Method and system for auctioning a product on a computer network

• US 7,047,210 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Thiru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, James A
• Application Number:
  US09/471,696
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/7, 705/9, 705/28, 705/37, 705/22, 705/26, 705/1
• 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 method and system for auctioning a product on a computer network includes an auction site computer having an auction site and a scan site computer having a scan site. The method and system includes placing a desired product identifier on the scan site of the computer network. The desired product identifier is indicative of a product desired by the buyer. The auction site has a sale product identifier indicative of a product for sale by a seller. The auction site is then monitored with the scan site. The desired product identifier on the scan site is then compared with the sale product identifier on the auction site. Whether the product desired by the buyer is for sale on the auction site by the seller is then determined from the comparison between the desired product identifier and the sale product identifier. The buyer is then notified when the product desired by the buyer is for sale on the auction site by the seller. A bid from the buyer is then placed to the auction site for the product desired by the buyer. The scan site may be monitored to determine the product desired by the buyer. Each of the product identifiers may include a category product and/or a description product identifier. Comparing the desired product identifier with the sale product identifier includes comparing the category product identifier on the scan site with the category product identifier on the auction site and/or comparing the description product identifier on the scan site with the description product identifier on the auction site. The auction site may be monitored with the scan site using electronic data interchange (EDI) messaging.

Claims

1. A method of auctioning products on a computer network the method comprising:

placing a first sale product identifier indicative of a first product for sale by a first seller on a first auction site which is hosted on the computer network by a first auction site host for a first auctioneer;

placing a second sale product identifier indicative of a second product for sale by a second seller on a second auction site which is hosted on the computer network by a second auction site host for a second auctioneer;

placing a desired product identifier indicative of a product desired by a buyer on a scan site which is hosted on the computer network by a scan site host for a third auctioneer;

monitoring the auction sites with the scan site using electronic data interchange messaging in order to compare

the desired product identifier on the scan site with the sale product identifiers on the auction sites;

determining from the comparison between the desired product identifier and the sale product identifiers whether the product desired by the buyer is for sale on any of the auction sites by any of the sellers; and

monitoring the scan site with the auction sites using electronic data interchange messaging to compare the sale product identifiers on the auction sites with the desired product identifier placed on the scan site in order to enable the sellers to determine the products for sale that are desired by the buyers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the buyer when the product desired by the buyer is for sale on an auction site by a seller.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

notifying the buyer includes notifying the buyer using electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

each of the product identifiers includes a category product identifier, wherein comparing the desired product identifier with the sale product identifiers includes comparing the category product identifier on the scan site with the category product identifiers on the auction sites.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

each of the product identifiers includes a description product identifier, wherein comparing the desired product identifier with the sale product identifiers includes comparing the description product identifier on the scan site with the description product identifiers on the auction sites.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

placing a bid from the buyer to an auction site for the product desired by the buyer.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

removing the desired product identifier from the scan site in response to the buyer being notified that the product desired by the buyer is for sale on an auction site by a seller.

8. A computer network auctioning system comprising:

a first auction host computer hosting a first auction site on a computer network for a first auctioneer, wherein the first auction site has a first sale product identifier indicative of a first product for sale by a first seller;

a second auction host computer hosting a second auction site on the computer network for a second auctioneer, wherein the second auction site has a second sale product identifier indicative of a second product for sale by a second seller; and

a scan host computer hosting a scan site on the computer network for a third auctioneer, wherein the scan site has a desired product identifier indicative of a product desired by a buyer, wherein the scan host computer monitors the auction sites using electronic data interchange messaging in order to compare the desired product identifier on the scan site with the sale product identifiers on the auction sites and then determines from the comparison between the desired product identifier and the sale product identifiers whether the product desired by the buyer is for sale on any of the auction sites by any of the sellers;

where in the auction host computers monitor the scan site using electronic data interchange messaging to compare the sale product identifiers on the auction host computers with the desired product identifier placed on the scan host computer in order to enable the sellers to determine the products for sale that are desired by the buyers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the scan host computer is further operable to notify the buyer when the product desired by the buyer is for sale on an auction site by a seller.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the scan host computer notifies the buyer using electronic mail.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the scan host computer is operable for placing a bid from the buyer to an auction site for the product desired by the buyer.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the scan host computer is operable for removing the desired product identifier from the scan site in response to the buyer being notified that the product desired by the buyer is for sale on an auction site by a seller.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein:

each of the product identifiers includes a category product identifier, wherein the scan host computer compares the category product identifier on the scan site with the category product identifiers on the auction sites.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein:

each of the product identifiers includes a description product identifier, wherein the scan host computer compares the description product identifier on the scan site with the description product identifiers on the auction sites.

15. A method of auctioning merchandise on a computer network, the method comprising:

placing sale identifiers indicative of merchandise for sale by sellers on auction sites hosted by respective auction site hosts on the computer network for respective auctioneers;

placing desired identifiers indicative of merchandise desired by buyers on a scan site hosted on the computer network by a scan site host for another auctioneer;

monitoring the auction sites with the scan site using electronic data interchange messaging in order to compare

the desired identifiers on the scan sites with the sale identifiers on the auction sites;

determining from the comparison between the desired identifiers and the sale identifiers whether merchandise desired by the buyers is for sale on the auction sites by the sellers; and

monitoring the scan site with the auction sites using electronic data interchange messaging to compare the sale product identifiers on the auction sites with the desired product identifier placed on the scan site in order to enable the sellers to determine the products for sale that are desired by the buyers.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

notifying buyers which auction sites the sellers are selling the merchandise desired by the buyers when the merchandise desired by the buyers are for sale on the auction sites by the sellers.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

notifying the buyers of the current bid of the merchandise desired by the buyers for sale on the auction sites by the sellers.