Read-Only User Access for Web Based Auction

• US 20090030813A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, Rebeeca Lynn, Morrison, William James, Wiesehuegel, Leland James, Rzepka, Jacob Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• 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 networked computer arrangement and method in which a manufacturer or service provider may communicate to a plurality of traders the items, including goods and/or services, which may be available for purchase, the quantities of those available items, and any other conditions to be met for the purchase of the available items. Traders may apply guest bidder profiles or entitlement schema to the available goods lists to produce offerings for a plurality of guest brokers. Only bid-relevant product information is presented to each guest broker as needed in order to protect the offering party'"'"'s overall position on the offered good(s). Guest broker profiles or entitlement schema may be based on perspective contractual arrangements between potential brokers, traders, and a manufacturer or service provider. Offerings are presented to the guest brokers, who are restricted from participating in the bidding process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a first tier of an offering and bidding process, an “

offeror”

notifying one or more traders of available products or services;

in a second tier of said offering and bidding process, each said trader communicating offerings to resell said available products or services to one or more brokers associated with each trader;

in a third tier of said offering and bidding process, each said broker responding with bids to purchase said resold products or services through said trader;

providing a reseller master agreement in a computer-readable record for each broker entitling a subset of said products and services on which each broker may bid, said subset being authorized for further resale by each broker to one or more end users, said end users comprising a fourth tier of said offering and bidding process;

preparing and presenting one or more entitled offerings to a guest user of said offering and bidding process according to a guest profile, said profile enabling only presentation of offerings for one or more items about which said guest is allowed to view information, but for which said guest is restricted from bidding;

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guest profile comprises an item category parameter.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said profile comprises a guest location parameter.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein preparing entitled offerings comprises removing items from an available items list which are unmatched by a category parameter within said guest profile to produce a minimized list of items for which a guest is entitled to receive offerings.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein preparing entitled offers comprises removing items from an available items list which are unmatched by a guest'"'"'s location parameter to produce a minimized list of items for which a guest is entitled to receive offerings.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein presenting comprises displaying in a web browser user interface.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising disabling and restricting bid attempts from said guest for items which are indicated as “

read-only”

in the guest profile.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising enabling bid attempts from said guest for items which are indicated as “

entitled”

in the guest profile.