System and method for hosting combined online and live auctions
First Claim
1. An apparatus for the conduct of an auction from a physical location allowing for the participation of both live bidders and online bidders, said apparatus comprising:
- a) an auction web site system including auction software components;
b) at least one bidder computer, each bidder computer configured to record online bids from an online bidder and able to communicate the details of the online bid with the auction web site system; and
c) at least one site terminal operatively connected to said auction web site system, each site terminal configured to record live bids from multiple live bidders and able to communicate the details of said live bids with said auction web site system auction software components;
wherein said site terminal is configured to record live bids from a plurality of live bidders by recording at the time a live bid is made by a live bidder, the amount of the live bid and a live bidder identifier, to identify which of said multiple live bidders made said live bid in a bid database and entered by an independent operator at said site terminal;
wherein online bids and live bids are recorded by said auction software components in said bid database in said web site system.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the hosting of a combined auction, with live bidders in physical presence at the auction site as well as online bidders being able to view the auction and bid over the Internet. Auction and bid processing are centralized on a central control system. A remote module is used at the actual physical site of the auction and provides site data to the central control system for handling and distribution to bidders. The technical requirements at the actual auction site are minimized by the centralization of the majority of auction processing, and high-speed network connectivity requirements between the auction site and the central processing system are minimized.
23 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for the conduct of an auction from a physical location allowing for the participation of both live bidders and online bidders, said apparatus comprising:
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a) an auction web site system including auction software components; b) at least one bidder computer, each bidder computer configured to record online bids from an online bidder and able to communicate the details of the online bid with the auction web site system; and c) at least one site terminal operatively connected to said auction web site system, each site terminal configured to record live bids from multiple live bidders and able to communicate the details of said live bids with said auction web site system auction software components; wherein said site terminal is configured to record live bids from a plurality of live bidders by recording at the time a live bid is made by a live bidder, the amount of the live bid and a live bidder identifier, to identify which of said multiple live bidders made said live bid in a bid database and entered by an independent operator at said site terminal; wherein online bids and live bids are recorded by said auction software components in said bid database in said web site system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of conducting an auction at an auction location allowing the placement of online bids from online bidders as well as the placement of live bids from live bidders present at the auction location, said method comprising:
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a) providing an auction web site system which can communicate with the bidder computers of online bidders, said web site system including auction software components capable of receiving and recording online bids and live bids in respect of auction lots; b) providing a site terminal at the auction location operatively connected to said web site system; c) with respect to an auction lot, using said web site system and site terminal to conduct an auction in the following steps; i) accepting online bidders to transmit online bids from bidder computers to said web site system; ii) allowing a plurality of live bidders to place live bids at said site terminal of the auction location, said live bids being associated with a unique bidder number and transmitted from said site terminal to said web site system, said live bids entered into said web site system at said site terminal at said auction location by an independent second entity; iii) recording each of said online bids and each of said plurality of live bids entered on said site terminal at said auction location received by the Web site system individually in a database; iv) upon detection of an auction-closing condition, ceasing the acceptance of any further bids by said web site system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of coordinating a live auction at a defined live auction location with placement of online bids from online bidders for a plurality of auction lots, said method comprising:
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a) providing an auction web site system which can communicate with a plurality of online bidding computers, said web site system including auction software components capable of receiving and recording online bids from said plurality of online bidder computers in respect of said auction lots; b) providing a site terminal at said defined live auction location, said site terminal operatively connected to said web site system and able to integrate a plurality of live auction bids into said auction web site system from said single site terminal; c) said web site system and site terminal conducting an auction in the following steps; (i) accepting bids from said plurality of online bidder computers; (ii) allowing live bidders to place live bids at said live auction location, said live bids being transmitted from said site terminal to said web site system, said live bids entered into said web site system at said site terminal at said auction location by an independent second entity; (iii) recording said online bids and said plurality of live auction bids received by said web site system in a database; (iv) differentiating said plurality of live auction bids; and (v) upon detection of an auction-closing condition, ceasing the acceptance of any further bids by said web site system.
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Specification