System and method for the efficient clearing of spectrum encumbrances

• US 8,744,924 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
• Inventors: Ausubel, Lawrence M., Cramton, Peter C., Milgrom, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US13/429,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method to sell or procure complementary goods. A complementary good according to the invention is a good whose value or utility is enhanced when paired with another good, such a pair of goods is a communication license to encumbered spectrum and a complementary clearing right to clear the spectrum of its encumbrance. The invention provides automated procedures to facilitate the fashioning and sale of clearing rights so as to enhance the value of the communications license.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a system comprising an auctioneer computer and a communications interface, said system arranged to receive information from a plurality of bidder computers, at least one of which is located remotely from the first computer, said method for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said first auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, at least two bidders participating in the first auction, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) receiving bids at the auctioneer computer for items in the first set of items from the communications interface,

c) determining, using the auctioneer computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

d) repeating b) and c) until the first auction is terminated, and

e) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids received in the first and the second auctions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first auction occurs at the same time as the second auction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first auction occurs after the second auction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

9. The method of claim 8 which includes assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and wherein step c) also provides new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein step e) is limited to selected bidders.

73. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said second auction continues at least until at least one bid is received in the first auction.

13. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the first auction, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for receiving bids from bidders for items in the first set of items,

c) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

d) means for repeating the receiving and determining until the first auction is terminated, and

e) means for assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in the first and second auctions.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first auction is a computer implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the second auction.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

21. The system of claim 20 which includes means for assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for determining terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were submitted and further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for assigning is limited to operating with selected bidders.

74. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first auction is initiated prior to termination of the second auction.

25. A method implemented in a system comprising an auctioneer computer and a communications interface arranged to receive information from a plurality of bidder computers, at least one of which is located remotely from the first computer, said method for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, at least two bidders participating in each of the auctions, the method comprising:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and receiving bids therefor,

c) receiving bids for items in the first set of items at the auctioneer computer from the communications interface,

d) determining, using the auctioneer computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

e) repeating c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in the first and second auctions.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the first auction occurs at the same time as the second auction.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the first auction occurs after the second auction.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

33. The method of claim 32 which includes assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein step d) terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were received and wherein step d) also provides new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein step f) is limited to selected bidders.

75. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein at least one bid is received in the first auction prior to termination of the second auction.

37. A system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in each of the auctions, the system comprising:

a) means for initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) means for initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and receiving bids therefor,

c) means for receiving bids from bidders for items in the first set of items in the first auction,

d) means for determining whether the first auction should terminate,

e) means for repeating the receiving and determining until the first auction is terminated, and

f) means for assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in the first and the second auctions.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the first auction is a computer implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the second auction.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

43. The system of claim 37 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

44. The system of claim 37 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

45. The system of claim 44 which includes means for assigning each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

46. The system of claim 37 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

47. The system of claim 37 wherein the means for determining terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were received and further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

48. The system of claim 37 wherein said means for assigning is limited to operating with selected bidders.

76. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein at least one bid for an item in the first auction is received prior to termination of the second auction.

49. A computer system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items and a second auction of a second set of items, said computer system comprising an auctioneer computer including a communications interface arranged to receive information from a plurality of bidder computers, at least one of which is located remotely from the first computer, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, said system allowing at least two bidders to participate in each of the auctions, the computer system:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) initiating the second auction by identifying the second set of items and receiving bids therefor,

c) receiving bids for items in the first set of items at the auctioneer computer,

d) determining, using the auctioneer computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

e) repeating c) and d) until the first auction is terminated, and

f) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in the first and second auctions.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the first auction is a computer implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the second auction.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

52. The system of claim 49 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

53. The system of claim 49 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

54. The system of claim 49 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

55. The system of claim 49 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

56. The system of claim 49 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the computer system assigns each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

58. The system of claim 49 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

59. The system of claim 49 wherein the computer system terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were received and further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

60. The system of claim 49 wherein said computer system assigns only to selected bidders.

77. A system as recited in claim 49 wherein at least one bid is received in the first auction prior to termination of the second auction.

61. A computer system for conducting a first auction of a first set of items, said auction conducted in association with a second auction of a second set of items, said computer system comprising an auctioneer computer including a communications interface arranged to receive information from a plurality of bidder computers, at least one of which is located remotely from the first computer, said first set of items being distinct from said second set of items, said computer system allowing at least two bidders to participate in the first auction, the computer system:

a) initiating the first auction by identifying the first set of items,

b) receiving bids for items in the first set of items at the auctioneer computer,

c) determining, using the auctioneer computer, whether the first auction should terminate,

d) repeating b) and c) until the first auction is terminated, and

e) assigning the first set of items to bidders based on the bids in the first and second auctions.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein the first auction is a computer implemented auction and occurs at the same time as the second auction.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein the first auction is a computer-implemented auction and occurs after the second auction.

64. The system of claim 61 wherein items in the second set are communication licenses and items in the first set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

65. The system of claim 61 wherein items in the first set are communication licenses and items in the second set are clearing rights related to the communication licenses.

66. The system of claim 61 wherein items in the second set are related to airport landing rights.

67. The system of claim 61 wherein items in the first set are related to airport landing rights.

68. The system of claim 61 wherein each item in the first set is related to an item in the second set.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein the computer system assigns each item in the first set to a successful bidder for the related item in the second set.

70. The system of claim 61 wherein each item in the first set is complementary to an item in the second set.

71. The system of claim 61 wherein the computer system terminates the first auction in the event that no new bids were received and further includes means for providing new bidding information to bidders in the event that the first auction is not terminated.

72. The system of claim 61 wherein said computer system assigns only to selected bidders.

78. A system as recited in claim 61 wherein at least one bid is received in the first auction prior to termination of the second auction.