System and method for an efficient dynamic multi-unit auction

• US 7,165,046 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Inventors: Ausubel, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dass; Harish T.
• Application Number:
  US09/898,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/16, 705/39, 705/80, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The present invention implements an auction in which multiple types of goods may be auctioned in a dynamic process. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for a computer implemented dynamic multi-unit auction in which the price paid or received by bidders tends to be independent of their own bids, in which participants may be provided with information concerning their competitors'"'"' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values may be maintained. Participants'"'"' quantities bid at a given time may be restricted to be less than or equal to the quantities bid at an earlier time. These features provide the advantage of improving economic efficiency of the auction design over the prior art.

Claims

1. A method for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the method comprising:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving, bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving, further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids,

f. crediting at least one item of a particular type with a particular bidder at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one item of each selected type is credited to a bidder where a type is selected if the cumulative sum of quantities of that type has decreased in bids by a subset of bidders including all bidders except the bidder to be credited.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the crediting to a bidder occurs when at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in the bids of bidders other than the bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein each type of item is the subject of a credit where, for that item, the bids exhibited, in the bids of bidders other than the bidder to be credited, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 which a further bid from a bidder is limited so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the limitation is applied to a group, less than all, of the types of items.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 in which a further bid from a bidder is limited so that the number of items of any type contained in a bid is less than or equal to the number of those items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

12. A method for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the method comprising:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving, bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving, further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids, and

f. selecting a particular bidder and determining, for a selected one of the types of items, whether the sum of the bids of other bidders is different in the further bids than in the received bids, and if it is, crediting the bidder wit a number of the selected type of items equal to the change in the sum of the bids of other bidders at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the determination is effected for all other types of items.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the determination is effected for all other bidders.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the determination is repeatedly effected on receipt of bids subsequent to the further bids.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised vector.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the price vector.

18. A method for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each type of the items including plural items, the method comprising:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving, bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving, further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids, and

f. crediting, to a bidder at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in the bids of bidders other than the bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein the credit is at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

21. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

22. A method as recited in claim 19 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

23. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

24. A method for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the method comprising:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving, bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantifies of different types of items,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving, further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids,

f. crediting, to a selected bidder at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in bids of bidders other than the selected bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids to establish an item credit and,

g. reducing the item credit in the event bids, by bidders other than the selected bidder, show a cumulative increase in bids for that item after the item credit is established.

25. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the credit is at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

26. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

27. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

28. A method as recited in claim 25 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

29. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

30. A method for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each type of the items including plural items, the method comprising:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving, bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types.

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector, and

e. limiting any further bid from a bidder so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the bid is limited so the sum of the number of items of different types which is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items of different types contained in a bid submitted in the past.

32. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the bid is limited so the number of items which is less than or equal to the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past comprises items from a single type of the items.

33. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the bid is limited so the number of items which is less than or equal to the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past applied separately to items from each type of the items.

34. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the limiting is implemented by rejecting any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

35. A method as recited in claim 34 wherein bidders use terminals to manifest a bid and the terminal rejects any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

36. A method as recited in claim 30 which includes the further step of informing a bidder that a bid has been rejected as not limited so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

37. A method as recited in claim 36 wherein rejected bids are ignored in any determinations subsequent to the rejection.

38. A method as recited in claim 34 wherein a computer system rejects any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

39. A method as recited in claim 38 which includes the further step of informing a bidder that a bid has been rejected as not limited so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

40. A method as recited in claim 39 wherein rejected bids are ignored in any determinations subsequent to the rejection.

41. A computer system comprising one or more computers for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the system for:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving bids from plural bidden wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids,

f. crediting at least one item of a particular type with a particular bidder at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

44. The system of claim 41 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

45. The system of claim 41 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

46. The system as recited in claim 41 wherein at least one item of each selected type is credited to a bidder where a type is selected if the cumulative sum of quantifies of that type has decreased in bids by a subset of bidders including all bidders except the bidder to be credited.

