Auction variation

• US 8,073,745 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eran Admon
• Original Assignee: Eran Admon
• Inventors: Admon, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poe, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US10/546,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,847 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/26.3
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method of marketing items comprising: publicizing an auction to sell at least one item, accepting a preset number of price bids for the items, applying at least one cancellation rule to selectively cancel zero or more bids, selecting one or more bids closest to a preselected low sum to receive the item, wherein the low sum is less than 1% of a list price of the item.

Claims

1. A method of marketing items comprising:

publicizing an on-line auction to sell at least one item;

preselecting a low sum;

preselecting a number;

receiving, at a data processing system, the preselected low sum and the preselected number;

receiving, at the data processing system, a number of price bids for the at least one item, the number of price bids being equal to or greater than said preselected number;

applying, at the data processing system, at least one cancellation rule to selectively cancel zero or more received price bids;

selecting, at the data processing system, one or more remaining price bids closest to said preselected low sum to receive the at least one item; and

outputting, from the data processing system, said one or more price bids closest to said preselected low sum, the number of price bids selected and outputted equaling the number of items publicized to sell;

wherein said preselected low sum is less than 1% of a list price of said item.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said price bids are accepted for a fee.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cancellation rule comprises canceling price bids that are not unique.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cancellation rule comprises canceling price bids wherein a number of bidders offering a specific value is greater than a number of units offered of the item.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cancellation rule comprises canceling price bids wherein a number of bidders offering a specific value is not equal to a number of units offered of the item.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said preselected low sum is zero.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said preselected low sum is less than 0.5% of a list price of the item.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said preselected low sum is less than 0.75% of a list price of the item.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said preselected low sum is less than 50% of a highest price bid when all of said number of price bids are unique.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more price bids closest to said preselected low sum are winning price bids, and wherein said winning price bids receive the item for free.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more price bids closest to said preselected low sum are winning price bids, wherein said method further comprises preselecting a price for receiving the item;

and wherein said winning price bids pay said preselected price for receiving the item.