Auction system, method and apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasuhisa Fujiwara, Nobuaki Matsueda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In client-server systems interconnected through a network, a server computer accepts bids from respective client computers while reducing the price of an article stepwise. If a plurality of bids have been made at a certain price, one of the bidders is determined as a winner at the price. The server computer sends information on the confirmation of a knock-down to the winner. The auction is closed upon completion of the knock-down process. The auction is easily and reliably held by using the network.
Claims16
A method for holding an auction of an article using a client-server system connected through a communication network, comprising the steps of:
- causing at least one client computer to display a price of the article;
- reducing stepwise the price of the article displayed by the client computer if no bid has been received from the client computer, with the displayed price of the article defined as a first bidding price;
- and
- causing a server computer to determine a winner at a second bidding price if any bid has been received from the client computer, when the price of the article that has been reduced and displayed by the client computer is defined as the second bidding price.
A system for holding an auction of an article using a client-server system connected through a communication network, comprising:
- at least one client computer that displays a price of the article and sends a bid;
- and
- a server computer that reduces stepwise the price of the article displayed by the client computer if no bid has been received from the client computer, accepting a bid from the client computer with the reduced price of the article defined as a bidding price, and determining a winner at the bidding price.
An apparatus for holding an auction of an article through a communication network, comprising:
- a memory that stores an initial price and a lowest price of the article;
- and
- a controller that:
- sends auction information, including a price of the article, to the communication network;
- and
- receives bids through the communication network, with the price of the article that has been sent defined as a bidding price,
- wherein the controller:
- sends the price of the article that is reduced from the initial price to the lowest price every time it is reduced stepwise, as long as the controller has not received the bids;
- and
- determines a winner with the price of the article that has been reduced defined as the bidding price.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.