:

identifying one or more items required by the online auction service for initiating the auction;

requesting from the user information pertaining to the one or more items;

receiving the information from the user; and

transmitting the information to the online auction service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information includes one or more items selected from the following:

a title of an auction, a minimum bid value, a duration of an auction, a description of an object to be offered for sale, a number of objects to be offered in an auction, and a minimum bid increment value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user at least one image of one or more objects offered in the auction; and

posting a digital version of the at least one image at a location on a network that is accessible to persons bidding in the auction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one image comprises one or more items selected from the following:

a photograph, a facsimile image, and an digital image.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

posting a digital version of the at least one image at a URL accessible via an Internet connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications system comprises an information assistance provider.

13. A method performed by a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate an auction;

accessing an auction account maintained by a second system not affiliated with the communications system, in accordance with the request; and

initiating an auction with the second system via the auction account, based on the request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request includes a telephone call.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving the request through a first communication connection; and

accessing the auction account through a second communication connection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first communications connection includes a telephonic connection.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising verifying the user'"'"'s identity before the auction is initiated.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the request is received from a user, the method further comprising:

accessing a data file associated with the user and stored by the communications system;

retrieving from the data file data concerning access to the auction account; and

accessing the auction account over a second communications connection, based on the data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises one or more data items selected from the following:

a user name and a password.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the auction account comprises at least one online auction account.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the request comprises information specifying an auction account.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the request is received from a user, the method further comprising:

identifying one or more items required by an online auction service associated with the auction account;

receiving from the user information pertaining to the one or more items; and

transmitting the information to the online auction service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information includes one or more items selected from the following:

a title of an auction, a minimum bid value, a duration of an auction, a description of an object to be offered for sale, a number of objects to be offered in an auction, and a minimum bid increment value.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the request is received from a user, the method further comprising:

receiving from the user at least one image of one or more objects offered in the auction; and

posting a digital version of the at least one image at a location on a network that is accessible to persons bidding in the auction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one image comprises one or more items selected from the following:

a photograph, a facsimile image, and an digital image.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising:

posting a digital version of the at least one image at a URL accessible via an Internet connection.

28. The method of claim 13, wherein the communications system comprises an information assistance service provider.

29. The method of claim 13, wherein the second system is an online auction service provider.

30. The method of claim 13, wherein the auction account is associated with a user of the communications system.

31. The method of claim 13, wherein the auction account is associated with the communications system.

32. A communications system, comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive via a wireless communications device a request to initiate an auction with an online auction service unaffiliated with the communications system; and

a processor configured to;

initiate the auction with the online auction service, based on the request.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the request is received from a user, the interface being further configured to:

receive from the user information identifying an auction account.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a memory; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

access a data file associated with the user and stored in the memory;

retrieve from the data file data concerning access to the auction account; and

access the auction account, based on the data.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises one or more data items selected from the following:

a user name and a password.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the data concerning access to the auction account comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the request is received from a user, the processor being further configured to:

identify one or more items required by the online auction service for initiating the auction;

request from the user information pertaining to the one or more items;

receive the information from the user; and

transmit the information to the online auction service.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the information includes one or more items selected from the following:

a title of an auction, a minimum bid value, a duration of an auction, a description of an object to be offered for sale, a number of objects to be offered in an auction, and a minimum bid increment value.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the request is received from a user, the interface being further configured to:

receive from the user at least one image of one or more objects offered in the auction; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

post a digital version of the image at a location on a network that is accessible to persons bidding in the auction.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the at least one image comprises one or more items selected from the following:

a photograph, a facsimile image, and an digital image.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to:

post a digital version of the at least one image at a URL accessible via an Internet connection.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the communications system comprises an information assistance provider.