AUCTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20070214075A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gerald H. Ablan
• Original Assignee: Gerald H. Ablan
• Inventors: Ablan, Gerald H.
• Application Number:
  US11/749,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214075A1
• 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 auction management system that consolidates auction posting, monitoring, and closing for multiple auction users on multiple auction sites. An auction consolidator provides an Internet interface between auction sellers, auction buyers, and auction sites. The auction management system provides a unified platform where sellers post auction submissions, enter auction tracking data, and enter auction feedback for multiple auctions on multiple auction sites. Similarly, auction buyers monitor auction status, receive winner notification, enter auction tracking data, and enter auction feedback for multiple auctions on multiple auction sites. To support these functions, the auction management system compiles and posts auction submissions, automatically accesses the auction sites to extract auction status and closed auction data, and provides auction feedback to multiple auction sites on behalf of multiple auction users. The auction management system includes several Internet web servers that function as user interface platforms. An application server and a relational database support the integrated operations of the system. The application server includes an “auction monitor” module that maintains a consolidated auction monitoring report for each account maintained on the system. The auction monitor module includes tracking entries that allows auction buyers and sellers to keep track of the status of their closed auctions. The auction monitor module also automates certain post-closing tacking functions, such as notifying the winning bidder, and supports automatic auction feedback to the host auction site.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer-controlled apparatus to implement an auction management system, comprising:

an electronic auction monitoring report configured to display a plurality of auction management records within a common view, wherein each auction management record displays information pertaining to a respective auction submission and comprises tracking fields identifying post-sale activities to be performed in connection with the sale; and

an auction consolidation engine configured to post the auction submissions to one or more electronic auctions in accordance with the user-specified auction parameters, automatically revisit the auction sites, extract updated auction information pertaining to the auction submissions, update the auction monitoring report with the updated auction information, determine that a successful auction submission has resulted in a sale to a buyer, and update the auction management record for the successful auction submission with closed auction data associated with the sale.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the auction monitoring report is comprises alterable tracking fields for indicating the status of post-sale activities associated with sales resulting form the auctions.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the auction consolidation engine is configured to:

store settings data;

automatically perform a predefined post-sale operation in connection with the sale in accordance with the settings data associated with the auction management record for the successful auction submission; and

automatically display a corresponding tracking field in a state indicating completion of the post-sale operation.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the predefined post-sale operation comprises sending a purchase notification message to the buyer.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the predefined post-sale operation comprises sending an auction feedback message to a host of the auction that resulted in the sale.

32. A computer controlled apparatus comprising the computer-readable medium of claim 27.

33. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer-controlled apparatus to perform the steps of:

displaying an auction monitoring report comprising a plurality of auction management records displayed within a common view, wherein each auction management record displays information pertaining to a respective auction submission;

revisiting the auction sites to extract updated auction information pertaining to the auction submissions;

updating the auction monitoring report with the updated auction information;

determining that a successful auction submission has resulted in a sale to a buyer; and

updating the auction management record for the successful auction submission with closed auction data associated with the sale.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

displaying tracking fields in association with the auction management record for the successful auction submission identifying post-sale activities to be performed in connection with the sale;

altering the view of the tracking fields to indicate completion of the associated post-sale activities.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising the step of receiving user input altering the view of a selected tracking field to indicate completion of its associated post-sale activity.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising the step of responding to the sale by:

storing settings data;

automatically performing a predefined post-sale operation in accordance with the settings data associated with the auction management record for the successful auction submission; and

automatically displaying a corresponding tracking field in a state indicating completion of the post-sale operation.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the predefined post-sale operation comprises sending a purchase notification message to the buyer.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the predefined post-sale operation comprises sending an auction feedback message to a host of the auction that resulted in the sale.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the predefined post-sale operation comprises creating and storing a billing record containing the auction closed data.

40. The computer storage medium of claim 33, further comprising the step of revisiting the auction sites to extract updated auction information in response to a user request for access to the auction monitoring report.

41. The computer storage medium of claim 34, wherein each auction management record comprises a row displaying the information pertaining to its respective auction submission and the tracking fields are displayed as icons.

42. The computer storage medium of claim 34, wherein tracking fields include tracking fields for purchaser notification, payment received, auction item shipped, and payment received.

43. A computer controlled apparatus comprising the computer-readable medium of claim 33.