Computerized systems and methods for anonymous collaborative auctions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computerized collaborative auction method, comprising:
- accepting bids, on a server, from a plurality of auction participants each using a computer to place the bids, the bids being placed on individual components of a multi-component ensemble;
providing, for display on a consumer device associated with a consumer, an ordered list including the multi-component ensemble and a listing of a plurality of ensembles;
determining, by the server, a maximum bid for each of the individual components of the multi-component ensemble, the maximum bids being provided by the plurality of auction participants;
adding, on the server, the maximum bids to form a single bid on the multi-component ensemble, the single bid stored on the server;
ranking, by the server, the multi-component ensemble within the listing of the plurality of ensembles, stored on the server, based on the single bid for the multi-component ensemble relative to single bids for other ensembles in the plurality of ensembles;
updating the ordered list for display on the consumer device associated with the consumer in response to obtaining a rank of the multi-component ensemble;
receiving a consumer inventory comprising branded components in possession of the consumer;
determining a set of ensembles from the plurality of ensembles that can be created from the consumer inventory;
determining an output ensemble from the set of ensembles, wherein the output ensemble requires a quantity of a given component;
calculating a component bid total for the given component based on a plurality of bids for the given component, the plurality of bids for the given component selected from the bids placed on the individual components accepted by the server; and
calculating, from the plurality of bids for the given component, a contribution to the component bid total of each of the plurality of bids for the given component by weighting each of the plurality of bids for the given component by an amount, wherein a sum of the amounts equals the quantity of the given component required in the output ensemble;
wherein the auction participants are not aware of whether other participants'"'"' bids are being combined with their own bids to form the single bids.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computerized auction system is used for collecting bids from a plurality of producers. The bids are placed on individual components of a multi-component ensemble. Bids from separate marketers are added and affect the rank of a single ensemble within a potential consumer'"'"'s ensemble search result. The bids are cooperative as the separate bids on the components are added to form the single bid on the ensemble. The bids are anonymous such that each bidding marketer is kept unaware of whether another marketer'"'"'s bid was combined with the bidding marketer'"'"'s bid.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A computerized collaborative auction method, comprising:
-
accepting bids, on a server, from a plurality of auction participants each using a computer to place the bids, the bids being placed on individual components of a multi-component ensemble; providing, for display on a consumer device associated with a consumer, an ordered list including the multi-component ensemble and a listing of a plurality of ensembles; determining, by the server, a maximum bid for each of the individual components of the multi-component ensemble, the maximum bids being provided by the plurality of auction participants; adding, on the server, the maximum bids to form a single bid on the multi-component ensemble, the single bid stored on the server; ranking, by the server, the multi-component ensemble within the listing of the plurality of ensembles, stored on the server, based on the single bid for the multi-component ensemble relative to single bids for other ensembles in the plurality of ensembles; updating the ordered list for display on the consumer device associated with the consumer in response to obtaining a rank of the multi-component ensemble; receiving a consumer inventory comprising branded components in possession of the consumer; determining a set of ensembles from the plurality of ensembles that can be created from the consumer inventory; determining an output ensemble from the set of ensembles, wherein the output ensemble requires a quantity of a given component; calculating a component bid total for the given component based on a plurality of bids for the given component, the plurality of bids for the given component selected from the bids placed on the individual components accepted by the server; and calculating, from the plurality of bids for the given component, a contribution to the component bid total of each of the plurality of bids for the given component by weighting each of the plurality of bids for the given component by an amount, wherein a sum of the amounts equals the quantity of the given component required in the output ensemble; wherein the auction participants are not aware of whether other participants'"'"' bids are being combined with their own bids to form the single bids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. Non-transient computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium for use in providing a collaborative auction via a computing resource, the computer program product comprising:
-
program code for accepting bids from a plurality of auction participants via a communications interface, the bids being placed on individual components of a multi-component ensemble; program code for determining a maximum bid for each of the individual components of the multi-component ensemble, the maximum bids being provided by the plurality of auction participants; program code for adding the maximum bids to form a single bid on the multi-component ensemble; program code for ranking the multi-component ensemble within a listing of a plurality of ensembles based on the single bid for the multi-component ensemble relative to single bids for other ensembles in the plurality of ensembles; program code for tracking an inventory of individual components in possession of a consumer; determining a set of ensembles from the plurality of ensembles that can be created from the inventory; program code for determining an output ensemble for the consumer, the output ensemble selected from the set of ensembles and based on the inventory of individual components, wherein the output ensemble requires a quantity of a given component; program code for calculating a component bid total for the given component based on a plurality of bids for the given component, the plurality of bids for the given component selected from the bids placed on the individual components; and program code for calculating, from the plurality of bids for the given component, a contribution to the component bid total of each of the plurality of bids for the given component by weighting each of the plurality of bids by an amount, wherein a sum of the amounts equals the quantity of the given component required by the output ensemble; wherein the auction participants are not aware of whether other participants'"'"' bids are being combined with their own bids to form the single bids. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for facilitating a collaborative auction, comprising:
-
a consumer device associated with a consumer, the consumer device providing an ordered list to the consumer, the ordered list including a multi-component ensemble and a listing of a plurality of ensembles; a server computer programmed to; (i) accept bids from a plurality of auction participants, the bids being placed on individual components of the multi-component ensemble; (ii) determine a maximum bid for each of the individual components of the multi-component ensemble, the maximum bids being provided by the plurality of auction participants; (iii) add the maximum bids to form a single bid on the multi-component ensemble; (iv) store the single bid; (v) receive a consumer inventory comprising branded components in possession of a consumer; (vi) rank the multi-component ensemble within the listing of the plurality of ensembles based on the single bid for the multi-component ensemble relative to single bids for other ensembles in the plurality of ensembles; (vii) determine a set of ensembles from the plurality of ensembles that can be created from the consumer inventory; (viii) determine an output ensemble from the set of ensembles, wherein the output ensemble requires a quantity of a given component; (ix) calculate a component bid total for the given component based on a plurality of bids for the given component, the plurality of bids for the given component selected by the server from the bids placed on the individual components; (x) calculate, from the plurality of bids for the given component, a contribution to the component bid total of each of the plurality of bids for the given component by weighting each of the plurality of bids by a proportion, wherein a sum of the proportions equals the quantity of the given component required by the output ensemble; and wherein the consumer device updates the ordered list in response to obtaining a rank of the multi-component ensemble from the server. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification