Efficient online auction style listings that encourage out-of-channel negotiation

• US 7,921,052 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoTrader.com, Inc. (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AutoTrader.com, Inc. (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dabney, Esther, Winn, Mike, Easterly, Greg, Mohs, Brad, Mullis, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RANKINS, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US10/659,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,763 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Online auction-style listing and transaction system provides new features including for example allowing sellers to issue offers to sell before auction-style listing completion to encourage direct negotiation between seller and buyer for an out-of channel transaction; postponing auction-style end upon receipt of a last-minute bid to prevent sniping; allowing sellers to contact buyers registering adverse ratings before the ratings are published; allowing sellers to terminate listings before end of auction-style listing and/or to move the listing to a classified ad from an auction-style listing; and other features.

Claims

1. In an online network-connected computer system of the type that receives requests transmitted over a network from users and responds by providing responsive data over said network for display by said requesting users, a method of performing computer based processes to process online auction-style listings and provide associated responsive data for display, said method comprising:

recording a predetermined listing end time for an auction style listing stored in a computer memory;

receiving, from users over the network, bids with respect to said auction-style listing; and

in response to a determination that the highest bid is less than a reserve price and the reserve price and the highest bid are close within a threshold, prompting at least a seller to issue a direct offer to a user with a highest bid before a listing expiration without revealing the highest bid value to the seller; and

prompting the seller to issue direct offers to sell to any bidders after a listing expiration.

2. The online network-connected computer system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises automatically suspending the auction style listing for a predetermined time when the seller issues the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.

3. The online network-connected computer system of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises resuming the auction style listing when the user with the highest bid rejects the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell.

4. The online network-connected computer system of claim 2, wherein the auction style listing includes a notice that there is an outstanding offer when the auction is suspended.

5. The online network-connected computer system of claim 1, wherein the auction style listing automatically ends when the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid is accepted.

6. The online network-connected computer system of claim 2, wherein the auction style listing resumes when a predetermined amount of time elapses after the seller makes the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.

7. In an online network-connected computer system of the type that receives requests transmitted over a network from users and responds by providing data over said network for display by said requesting users, a method of performing computer based processes to provide data over the network relating to online auction-style listings, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of items available for auction-style listing;

receiving requests allowing sellers to specify whether items are to be listed in said database as conditional or binding transactions;

in response to user requests received over the network, generating and sending data over the network representing displays of (a) the conditional or binding characteristic of an item listing, and (b) at least some other information relating to the item; and

receiving, from users over the network, bids with respect to said auction-style listing; and

in response to a determination that the highest bid is less than a reserve price and the reserve price and the highest bid are close within a threshold, prompting at least a seller to issue a direct offer to a user with a highest bid before a listing expiration without revealing the highest bid value to the seller; and

prompting the seller to issue direct offers to sell to any bidders after a listing expiration.

8. The online network-connected computer system of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises automatically suspending the auction style listing for a predetermined time when the seller issues the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.

9. The online network-connected computer system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises resuming the auction style listing when the user with the highest bid rejects the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell.

10. The online network-connected computer system of claim 8, wherein the auction style listing includes a notice that there is an outstanding offer when the auction is suspended.

11. The online network-connected computer system of claim 7, wherein the auction style listing automatically ends when the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid is accepted.

12. The online network-connected computer system of claim 8, wherein the auction style listing resumes when a predetermined amount of time elapses after the seller makes the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.

13. In an online network-connected computer system of the type that receives requests transmitted over a network from users and responds by providing at least data over said network for display by said requesting users, a method of providing online listings comprising:

maintaining at least one database of items listed for sale;

sending, over the network, data representing a user interface display of at least some of said items in a classified advertising listing format;

sending, over the network, data representing a user interface display of at least others of said items in an auction-style listing format;

prompting sellers, through automatic interaction with the computer system, to select item listings and flexibly change selected item listings between said classified advertising and said auction-style listing formats; and

receiving, from users over the network, bids with respect to said auction-style listing; and

sending data over the network encouraging a seller to issue a direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid before a listing expiration when the highest bid is less than a reserve price and the reserve price and the highest bid are close within a threshold without revealing the highest bid value to the seller.

14. The online network-connected computer system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises automatically suspending the auction style listing for a predetermined time when the seller issues the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.

15. The online network-connected computer system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises resuming the auction style listing when the user with the highest bid rejects the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell.

16. The online network-connected computer system of claim 14, wherein the auction style listing includes a notice that there is an outstanding offer when the auction is suspended.

17. The online network-connected computer system of claim 13, wherein the auction style listing automatically ends when the seller'"'"'s direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid is accepted.

18. The online network-connected computer system of claim 14, wherein the auction style listing resumes when a predetermined amount of time elapses after the seller makes the direct offer to sell to the user with the highest bid.