Real time auction with end game
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of hosting a computer-based auction over the internet, comprising:
- using a computer to produce information representing a webpage indicative of an electronic auction, where said webpage shows bid amounts and accepts bids over the internet;
said computer producing second information as part of said information representing a webpage, said second information having a first parameter indicative of an ending time for said electronic auction;
said computer also storing a predetermined set time before the ending time;
prior to said set time before said ending time, said computer carrying out the auction in a first mode, in which information that represents a webpage with information about the auction is updated only based on a manual request for update received from a client over the internet and is not automatically updated;
after said set time before said ending time, said computer changing a mode of carrying out the auction to a second mode, wherein said second mode, said computer automatically updating said information that represents the webpage to have new information and automatically sending said new information over the internet to each of a plurality of clients, in a way that causes said each of said plurality of clients to automatically display said new information without making a request for said new information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A real time auction system operates in a non real time mode, and an end game mode in which the users are placed in a forum. In both modes the users are capable of placing bids along with times when those bids should be executed. An agent treats the bids as secret until the time, and then at the time executes those bids.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of hosting a computer-based auction over the internet, comprising:
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using a computer to produce information representing a webpage indicative of an electronic auction, where said webpage shows bid amounts and accepts bids over the internet; said computer producing second information as part of said information representing a webpage, said second information having a first parameter indicative of an ending time for said electronic auction; said computer also storing a predetermined set time before the ending time; prior to said set time before said ending time, said computer carrying out the auction in a first mode, in which information that represents a webpage with information about the auction is updated only based on a manual request for update received from a client over the internet and is not automatically updated; after said set time before said ending time, said computer changing a mode of carrying out the auction to a second mode, wherein said second mode, said computer automatically updating said information that represents the webpage to have new information and automatically sending said new information over the internet to each of a plurality of clients, in a way that causes said each of said plurality of clients to automatically display said new information without making a request for said new information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of interacting with a computer-based auction over the internet, comprising:
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on a client computer, receiving information representing a webpage indicative of an electronic auction, where said webpage shows bid amounts and has a location for entering a new bid to be sent over the internet; displaying said information received as a webpage on the computer, said webpage displayed showing said bid amounts and accepting said bids, said webpage also showing an ending time for said electronic auction that is received as part of said information representing the webpage; prior to a set, constant and predetermined time before said ending time, displaying said webpage in a first mode, in which information that represents the webpage with information about the auction is updated only based on a manual request for update that is received from a user; after said set constant and predetermined time before said ending time, changing a mode of displaying the auction to a second mode, wherein said second mode, automatically updating and displaying said information that represents the webpage to display new information about the auction without receiving said request for update from said user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer product comprising a processor and memory storing executable instructions that when executed, implement a computer auction based program, said executable instructions comprising instructions which are executed by the computer to:
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receive information representing a webpage indicative of an electronic auction; display said information received as a webpage on the computer, said webpage displayed showing bid amounts; accept bids on said webpage; receive an ending time for said electronic auction; display said webpage in a first specified mode prior to a set time which is a constant and predetermined time before said ending time, and wherein in said first specified mode, update the information that represents the webpage with information about the auction only based on a manual request for update that is received from a user; and displaying the auction to a second mode, only after said set time before said ending time, and in said second mode, automatically update and display said information that represents the webpage to display new information about the auction without any request for update being received from the user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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using a computer to produce outputs representing an electronic auction; storing an auction ending time for said electronic auction as a predetermined time for auction end; determining a set and predetermined time before the auction ending time, where said set time is a constant time before the stored auction ending time; prior to said set time before auction end, carrying out the auction in a first specified way; after said set time, changing a mode of carrying out the auction to a second way, where displaying in said second way causes information that is sent to be automatically updated based on a new bid on the auction, while displaying in said first way does not cause said information that is sent to be automatically updated based on a new bid on the auction. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification