# US 8,751,326 B2 · Introducing a fixed-price transaction mechanism in conjunction with an auction transaction mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,326 B2 - Document ID: US8751326B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/495,597 - Filed: 2009-06-30 - Published: 2010-02-25 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2002-12-31 - Assignees: eBay Inc. - Applicants: Brian Alan Grove; Zak James Edson; Steve Grove; Andrew Leigh Sandler - Inventors: Brian Alan Grove; Zak James Edson; Steve Grove; Andrew Leigh Sandler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751326B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/08: Auctions - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services} - G06Q 40/04: Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange - G06Q 30/0611: {Request for offers or quotes} - 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 and systems for auction price-setting for a listing using a fixed price-setting process are disclosed. A seller is provided with an option to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process. A fixed price offer for the listing is published based on a criterion. Additional embodiments are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: at a network-based commerce system, facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing using a fixed price-setting process executed from memory by a processor; providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process and the auction price-setting process; receiving from the seller a fixed price offer for publication in the listing; publishing, via a server, the fixed price offer for the listing; receiving from the seller an adjustment to the fixed price offer to generate an adjusted fixed price offer based on the received adjustment; and identifying whether the adjusted fixed price offer is less than a proxy bid that has been received from a bidder for the listing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the seller has selected to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving from a buyer a bid and an opt-in that indicates the bid is binding regardless of an adjustment to the fixed price offer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the adjusted fixed price offer is lower than a high proxy bid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: automatically designating a buyer associated with the high proxy bid as the winner of the auctioned item. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: automatically notifying a buyer associated with the high proxy bid upon the publication of the adjustment to the fixed price offer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving from the seller an adjustment to the reserve price. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a buyer with an option to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: automatically closing the auction process for the listing when the buyer opts to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating a seller invitation, over a network from a network-based auction facility, to a first seller, the seller invitation inviting the first seller to exchange reserve price information that is associated with a first listing for proxy bid information of a first buyer that is further associated with the first listing; communicating a buyer invitation, over a network from a network-based auction facility, to the first buyer, the buyer invitation inviting the first buyer to exchange proxy bid information that is associated with the first listing for reserve price information of the first seller that is further associated with the first listing; receiving from the first seller, over the network, an indication that the first seller is willing to disclose the reserve price information to the first buyer; receiving from the first buyer, over the network, an indication that the first buyer is willing to disclose the proxy bid information to the first seller; communicating, over the network, the proxy bid information associated with the first listing to the first seller; and communicating, over the network, the reserve price information associated with the first listing to the first buyer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: receiving from a buyer a bid and an opt-out indicating the bid is not binding based on an adjustment to the fixed price offer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein publishing the fixed price offer based on the criterion includes publishing the fixed price offer when a bid to buy has reached a value during the auction. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform, at a network-based commerce system, a method comprising: facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing using a fixed price-setting process executed from memory by a processor; providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing utilizing at least on of the fixed price-setting process and the auction price-setting process; receiving from the seller a fixed price offer for publication in the listing; publishing, via a server, the fixed price offer for the listing; receiving from the seller an adjustment to the fixed price offer to generate an adjusted fixed price offer based on the received adjustment; and identifying whether the adjusted fixed price offer is less than a proxy bid that has been received from a bidder for the listing. ### Claim 14 A network-based commerce system comprising: a memory; a processor coupled to the memory; the processor to execute from the memory a fixed price-setting process to facilitate the operation of a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing, the fixed price-setting process to provide a fixed price offer for the listing; an interface device to provide a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process and the auction price-setting process, the interface device is to receive from the seller a fixed price offer for publication in the listing and an adjustment to the fixed price offer to generate an adjusted fixed price offer based on the received adjustment; and a server to identify whether the adjusted fixed price offer is less than a proxy bid that has been received from a bidder for the listing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The network-based commerce system of claim 14, wherein the processor is to determine that the seller has opted to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The network-based commerce system of claim 14, wherein the interface device is to receive from a buyer a bid and an opt-in that indicates the bid is binding regardless of an adjustment to the fixed price offer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The network-based commerce system of claim 14, wherein the interface device is to receive from the seller an adjustment to at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The network-based commerce system of claim 14, wherein the interface device is to provide the buyer with an option to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The network-based commerce system of claim 14 wherein the processor is to automatically close the auction process for the listing when the buyer options to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process. ### Claim 20 A system comprising: means for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing using a fixed price-setting process executed from a memory by a processor; means for providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process and the auction price-setting process; and means for publishing, via a server, the fixed price offer for the listing; means for receiving from the seller an adjustment to the pre auction price an adjustment to the fixed price offer to generate an adjusted fixed price offer based on the received adjustment; and means for identifying whether the adjusted fixed price offer is less than a proxy bid that has been received from a bidder for the listing.