Method for facilitating commerce at an internet-based auction

• US 7,613,633 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheikh, Asfand M
• Application Number:
  US09/670,562
• Time in Patent Office: 3,324 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• 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 for facilitating commerce at an internet-based auction is disclosed. The method includes authorizing a first participant to post an item for auction at an internet auction site. A communication handler program executes on a host computer and receives information from the first participant about an item to be auctioned. The received information includes a designation of a category selected from a list of categories, under which the item is to be auctioned. The received information is processed into a presentation format with a database-to-presentation format formatting program. The presentation format includes an indication of the category of the item to be auctioned. The presentation formatted information is presented to a plurality of internet participants. The host computer then receives at least one bid for the auctioned item from at least one of the internet participants.

Claims

1. A computer network based-system operative to facilitate commerce at an internet-based auction, the computer network based-system comprising:

a computer system executing a computer application program operative to authorizing a plurality of remote seller participants to post, using a computer application program executing on a computer system associated with the plurality of remote seller participants, a plurality of items for auction at the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system, wherein the remote seller participants are authorized to operate a computer application program to coordinate asynchronous generation and scheduling of automated ascending bid auction instances in the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system while the computer application program is isolated from communication with the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system;

the computer application program retrieving information about a structure of the remote internet based-auction system from a data repository while the computer application program is isolated from communication with the remote topically arranged internet based auction system;

a database stored in the computer system having a structure corresponding to the structure of the remote internet based-auction system including a selection of categories and sub-categories for the topical arrangement of multiple auction instances by the plurality of seller participants;

the computer application program further including a user interface program operative to provide to the plurality of seller participants the selection of categories and sub-categories for inputting data to build a data record of the plurality of items that will be subsequently posted into the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system, the selection of the categories and sub-categories based at least in part from the information about the structure of the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system retrieved from the data repository to assure proper linkage into the structure maintained by the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system when the computer application program subsequently communicates the data record of the items to create the automated ascending bid auction instances for the plurality of items at the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system;

the user interface program operative to provide one or more data input fields to receive from the plurality of remote participant sellers a title and a subjective textual description for the plurality of items;

the computer system generating a data header that contains a user identification code corresponding to the plurality of remote participant sellers and an authorization password for the data record created for the plurality of items;

a communication handler program executing on a host computer system housing the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system receiving information from the computer application program executing on the computer system about the plurality of items to be auctioned, the received information comprising the selection of categories and sub-categories, the title and the subjective textual description of the plurality of items, and the data header;

the handler program further processing the received information at the host computer system housing the remote internet based-auction system into a presentation format comprising scheduling information received from the seller participant operating the computer application program to (a) post the data record in the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system to initiate the automated ascending bid auction instances at the remote topically arranged internet-based computer system, (b) designate a time at which the computer application program will contact the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system to post at least one data record to initiate the automated ascending bid auction instance for the at least one data record at the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system, or (c) post the data record in the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system designating the plurality of items as on-hold awaiting the automated ascending bid auction instance start date at the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system;

the host computer system further presenting the presentation formatted information to a plurality of bidding internet participants, and receiving at least one bid for the plurality of items from at least one of the plurality of bidding internet participants.

2. The computer network based-system of claim 1, wherein the computer system further provides a sales format selection mode comprising a selection between at least an ascending bid auction format and a fixed price format, the ascending bid auction format providing at least a manual auction start mode or a scheduled start mode to start the plurality of items for auction at one or both of a selected start date and a start time when the plurality of items are subsequently posted into the remote topically arranged internet-based auction system.