Abstract: A method for providing information about a plurality of assets for an auction is provided. A list can be generated by communicating with one or more asset listing sources. The list can identify a plurality of assets and a status of each asset in advance of a scheduled auction. The scheduled auction can have a start time on a start date. The one or more asset listing sources can be periodically communicated with to determine a change in the status of one or more assets at first time intervals until a predetermined time and at second time intervals from the predetermined time. The list can be updated based on the changed one or more statutes. A report can be communicated based on the updated list and can include information about at least one asset and at least one corresponding status.

Abstract: Method of bidding in an on-line auction to qualify and satisfy requirements for winning meeting time with a person, either in-person or through an interactive on-line communications network such as the Internet. The method includes the bidder uploading a document or data on-line with information relative and in response to the stated meeting requirements or criteria of meeting host when placing a bid, acceptance of meeting bids based on the information submitted, not accepting meeting bids based on the highest bid amount, accepting one or multiple bids and scheduling one or multiple meetings in a single meeting auction.

Abstract: A Call-To-Action Lockout on a mobile device coupled to a data network is disclosed as a method and apparatus comprising providing a media application configured to respond to a control point associated with media content, providing media content which has at least one associated control point, triggering at least one control point while experiencing the media content; and performing an appropriate Call To Action Script (CTAS) in response to the triggered control point.

Abstract: An automated ticket auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. Each bid information record corresponds to at least one bid for one or more desired seats at a venue. Each bid information record may also include a plurality of additional bids identified for different seats in the venue. The separate bids in each bid information record are prioritized. The automated ticket auctioning system includes a central controlling computer operable to receive the bid information records and determine, in order of priority, whether any of the bids in a bid information record is accepted. If one bid in a bid information record is accepted, all lower priority bids in that bid information record are dismissed.

Abstract: There is provided a computer system for conducting auctions over a computer network, comprising: a posting system operable to post on the computer network information describing each lot of a plurality of lots that are available for bidding by a plurality of bidders, each lot including at least one item; a bid receiving system for receiving a bid relating to at least a portion of a lot of the plurality of lots, characterized in that the posting system is operable to define an n-dimensional matrix, where n is at least 2, wherein the matrix comprises the plurality of lots, and wherein the posting system is operable to post the matrix on the computer network. A computer-implemented method relating to the computer system, and a computer-readable medium containing instructions for implementing the computer-implemented method, are also provided.

Abstract: The non-bidding activity of one or more bidders of an auction is detected over an online interface of the auction environment. The activity of the one or more bidders is detected while the one or more bidders are participating in the auction. The non-bidding activity is correlated to an interest metric for the auction. Information is communicated that is based on the interest metric. The information can be communicated to either a seller or a bidder of the auction.

Abstract: A method for providing information of assets available for transaction to a user is provided. A report is provided to a computing device operated by the user. The report includes one or more entries that each corresponds to an asset that is made to be available during an auction. Each entry can include a link for the corresponding asset. In response to receiving user selection of one or more links on the report, one or more assets corresponding to the one or more selected links are determined. A profile of the user is updated with information associated with the determined one or more assets.

Abstract: Joint pricing and replenishment of freshness inventory or products having different qualities determines the joint pricing and inventory strategies to optimize the retailer's benefits from product freshness, employing a dynamic programming formulation that incorporates a demand model that captures consumer choice based on both the freshness and price.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for allocating units to users, for example in the context of an online auction environment. In overview, the technology described herein provides for an auction process whereby a decrementing price is combined with a competitive hidden-bid process. Users participate in the auction for the purpose of obtaining a desired number of units from a stockpile of like units, such as bottles of a particular batch of wine. The users effectively have two modes of participation. The first is to purchase units at a system-defined price, which decrements at predetermined intervals. The second is to place a bid at a user-defined price, this bid being deemed as successful when the system-defined price decrements to a value of equal to or less than the user-defined price.

