Apparatus and methods for auctioning time and desktop space to product and service suppliers

• US 7,870,053 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Yuan-Chi, Smith, John R., Li, Chung-Sheng, Bergman, Lawrence, Han, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger; Richard C
• Application Number:
  US09/670,446
• Time in Patent Office: 3,759 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.4, 705/14.41, 705/14.54, 705/14.49, 705/26, 705/27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for auctioning time and desktop space to product and service suppliers are provided. The apparatus and methods obtain bids from various product and service suppliers and determine which of the bids are the highest ranking bids. The particular product and service suppliers from which bids are obtained may be determined based on user preferences stored in a user profile, for example. Based on the ranking of the bids, commercial information from the product and/or service suppliers is presented to the user. Higher ranking bids are provided with larger display space on a user'"'"'s client device display and are provided with a longer display time before cycling to the next lower ranking bid. In addition, multiple displays of commercial information may be provided at a same time with the size and duration of the displays being determined based on the ranking of the associated bid from the product/service supplier.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information via a digital device having presentation resources, comprising:

sending a request for profile information to a user of the digital device;

receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user;

receiving bids for the presentation resources of the digital device from a plurality of product/service providers, wherein each bid identifies a monetary benefit, associated with a product/service of a given product/service provider, offered to the user of the digital device;

ranking the bids based on an amount of the monetary benefit offered to the user;

filtering out bids from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

responsive to filtering out bids from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user;

re-ranking the bids from product/service providers that are offering a product/service of interest to the user to form re-ranked bids;

apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the re-ranked bids; and

presenting information for at least one of the plurality of product/service providers using the apportioned presentation resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each bid includes one or more of product/service identification information and an incentive to buyers of a product/service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the user is at least one of a discount, a rebate, free shipping and handling, free accessories, proximity to the user, and time urgency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each bid includes one or more of a product/service code, a product/service cost ranking, an incentive type code, and a value for the incentive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the bids based on the benefit offered to the user includes ranking the bids based on one or more rule sets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes allocating a portion of the display space on the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation resources include presentation time and wherein apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes allocating presentation time on the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes allocating a display position within the display space in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein higher ranking bids are apportioned more presentation resources than lower ranking bids.

2. A method of presenting information via a digital device, comprising:

sending a request for profile information to a user of the digital device;

receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user and a number of user preferences regarding the products and services of interest to the user, wherein the number of user preferences comprise a proximity preference for a provider of the products and services to a location of the user and a type of discount preference;

transmitting a request for information from at least one product/service provider;

filtering out information from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

receiving the information from the at least one product/service provider, the information identifying a benefit, associated with a product/service of the at least one product/service provider, offered to the user of the digital device;

ranking the information based on the benefit offered to the user and the number of user preferences; and

presenting the information via the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the information such that higher ranking information is presented more prominently than lower ranking information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering out unwanted information from product/service providers includes determining if the information from the product/service providers meets criteria in a user profile.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering out unwanted information from product/service providers includes receiving a user selection of unwanted product/service provider groups.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the request is performed in response to one of logging on to a network server, booting-up the digital device, receiving an input to a user prompt, and receiving an input from a sensor.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the request is performed in response to an occurrence of an event as determined based on sensor input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor input includes one or more of keyboard input, audio input, input representing a measured quantity of a container, and location awareness sensor input.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the occurrence of an event is determined based on a comparison of the sensor input to one or more threshold limits.

16. A system for presenting information via a presentation device having presentation resources, comprising:

a network interface for sending a request for profile information to a user, receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to a user, and receiving bids for the presentation resources from a plurality of product/service providers, wherein each bid identifies a monetary benefit, associated with a product/service of a given product/service provider, offered to the user;

an auction device that ranks the bids based on an amount of the monetary benefit offered to the user, filters out bids from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information, re-ranks the bids from product/service providers that are offering a product/service of interest to the user to form re-ranked bids, and apportions the presentation resources in accordance with the re-ranked bids; and

a presentation device that presents information for at least one of the plurality of product/service providers using the apportioned presentation resources.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein each bid includes one or more of product/service identification information and an incentive to buyers of a product/service.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the benefit to the user is at least one of a discount, a rebate, free shipping and handling, free accessories, proximity to the user, and time urgency.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein each bid includes one or more of a product/service code, a product/service cost ranking, an incentive type code, and a value for the incentive.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the auction device ranks the bids based on one or more rule sets.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the presentation device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein the auction device allocates a portion of the display space in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the presentation resources include presentation time and wherein the auction device allocates presentation time in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the presentation device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein the auction device allocates a display position within the display space in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

31. The system of claim 16, wherein the auction device and the presentation device are remotely located from one another.

42. The system of claim 16, wherein higher ranking bids are apportioned more presentation resources than lower ranking bids.

17. A system for presenting information, comprising:

a network interface for sending a request for profile information to a user and receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user and a number of user preferences regarding the products and services of interest to the user, wherein the number of user preferences comprise a proximity preference for a provider of the products and services to a location of the user and a type of discount preference;

a transmitter for transmitting a request for information from at least one product/service provider;

a filter for filtering out information from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

a network interface for receiving the information from the at least one product/service provider, the information identifying a benefit, associated with a product/service of the at least one product/service provider, offered to the user;

an auction device that ranks the information based on the benefit offered to the user and the number of user preferences; and

a display device that presents the information in accordance with the ranking of the information such that higher ranking information is presented more prominently than lower ranking information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter determines if the information from the product/service providers meets criteria in a user profile.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter receiving a user selection of unwanted product/service provider groups.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the transmitter transmits the request in response to one of logging on to a network server, booting-up the digital device, receiving an input to a user prompt, and receiving an input from a sensor.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the transmitter transmits the request in response to an occurrence of an event as determined based on sensor input.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the sensor input includes one or more of keyboard input, audio input, input representing a measured quantity of a container, and location awareness sensor input.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the occurrence of an event is determined based on a comparison of the sensor input to one or more threshold limits.

32. A computer program product in a computer readable storage medium for presenting information via a digital device having presentation resources, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for sending a request for profile information to a user of the digital device;

instructions for receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user;

instructions for receiving bids for the presentation resources of the digital device from a plurality of product/service providers, wherein each bid identifies an monetary benefit, associated with a product/service of the a given product/service provider, offered to the user of the digital device;

instructions for ranking the bids based on an amount of the monetary benefit offered to the user;

instructions for filtering out bids from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

instructions for re-ranking the bids from product/service providers that are offering a product/service of interest to the user to form re-ranked bids in response to filtering out bids from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user;

instructions for apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the re-ranked bids; and

instructions for presenting information for at least one of the plurality of product/service providers using the apportioned presentation resources.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the instructions for ranking the bids based on the benefit offered to the user includes instructions for ranking the bids based on one or more rule sets.

35. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the digital device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein the instructions for apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes instructions for allocating a portion of the display space on the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

36. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the presentation resources include presentation time and wherein the instructions for apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes instructions for allocating presentation time on the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

37. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the digital device includes a display,

wherein the presentation resources include display space on the display, and

wherein the instructions for apportioning the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the bids includes instructions for allocating a display position within the display space in accordance with the ranking of the bids.

43. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein higher ranking bids are apportioned more presentation resources than lower ranking bids.

33. A computer program product in a computer readable storage medium for presenting information via a digital device, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for sending a request for profile information to a user of the digital device;

instructions for receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user and a number of user preferences regarding the products and services of interest to the user, wherein the number of user preferences comprise a proximity preference for a provider of the products and services to a location of the user and a type of discount preference;

instructions for transmitting a request for information from at least one product/service provider;

instructions for filtering out information from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

instructions for receiving information from at least one product/service provider, the information identifying an benefit, associated with a product/service of the at least one product/service provider, offered to the user of the digital device;

instructions for ranking the information based on the benefit offered to the user and the number of user preferences; and

instructions for presenting the information via the digital device in accordance with the ranking of the information such that higher ranking information is presented more prominently than lower ranking information.

38. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the instructions for transmitting the request are executed in response to an occurrence of an event as determined based on sensor input.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the sensor input includes one or more of keyboard input, audio input, input representing a measured quantity of a container, and location awareness sensor input.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the occurrence of an event is determined based on a comparison of the sensor input to one or more threshold limits.

44. A method of presenting information via a digital device having presentation resources, comprising:

sending a request for profile information to a user of the digital device;

receiving profile information directed to products and services of interest to the user;

receiving information from at least one product/service provider, the information identifying a monetary benefit, associated with a product/service of the at least one product/service provider, offered to the user of the digital device;

ranking the information based on an amount of the monetary benefit offered to the user;

filtering out information from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user based on the profile information;

responsive to filtering out information from product/service providers that are not offering a product/service of interest to the user, re-ranking the information from product/service providers that are offering a product/service of interest to the user to form re-ranked information;

apportioning an amount of the presentation resources of the digital device in accordance with the re-ranked information such that higher ranking information is apportioned more presentation resources than lower ranking information; and

presenting the information for the at least one of the plurality of product/service providers using the apportioned presentation resources.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the presentation resources include at least one of display space, display duration, and audio duration.