Universal on-line trading market design and deployment system

• US 6,285,989 B1
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Ariba Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Shoham, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kanof, Pedro R.
• Application Number:
  US09/131,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/35, 707/505, 707/506, 707/507, 707/508, 345/962, 372/38, 395/701
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for a universal auction specification system is disclosed. The universal auction specification system comprises a network accessible set of trading primitives. A script generator is used for combining the set of trading primitives into a temporal protocol script representing a particular auction specification.

Claims

1. A universal auction specification system comprising:

a market-specification console configured to receive at least one market protocol, the market-specification console submits a market defined by the at least one market protocol to a programmable auction server;

the programmable auction server executes at least one built-in trading primitive and at least one network augmented nonstandard trading primitive; and

a script generator for combining the set of trading primitives into a temporal protocol script representing a particular auction specification.

2. The universal auction specification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scripting generator is a graphical user interface based tool.

3. A programmable auction server comprising:

a network accessible set of built-in trading primitives and network augmented nonstandard trading primitives; and

a script interpreter for interpreting a temporal protocol script representing a particular auction specification, the script including references to at least a portion of the set of trading primitives.

4. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 3 further including:

means for receiving a client market request via a network;

means for associating the client request with at least one market specific service, said service being independently installable;

means for accessing market specific information, said market specific information being independently stored; and

means for processing the client market request to produce a result.

5. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 4 wherein said market specific information further includes rules and constraints.

6. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 3 further including:

a dual firewall front end.

7. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 3 further including a registration component which registers all trades in specified markets, whether consummated on a local server or other servers.

8. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 3 further including a set of application program interfaces for program trading over the network.

9. The programmable auction server as claimed in claim 3 further including a market administration console.

10. A universal trading console comprising:

means for determining a market type;

means for transmitting a client market request via a network wherein the market type uses a network accessible set of built-in trading primitives and network augmented nonstandard trading primitives, said client market request being consistent with said market type;

means for receiving a response to said client market request and means for displaying information related the response; and

means for displaying collateral information related to the response.

11. The universal trading console as claimed in claim 10 further including:

means for submitting a bid.

12. The universal trading console as claimed in claim 10 further including:

means for programming automated bidding agents.

13. A universal surveillance console comprising:

means for determining a market type wherein the market type uses a network accessible set of built-in trading primitives and network augmented nonstandard trading primitives;

means for transmitting a client market request via a network, said client market request being consistent with said market type;

means for receiving a response to said client market request and means for displaying information related to the response;

means for displaying collateral information related to the response; and

means interrupting normal operation of a market.