System and method for the efficient clearing of spectrum encumbrances

• US 8,145,555 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Inventors: Ausubel, Lawrence M., Cramton, Peter C., Milgrom, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/740,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,114 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method to sell or procure complementary goods. A complementary good according to the invention is a good whose value or utility is enhanced when paired with another good, such a pair of goods is a communications license to encumbered spectrum and a complementary clearing right to clear the spectrum of its encumbrance. The invention provides automated procedures to facilitate the fashioning and sale of clearing rights so as to enhance the value of the communications license.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said first auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least two bidders participating in the first auction, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) receiving bids for items in the first set of items using a first computer of said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from said first computer via the communication system,

c) constraining the received bids by accepting only bids which satisfy a constraint based on bids in the second auction,

d) determining, using the second computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

e) repeating b), c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first auction occurs at the same time as the second auction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first auction occurs after the second auction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

9. The method of claim 8 which includes assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein step d) terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and wherein step d) also provides new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein step f) is limited to selected bidders.

13. A method implemented in a system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said first auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least one item in the first set having a complementary item in the second set, at least two bidders participating in the first auction, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) accepting bids for items in the first set of items using a first computer of

said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from said first computer via the communication system, at least one of the bids from one of the bidders conditional on said bidder winning a complementary item in the second auction,

c) determining, using the second computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

d) repeating b) and c) until the first auction is terminated, and

e) eliminating each of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions,

and thereafter assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force subsequent to the eliminating of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first auction occurs at the same time as the second auction.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the first auction occurs after the second auction.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

21. The method of claim 20 which includes assigning each item in the first set to the successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein step c) terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and wherein step c) also provides new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein step e) is limited to selected bidders.

25. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the first auction, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for inputting bids from bidders for items in the first set of items,

c) means for constraining the inputted bids by accepting only bids which satisfy a constraint, based on bids for the second set of items in the second auction,

d) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

e) means for repeating the inputting, constraining and determining until the first auction is terminated, and

f) means for assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the second auction.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

31. The system of claim 25 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

33. The system of claim 32 which includes means for assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

34. The system of claim 25 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

35. The system of claim 25 wherein the means for determining terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

36. The system of claim 25 wherein said means for assigning is limited to operating with selected bidders.

37. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least one item in the first set having a complementary item in the second set, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the first auction, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for inputting bids from bidders for items in the first set of items, at least one of the bids from one of the bidders conditional on said bidder winning a complementary item in the second auction,

c) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

d) means for repeating the inputting and determining until the first auction is terminated, and

e) means for eliminating each of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions, and thereafter assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force subsequent to the eliminating of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the related second auction.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

43. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

44. The system of claim 37 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

45. The system of claim 44 which includes means for assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

46. The system of claim 37 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

47. The system of claim 37 wherein said means for determining terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and said means for determining further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

48. The system of claim 37 wherein said means for assigning is limited to operation with selected bidders.

49. A method implemented in a system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least two bidders participating in each of the auctions, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) receiving bids for items in the first set of items in the first auction using a first computer of said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from the first computer via the communication system,

d) constraining the received bids in the first auction by accepting only bids which satisfy a constraint based on bids for the second set of items in the second auction,

e) determining, using the second computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

f) repeating c), d) and e) until the first auction is terminated, and

g) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

50. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in each of the auctions, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) means for inputting bids from bidders for items in the first set of items in the first auction,

d) means for constraining the inputted bids in the first auction by accepting only bids which satisfy a constraint based on bids for the second set of items in the second auction,

e) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

f) means for repeating c), d) and e) until the first auction is terminated, and

g) means for assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

51. A method implemented in a system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least one item in the first set having a complementary item in the second set, at least two bidders participating in the auctions, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) receiving bids for items in the first set of items using a first computer of said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from the first computer via the communication system, at least one of the bids from one of the bidders conditional on said bidder winning a complementary item in the second auction,

d) determining, using the second computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

e) repeating c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f)) eliminating each of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions,

and thereafter assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

52. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least one item in the first set having a complementary item in the second set, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the auctions, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) means for accepting bids from bidders for items in the first set of items, at least one of the bids from one of the bidders conditional on said bidder winning a complementary item in the second auction,

d) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

e) means for repeating c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f) means for eliminating each of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions, and thereafter assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

53. A computer system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said computer system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in each of the auctions, the computer system:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) receiving bids for items in the first set of items in the first auction using a first computer of said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from the first computer via the communication system,

d) constraining the received bids in the first auction by accepting only bids which satisfy a constraint based on bids for the second set of items in the second auction,

e) determining in the second computer whether the first auction should terminate,

f) repeating c), d) and e) until the first auction is terminated, and

g) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.

54. A computer system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said computer system comprising a plurality of computers, at least one of which is located remotely from at least one other of said computers and interconnected by a communication system, said first set of items being different from said second set of items, at least one item in the first set having a complementary item in the second set, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the auctions, the computer system:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and accepting bids therefor,

c) accepting bids for items in the first set of items using a first computer of said system and communicating at least some of said bids to a second computer of said system which is remote from the first computer via the communication system, at least one of the bids from one of the bidders conditional on said bidder winning a complementary item in the second auction,

d) determining in the second computer whether the first auction should terminate,

e) repeating c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f) eliminating each of the conditional bids which fail to satisfy any of their conditions,

and thereafter assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in force at the time the first auction was terminated.