# US 2013/0159098 A1 · Seller-driven method for a bid set system

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- Number: US 2013/0159098 A1
- Document ID: US20130159098A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/768,985
- Filed: 2013-02-15
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2006-09-21
- Inventors: Alejandro BACKER; Reginald Keith Swinford AMMONS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159098A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/08: Auctions
- G06Q 40/04: Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method for automatically bidding on multiple on-line auction items up for bid where the number of items the bidder wishes to buy is less than the number of items up for bid is disclosed. A method of a seller or auction site giving a bidder the ability to add a listing to a set of listings that can be processed as above is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for bidding on on-line auction listings, comprising the following steps:
(a) selecting a plurality of listings to bid on from an on-line auction, wherein each listing has an identification;
(b) determining a number of listings required to be won;
(c) storing the identification of each of the plurality of listings in a bid set database, wherein each listing has a corresponding record containing the identification;
(d) selecting the first record from the bid set database after at least one listing has been stored; and
(e) bidding on the listing that corresponds to the selected record after the first record is selected;
the method further comprising:
if the bidding results in success:
decrementing the number of listings required to be won;
if, after the decrementing, the number is zero, ending the process; and
if, after the decrementing, the number is greater than zero, selecting the next record in the bid set database and, if the record exists, repeating step (e); and
if the bidding results in failure:
selecting the next record in the bid set database and, if the record exists, repeating step (e);
wherein steps (c), (d), and (e) are performed by a computer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
monitoring the on-line auction by using a web crawling program.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein steps (c), (d), and (e) are performed by the on-line auction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
selecting a price to bid on each listing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the price to bid on each listing is the same for all listings.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
each listing further comprises an expiration time; and
the step of bidding on the listing further comprises: waiting until a pre-determined time before the expiration of time before bidding on each listing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a plurality of listings is performed by drag and drop technology.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the listings have characteristics and further comprising the step of delivering advertisements based on the characteristics.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising: searching for additional listings having similar characteristics to the listings, wherein the searching is done by an automated search program.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying results of the searching via text messaging.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristics is comprised of a code unique to each different type of item associated with the listing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the first record comprises:
determining a criterion for sorting the bid set database;
sorting the bid set database based on the criterion; and
selecting the first record from the bid set database after the sorting.

### Claim at position 13

13-24. (canceled)