Abstract: A method and system for a seller auction dashboard and reserve price lowering are described. The system generates a dashboard presentation that displays real-time information about each of a seller's auctions including a current price, reserve price, and an indicator of whether the latest bid was set by a prospective buyer or the seller masquerading as a buyer. The dashboard also indicates which auctions are below their reserve prices and displays reserve price suggestions and success probabilities based on qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Abstract: A system and method to secure the best bid for a service requester and contract price for a service provider is provided in an Internet or Intranet based reverse auction. Service requesters, or customers, provide details of the work that needs to be completed and service providers give their best bid and the lowest price that they can do the work for as auction bids. The reverse auction is given a certain time period in which to run and bids can be updated in real time, or through prepared reserve bids, so that the Service Provider with the lowest bid secures the contact information of the Service Requestor in exchange the Service Requestor receives a competitive quote for the work. The auctions can be publically open to all qualified contractors or can be private, by invitation, to certain Service Providers.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of conducting an auction under execution uncertainty to satisfy incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and efficiency by leveraging bonuses and penalties. A buyer posts a task including multiple sub-tasks. The buyer specifies temporal and precedence relationships among the sub-tasks. The buyer also specifies the time interval for the sub-tasks. Suppliers submit bids including their interested sub-tasks, prices, and proposed schedules. A winner determination problem is formulated based on bid prices, suppliers' success probabilities in delivering the sub-tasks, and the suppliers' schedules of undertaking sub-tasks. Having decided the winners, suppliers who delivered with success will be granted bonuses and those who were not able to deliver will be imposed penalties. The bonuses and penalties are formulated under a verification assumption.

Abstract: A method and system for triggering a short sale auction upon the event of the short sale offer for an item and generating a bid report corresponding to the auction. Examples may include a report generator configured to analyze auction data and generate a bid report accordingly. The report generator may further be configured to submit the bid report to a lienholder of the item. Further variations may include an extension component configured to extend the auction period upon the occurrence of an event.

Abstract: A method and system for generating an auction report script are described. An inventory of possible assets to be auctioned is monitored during an auction event for changes in the assets' availability statuses. Script content is generated for an auctioneer based on the assets which have a status of available for auction, and the content of this script is repeatedly updated during the auction event.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include communicating to two or more client computing devices at least one bidding tag that is designed to elicit one or more bids for accessing a content that is being offered for consumption at different levels of access for accessing the content, each of the different levels of access for accessing the content that is being offered for consumption being associated with a different content access latency and associated fee pair, and the at least one bidding tag to be communicated at least partially identifying the content to be offered for consumption, obtaining one or more bids as a result, at least in part, of communicating the at least one bidding tag to the two or more client computing devices, the one or more bids to be obtained being at least one or more requests for accessing the content at one or more levels of the different levels of access for accessing the content that is being offered for consumption; and releasing the content in accordance with th

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating a short sale for a real property asset is provided. The method includes providing a seller interface for network communication with a seller and prompting the seller for information associated with the real property asset. The information includes media content relating to different points-of-interest of the asset. The information associated with the asset is aggregated to generate a short sale listing. The seller is also prompted for financial hardship information, and market information regarding the real property asset. The financial hardship information and the market information are assembled into a short sale package for submission to a lending institution that holds a note on the real property asset.

Abstract: The invention is a secondary exchange system attached to an online auction system which provides winners with the ability to extend their play. The online auction system facilitates the sale of goods and services through an auction which offers bidders the potential for purchasing goods and services at huge discounts from retail pricing. The invention enables winning bidders to optionally exchange their purchase for alternative items or credits towards future auctions. This provides the participant a validation for the purchase of the initial item, the option of exchanging for an item of greater perceived personal value, or the means to extend their play and enjoy the excitement of the experience without additional cost.

Abstract: A method and system for arranging relevant services for an online asset transaction are described. Upon detecting an event while monitoring an auction, the system identifies services and third-party service providers within the same geographic region as the asset being auctioned that are relevant to the asset. Buyers and the seller of the asset are notified of these services and can choose to let the system manage the completion of the service by initiating and monitoring the provider's performance in carrying out a defined workflow specific to the asset.

