System and Method for Determining Right of Access

• US 20080015973A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: John Nicholas and Kristin Gross Trust U/A/D April 13 2010
• Inventors: Erisman, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

Various methods and systems for auctioning mutually exclusive items such as golf tee times, restaurant reservations, concert tickets or hotel reservations are disclosed. Mutually exclusive can refer to items that cannot be possessed simultaneously because of physical limitations or to multiple items that could be simultaneously physically possessed but the bidder would only want possession of, at most, one of the items. An electronic auction method therefore performs the following operations: (1) an ordered processing of ranked bids to compare currently active bids with current winning bids to determine the new winning bids; (2) notifying unsuccessful bidders via e-mail to increase their bids; (3) comparing the new bid amount to all outstanding active and winning bids if the unsuccessful active bid is increased; (4) designating the active bid an inactive bid and designating the next highest ranked bid as the user'"'"'s current active bid if the unsuccessful bid is not increased in the allotted time; and, (5) continuing the protocol until all bidders either have a winning bid or no remaining active bids. An auction system includes a Central Auction Controller (CAC) that allows sellers to list items for auction and users to enter bids and rank orderings. The CAC maintains a central database comprising a database of user information, a database of items and bids and a database of vendor information. Administration of the system is accomplished via an I/O device and CPU and an optional e-mail processor allows automated messaging to users. This methodology allows users to effectively bid on a large number of mutually exclusive items but receive at most one item at the end of the auction. This method has the favorable effects for the users of: (1) increasing the probability of successfully bidding for at least one item; (2) making the auction process more convenient by greatly reducing the need for actively monitoring the auction; and, (3) decreasing the possibility a user will be out bid at the last moment and receive no item. This method has the favorable effects for the seller of increasing the probability their listed items will sell and increasing the expected average sales price.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method of participating in an electronic auction comprising the steps of:

(a) reviewing a database of items available for auction;

(b) entering a set of bids for a corresponding set of items selected from said database, each bid in said set of bids including at least a bid price and a bid ranking for an item;

(c) processing said set of bids based on both said bid price and said bid ranking for said corresponding set of items to determine if there is at least one winning bid for one of said corresponding set of items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said database of items correspond to access rights to an entertainment facility.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said corresponding set of items are selected by a user based on selecting items from said database that are to be processed during a predefined auction period.

14. The method of claim 11, where said processing step (c) determines how said corresponding set of items should be auctioned based on first considering a highest ranking bid submitted.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein during step (b), said set of bids includes at least one unconditional bid for a highest ranked item taken from said corresponding set of items, and the remainder of said set of bids being comprised of conditional bids for items ranked below said highest ranked item.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said conditional bids are not considered during step (c) unless said unconditional bid is unsuccessful for said highest ranked item.

17. The method of claim 11, further including a step (d):

notifying a bidder when a highest ranked bid is unsuccessful for a corresponding item.

18. The method of claim 17, further including a step (e):

permitting said bidder to increase a bid price for said highest ranked bid and then repeating step (c).

19. The method of claim 11, wherein when one bid from set of bids is satisfied for a bidder, any remaining bids are not evaluated for said bidder.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein multiple sets of bids are entered by multiple participants in the auction, and said multiple sets of bids are subjected to the processing step (c) to determine a single winning bid for each of said corresponding set of items.

21. The method of claim 11, further including a step (d):

allowing participants to monitor a status of the electronic auction by displaying bid price and bid ranking information for each of said set of items.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said bid ranking information is limited to an identification of a number of conditional bids placed for each of said set of items, and which conditional bids have a bid price equal to or exceeding a highest unconditional bid price for such items.

23. A method of participating in an electronic auction comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a set of N items from a database of items available for auction, said set of N items being characterized by a common auction expiration period;

(b) entering a set of N bids for said set of N items, such that said set of N bids includes at least one unconditional bid for one item in said set of N items, and the remainder of said set of N bids being comprised of conditional bids for a remainder of said N items;

(c) processing said set of bids prior to said common auction expiration period to determine if there is at least one winning bid in said set of bids, said processing being performed such that said conditional bids are not considered unless said unconditional bid for said one item is unsuccessful, and such that at most only a single item from said set of N items is matched to a single one of said set of N bids when determining said at least one winning bid.

