US 7,627,500 B2 · Method and system for verifying quantities for enhanced network-based auctions

Abstract

A system and method are provided for checking product availability for a listing on a network-based auction service using a separate auction application where an available quantity is determined from information received from a business information management system and the available quantity is displayed to the a user (i.e., seller) in the auction application. The seller may then select a quantity from the available quantity for the listing. In this manner, the available quantity may be used when a listing is generated. When a listing is published or communicated to the network-based auction service, the selected quantity of the product in the listing may be compared (verified) against the then available quantity of the product and the seller may be notified or the publication may be prevented if the selected quantity for the listing is not available. Additionally, during the publication (communicating the listing to the network-based auction service) the selected quantity for the listing may be reserved in the business information management system to prevent the selected quantity from otherwise being disposed.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method for checking product availability for a listing on a network-based auction service, comprising:

determining, using an auction application separate from the network-based auction service, an available quantity of products based on information received from a business information management system;
each time a user logs into the auction application and specifies a listing criteria of the products, following steps are executed by the auction application,
(i) automatically executing a login script of the user that includes a query to the business information management system, the query including user-specified listing criteria of the products,
(ii) transmitting the query to the information management system to retrieve product information based on the user-specified listing criteria, and
(iii) responsive to receiving the query from the information management system, transmitting to the user an alert including a list of products that meet the user-specified listing criteria;
designating, by the user in the auction application, a selected quantity of the products for a listing on the network-based auction service;
listing, by the auction application, product information about the selected quantity of products on the network-based auction service;
during the listing, reserving, by the auction application, the selected quantity in the business information management system from being otherwise disposed;
monitoring, by the auction application, the product information via a user-selected listing of the selected quantity of the products for the auction sale in a first user interface of the auction application;
and
generating, by the auction application, a report based on user-specified parameters, wherein the report is displayed in a second user interface of the auction application.

8 more elements

A method for checking product availability for a listing on a network-based auction service, comprising:

determining, using an auction application separate from the network-based auction service, an available quantity of products based on information received from a business information management system;
each time a user logs into the auction application and specifies a listing criteria of the products, following steps are executed by the auction application,
(i) automatically executing a login script of the user that includes a query to the business information management system, the query including user-specified listing criteria of the products,
(ii) transmitting the query to the information management system to retrieve product information based on the user-specified listing criteria, and
(iii) responsive to receiving the query from the information management system, transmitting to the user an alert including a list of products that meet the user-specified listing criteria;
comparing, by the auction application, a user selected quantity of the products for a listing to the available quantity;
sending, by the auction application, a reservation for the selected quantity of the products to the business information management system;
listing, by the auction application, product information about the available quantity of the products on the network-based auction service, wherein the product information is augmented with additional listing-specific information provided by the user;
monitoring, by the auction application, the product information via a user-selected listing of the available quantity of the products for the auction sale in a first user interface of the auction application;
and
generating, by the auction application, a report based on user-specified parameters;
wherein the report is displayed in a second user interface of the auction application.

9 more elements

A method for checking product availability for a listing on a network-based auction service, comprising:

determining, using an auction application separate from the network-based auction service, an available quantity of the products based on information received from a business information management system;
each time a user logs into the auction application and specifies a listing criteria of the products, following steps are executed by the auction application,
(i) automatically executing a login script of the user that includes a query to the business information management system, the query including user-specified listing criteria of the products,
(ii) transmitting the query to the information management system to retrieve product information based on the user-specified listing criteria, and
(iii) responsive to receiving the query from the information management system, transmitting to the user an alert including a list of products that meet the user-specified listing criteria;
displaying, by the auction application, in the auction application the available quantity to a user;
comparing, by the auction application, a user selected quantity of the products for a listing to the available quantity;
sending, by the auction application, a reservation for the selected quantity of the products to the business information management system;
listing, by the auction application, product information about the available quantity of the products on the network-based auction service, wherein the product information is augmented with additional listing-specific information provided by the user;
monitoring, by the auction application, the product information via a user-selected listing of the available quantity of the products for the auction sale in a first user interface of the auction application;
and
generating, by the auction application, a report based on user-specified parameters;
wherein the report is displayed in a second user interface of the auction application.

10 more elements

A system for checking product availability for a listing on a network-based auction service, comprising:

a program memory;
a storage device;
and
a processor coupled to the program memory and the storage device, wherein the processor is adapted to execute instructions to:
(i) determine, using an auction application separate from the network-based auction service, an available quantity of products based on information received from a business information management system;
(ii) each time a user logs into the auction application and specifies a listing criteria of the products, following steps are executed by the auction application,
automatically executing a login script of the user that includes a query to the business information management system, the query including user-specified listing criteria of the products,
transmitting the query to the information management system to retrieve product information based on the user-specified listing criteria, and
responsive to receiving the query from the information management system, transmitting to the user an alert including a list of products that meet the user-specified listing criteria;
(iii) designating by the user a selected quantity of the products for the listing on the network-based auction service;
(iv) comparing the selected quantity with the available quantity, and if the selected quantity is available:
listing product information about the selected quantity of the products on the network-based auction service, wherein the product information is augmented with additional listing-specific information provided by the user;
and
during the listing, reserving the selected quantity in the business information management system from being otherwise disposed;
otherwise:
notifying the user;
(v) monitoring the product information via a user-selected listing of the selected quantity of the products for the auction sale in a first user interface of the auction application;
and
(vi) generating a report based on user-specified parameters;
wherein the report is displayed in a second user interface of the auction application.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for verifying quantities for enhanced network-based auctions

Life of this patent

Method and system for verifying quantities for enhanced network-based auctions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29