Method for providing vehicle information at a live auction

• US 8,386,331 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lanechamp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lanechamp, Inc.
• Inventors: Heppe, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US13/041,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.61, 705/26.63, 705/26.3, 705/26.62, 705/26.9
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Detailed information about a particular used motor vehicle is quickly provided to a potential buyer having a personal digital assistant equipped with a receiving means. To provide the information, it is first necessary to obtain standard information about used motor vehicle values in digital form from a provider of such information. It is then necessary to obtain specific information about an inventory of used motor vehicles from the owner or seller of the vehicles. The standard information and the specific information are then integrated on a server computer and transmitted to the potential buyer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving specific information including an inventory of motor vehicles that are to be sold at an auction site where the vehicles are temporarily stored at a location at the auction and are placed on one or more auction blocks for sale;

transmitting the specific information to a potential buyer'"'"'s wireless handheld device wherein the potential buyer is physically present at the auction site;

receiving a selection from the wireless handheld device of one or more particular vehicles from the specific information;

receiving from the wireless handheld device a selected information provider from a plurality of information providers from which to obtain standard information about motor vehicle values;

integrating by a processor the standard information for the one or more selected particular vehicles from the selected information provider and the specific information; and

providing the integrated specific information and standard information on the potential buyer'"'"'s wireless handheld device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly receiving from the wireless handheld device and transmitting an interest in bidding to the seller on a specific motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a notification when the specific motor vehicle is about to be placed on an auction block.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving bid information and transmitting the bid information to the seller.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific information further comprises at least one of VIN history data, vehicle photos, auction dates, and auction times.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the standard information from the selected information provider is provided directly to the wireless handheld device from the information provider.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a vehicle recondition report.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the standard information and the specific information for the selected one or more vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the specific information and the standard information is limited by the potential buyer'"'"'s subscription.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection of one or more vehicles is based at least in part on an average distance traveled per year of the one or more vehicles.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing information identifying vehicle types desired for purchase from a dealership.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting current bid information on a particular vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a top bid option to the wireless handheld device wherein a bid is increased if the current pending bid is increased.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing auction information from other auction sites; and

providing an option to bid on vehicles at the other auction sites.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an image of a vehicle of interest and the option to zoom in or pan the image for a more detailed view to the wireless handheld device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the amount of capital that is available for spending on vehicles to the wireless handheld device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a predetermined query criteria for searching for fast finding of vehicles to the wireless handheld device.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a search feature allowing for searching of only vehicles that arrived during a current date of sale.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a save command which allows saving of individual vehicles and wherein if the vehicle has already been saved, the application will disallow the saving vehicles that have already been saved.

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving by a server specific information including an inventory of used motor vehicles that are to be sold at an auction where the vehicles are temporarily stored at a location at the auction and are placed on one or more auction blocks for sale;

transmitting by the server the specific information to a potential buyer'"'"'s wireless handheld device wherein the potential buyer is physically present at the auction site;

receiving by the server from the potential buyer selection information comprising one or more particular vehicles from the specific information;

receiving from the wireless handheld device a selected information provider from a plurality of information providers from which to obtain standard information about motor vehicle values;

integrating the standard information for the one or more selected particular vehicles from the selected information provider and the specific information; and

providing the integrated specific information and standard information to display on the potential buyer'"'"'s wireless handheld device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving from the potential buyer by the server and transmitting by the server to a seller an interest in bidding on a specific motor vehicle.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting by the server to the potential buyer a notification when the specific motor vehicle is about to be placed on an auction block.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving bid information from the potential buyer by the server and transmitting the bid information to the seller.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the specific information further comprises at least one of VIN history data, vehicle photos, and auction dates and times.