System and method of conducting on-line auctions

• US 6,847,939 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1999
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olsale.Com Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Olsale.Com Ltd.
• Inventors: Shemesh, Yair
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARG, YOGESH C
• Application Number:
  US09/443,111
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/1, 705/14, 705/35, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• 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 system for conducting on-line auctions of products is disclosed. The system comprises (a) a database server system being for storing and providing on demand, information pertaining to a plurality of products to be auctioned, the database server system further being for receiving a number of bids on a product of the plurality of products when the product is auctioned, the number of the bids received being for determining a quantity of the product auctioned; and (b) a plurality of user clients each being operable by a specific user and each being for establishing communication with the database server system, each of the plurality of user clients being for receiving from the database server system information pertaining to the product auctioned and for relaying to the database server system a bid on the product auctioned.

Claims

1. A system for conducting on-line auctions of products such that the quantity of products offered for auction varies, the system comprising:

(a) a database server system being for storing and providing on demand, information pertaining to a plurality of products to be auctioned, said database server system further being for receiving a number of competing bids on a product of said plurality of products when said product is auctioned;

(b) a plurality of user clients each being operable by a specific user and each being for establishing communication with said database server system, each of said plurality of user clients being for receiving from said database server system information pertaining to said product auctioned and for relaying to said database server system a bid on said product auctioned; and

(c) an executable program stored in the server system to implement the following functions;

(i) receiving via an electronic communication medium competing bids from a plurality of bidders, each of said bids pertaining to at least one of the products, each of said bids having a bid value which exceeds values of all previously received bids; and

(ii) automatically varying said variable quantity of the products offered for auction responsively to at least a number of said bidders who have placed said bids such that said variable quantity of the products increases with an increasing number of said bidders.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said information pertaining to said product auctioned includes an acceptable bid amount for said product.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, in a case where no bids have been received by said database server system, said acceptable bid amount is a starting bid amount.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said information pertaining to said products auctioned includes a reserved bid amount, said reserved bid amount changes as a function of bid amounts of at least two bids of said number of bids and said number of bids received by database server system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein in a case where at least one bid has been received by said database server system, said acceptable bid amount is higher than a highest bid amount received by said database server system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said information pertaining to said product auctioned includes information selected from the group consisting of a description of said product, a suggested retail price of said product, a quantity auctioned of said product, a time remaining to bid and a number of bids accepted for said product.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication between each of said user clients and said database server system is established and maintained through a mode selected from the group consisting of a dialup connection mode and a local area network connection mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said database server system is a part of the World Wide Web and further wherein said information pertaining to said plurality of products to be auctioned is included within a web site.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said user client operates a web browser.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said database server system receives bids for said product auctioned for a time period selected from within a range of 10 minutes to 120 minutes.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one winning bid is determined according to a bid amount and further according to said quantity of said product auctioned.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said database server system stores information relating to each specific user thereof.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said information includes information provided by said specific user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said information includes information collected on said specific user by said database system, which information relates to a profile of said user.

15. A method of conducting an on-line auction of a product such that the quantity of product offered for auction varies, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing, via a communication network, information pertaining to a product auctioned;

(b) receiving via the electronic communication medium competing bids from a plurality of bidders for said product, each of said bids having a bid value which exceeds values of all previously received bids;

(c) automatically varying said variable quantity of the said product offered for auction responsively to at least a number of said bidders who have placed said bids such that said variable quantity of the said product increases with an increasing number of said bidders; and

(d) declaring a number of said competing bids having highest bid values as winning bids, said number of competing bids corresponding to said quantity of said product auctioned, each of said winning bids enabling purchase of the said product at the corresponding bid value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said information pertaining to said product auctioned includes an acceptable bid amount for said product.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said information pertaining to said product auctioned also includes information selected from the group consisting of a description of said product, a retail price of said product, a quantity auctioned of said product, a time remaining to bid and a number of bids accepted for said product.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said communication network is the World Wide Web.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving ascending bids from bidders is effected for a time period selected from within a range of 10 minutes to 120 minutes.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing, via a communication network, information pertaining to a product auctioned is effected by a demand of said bidders.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said quantity of said product auctioned is increased with an increase to said number of said bidders.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein an amount of said winning bid of said ascending bids is higher than an amount of a reserved bid for said product.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said amount of said reserved bid changes as a function of bid amounts of at least two bids of said number of bids and said number of bids received by database server system.

24. A method for executing an automated auction of items such that the quantity of items offered for auction varies in response to the number of bidders placing bids, comprising:

(a) setting a variable quantity of the items offered for auction to an initial value;

(b) receiving via an electronic communication medium competing bids from a plurality of bidders, each of said bids pertaining to at least one of the items, each of said bids having a bid value which exceeds values of all previously received bids;

(c) automatically varying said variable quantity of the items offered for auction responsively to at least a number of said bidders who have placed said bids such that said variable quantity of items increases with an increasing number of said bidders; and

(d) declaring a number of said competing bids having highest bid values as winning bids, said number of competing bids corresponding to said variable quantity of the items offered for auction, each of said winning bids enabling purchase of at least one of the items at the corresponding bid value.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said variable quantity of the items offered for auction is further varied responsively to said bid values of said competing bids received such that said variable quantity of items increases with increasing bid values.

26. A method for executing an automated auction of items such that the quantity of items offered for auction varies in response to the value of the bids made, comprising:

(a) setting a variable quantity of the items offered for auction to an initial value;

(b) receiving via an electronic communication medium competing bids from a plurality of bidders, each of said bids pertaining to at least one of the items, each of said bids having a bid value which exceeds values of all previously received bids;

(c) automatically varying said variable quantity of the items offered for auction responsively to said bid values of said competing bids received such that said variable quantity of items increases with increasing bid values;

(d) automatically varying said variable quantity of the items offered for auction is further varied responsively to a number of said bidders who have placed said bids such that said variable quantity of items increases with an increasing number of said bidders; and

(e) declaring a number of said competing bids having highest bid values as winning bids, said number of competing bids corresponding to said variable quantity of the items offered for auction, each of said winning bids enabling purchase of at least one of the items at the corresponding bid value.