REAL-TIME FEDERATED AUCTIONS AND PURCHASING

• US 20080109301A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yee, Dawson, Horvitz, Eric, Westerinen, William Jefferson, Panabaker, Ruston John David
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 method and system is provided for conducting a purchasing activity among federated devices in an ad hoc network. In one example, the purchasing activity is an auction. Devices may be identified for federating into the ad hoc network. The devices may be identified, for example, based on distance from an auction item or distance from a device of a seller of the auction item. Alternatively, the purchasing activity may include a bulk purchase in which user devices may federate into an ad hoc network for sharing costs of bulk items.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a purchasing activity, the method comprising:

sending a radio request to one or more devices for causing the one or more devices to federate into an ad hoc wireless network through which the devices can exchange messages; and

conducting the purchasing activity by exchanging messages between the devices via the ad hoc wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the one or more devices for federating into the ad hoc wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying includes:

identifying an item for sale in the purchasing activity;

federating a device into the ad hoc wireless network based on a distance between the device and the item for sale.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of federating the device includes:

establishing a predetermined distance;

determining the distance between the device and the item for sale;

comparing the predetermined distance and the distance between the device and the item for sale;

federating the device if the distance between the device and the item for sale is less than the predetermined distance.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the identifying includes:

identifying an item for sale in the purchasing activity;

federating a device into the ad hoc wireless network based on a characteristic of a user associated with the device, the characteristic including one of velocity of movement, destination, prior pattern of activity, demographic information, attentional focus, or interests of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices includes a device of a seller and a device of a buyer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, prior to the sending step, identifying the one or more devices for federating into the ad hoc wireless network, the identifying including federating an identified device into the ad hoc wireless network based on a distance between the device of the seller and the identified device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of federating includes:

establishing a predetermined distance;

determining the distance between the device of the seller and the identified device;

federating the device if the distance between the seller device and the identified device is less than the predetermined distance, otherwise not federating the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing activity is an auction of an auction item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of sending the radio request includes:

determining a threshold number of devices for federating into the ad hoc wireless network;

sending the radio request only if the number of devices for federating into the ad hoc wireless network is greater than the threshold number of devices.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the radio request is transmitted by a terminal in response to a request from one of the devices to bid on an item or service.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the auction begins when a threshold number of devices have joined the ad hoc wireless network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the radio request represents an advertisement for the availability for sale of an item or service.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of conducting the purchasing activity includes exchanging auction messages between the devices, the auction messages including one of bids, offers, auction item status, and auction status.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more devices are within a predetermined distance of the auction item.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more devices are within a predetermined distance of a host device, the host device for coordinating the auction.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing activity is a bulk sale of items.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the radio request includes a notification of the bulk sale.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of conducting includes exchanging bulk purchase messages between the devices, the bulk purchase messages including an indication of the number of devices in the ad hoc wireless network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the bulk purchase messages further include an indication of a desire to split the bulk purchase.