Bidding on a Plurality of Products or Services with Contingencies

• US 20120284136A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adbucket Com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adbucket Com, Inc.
• Inventors: Golden, Aaron B., Marston, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Bidding on a plurality of items with contingencies. Input may be received from a buyer over a wide area network. The input may specify a plurality of offers for purchase of a respective plurality of items and the offers may be included in a collection of offers. One or more contingencies may be associated with the collection of offers, e.g., in response to user input. The one or more contingencies may specify cancellation of one or more of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers. Input may be received from a seller over the wide area network, specifying an acceptance of a first offer of the plurality of offers in the collection of offers. At least one of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers may be automatically canceled based on the one or more contingencies and possibly the acceptance of the first offer.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive a plurality of offers for purchase of a respective plurality of items, wherein the plurality of offers are received from a buyer over a wide area network;

receive input from a seller over the wide area network, wherein the input specifies an acceptance of a first offer of the plurality of offers;

automatically cancel remaining ones of the plurality of offers, wherein said automatically canceling is performed based on the acceptance of the first offer, wherein said automatically canceling is performed without manual user input specifying cancellation of the remaining ones of the plurality of offers.

2. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically cancelling is based on a threshold number of accepted offers.

3. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically canceling is also based on a threshold price limit.

4. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically canceling is also based on a time limit.

5. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said receiving a plurality of offers comprises:

receiving first input from the buyer specifying a first offer;

receiving second input from the buyer specifying a second offer;

receiving third input from the buyer associating the first offer and the second offer to form a collection of offers.

17. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive input from the buyer specifying at least one contingency, wherein said associating is performed in response to the input from the buyer specifying the at least one contingency.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of offers for purchase of a respective plurality of items, wherein the plurality of offers are received from a buyer over a wide area network;

receiving input from a seller over the wide area network, wherein the input specifies an acceptance of a first offer of the plurality of offers;

automatically canceling remaining ones of the plurality of offers, wherein said automatically canceling is performed based on the acceptance of the first offer, wherein said automatically canceling is performed without manual user input specifying cancellation of the remaining ones of the plurality of offers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said automatically cancelling is based on a threshold number of accepted offers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said automatically canceling is also based on a threshold price limit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said automatically canceling is also based on a time limit.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of offers are comprised in a collection of offers.

11. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive input from a buyer over a wide area network, wherein the input specifies a plurality of offers for purchase of a respective plurality of items, wherein the plurality of offers are comprised in a collection of offers;

associate one or more contingencies with the collection of offers, wherein the one or more contingencies specify cancellation of one or more of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers;

receive input from a seller over the wide area network, wherein the input specifies an acceptance of a first offer of the plurality of offers in the collection of offers;

automatically cancel at least one of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers based on the one or more contingencies, wherein said automatically canceling is performed without manual user input specifying cancellation of the at least one of the plurality of offers.

12. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein said automatically canceling is also based on the input from the seller specifying acceptance of the first offer

13. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more contingencies comprise a single acceptance contingency, wherein said automatically canceling comprises canceling all of the plurality of offers except for the first offer based on said receiving input from the seller specifying acceptance of the first offer.

14. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more contingencies comprise a threshold number of accepted offers.

15. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more contingencies comprise a threshold price limit.

16. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more contingencies comprise a time limit.

18. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein said receiving input from the buyer comprises:

receiving first input from the buyer specifying a first offer;

receiving second input from the buyer specifying a second offer;

receiving third input from the buyer associating the first offer and the second offer to form the collection of offers.

19. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein said receiving input from the buyer comprises:

receiving first input from the buyer selecting the collection of offers, wherein the collection of offers is predetermined.

20. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the input from the buyer specifies an offer price for each of the plurality of items.