Abstract: Methods of facilitating the sale of wares offered from vendors to buyers and for triggering content to the buyers through an intermediary platform in communication with the vendors and the buyers over an Internet include the intermediary platform and the buyer bargaining via a haggling process for a final sale price of a ware. During the haggling process, or if no bargain is reached for the ware in the haggling process or the haggling process for the item times-out after a transaction duration of time from the beginning of the haggling process elapses, the method includes the intermediary platform presenting content to the buyer. In response to the buyer interacting with the content, the method further includes the intermediary platform reinitiating the haggling process between the intermediary platform and the buyer for the ware.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include receiving a bidding tag for a content that is to be offered for consumption at different levels of access for accessing the content, the different levels of access for accessing the content to be offered being associated with different amounts of content access latencies and different amounts of associated fees, and the bidding tag to be received at least identifying a content type to be offered for consumption and designed for eliciting one or more bids for the content, transmitting a bid in response, at least in part, to receiving the bidding tag, the bid to be transmitted being a request for accessing the content at a particular level of access, the particular level of access being for accessing the content with a particular amount of content access latency and for a particular amount of associated fee, the particular level of access having been selected from the different levels of access for accessing the content; and receiving the content in accord

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for user-published interactive widgets for auctions hosted by an auction forum resource. Examples include an auction forum configured to generate a script associated with an auction upon a publisher-request, and to provide the script to be published on the publisher's resource, resulting in an external interactive component displayed on the publisher's resource. Example features may be configured to respond to user inputs submitted from the interactive component. Furthermore, reward logic can be included to issue a reward to the publisher associated with the script request.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include presenting an interface for soliciting a bid for accessing a content following lapse of a specific amount of content access latency, the bid to be solicited including at least one user elected fee amount elected from a plurality of fee amounts available for election for the specific amount of content access latency, the user elected fee amount being an amount of fee being offered through the bid in exchange for accessing the content following lapse of the specific amount of content access latency: relaying the bid in response, at least in part, to obtaining the bid as a result of the soliciting, the bid to be relayed indicating at least the user elected fee amount; acquiring at least access to the content as a result, at least in part, of the relaying; and presenting at least the access to the content following lapse of the specific amount of content access latency.

Abstract: Example systems may include: receiving an auction announcement message for a content inventory unit from an auction platform, where the auction announcement message includes an identifier that is associated with a user device; determining a bid for the content inventory unit based on data in a record associated with the identifier; transmitting the bid to the auction platform in response to the auction announcement message; transmitting a content item associated with the identifier in response to the auction announcement message; receiving a message indicating that the content item is presented on the user device; and updating a stored account value associated with the identifier based on an auction price for the content inventory unit.

Abstract: A method and system for progressing an auction is provided. Examples include an auction analysis component configured to analyze an auction forum for auctions that are likely to complete without a reserve price being met (i.e., triggered auctions), and a personality selection component configured to select a personality capable of facilitating the progression of a triggered auction.

Abstract: A method and system for auctioning an item over a network inside a virtual auction forum populated by graphical representations of users is described. Virtual profiles containing graphical representations are associated with each of the users of an auction forum, and the auction for the item is virtualized. The users of the auction forum participate as bidders in the virtual auction with their graphical representations, and some events in the virtual auction are represented through the users' graphical representations.

Abstract: A bidding process is initiated for a lot of multiple items. Upon the bidding process being complete, a highest bid is determined for the lot of multiple items. A highest bidder is prompted to select a number of items from the lot of multiple items for transaction based on the highest bid. A number of remaining items are determined after the selected number of items are removed from the lot. For a duration of time, one or more other auction participants are prompted to select any one or more of the remaining items for transaction based on the highest bid. After the duration, a second bidding process is initiated for a lot of multiple remaining items that were not selected for transaction by the one or more other participants.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include receiving a bidding tag for a content that is to be offered for consumption at different levels of access for accessing the content, the different levels of access for accessing the content to be offered being associated with different amounts of content access latencies and different amounts of associated fees, and the bidding tag to be received at least identifying a content type to be offered for consumption and designed for eliciting one or more bids for the content, transmitting a bid in response, at least in part, to receiving the bidding tag, the bid to be transmitted being a request for accessing the content at a particular level of access, the particular level of access being for accessing the content with a particular amount of content access latency and for a particular amount of associated fee, the particular level of access having been selected from the different levels of access for accessing the content; and receiving the content in accord

