Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer program products for providing an electronic map. The methods comprise: identifying at least one first data object that was changed during a last update of the electronic map; creating at least one geometry artifact by converting a format of data associated with the at least one first data object from a first data format to a different second data format (wherein the geometry artifact comprises 2D grid coordinates for a point, a line or a polygon); using the geometry artifact to generate first vector tile(s) in the different second data format; and selectively providing the first map in the first data format or the first vector tile(s) in the second data format based on characteristics of a software application or online service requesting access to contents of the electronic map.

Abstract: An on-line (Internet or web-based) auction intended for selling real property and other unique items has several features and advantages adopted for such transactions. In one version, a descending price auction is used with the price descending at time intervals in unpredictable increments; the first bidder acquires the property. An unpublished reserve price is set initially by the seller, but he can lower the reserve price during the auction if desired. Typically the seller pays the auction organizer an up-front fee which is a percentage of the property's listing price before the auction. The buyer also pays a percentage of the purchase price to the auction organizer when the property is sold. In another type of auction, the price is incremented at amounts determined by the auction organizer, and amongst several bidders at each successive price level, only one is randomly chosen, the randomly chosen bidder is sold the property when there are no bidders at the next higher price level.