Bidder monitoring tool for integrated auction and product ordering system

• US 20070150406A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cui, Yan, Zhang, Zhong, Subramanian, Lenin
• Application Number:
  US11/591,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A monitoring tool that permits a buyer to search for and participate in auctions conducted on a website of the buyer'"'"'s vendor. The monitoring tool provides a navigation frame having entries therein that represent predetermined searches across both the enterprise auction system and the enterprise product ordering and fulfillment system. The monitoring tool also provides a product description frame that provides summary records of auctions that are relevant to a selected view. By selecting among the navigation entries, a bidder is able to navigate quickly and accurately to auction information that is most relevant to his operations.

Claims

1. An integrated enterprise network comprising:

an auction management application and database therefore, the auction database storing records representing auctions of the enterprise,

a product ordering and fulfillment application and database therefore, the product ordering and fulfillment database storing records representing customer purchases,

an auction monitoring tool, comprising;

a navigation frame presenting a plurality of monitoring views, each view corresponding to a search among one or more of the auction management database records and the product ordering and fulfillment database records, and

a search tool, responsive to operator selection of a monitoring view, to execute the corresponding search among the auction management database records and/or the product ordering and fulfillment database records and generate a results page representing search results obtained therefrom.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises active auctions in which a user has placed a bid, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior bid history of the user and the auction records.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the view of active auctions in which a user has placed a bid is the first of any auction views to be displayed.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises active auctions the user has viewed in a detailed view, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior view history of the user and the auction records.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises auctions that include products a user has purchased via the product ordering and fulfillment application, the corresponding search causing a search of the user'"'"'s prior purchase history and the auction records.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises auctions in which a user has placed a bid but lost the auction, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior bid history and records of closed auctions.

7. An auction monitoring method, comprising:

displaying a navigation frame representing a plurality of auction monitoring views available to a user, each auction monitoring view corresponding to a search among records of one of an auction application or a product ordering and fulfillment application,

displaying a product description frame representing auction record data responsive to a selected auction monitoring view,

when a monitoring view is selected, executing the corresponding search among records of the auction application and/or the product ordering and fulfillment application, and

populating the product description frame with summary views of auction records responsive to the search.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises active auctions in which a user has placed a bid and the corresponding search causes a search of a prior bid history of the user and the auction records.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the view of active auctions in which a user has placed a bid is the first of any auction views to be displayed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises active auctions the user has viewed in a detailed view and the corresponding search causes a search of a prior view history of the user and the auction records.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises auctions that include products a user has purchased via the product ordering and fulfillment application and the corresponding search causes a search of the user'"'"'s prior purchase history and the auction records.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises auctions in which a user has placed a bid but lost the auction and the corresponding search causes a search of a prior bid history and records of closed auctions.

13. Computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that define:

an auction management application to conduct auctions on an automated basis and develop auction records representing them,

a product ordering and fulfillment application to manage customer orders and develop product records representing them,

an auction monitoring tool, comprising;

a navigation frame presenting a plurality of monitoring views, each view corresponding to a search among one or more of the auction management database records and the product ordering and fulfillment database records, and

a detailed record view,

a search tool, responsive to operator selection of a monitoring view, to execute the corresponding search among the auction management database records and/or the product ordering and fulfillment database records and generate a results page representing search results obtained therefrom.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises active auctions in which a user has placed a bid, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior bid history of the user and the auction records.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the view of active auctions in which a user has placed a bid is the first of any auction views to be displayed.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein one of the monitoring views comprises active auctions the user has viewed in a detailed view, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior view history of the user and the auction records.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises auctions that include products a user has purchased via the product ordering and fulfillment application, the corresponding search causing a search of the user'"'"'s prior purchase history and the auction records.

18. The medium of claim 13, wherein one of the monitoring view comprises auctions in which a user has placed a bid but lost the auction, the corresponding search causing a search of a prior bid history and records of closed auctions.