Method and system to enable a fixed price purchase within a multi-unit online auction environment

• US 8,463,694 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Stuart, Erik Anderson
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi, Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US12/689,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method includes presenting to a buyer a multi-unit auction, permitting the buyer to bid one or more of a price and a number of units in the auction, and permitting the buyer to re-bid in the auction. The auction includes a rule that prevents the buyer from reducing the price in the re-bid, and the auction further includes a rule that prevents the buyer from reducing the number of units in the re-bid.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting to a buyer, using a computer processor in a network-based transaction facility, a multi-unit auction;

permitting said buyer, via said computer processor, to bid one or more of a price and a number of units in said auction; and

permitting said buyer, via said computer processor, to re-bid in said auction;

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the price in said re-bid; and

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising modifying said rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid such that said buyer is permitted to reduce the number of units in said re-bid when said buyer is not winning any units in said auction.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing said number of units to less than one unit.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said auction is an online auction.

5. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors in a network-based transaction facility that are configured to;

present a buyer a multi-unit auction;

permit said buyer to bid one or more of a price and a number of units in said auction; and

permit said buyer to re-bid in said auction;

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the price in said re-bid; and

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid.

6. The system of claim 5, comprising a computer processor configured to modify said rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid such that said buyer is permitted to reduce the number of units in said re-bid when said buyer is not winning any units in said auction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing said number of units to less than one unit.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said auction is an online auction.

9. A machine-readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a process comprising:

presenting to a buyer a multi-unit auction;

permitting said buyer to bid one or more of a price and a number of units in said auction; and

permitting said buyer to re-bid in said auction;

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the price in said re-bid; and

wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, comprising instructions for modifying said rule that prevents said buyer from reducing the number of units in said re-bid such that said buyer is permitted to reduce the number of units in said re-bid when said buyer is not winning any units in said auction.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said auction comprises a rule that prevents said buyer from reducing said number of units to less than one unit.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said auction is an online auction.