Patents by Inventor Lawrence M. Ausubel

Lawrence M. Ausubel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090094136
    Abstract: The present invention implements an auction in which multiple types of goods may be auctioned in a dynamic process. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for a computer implemented dynamic multi-unit auction in which the price paid or received by bidders tends to be independent of their own bids, in which participants may be provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values may be maintained. Participants' quantities bid at a given time may be restricted to be less than or equal to the quantities bid at an earlier time. These features provide the advantage of improving economic efficiency of the auction design over the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: Efficient Auctions LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7467111
    Abstract: The present invention implements an auction in which multiple types of goods may be auctioned in a dynamic process. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for a computer implemented dynamic multi-unit auction in which the price paid or received by bidders tends to be independent of their own bids, in which participants may be provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values may be maintained. Participants' quantities bid at a given time may be restricted to be less than or equal to the quantities bid at an earlier time. These features provide the advantage of improving economic efficiency of the auction design over the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Efficient Auctions LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7343342
    Abstract: A method and apparatus allow the computer based implementation of an auction of heterogeneous types of items wherein one or more types of the items may include plural items. At any point in the bidding process, the set of feasible assignments of the items, given the bidding state is the set of all possible allocations of the available quantity of the types of items to the bidders, subject to satisfying all the constraints on the assignment of the goods, the constraints on the bidding process and the constraints posed by the bidding state. Depending on the particulars of the bids, there may be one or more items (of one or more types) which are only included in the bid of a single bidder. The bidding is constrained such that once an item is uniquely spoken for, that bidder is guaranteed to receive the item. The item is said to be desired by only one bidder and such item is assigned to that bidder at the time. The auction continues until all items are assigned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Efficient Auctons LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7337139
    Abstract: An automated system for conducting an auction and a method for operating the system. The system comprises a plurality of bid entry terminal and a bidding information processor communicatively coupled to the bid entry terminals. Bidders at the bid entry terminals observe displayed information and enter bids accordingly. The bidding information processor and the bid entry terminals communicate and process information in order to conduct an auction. The method involves conducting an auction in which the price paid by bidders is independent of their own bids, in which participants are provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values is maintained. This provides the advantage of improving the economic efficiency of the auction design over the existing art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Efficient Auctions, LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7249027
    Abstract: A computer implemented system and method of executing an auction. The system has at least two intelligent systems, one for the auctioneer and at least one for a user. The auction is conducted by the auctioneer's system communicating with the user system(s). The auctioneer's system receives information from the user system(s) based on bid information entered by the user(s). With this information the auctioneer's system determines whether the auction can be concluded or not and appropriate messages are transmitted to the user(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Efficient Auctions LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7165046
    Abstract: The present invention implements an auction in which multiple types of goods may be auctioned in a dynamic process. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for a computer implemented dynamic multi-unit auction in which the price paid or received by bidders tends to be independent of their own bids, in which participants may be provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values may be maintained. Participants' quantities bid at a given time may be restricted to be less than or equal to the quantities bid at an earlier time. These features provide the advantage of improving economic efficiency of the auction design over the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Efficient Auctions LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 7062461
    Abstract: A method and apparatus allow the computer based implementation of an auction of heterogeneous types of items wherein one or more types of the items may include plural items. At any point in the bidding process, the set of feasible assignments of the items, given the bidding state, is the set of all possible allocations of the available quantity of the types of items to the bidders, subject to satisfying all the constraints on the assignment of the items, the constraints on the bidding process and the constraints posed by the bidding state. There may be a time in the auction when, based on the bidding state, one or more items (of one or more types) can only be assigned to one particular bidder in any feasible assignment, i.e., the particular bidder is guaranteed to be assigned the item. Such item is assigned to such bidder at such time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Efficient Auctions LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Publication number: 20040054551
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for a computer-implemented auction, based on a system with multiple bidder and auctioneer computers or terminals (20a-n,30) communicating with the server (10) over a network (40). The computers (20a-n) are employed by bidders, the computer (30) is employed by the auctioner, and the server (10) is the acution computer. That server consist of a CPU (11), memory (12), a data storage device (13), a communication interface (140), a clock (150), an operating system (16), and an acution program (17). In one embodiment, the system architectura is as a client-server system: the acution computer is a server; and the bidder and auctioneer are clients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Lawrence M Ausubel, Paul R. Milgrom
  • Publication number: 20020052828
    Abstract: The present invention implements an auction in which multiple types of goods may be auctioned in a dynamic process. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for a computer implemented dynamic multi-unit auction in which the price paid or received by bidders tends to be independent of their own bids, in which participants may be provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values may be maintained. Participants' quantities bid at a given time may be restricted to be less than or equal to the quantities bid at an earlier time. These features provide the advantage of improving economic efficiency of the auction design over the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Publication number: 20020046037
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method to sell or procure complementary goods. A complementary good according to the invention is a good whose value or utility is enhanced when paired with another good, such a pair of goods is a communications license to encumbered spectrum and a complementary clearing right to clear the spectrum of its encumbrance. The invention provides automated procedures to facilitate the fashioning and sale of clearing rights so as to enhance the value of the communications license.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Lawrence M. Ausubel, Peter C. Cramton, Paul R. Milgrom
  • Patent number: 6026383
    Abstract: An automated system for conducting an auction and a method for operating the system. The system comprises a plurality of bid entry terminal and a bidding information processor communicatively coupled to the bid entry terminals. Bidders at the bid entry terminals observe displayed information and enter bids accordingly. The bidding information processor and the bid entry terminals communicate and process information in order to conduct an auction. The method involves conducting an auction in which the price paid by bidders is independent of their own bids, in which participants are provided with information concerning their competitors' bids as the auction progresses, and in which the confidentiality of high values is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 6021398
    Abstract: A computer implemented system and method of executing an auction. The system has at least two intelligent systems, one for the auctioneer and at least one for a user. The auction is conducted by the auctioneer's system communicating with the user system(s). The auctioneer's system receives information from the user system(s) based on bid information entered by the user(s). With this information the auctioneer's system determines whether the auction can be concluded or not and appropriate messages are transmitted to the user(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel
  • Patent number: 5905975
    Abstract: A computer implemented system and method of executing an auction. The system has at least two intelligent systems, one for the auctioneer and at least one for a user. The auction is conducted by the auctioneer's system communications with the user system(s). The auctioneer's system contains information from the user system(s) based on bid information entered by the user(s). With this information the auctioneer's system determines whether the auction can be concluded or not and appropriate messages are transmitted to the user(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Ausubel