US 2003/0126061 A1Published application

Computer auction system with dynamic pricing

OwnerDavid H. Brett, Douglas G. Chepil +1inventors

InventorsDavid H. Brett, Douglas G. Chepil, Stephen C. Hawtree

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Abstract

The present invention is an auction system embodied withn the environment of a digital communications network wherein a server computer system is operatively linkable for bi-directional communications with a plurality of remote terminals, each remote terminal being under the control of a user of the network. Using technology that is well known, the communications network may be conveniently established with the facilities of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW); the server computer system being situate at an established web site, the remote terminals being the personal computers of users having access to the Internet, and hence the web site, through selected Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, while the Internet provides an exemplary telecommunications link for digital communications, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to implementation using the Internet.

Claims9

Dependent claims

In a digital communications network wherein a server computer system is operatively linkable for bidirectional communications with a plurality of remote terminals, each remote terminal being under the control of a user of the network, a method of offering an item by auction to such users, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing item information relating to said item in said server computer system, said item information including:
(i) information identifying said item;
and
(ii) information representing a current ask pnce for the item;
(b) in response to an information request command from any requesting one of said terminals, transmitting said item information from said server computer system to said requesting terminal for display by said requesting terminal;
(c) receiving at said server computer system bid information transmitted from said remote terminals, said bid information including:
(i) information identifying the user sending tile bid information;
(ii) information representing the amount bid by such user, and,
(d) analyzing with said server computer system bid information so received and, in response thereto:
(i) automatically raising said current ask price by a controlled amount if a predetermined criteria for doing so is satisfied;
(ii) automatically lowering said current ask price by a controlled amount if a predetermiined criteria for doing so is satisfied;
and,
(iii) automatically generating an acceptance signal signifying the receipt of an acceptable bid in any case where said bid information satisfies predetermined criteria for acceptance.

10 more elements

In a digital communications network wherein a server computer system is operatively linkable for bidirectional communications with a plurality of remote terminals, each remote terminal being under the control of a user of the network, a method of offering digital data by auction to such users, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) uploading said data and information relating to said data to said server computer system, said information relating to said data including:
(i) information identifying said data;
and
(ii) information representing a current ask price for said data,
(b) in response to an information request command from any requesting one of said terminals, transmitting said item information from said server computer system to said requesting terminal for display by said requesting terminal;
(c) receiving at said server computer system bid information transmitted from said remote terminals, said bid information including:
(i) information identifying the user sending the bid information;
(ii) information representing the amount bid by such user, and,
(d) analyzing with said server computer system bid information so received and, in response thereto,
(i) automatically raising said current ask price by a controlled amount if a predetermined criteria for doing so is satisfied,
(ii) automatically lowering said current ask price by a controlled amount if a predetermined criteria for doing so is satisfied;
(iii) automatically generating an acceptance signal signifying the receipt of an acceptable bid in any case where said bid information satisfies predetermined criteria for acceptance;
and,
(iv) permitting said uploaded data to be downloaded from said computer server system to one of said remote terminals by any user submitting an acceptable bid.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.