24. The method of claim 23, further wherein during step (b) said N bids are ranked in accordance with a desired auction resolution order.

25. The method of claim 23, where said processing step (c) determines how said corresponding set of items should be auctioned based on first considering a highest ranking bid submitted.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein during step (b), said set of bids includes at least one unconditional bid for a highest ranked item taken from said corresponding set of items, and the remainder of said set of bids being comprised of conditional bids for items ranked below said highest ranked item.

27. A method of participating in an electronic auction comprising the steps of:

(a) entering a first bid for a first auction item that is to be auctioned during a first auction expiration period; and

(b) entering a second bid, prior to expiration of said first auction expiration period, for a second auction item that is to be to be auctioned during a second auction expiration period;

(c) processing said first bid prior to said first auction expiration period to determine if it is a winning bid for said first auction item; and

1) discarding said second bid when said first bid is a winning bid; and

2) when said first bid is not a winning bid, said second bid is processed prior to said second auction expiration period to determine if it is a winning bid for second auction item.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said first bid is treated an unconditional bid, and said second bid is treated as a conditional bid until said first bid is determined to be unsuccessful.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein at most only one of said first bid and second bid are declared as a winning bid.

30. A method of allowing a purchaser to bid on a right of access to one or more facilities, each of which facilities has a finite capacity for accommodating purchasers at a particular time, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving access items related to the one or more facilities, said access items each corresponding to an access time available at the one or more facilities;

(b) selecting a set of access items from said access items, said set of access items being based on a selected access time and selected facility chosen by the purchaser;

(c) entering a set of bids for said set of access items, such that each bid from said set of bids includes both a bid price and a bid ranking for an access item;

wherein the purchaser can control through said bid ranking in what order said set of bids are considered to determine whether they are winning bids for any of said access items.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said set of bids further includes personal information concerning the purchaser, and said personal information is compared against that of other purchasers to determine a final access time awarded to the purchaser for said access items.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said access items are auctioned across different auction expiration periods.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein after any bid from the purchaser is determined to be a winning bid, any remaining bids from the purchaser are disregarded.

34. A method of allowing a purchaser to bid on a right to play golf at a selected time and at a selected golf facility in an electronic auction, comprising the steps of:

(a) presenting a list of available golf playing opportunities to the purchaser, said golf playing opportunities including information identifying a golf course, a golf course date, and a golf course time at said golf course available for playing golf;

(b) allowing the purchaser to select one or more golf playing opportunities desired by the purchaser, said golf playing opportunities being characterized by a common expiration period within the electronic auction;

(c) allowing the purchaser to enter a bid for each of said one or more golf playing opportunities, said bid including both a bid price and a bid ranking for each of said one or more golf playing opportunities, so that a set of purchaser bids are created for said one or more golf playing opportunities;

(d) processing said set of purchaser bids, along with third party bids for said one or more golf playing opportunities, to determine winning bids for said golf playing opportunities;

(e) notifying the purchaser when a currently highest ranked bid from said purchaser is determined to be a winning bid or when said currently highest ranked bid is determined to be not a winning bid;

(f) allowing the purchaser to increase said bid price for said highest ranked bid within a predetermined time period when said highest ranked bid is determined to be not a winning bid;

(g) repeating steps (d) to (f) as needed until the end of the common expiration period, and until all of said purchaser bids are determined to be not winning bids, or until one of said purchaser bids is determined to be a winning bid;

wherein the purchaser is permitted to bid on multiple golf playing opportunities using said set of purchaser bids, but at most only a single one of said set of purchaser bids is satisfied as a winning bid.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said time at said golf course in (a) is not a single specific time but rather a window of time which includes multiple potential starting times.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said multiple potential starting times are assigned to said purchasers that have been declared winning bidders with said multiple times assigned so as to increase the pace of play on the golf course and to improve the enjoyment of said purchasers because of said faster pace of play and because the said purchasers can be grouped according to playing ability so players will be assigned to play with other purchasers of similar capability.

