Auction system, auction processing apparatus, auction processing method, and information processing system and method of same

• US 8,799,104 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwase, Sumio
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US09/869,993
• Time in Patent Office: 5,016 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.3, 705/37, 705/80
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

An auction system is disclosed in which a submitting node device is configured to transmit to an auction management device product information describing a product, re-auction information indicating whether or not the product is to be re-auctioned when an initial auction fails to result in a transaction, and sale conditions information including sale conditions for the product. The auction management device is configured to present said product for auction, based on said product information. The auction management device is also configured to receive at least one bid indicating purchase conditions from at least one bidding node device. Additionally, the auction management device is configured to determine whether the purchase conditions match the sale conditions. The auction management device is also configured to, when (i) the purchase conditions do not match the sale conditions and (ii) the re-auction information indicates that the product is to be re-auctioned, re-present said product for auction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented auction system for carrying out an auction in a computer network to which a plurality of devices are connected, comprising:

a submitting node device configured to transmit to an auction management device;

product information describing a product,

re-auction information indicating whether the product is to be re-auctioned or not to be re-auctioned when an initial auction fails to result in a transaction, and

sale conditions information including sale conditions for the product;

the auction management device, which is configured to;

receive said product information, said re-auction information, and said sale conditions information,

present said product for auction, based on said product information,

receive at least one bid indicating purchase conditions from at least one bidding node device,

determine whether the purchase conditions indicated by any of the at least one bid match the sale conditions for the product, and

(a) when (i) the purchase conditions indicated by none of the at least one bid match the sale conditions for the product and (ii) the re-auction information indicates that the product is to be re-auctioned when an initial auction fails to result in a transaction, re-present said product for auction, and

(b) when (i) the purchase conditions indicated by none of the at least one bid match the sale conditions for the product and (ii) the re-auction information indicates that the product is not to be re-auctioned when an initial auction fails to result in a transaction, end the auctioning of said product such that said product is no longer for sale; and

the at least one bidding node device, which is configured to view the product presented for auction by the auction management device and place the at least one bid indicating purchase conditions with respect to the viewed product.

2. A computer-implemented auction system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said submitting node device is configured to transmit at the same time to the auction management device said product information, said re-auction information, and said sale conditions information.

3. A computer-implemented auction system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said sale conditions for the product include a minimum reserve,

said purchase conditions indicated by any of the at least one bid include a bid amount, and

said auction management device is configured to determine whether the purchase conditions indicated by any of the at least one bid match the sale conditions for the product by comparing said bid amount to said minimum reserve.

4. A computer-implemented auction system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said product information for said product for auction includes a category associated with said product for auction, and

said auction management device is configured to change the category associated with said product for auction when re-presenting said product for auction.

5. A computer-implemented auction system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said sale conditions for the product include information designating an auction period, and

said auction management device is configured to change said auction period when re-presenting said product for auction.