Computer-based electronic bid, auction and sale system, and a system to teach new/non-registered customers how bidding, auction purchasing works

• US 6,012,045 A
• Filed: 07/01/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nizan Barzilai, Ron Davidson
• Original Assignee: Nizan Barzilai, Ron Davidson
• Inventors: Davidson, Ron, Barzilai, Nizan
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irshadullah, M.
• Application Number:
  US08/886,492
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37, 380/25, 273/306, 283/67
• 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

The computer-based method of selling consumer products and consumer services includes, in one embodiment, the utiltization of a computer system, which maintains the electronic bid, auction and sales records, and a plurality of customer computers interconnected with the computer system via a telecommunications link. The computer system electronically establishes a virtual showroom accessible by the customer'"'"'s computers which displays consumer goods and services and information regarding the commonly available selling price for each product and service. For example, the system displays the manufacturer'"'"'s suggested retail price or MSRP, a minimum opening bid price, information regarding the make, model and manufacturer or distributor of the offered product or service, and bid cycle data revealing the open, close and acceptance dates for the bids. The computer-based method electronically posts all bids made by bidders on the products and services during the bid period. The system accepts the highest bid while excluding bids greater than the lowest high bid from a single bidder. The system further electronically consummates the sale. Each bid costs the bidder a predetermined amount of money. The system also provides an electronic bid, auction and sale game. The computer-based method also electronically posts all winning and accepted bids thereby documenting the sale of the plurality of products and services purchased by the bidders.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of purchasing consumer products and consumer services via an electronic bid, auction and sale comprising the steps of:

providing a computer system for the electronic bid, auction and sales of a plurality of consumer products and services, providing a plurality of customer computers operated by customers and providing access to said computer system by said plurality of computers with a telecommunications system linking said computer system and said plurality of computers;

electronically establishing a virtual showroom on said computer system, said virtual showroom being accessible by said plurality of customer computers and including electronic displays of said plurality of consumer products and services which are offered for sale;

electronically displaying the following textual information for each one of said plurality of products and services;

information regarding a commonly available selling price for each one of said plurality of products and services,

a minimum opening bid price,

information regarding the make, model and manufacturer or supplier of said plurality of products and services, and

bid cycle data revealing when a bid period is open and when bids will be accepted for each one of said products and services;

electronically blocking customers from becoming bidders and posting bids until said customers have electronically pre-registered;

electronically posting all bids received for each one of said plurality of products and services during said bid period;

accepting the highest bid submitted for the sale of one of said plurality of products and services from all bids submitted by said bidders and excluding all bids greater than the lowest high bid from a group of bids submitted by a single bidder for said one of said plurality of products and services;

electronically consummating the sale of said one of said plurality of products and services to the highest bidder via electronic confirmation;

accepting an electronic payment of funds from each bidder for each bid based upon the number of bids submitted by said bidder;

for customers who have not pre-registered, permitting said customer to place fictitious bids for one or more of said plurality of products and services, posting said fictitious bids, generating a plurality of computer generated fictitious bids responsive to the posted fictitious bids, fictitiously accepting the highest bid from all fictitious bids while excluding all fictitious bids greater than the lowest high fictitious bid from a group of fictitious bids submitted by said customer for said one or more of said plurality of products and services, and fictitiously assessing a charge for each fictitious bid submitted by said customer thereby teaching said customer how the bid and auction purchasing system works; and

,

electronically posting all winning and accepted bids and documenting the sale of said plurality of products and services purchased by bidders.

2. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 including the step of functionally grouping together said plurality of products and services in said virtual showroom.

3. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 including the step of permitting pre-registered customers to place fictitious bids and the step of fictitiously assessing a charge for each fictitious bid submitted by said customer thereby permitting the pre-registered customer to shop for a group of said plurality of products and services prior to the step of electronically posting bids.

4. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 including the step of electronically gathering warranty information from said manufacturer or supplier of said plurality of products and services and electronically displaying said warranty information with said textual information.

5. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of electronically consummating via an electronic confirmation includes the step of establishing an audio telecommunications link between said highest bidder and said computer system.

6. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 including the step of electronically pre-registering said customers.

7. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 6 wherein the step of electronically pre-registering includes the step of establishing an audio telecommunications link between said customer and said computer system.

8. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of electronically posting all bids is conducted in said computer system and said customer computers are not permitted access thereto and wherein the step of electronically posting all winning and accepted bids includes the step of electronically displaying all winning and accepted bids to all customers.

9. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of electronically displaying all winning and accepted bids to all customers includes the step of displaying a predetermined number of non-winning bids proximate to said winning and accepted bids.

10. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 9 including the step of permitting pre-registered customers to place fictitious bids and the step of fictitiously assessing a charge for each fictitious bid submitted by said customer thereby permitting the pre-registered customer to shop for a group of said plurality of products and services prior to the step of electronically posting bids.

11. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 10 including the step of electronically gathering warranty information from said manufacturer or supplier of said plurality of products and services and electronically displaying said warranty information with said textual information.

12. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of electronically consummating via an electronic confirmation includes the step of establishing an audio telecommunications link between said highest bidder and said computer system.

13. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 12 including the step of electronically pre-registering said customers.

14. A computer-based method of purchasing as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of electronically pre-registering includes the step of establishing an audio telecommunications link between said customer and said computer system.

15. A computer-based method of selling a plurality of consumer products and services via an electronic bid, auction and sale method with a computer system accessible by a plurality of customer computers operated by customers via a telecommunications system, the computerized electronic bid, auction and sale method comprising the steps of:

electronically establishing a virtual showroom on said computer system accessible by said plurality of customer computers, said showroom including electronic displays of said plurality of consumer products and services which are offered for sale, displayed information regarding a commonly available selling price for each product and service offer, a minimum opening bid price, information regarding the make, model and manufacturer or supplier of said product and service offer, and bid cycle data revealing an open, close and acceptance date for bids;

electronically blocking customers from becoming bidders and posting bids until said customers have electronically pre-registered;

electronically posting all bids received for each one of said plurality of products and services during said bid period;

accepting the highest bid submitted for the sale of one of said plurality of products and services from all bids submitted by said bidders and excluding all bids greater than the lowest high bid from a group of bids submitted by a single bidder for said one of said plurality of products and services;

electronically consummating the sale of said one of said plurality of products and services to the highest bidder via electronic confirmation;

accepting an electronic payment of funds from each bidder for each bid based upon the number of bids submitted by said bidder;

for customers who have not pre-registered, providing a game play wherein customers place fictitious bids, the computer system generates a plurality of computer generated fictitious bids responsive to the customers'"'"' fictitious bids, the computer system fictitiously accepts the highest bid while excluding all fictitious bids greater than the lowest high fictitious bid from single customer, and fictitiously assesses a charge for each fictitious bid submitted by customers; and

,

electronically posting and displaying all winning and accepted bids and documenting the sale of said plurality of products and services purchased by bidders.

16. A computer-based method of selling as claimed in claim 15 wherein the step of electronically posting all bids is not electronically displayed to said customers and wherein the step of electronically posting all winning and accepted bids includes the step of electronically displaying all winning and accepted bids to all customers.

17. A computer-based method of selling as claimed in claim 16 wherein the step of electronically displaying all winning and accepted bids to all customers includes the step of displaying a predetermined number of non-winning bids proximate to said winning and accepted bids.

18. A computer-based method of selling as claimed in claim 17 including the step of permitting pre-registered customers to game play.

19. A computer-based method of selling as claimed in claim 18 including the step of electronically gathering warranty information from said manufacturer or supplier of said plurality of products and services and electronically displaying said warranty information with other product and service information.

20. A computer-based method of selling consumer products and consumer services via an electronic bid, auction and sale comprising the steps of:

providing a distributed computer system for the electronic bid, auction and sales of a plurality of consumer products and services, providing a voice communications center, providing a plurality of customer computers operated by customers and associated voice communications equipment, and providing access, via a telecommunications system, to said distributed computer system by said plurality of customer computers and said voice communications center;

electronically establishing a virtual showroom on said computer system, said virtual showroom being accessible by said plurality of customer computers and said voice communications center and said showroom including electronic displays of said plurality of consumer products and services which are offered for sale, displayed information regarding a commonly available selling price for each product and service offer, a minimum opening bid price, information regarding the make, model and manufacturer or supplier of said product and service offer, and bid cycle data revealing an open, close and acceptance date for bids;

pre-registering customers with said distributed computer system via said voice communications center;

electronically blocking customers from becoming bidders and posting bids until said customers have electronically pre-registered;

electronically posting all bids received for each one of said plurality of products and services during said bid period;

accepting the highest bid submitted for the sale of one of said plurality of products and services from all bids submitted by said bidders and excluding all bids greater than the lowest high bid from a group of bids submitted by a single bidder for said one of said plurality of products and services;

electronically consummating the sale of said one of said plurality of products and services to the highest bidder via electronic confirmation associated with said voice communications center;

accepting an electronic payment of funds from each bidder for each bid based upon the number of bids submitted by said bidder;

for customers who have not pre-registered, permitting said customer via said voice communications center to place fictitious bids for one or more of said plurality of products and services, posting said fictitious bids, fictitiously accepting the highest bid from all fictitious bids while excluding all fictitious bids greater than the lowest high fictitious bid from a group of fictitious bids submitted by said customer for said one or more of said plurality of products and services, and fictitiously assessing a charge for each fictitious bid submitted by said customer thereby teaching said customer how the bid and auction purchasing system works via said voice communications center; and

,

electronically posting all winning and accepted bids and documenting the sale of said plurality of products and services purchased by bidders.

21. A computer-based method of selling as claimed in claim 20 wherein the step of electronically posting all winning and accepted bids includes the step of displaying a predetermined number of non-winning bids proximate to said winning and accepted bids via said voice communications center.