47. The system as recited in claim 41 wherein the crediting to a bidder occurs when at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in the bids of bidders other than the bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

48. The system of claim 41 wherein each type of item is the subject of a credit where, for that item, the bids exhibited, in the bids of bidders other than the bidder to be credited, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

49. The system of claim 41 which further includes limiting means for limiting a further bid from a bidder so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the limitation is applied to a group, less than all, of the types of items.

51. The system of claim 41 which further includes limiting means for limiting a further bid from a bidder so that the number of items of any type contained in a bid is less than or equal to the number of those items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

52. A computer system comprising one or more computers for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the system for:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids, and

f. selecting a particular bidder and determining, for a selected one of the types of items, whether the sum of the bids of other bidders is different in the further bids than in the received bids, and if it is, crediting the bidder with a number of the selected type of items equal to the change in the sum of the bids of other bidders at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

53. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the determination is effected for all other types of items.

54. The computer system of claim 53 wherein the determination is effected for all other bidders.

55. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the determination is repeatedly effected on receipt of bids subsequent to the further bids.

56. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised vector.

57. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the price vector.

58. A computer system comprising one or more computers for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the system for:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and, in response to the further bids, and

f. crediting, to a bidder at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in the bids of bidders other then the bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids.

59. The computer system of claim 58 wherein the credit is at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

60. The computer system of claim 58 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

61. The computer system of claim 58 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

62. The computer system of claim 59 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

63. The computer system as recited in claim 59 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

64. A computer system comprising one or more computers for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the system for:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of different types of items,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector,

e. receiving further bids from plural bidders in response to the revised price vector and in response to the further bids,

f. crediting, to a selected bidder at least one of those items, the bids for which exhibited, in bids of bidders other than the selected bidder, a cumulative decrease in the further bids relative to the bids to establish an item credit, and

g. reducing the item credit in the event bids, by bidders other than the selected bidder, show a cumulative increase in bids for that item after the item credit is established.

65. The computer system of claim 64 wherein the credit is at a price in a closed interval between the price contained in the price vector and the price contained in the revised price vector.

66. The computer system of claim 64 wherein at least two different types of items are related to each other.

67. The computer system of claim 64 wherein each type of item is related to at least one different type of item.

68. The computer system of claim 65 where the price in the closed interval is the price contained in the revised price vector.

69. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the price in the closed interval is the price in the price vector.

70. A computer system comprising one or more computers for conducting an auction of at least two types of items, each of the types of items including plural items, the system for:

a. communicating a price vector, including a price for each of the types of items subject to the auction, to a plurality of bidders,

b. receiving bids from plural bidders wherein at least some of said bids identify quantities of items of different types,

c. determining, based on the received bids, whether the auction should continue, and in the event that the auction will continue,

d. sending to one or more bidders a revised price vector, and

e. limiting any further bid from a bidder so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

71. The computer system of claim 70 in which bids are limited so that the sum of the number of items of different types which is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items of different types contained in a bid submitted in the past is limited to the items form a group of types of items, where the group of types of items is less tan all types of items.

72. The computer system of claim 70 in which bids are limited so that the number of items, which is less than or equal to the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past, comprise items from a single type of the items.

73. The computer system of claim 70 in which bids are limited so that the number of items which is less than or equal to the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past, is applied separately to items from each type of the items.

74. The computer system as recited in claim 70 in which the limiting is implemented by rejecting any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

75. The computer system of claim 74 which further includes terminals, used by bidders, to manifest a bid and a terminal used by a bidder rejects any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

76. The computer system of claim 74 which includes means for informing a bidder that a bid has been rejected as not limited so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

77. The computer system of claim 76 wherein rejected bids are ignored in any determinations subsequent to the rejection.

78. The computer system of claim 74 wherein the computer system rejects any bid in which the sum of the number of items contained in the bid is not less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

79. The computer system of claim 78 which includes means for informing a bidder that a bid has been rejected as not limited so that the sum of the number of items contained in a bid is less than or equal to the sum of the number of items contained in a bid submitted in the past.

80. The computer system of claim 79 wherein rejected bids are ignored in any determinations subsequent to the rejection.