SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECEIVING A BID

• US 20080103938A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel, Fisher, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,374,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• 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

An electronic auction system may include a bid validator connected between a network, a bid database and a merchandise catalog page. The example bid validator may receive over the network, bid information via an electronic mail message and further bid information via a web-based bid form. The example bid validator may validate the bid information and the further bid information before placing a bid and a further bid respectively into the bid database. The example bid validator may then update the web-based merchandise catalog page based on the bid and the further bid.

Claims

1. A method performed at an electronic auction system that is capable of receiving bid information via electronic mail and via a web-based bid form, the method comprising:

receiving first bid information via electronic mail and second bid information via the web-based bid form;

validating each of the first and second bid information;

placing first and second bids in a bid database, the first and second bids being based respectively on the first and second bid information; and

updating a web-based merchandise catalog page based on the first and second bids.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the first bid information includes receiving an electronic mail including the first bid information in response to an electronic mail notification message requesting a bidder to enter a new or revised bid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the second bid information is responsive to a bidder entering the second bid information into the web-based bid form and pressing a bid submission button to send the second bid information to the electronic auction system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second bid information each include at least one of a bid value, a bid quantity, personal information, willingness to accept a reduced quantity, an account number, an address or an indication of whether to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the validating of each of the first and second bid information includes at least one of ensuring that the first or second bids are properly formatted, ensuring that all necessary data is present or ensuring that data values look credible.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the web-based merchandise catalog page includes at least one of updating the web-based merchandise catalog page to indicate at least one current high bidder for an item, updating a high bid amount for the item or updating a high bidder for the item.

7. An electronic auction system, comprising:

a bid database; and

a bid validator to be communicatively coupled between a network, and the bid database, the bid validator to;

receive via the network, first bid information included within an electronic mail message and second bid information via a web-based bid form;

validate each of the first and second bid information;

place first and second bids in the bid database, the first and second bids being based respectively on the first and second bid information; and

update a web-based merchandise catalog page based on the first and second bids.

8. The electronic auction system of claim 7, wherein the bid validator is to receive the first bid information included within the electronic mail message in response to an electronic mail notification message requesting a bidder to enter a new or revised bid.

9. The electronic auction system of claim 7, wherein the bid validator is to receive the second bid information via the web-based bid form in response to a bidder entering the second bid information into the web-based bid form and pressing a bid submission button to send the second bid information to the electronic auction system.

10. The electronic auction system of claim 7, wherein the first and second bid information received via the network each include at least one of a bid value, a bid quantity, personal information, willingness to accept a reduced quantity, an account number, an address or an indication of whether to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

11. The electronic auction system of claim 7, wherein the bid validator is to detect at least one of whether the first or second bids are properly formatted, all necessary data is present or whether data values look credible, wherein the bid validator is to validate the first and second bid information based on at least one of ensuring that the first or second bids are properly formatted, that all necessary data is present or ensuring that data values look credible.

12. The electronic auction system of claim 7, wherein the merchandise catalog page generator is to update the web-based merchandise catalog page to indicate at least one current high bidder for an item, update a high bid amount for the item or to update a high bidder for the item.

13. A machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method being performed at an electronic auction system that is capable of receiving bid information via electronic message and via a web-based bid form, the method comprising:

receiving first bid information via electronic message and second bid information via the web-based bid form;

validating each of the first and second bid information;

placing first and second bids in a bid database, the first and second bids being based respectively on the first and second bid information; and

updating a web-based merchandise catalog page based on the first and second bids.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the first bid information via electronic message includes receiving an electronic message including the first bid information in response to an electronic notification message requesting a bidder to enter a new or revised bid.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the second bid information via the web-based bid form is responsive to a bidder entering the second bid information into the web-based bid form and pressing a bid submission button to send the second bid information to the electronic auction system.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first and second bid information include at least one of a bid value, a bid quantity, personal information, willingness to accept a reduced quantity, an account number, an address or an indication of whether to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic message.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the validating of each of the first and second bid information includes at least one of ensuring that the first or second bids are properly formatted, ensuring that all necessary data is present or ensuring that data values look credible.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the updating of the web-based merchandise catalog page includes at least one of updating the web-based merchandise catalog page to indicate at least one current high bidder for an item, updating a high bid amount for the item or updating a high bidder for the item.

19. An electronic auction system, comprising:

validating means for receiving first bid information via electronic mail and second bid information via a web-based bid form, and for validating each of the first and second bid information;

database interface means for placing first and second bids in a bid database, the first and second bids being based respectively on the first and second bid information; and

catalog interface generating means for updating a web-based merchandise catalog interface based on the first and second bids.

20. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the validating means is for receiving the first bid information included within the electronic mail message in response to an electronic mail notification message requesting a bidder to enter a new or revised bid

21. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the validating means is for receiving the second bid information via the web-based bid form in response to a bidder entering the second bid information into a web-based bid form and pressing a bid submission button to send the second bid information to the electronic auction system

22. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the first and second bid information include at least one of a bid value, a bid quantity, personal information, willingness to accept a reduced quantity, an account number, an address or an indication of whether to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

23. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the validating means is for detecting at least one of whether the first or second bids are properly formatted, all necessary data is present or whether data values look credible, wherein the validating means is for validating the first and second bid information based on at least one of ensuring that the first or second bids are properly formatted, that all necessary data is present or ensuring that data values look credible.

24. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the catalog interface generating means is for updating the web-based merchandise catalog interface to indicate at least one current high bidder for an item, update a high bid amount for the item or to update a high bidder for the item.