Method for presenting related items for auction

• US 7,529,692 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2001
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AuctionHelper, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuctionHelper, Inc.
• Inventors: LYNCH, Gerard Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/010,993
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/35, 705/37, 345/838, 345/823, 345/848, 715/962
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method of delivering a plurality of selectable auction items to a browser of a client computer system. The client computer system downloads a main program that is configured to load onto the client computer system one or more modules including a picture displaying module. The picture displaying module obtains, from an auxiliary site, a set of picture pointers to pictures that correspond to auction items listed on a computerized auction site. The picture displaying module obtains the pictures pointed to by the picture pointers and displays the pictures of the items in a moving display on the client computer system. A selection device controls the speed of the moving display and permits the client to select a picture, thereby taking the client computer system to the item description document at the computerized auction system.

Claims

1. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a browser of a client computer system, comprising:

receiving, at an auxiliary server, a request from a client browser for a main program in response to the client browser obtaining an item document of a particular seller from an auction site and the browser displaying a particular portion of said item document; and

delivering the main program to the requesting client browser, the main program being configured to receive, from the client browser, information to select the particular seller, and to load and activate one or more modules including a picture displaying module for displaying selectable images, the picture displaying module being configured to obtain a set of selectable images of the selected seller'"'"'s auction items based on the received information that selects the particular seller, to moveably display in the item document on the client browser, a set of selectable images, showing the selected seller'"'"'s auction items, and to receive a user selection of a selectable image being displayed and to redirect the client browser to an auction item document at an auction site associated with the selected image; and

sending the set of selectable images, based on the received information that selects the particular seller, to the browser.

2. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a request from a client browser for a main program includes receiving the request from an auction item document obtained from an auction site.

3. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 1,

wherein the picture displaying module is configured to moveably display the set of selectable images at a controllable speed;

and

wherein the controllable speed is controlled by a current position of a pointing device connected to the client computer system.

4. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 1,

wherein the client computer system includes a display output device and the client browser occupies a graphical window on display output device;

and

wherein the picture displaying module is configured to moveably display the set of selectable images horizontally in the client browser graphical window.

5. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 1, wherein the main program is configured to load and activate a categories module that maintains a set of categories available on the auction site from the specified seller, said categories module initially obtaining the set of categories of the specified seller from the auction site and thereafter obtaining the set of categories from the auxiliary server.

6. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 5, wherein the set of categories available on the auction site from the specified seller is stored on the auxiliary server.

7. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 5, wherein the main program is configured to load and activate an item links module that maintains a set of item links for each category in the set of categories available on the auction site from the specified seller.

8. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 7, wherein the set of item links available on the auction site from the specified seller is stored on the auxiliary server.

9. A method of delivering, in the form of selectable images, a plurality of auction items of a selected seller to a client browser as recited in claim 8, wherein the set of item links includes an item name associated with each item link.