US 10,769,719 B1Granted

Electronic bidding service using an item authority

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsScott Kerns Windsor, Matthew K. Green

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Abstract

An electronic bidding service is described which substantially automatically acquires items for buyers in response to bidding information entered by the buyers. To function in this manner, the electronic bidding service makes use of an item authority. The item authority links items specified in different offers to master reference information associated with the items, thereby allowing the electronic bidding service to identify groups of offers which are selling the same or related item. In one case, a buyer can instruct the electronic bidding service to obtain a desired item from a specific offer. If this bid is unsuccessful, the electronic bidding service can extend the bidding procedure to one or more other offers that feature the same or related item. This extension is based on the master reference information.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, via a bidder user interface on a customer device, bidding information corresponding to a bid to acquire an item;
determining whether the bidding information provides a first instruction to acquire the item from one or more specified offers of a plurality of offers or whether the bidding information provides a second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers, wherein the plurality of offers feature the item;
upon determining that the bidding information provides the first instruction to acquire the item from the one or more specified offers of the plurality of offers:
identifying the one or more specified offers;
placing a first bid on a first offer of the one or more specified offers;
and
based at least in part on a first determination that the first bid on the first offer is unsuccessful, automatically placing a second bid on a second offer of the one or more specified offers;
and
upon determining that the bidding information provides the second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers:
identifying, based at least in part on the bidding information and offer information associated with the plurality of offers, a third offer of the plurality of offers;
placing a third bid on the third offer;
and
based at least in part on a second determination that the third bid on the third offer is unsuccessful:
automatically identifying, based at least in part on the bidding information and the offer information, a fourth offer for a same or a related item without receiving additional information via the bidder user interface, wherein the same or the related item is associated with a same or a related code to a code associated with the item;
and
automatically placing a fourth bid on the fourth offer for the same or the related item.

16 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a customer device, bidding information corresponding to a bid to acquire an item;
determining whether the bidding information provides a first instruction to acquire the item from one or more specified offers of a plurality of offers or whether the bidding information provides a second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers, wherein the plurality of offers feature the item;
upon determining that the bidding information provides the first instruction to acquire the item from the one or more specified offers of the plurality of offers:
identifying the one or more specified offers;
and
placing a first bid on a first offer of the one or more specified offers;
and
upon determining that the bidding information provides the second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers:
identifying, based at least in part on the bidding information and offer information associated with the plurality of offers, a second offer of the plurality of offers;
placing a second bid on the second offer;
and
based at least in part on a determination that the second bid on the second offer is unsuccessful:
automatically identifying based at least in part on the bidding information and the offer information associated with the plurality of offers, a third offer for a same or a related item without receiving additional information via a bidder user interface accessible to the customer device, wherein the same or the related item is associated with a same or a related code to a code associated with the item;
and
automatically placing a third bid on the third offer for the same or the related item.

12 more elements

A server computing device comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a customer device, bidding information corresponding to a bid to acquire an item;
determining whether the bidding information provides a first instruction to acquire the item from one or more specified offers of a plurality of offers or whether the bidding information provides a second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers, wherein the plurality of offers feature the item;
upon determining that the bidding information provides the first instruction to acquire the item from the one or more specified offers of the plurality of offers:
identifying a first offer of the one or more specified offers that features the item;
and
placing a first bid on the first offer;
and
upon determining that the bidding information provides the second instruction to acquire the item from any offer of the plurality of offers:
identifying, based at least in part on the bidding information and offer information associated with the plurality of offers, a second offer, of the plurality of offers, that features the item;
placing a second bid on the second offer;
and
based at least in part on a determination that the second bid is unsuccessful:
automatically identifying, based at least in part on the bidding information and the offer information associated with the plurality of offers, a third offer, of the plurality of offers, for a same or a related item, without receiving additional information via a bidder user interface accessible to the customer device, wherein the same or the related item is associated with a same or a related code to a code associated with the item;
and
automatically bidding on the third offer for the same or the related item.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/673,132Filed 9 Aug 2017 · division
Priority: 27 Mar 2006
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G06Q 30/08
Buying, selling or leasing transactions: auctions
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial

Family

Application11/277,558Parent of this division · filed 27 Mar 2006
US 9,754,316 B1Parent of this division
US 10,769,719 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Citations

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