On-line auction sales leads

• US 8,533,094 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Dorr, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Lalita M
• Application Number:
  US09/769,546
• Time in Patent Office: 4,612 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/37, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method for generating on-line sales leads in an on-line auction. The method determines when a prospective bidder for an on-line auction of a specific item by a seller accesses the on-line screen for the item. The method obtains the e-mail address of the prospective bidder and either correlates the e-mail address of the prospective bidder with the item by seller or with a classification for the item. The correlated e-mail address is then delivered to the seller or to a purchaser and may be accompanied with information identifying the specific item, the classification, whether a bid was made or not, etc. Furthermore, the delivery occurs at periodic fixed time intervals or when a fixed number of e-mail addresses are obtained.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a processor to perform operations comprising;

detecting an action by a prospective buyer with respect to an auction screen of on an on-line auctioning service, the action not including an explicit expression of an interest by the prospective buyer in an item associated with the auction screen;

generating a sales lead pertaining to items included in a classification of items, the generating of the sales lead based on the detecting of the action by the prospective buyer, the classification of items selected based on keywords associated with the item, the sales lead including information about the prospective buyer that has not been provided to a seller of items associated with the classification of items;

delivering the sales lead to the seller based on an identification of an interest by the seller in the information about the prospective buyer; and

charging the seller for the delivering of the sales lead.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an email address of the prospective buyer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is land and the classification of the items is real estate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a generating of a fixed number of additional sales leads pertaining to the classification of the items, each of the additional sales leads including information about an additional prospective buyer that has not been provided to the seller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a periodic fixed time interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an identification of the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering of the sales lead to the seller includes providing the seller with an accumulation of the information and the additional information under the item and the additional items.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

an on-line auction service implemented by the at least one processor and configured to;

detect an action by a prospective buyer with respect to an auction screen of on an on-line auctioning service, the action not including an explicit expression of an interest by the prospective buyer in an item associated with the auction screen;

generating a sales lead pertaining to items included in a classification of items, the generating of the sales lead based on the detecting of the action by the prospective buyer, the classification of items selected based on keywords associated with the item, the sales lead including information about the prospective buyer that has not been provided to a seller of items associated with the classification of items;

deliver the sales lead to the seller based on an identification of an interest by the seller in the information about the prospective buyer; and

charge the seller for the delivering of the sales lead.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information includes an email address of the prospective buyer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a generating of a fixed number of additional sales leads pertaining to the classification of the items, the additional sales leads including additional information about additional prospective buyers that has not been provided to the seller.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivering of the sales lead to the seller includes providing the seller with an accumulation of the information and the additional information under the item and the additional items.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the item is land and the classification of the items is real estate.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the on-line auction service is further configured to deliver the information based on a periodic fixed time intervals.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the information includes an identification of the item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

detecting an action by a prospective buyer with respect to an auction screen of on an on-line auctioning service, the action not including an explicit expression of an interest by the prospective buyer in an item associated with the auction screen;

generating a sales lead pertaining to items included in a classification of items, the generating of the sales lead based on the detecting of the action by the prospective buyer, the classification of items selected based on keywords associated with the item, the sales lead including information about the prospective buyer that has not been provided to a seller of items associated with the classification of items;

delivering the sales lead to the seller based on an identification of an interest by the seller in the information about the prospective buyer; and

charging the seller for the delivering of the sales lead.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information includes an email address of the prospective buyer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a generating of a fixed number of additional sales leads pertaining to the classification of the items, the additional sales leads including additional information about additional prospective buyers that has not been provided to the seller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the item is land and the classification of the items is real estate.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a periodic fixed time intervals.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information includes an identification of the item.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the delivering of the information is based on a generating of a fixed number of additional sales leads pertaining to the classification of the items, the additional sales leads including additional information about additional prospective buyers that has not been provided to the seller.