Method and system for adjusting a close time of an auction

• US 20030088508A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan S. Fisher, Samuel Jerrold Kaplan
• Original Assignee: Alan S. Fisher, Samuel Jerrold Kaplan
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold, Fisher, Alan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/319,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 and system for adjusting a close time of an auction includes monitoring the bidding activity during an auction for an item within a predetermined time interval and adjusting a closing time of the auction depending upon the bidding activity within the predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. A method to conduct an electronic auction, the method including:

monitoring bidding activity during an auction for a particular item within a predetermined time interval; and

adjusting a closing time of the auction depending upon the bidding activity within the predetermined time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring includes determining whether new bids are received for the item within the predetermined time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the closing time includes shortening a bidding period.

4. An electronic auction system, comprising:

a manager monitoring bidding activity during an auction for an item, the manager to adjust a closing time of the auction depending on the bidding activity within a predetermined time interval.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the manager is to adjust closing time of the auction by shortening a bidding period.

6. A method to conduct an electronic auction, the method including:

at an electronic auction system, determining whether new bids for a particular item are received within a predetermined time interval, and if not, closing the electronic auction for the particular item.

7. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more machines to perform a method to conduct an electronic auction, the method including:

monitoring bidding activity during an auction for a particular item within a predetermined time interval; and

adjusting a closing time of the auction depending upon the bidding activity within the predetermined time interval.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the monitoring includes determining whether new bids are received for the item within the predetermined time interval.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the adjusting of the closing time includes shortening a bidding period.

10. An electronic auction system, comprising:

manager means for monitoring the bidding activity during an auction for an item, the manager means for adjusting a closing time of the auction depending on the bidding activity within a predetermined time interval; and

storage means for storing the closing time of the auction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the manager means is for adjusting the closing time of the auction by shortening a bidding period.

12. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more machines to perform a method to conduct an electronic auction, the method including:

at an electronic auction system, determining whether new bids for a particular item are received within a predetermined time interval, and if not, closing the electronic auction for the particular item.