Sales system with sales activity feedback

• US 20070112645A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Simpson, Rick, Traynor, David
• Application Number:
  US11/648,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112645A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A networked sales method and a network sales terminal for use in communicating with a sales server via a network. Various embodiments include a networked sales method comprising presenting via a first network a plurality of price choices to a user for an item on a sales screen, converting available supply and sales activity level information about actions by other users for the item for which the price choices are displayed in the step of presenting into a feedback indication, and adjusting the price choices according to the feedback indication derived in the of the step of converting.

Claims

1. A networked sales method, comprising:

presenting via a first network a plurality of price choices to a user for an item on a sales screen;

converting available supply and sales activity level information about actions by other users for the item for which the price choices are displayed in the step of presenting into a feedback indication; and

adjusting the price choices according to the feedback indication derived in the of the step of converting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of presenting presents the plurality of price choices as a schedule of time-separated price choices, and wherein the step of adjusting adjusts the duration between prices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of presenting presents the plurality of price choices as a schedule of time-separated price choices, and wherein the step of adjusting adjusts an amount of at least one of the prices in the schedule.

4. The method of claim 1 further including a step of displaying a version of the feedback indication in the sales screen.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting derives the feedback value from quantities of the item sold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting derives the feedback value from quantities of the item reserved at future price points.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting derives the feedback value from quantities of the item for which a reminder request has been entered.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting derives the feedback value from quantities of the item sold and the time taken to sell them.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting is performed continuously in near real time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of presenting a plurality of price choices displays a present price and at least one future price, and further including a step of displaying a present purchase control button next to the present price and a future purchase control button next to the future price.

11. A network sales terminal for use in communicating with a sales server via a network, comprising:

an item identification area responsive to the sales server via the network;

a plurality of price choice selection controls for the item identified in the item identification area and having outputs provided to the sales server via the network; and

wherein at least one attribute of the price choice selection controls is operative to change during an offering of the item identified in the item identification area.

12. The network sales terminal of claim 11 wherein the price choice selection controls are arranged according to a falling price schedule, and wherein the timing of the price choice selection controls is one of the attributes operative to change during an offering of the item identified in the item identification area.

13. The network sales terminal of claim 11 further including a feedback indication area responsive to the sales server via the network and operative to display a feedback indication derived from a quantity of the item available and sales of the item through other sales terminals.

14. The network sales terminal of claim 11 wherein the at least one attribute is operative to change in near real time.

15. The network sales terminal of claim 11 wherein the price choice selection controls are associated with time-separated price choices from a falling-price schedule.

16. A networked sales system, comprising:

means for presenting via a first network a plurality of price choices to a user for an item on a sales screen;

means for converting sales activity level information by other users for the item for which the price choices are displayed by the means for presenting into a feedback indication; and

means responsive to the means for converting for adjusting the price choices according to the feedback indication.