37-70. -70. (canceled)

71. A method of conducting an electronic auction for access rights to a facility comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing a capacity of the facility into a set of access time windows;

(b) creating a set of access right items based on said set of access time windows, said access right items including at least an access starting time and access duration associated with performing an activity at the facility;

(c) receiving bids for said access right items, each of said bids including a bid price and a bid ranking;

(d) processing said bids based on both said bid price and bid ranking to determine whether any successful bids exist for any of said access right items;

wherein all of said access right items are auctioned at the same time.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein said access right items further include a capacity value specifying a number of persons that can perform said activity at the facility during said access time window.

73. The method of claim 71 wherein said access right items further include an access time spacing, such that a plurality of access right items can be associated with an access time window, and said plurality of access right items are separated in time by said access time spacing.

74. The method of claim 71 further including a step of defining a minimum bid price for said set of access right items.

75. The method of claim 71 further including a step of defining a guaranteed bid price for said set of access right items, which guaranteed bid price specifies a bid price that will result in a an automatic successful bid.

76-81. -81. (canceled)

82. A system for participating in an electronic auction comprising:

(a) a set of N items stored in a database of items available for auction, said set of N items being characterized by a common auction expiration period;

(b) a bid input interface for entering a set of N bids for said set of N items, said bid input interface constraining said set of N bids such that at least one one unconditional bid is provided for one item in said set of N items, and the remainder of said set of N bids are comprised of conditional bids for a remainder of said N items;

(c) an auction processor coupled to said database of items and said bid input interface, and being further adapted to process said set of bids prior to said common auction expiration period to determine if there is at least one winning bid in said set of bids, said processing being performed such that said conditional bids are not considered unless said unconditional bid for said one item is unsuccessful, and such that at most only a single item from said set of N items is matched to a single one of said set of N bids when determining said at least one winning bid.

83. A system for participating in an electronic auction comprising:

(a) a database of auction items, said auction items including first auction items available for bidding during a first auction period, and second auction items available for bidding during a second bidding period;

(b) a bid input device for transmitting a first bid for one of said first auction items and a second bid for one of said second auction items, said first and second bids being received from a single bidder prior to an expiration of said first auction period;

(c) an auction processor coupled to said database of auction items and said bid input device, and being further adapted to determine if said first bid is a winning bid prior to said expiration of said first auction period; and

being further configured to process said second bid when said first bid is finally determined to be not a winning bid.

84. A system for allowing a purchaser to bid on a right to play golf at a selected time and at a selected golf facility in an electronic auction, said system comprising:

(a) a query interface for presenting a list of available golf playing opportunities to the purchaser, said golf playing opportunities including information identifying both a golf course and a time at said golf course available for playing golf;

(b) a bid interface adapted to allow the purchaser to enter a bid for each of said one or more golf playing opportunities, said bid including both a bid price and a bid ranking for each of said one or more golf playing opportunities, so that a set of purchaser bids are created for said one or more golf playing opportunities;

(c) an auction processor for processing said set of purchaser bids, along with third party bids for said one or more golf playing opportunities, to determine winning bids for said golf playing opportunities;

(d) an e-mail notification system for notifying the purchaser when a currently highest ranked bid from said purchaser is determined to be a winning bid or when said currently highest ranked bid is determined to be not a winning bid;

said auction processor being further configured;

1) to allow the purchaser to increase said bid price for said highest ranked bid within a predetermined time period when said highest ranked bid is determined to be not a winning bid;

2) to evaluate new bids until the end of the common expiration period, and until all of said purchaser bids are determined to be not winning bids, or until one of said purchaser bids is determined to be a winning bid;

wherein the purchaser is permitted to bid on multiple golf playing opportunities using said set of purchaser bids, but at most only a single one of said set of purchaser bids is satisfied as a winning bid.

85-102. -102. (canceled)