Method and system for implementing multiple auctions for a product on a seller's e-commerce site

• US 20070106596A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cui, Yan, Bayyapu, Pavan, Zhang, Zhong, Penagulur, Narendra, Fang, Yue, Subramanian, Lenin
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An internal auction application may allow a seller to create a multiple auction for a plurality of products and allow a buyer to see and bid on the multiple auction as appropriate. The internal auction application may receive parameters for the multiple auction from the seller and an associated plurality of auctions may be determined for the multiple auction as a function of the parameters. The internal auction application may create and publish the multiple auction and the associated plurality of auctions on a seller'"'"'s e-commerce site visible to the buyer. The multiple auction may be a serial multiple auction, a recurring multiple auction or a varied sublot multiple auction.

Claims

1. A method for publishing a multiple auction on a seller'"'"'s network site in an internal auction system using an internal auction application, comprising:

receiving a first set of parameters for the multiple auction from a seller through a seller-side application in communication with the internal auction application;

retrieving a second set of parameters for the multiple auction from a seller information management system;

responsive to the first and second sets of parameters, creating by the internal auction application the multiple auction, wherein the multiple auction includes a plurality of auctions for a plurality of products as a function of the first and second sets of parameters of the multiple auction, wherein each auction is associated with a set of auction details; and

publishing the multiple auction on the seller'"'"'s network site by the internal auction application, the multiple auction visible to buyers through a buyer-side application.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of items are identical.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the set of auction details associated with each auction includes,

a product description,

a start time,

a duration,

a lot size,

a starting price, and

a final bid.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the lot size of a first auction is different from the lot size of a second auction.

5. A method of claim 3, wherein the start time of a second auction is after the start time plus the duration of a first auction.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the parameters for the multiple auction include a desired quantity, and wherein the plurality of auctions includes,

a first set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the first set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity, and

a second set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the second set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein a winning set of auctions is a set of auctions wherein

a sum of lot sizes of the set of auctions is equal to the desired lot size, and

a sum of final bids of the set of auctions is greater than a sum of final bids of any other set of auctions.

8. A system for publishing a multiple auction in an internal auction system, comprising:

a seller-side application;

a buyer-side application;

a seller information management system;

a seller'"'"'s network site; and

an internal auction application, the internal auction application in communication with the seller-side application, the buyer-side application, the seller information management system and the seller'"'"'s network site, the internal auction application configured to,

receive a first set of parameters for the multiple auction from a seller through the seller-side application,

retrieve a second set of parameters for the multiple auction from the seller information management system,

responsive to the first and second sets of parameters, create the multiple auction, wherein the multiple auction includes a plurality of auctions for a plurality of products as a function of the first and second sets of parameters of the multiple auction, wherein each auction is associated with a set of auction details, and

publish the multiple auction on the seller'"'"'s network site, the multiple auction visible to buyers through the buyer-side application.

9. A system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of items are identical.

10. A system of claim 8, wherein the set of auction details associated with each auction includes,

a product description,

a start time,

a duration,

a lot size,

a starting price, and

a final bid.

11. A system of claim 10, wherein the lot size of a first auction is different from the lot size of a second auction.

12. A system of claim 10, wherein the start time of a second auction is after the start time plus the duration of a first auction.

13. A system of claim 8, wherein the parameters for the multiple auction include a desired quantity, and wherein the plurality of auctions includes,

a first set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the first set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity, and

a second set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the second set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity.

14. A system of claim 13, wherein a winning set of auctions is a set of auctions wherein

a sum of lot sizes of the set of auctions is equal to the desired lot size, and

a sum of final bids of the set of auctions is greater than a sum of final bids of any other set of auctions.

15. A computer-readable medium including instructions adapted to execute a method for publishing a multiple auction on a seller'"'"'s network site in an internal auction system using an internal auction application, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of parameters for the multiple auction from a seller through a seller-side application in communication with the internal auction application;

retrieving a second set of parameters for the multiple auction from a seller information management system;

responsive to the first and second sets of parameters, creating by the internal auction application the multiple auction, wherein the multiple auction includes a plurality of auctions for a plurality of products as a function of the first and second sets of parameters of the multiple auction, wherein each auction is associated with a set of auction details; and

publishing the multiple auction on the seller'"'"'s network site by the internal auction application, the multiple auction visible to buyers through a buyer-side application.

16. A computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of items are identical.

17. A computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of auction details associated with each auction includes,

a product description,

a start time,

a duration,

a lot size,

a starting price, and

a final bid.

18. A computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the lot size of a first auction is different from the lot size of a second auction.

19. A computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the start time of a second auction is after the start time plus the duration of a first auction.

20. A computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the parameters for the multiple auction include a desired quantity, and wherein the plurality of auctions includes,

a first set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the first set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity, and

a second set of auctions, wherein a sum of the quantity of each auction in the second set of auctions is equal to the desired quantity.

21. A computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein a winning set of auctions is a set of auctions wherein

a sum of lot sizes of the set of auctions is equal to the desired lot size, and

a sum of final bids of the set of auctions is greater than a sum of final bids of any other set of auctions.