Multi-tier order matching

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of buying and selling items on an electronic marketplace comprising: providing computer readable media encoded with rules that define multiple tiers of an order for a prescribed quantity of an item; wherein a respective rule for a respective tier sets forth a respective bid or offer for the item that is applicable to the respective tier; wherein a respective rule for a respective tier identifies one or more participants eligible to receive a respective bid or offer applicable to the respective tier; and wherein respective rules define prioritization of respective tiers; providing the order over the network while implementing eligibility rules for the tiers so that respective bids or offers are accessible only to respective participants eligible to receive the respective bids or offers; receiving over the electronic marketplace one or more responsive bids or offers to one or more respective provided offers or bids; matching provided bids or offers with received offers or bids in accordance with respective participant eligibility rules so as to provide respective matched bids and offers; evaluating respective matched provided bids and offers for compatibility; resolving resolvable differences between matched bids and offers so as to produce respective compatible matched bids and offers; and executing respective compatible matched bids and offers according to the defined prioritization and up to no more than the prescribed quantity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.