Systems and methods for facilitating media playback in online auctions

• US 9,721,293 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manheim Investments Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Manheim Investments Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Humble, Mark, Enge, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US14/296,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1471, 705 263, 705 262
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating media playback in online auctions. A method may include detecting an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle. The method may also include determining current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction. The method may further include determining auction event information associated with the auction event. Additionally, the method may include identifying, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more media files for playback on a bidder device. The method may also include transmitting, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the one or more media files for playback on the bidder device according to a determined sequence, which may result in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a service provider server comprising one or more processors, an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle;

determining current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction;

determining auction event information associated with the auction event;

identifying, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, a plurality of media files of at least portions of auction phrases for playback on a bidder device;

determining a sequence in which to play the plurality of media files consistent with an auction status; and

transmitting, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the plurality of media files for playback on the bidder device according to the determined sequence, and ordering the plurality of media files to form a naturalistic auctioneer phraseology and a naturalistic timing and flow, wherein playback of the plurality of media files according to the determined sequence results in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the plurality of media files comprises:

streaming the plurality of media files to the bidder device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more bidder devices from a plurality of bidder devices; and

streaming the plurality of media files to the selected one or more bidder devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media files comprise information associated with one or more auction announcements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of media files is further based at least in part on one or more auction announcement options associated with the bidder device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction information comprises information associated with at least one of an auction identifier, a bidder name, a seller name, a current ask price, one or more vehicle attributes associated with the first vehicle, or an auction location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the auction event information comprises information associated with at least one of a welcome announcement, an auction start time, a vehicle introduction, an auction bid, a new auction ask price, a sold vehicle, an unsold vehicle, an time remaining threshold, an elapsed time with no bidding, or an auction end time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media files comprises one or more prerecorded audio files, one or more video files, or one or more text files.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a seller device, a minimum ask price for the first vehicle;

determining a current bid price for the first vehicle, wherein the current bid price is less than the minimum ask price; and

determining, based at least in part one or more seller rules input by the seller device, whether to sell the first vehicle at the current bid price.

10. A service provider server, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

detect an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle;

determine current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction;

determine auction event information associated with the auction event;

identify, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, a plurality of media files of at least portions of auction phrases for playback on a bidder device;

determine a sequence of playback of the plurality of media files consistent with an auction status; and

transmit, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the plurality of media files for playback on the bidder device according to the determined sequence, and ordering the plurality of media files to form a naturalistic auctioneer phraseology and a naturalistic timing and flow, wherein playback of the plurality of media files according to the determined sequence results in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases.

11. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instruction to transmit the plurality of media files further comprise instructions to:

stream the plurality of media files to the bidder device.

12. The service provider server of claim 10, further comprising computer-executable instruction to:

select, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more bidder devices from a plurality of bidder devices; and

stream the plurality of media files to the selected one or more bidder devices.

13. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the plurality of media files comprise information associated with one or more auction announcements.

14. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein identifying the plurality of media files is further based at least in part on one or more auction announcement options associated with the bidder device.

15. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the auction information comprises information associated with at least one of an auction identifier, a bidder name, a seller name, a current ask price, one or more vehicle attributes associated with the first vehicle, or an auction location.

16. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the auction event information comprises information associated with at least one of a welcome announcement, an auction start time, a vehicle introduction, an auction bid, a new auction ask price, a sold vehicle, an unsold vehicle, an time remaining threshold, an elapsed time with no bidding, or an auction end time.

17. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the plurality of media files comprises one or more prerecorded audio files, one or more video files, or one or more text files.

18. The service provider server of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least on processor to:

receive, from a seller device, a floor price for the first vehicle;

determine a current bid price for the first vehicle, wherein the current bid price is less than the floor price; and

determine, based at least in part one or more seller rules input by the seller device, whether to sell the first vehicle at the current bid price.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle;

determine current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction;

determine auction event information associated with the auction event;

identify, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, a plurality of media files of at least portions of auction phrases for playback on a bidder device;

determine a sequence in which to play the plurality of media files consistent with an auction status; and

transmit, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the plurality of media files for playback on the bidder device according to the determined sequence, and ordering the plurality of media files to form a naturalistic auctioneer phraseology and a naturalistic timing and flow, wherein playback of the plurality of media files according to the determined sequence results in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instruction to transmit the plurality of media files further comprise instructions to:

stream the plurality of media files to the bidder device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instruction to:

select, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more bidder devices from a plurality of bidder devices; and

stream the plurality of media files to the selected one or more bidder devices.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of media files comprise information associated with one or more auction announcements.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein identifying the plurality of media files is further based at least in part on one or more auction announcement options associated with the bidder device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the auction information comprises information associated with at least one of an auction identifier, a bidder name, a seller name, a current ask price, one or more vehicle attributes associated with the first vehicle, or an auction location.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the auction event information comprises information associated with at least one of a welcome announcement, an auction start time, a vehicle introduction, an auction bid, a new auction ask price, a sold vehicle, an unsold vehicle, an time remaining threshold, an elapsed time with no bidding, or an auction end time.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of media files comprises one or more prerecorded audio files, one or more video files, or one or more text files.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

receive, from a seller device, a minimum ask price for the first vehicle;

determine a current bid price for the first vehicle, wherein the current bid price is less than the minimum ask price; and

determine, based at least in part one or more seller rules input by the seller device, whether to sell the first vehicle at the current bid price.