System and method for automated auctioning of web services

• US 7,953,646 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mandera, Sandip H., Pallister, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US11/999,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/7, 705/14.23, 705/37, 705/26.35
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• 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: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An automated auctioning system includes a customer, a web services register server (such as an Extended Markup Language (XML)-based registry server like an Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) registry) and a number of web service providers. Automated auctioning processes of a web service desired by the customer are undertaken between the potential customer and the web service providers. The potential customer issues a bid request, and each web service provider determines whether the value of a bid in response to the bid request is below a value warranted by market demand and issues the bid if the value is higher. The potential customer assesses the bid, creating a bid assessment score. The potential customer performs an iteration on the bid assessment score using a new bid request if the score has improved since a last iteration, while engaging the web service if the score has not improved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing automated auctioning of a web service at a customer'"'"'s side, the computer-implemented method when executed by a customer computer, causing the customer computer to:

request, at the customer computer, a list of web service providers matching a profile;

receive, at the customer computer, the list of a plurality of web service providers matching the requested profile of a web service;

issue, at the customer computer, a first bid request to each entry on the list of the plurality of web service providers the first bid request including fields for price, accuracy and security;

collect, at the customer computer, bids from the web service providers based on the first bid request;

assess, at the customer computer, the bids according to customer needs to create bid assessment scores for each of the plurality of web service providers the bid assessment scores based on customer-defined weights for the price, accuracy and security fields;

perform, at the customer computer, an iteration utilizing a best bid assessment score from all scores as a reference, the iteration being performed with a second bid request; and

select, at the client computer, a web service provider with a highest bid assessment score.

2. The method of claim 1, further including engaging the web service.

3. The method of claim 1, further including querying an Extended Markup Language (XML) registry server with the requested profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the web services directory server is based on Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) standards or Extended Markup Language (XML)-based registry standards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein heuristics are utilized in assembling new bid requests during the iteration.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in conjunction with a system for providing automated auctioning of a web service, the non-transitory computer readable medium including computer readable instructions encoded thereon, which when executed:

request a list of web service providers matching a profile;

receive the list of a plurality of web service providers matching the requested profile of a web service;

issue a first bid request to each entry on the list of the plurality of web service providers the first bid request including fields for price, accuracy and security;

collect bids from the web service providers based on the first bid request;

assess the bids according to customer needs to create bid assessment scores for each of the plurality of web service providers the bid assessment scores based on customer-defined weights for the price, accuracy and security fields;

perform an iteration utilizing a best bid assessment score from all scores as a reference, the iteration being performed with a second bid request; and

select a web service provider with a highest bid assessment score.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, further including computer readable instructions encoded thereon for engaging the web service.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, further including computer readable instructions encoded thereon for querying a web services directory server with the requested profile.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the web services directory server is based on Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) standards or Extended Markup Language (XML)-based standards.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein heuristics are utilized in assembling new bid requests during the iteration.