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include acquiring from a plurality of users a plurality of open bids for one or more content access latencies, each of the plurality of open bids to be received indicating one or more offer amounts submitted by the plurality of users that the plurality of users are offering in exchange for being provided at least access to a specific content with the one or more content access latencies; determining which one or more of the plurality of open bids indicate at least the highest offer amount amongst the plurality of open bids; and providing at least access to the specific content to one or more of the plurality of users in accordance, at least in part, with the determining. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Abstract: Listing an item on a publication system involves sending the publication system an email or other communication that includes title, description and a picture of the item. The email may be in plain text, with the publication system using the email for listing the item with minimal complexity for the user. The publication system may receive the email, parse the email to extract title, description, price, classification, attributes and perhaps other information with respect to the item, and compose a view item page (“VIP”) for the item listing. The extracting may also be by decoding a product identifier in the communication. The VIP may be privately viewable and editable by the user. The user may then modify or otherwise confirm the VIP. When the user confirms the VIP, the VIP goes live as the listing on the publication system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus to resolve offers to provide an item to a consumer are described. An item may be one or more of a product and a service. A request for an item may be provided to one or more providers of the product and/or service. One or more bids to provide an offer for the requested item may be received and the received bids may be compared. The one or more providers may be informed of the one or more most competitive bids, and may provide revised bids until the bidding period ends. A consumer may be informed of the one or more most competitive offers.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include presenting an interface for soliciting a bid for accessing a content following lapse of a specific amount of content access latency, the bid to be solicited including at least one user elected fee amount elected from a plurality of fee amounts available for election for the specific amount of content access latency, the user elected fee amount being an amount of fee being offered through the bid in exchange for accessing the content following lapse of the specific amount of content access latency: relaying the bid in response, at least in part, to obtaining the bid as a result of the soliciting, the bid to be relayed indicating at least the user elected fee amount; acquiring at least access to the content as a result, at least in part, of the relaying; and presenting at least the access to the content following lapse of the specific amount of content access latency.

Abstract: A profile of one or more users of the online auction environment is developed. The profile of each user can be based at least in part on historical auction activity of that user. An auction of the online auction environment that is in progress is monitored. A prediction is determined as to whether the auction will be successful based at least in part on the profile of the one or more users that are participating in the auction.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include communicating to two or more client computing devices at least one bidding tag that is designed to elicit one or more bids for accessing a content that is being offered for consumption at different levels of access for accessing the content, each of the different levels of access for accessing the content that is being offered for consumption being associated with a different content access latency and associated fee pair, and the at least one bidding tag to be communicated at least partially identifying the content to be offered for consumption, obtaining one or more bids as a result, at least in part, of communicating the at least one bidding tag to the two or more client computing devices, the one or more bids to be obtained being at least one or more requests for accessing the content at one or more levels of the different levels of access for accessing the content that is being offered for consumption; and releasing the content in accordance with th

Abstract: A method, performed by a computer device, may include obtaining bandwidth use data associated with a network device and predicting a trough period in bandwidth use for the network device based on the obtained bandwidth use data. The method may further include providing an auction associated with a time period during the predicted trough period, wherein the auction offers use of the network device during the time period at a discounted price; receiving a bid, from a customer, for use of the network device during the time period via the auction; and provisioning one or more services on the network device for the customer based on the received bid, wherein the one or more services are provided for a duration of the auctioned time period.

Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include transmitting a bidding tag that is designed to elicit one or more bids for accessing a content that is being offered for consumption at different levels of access for accessing the content, the different levels of access for accessing the content being associated with different amounts of content access latencies and different amounts of associated fees, and the bidding tag to be transmitted at least partially identifying the content to be offered for consumption, receiving a bid as a result, at least in part, to transmitting of the bidding tag, the bid to be received being a request for accessing the content at a particular level of access, the particular level of access being for accessing the content with a particular amount of content access latency and for a particular amount of associated fee, the particular level of access having been selected from the different levels of access for accessing the content; and transmitting the content in accordance

Abstract: A method and system for using automatic bidding to promote lower reserve prices in active auctions are described. While an auction is ongoing, the system prompts the seller to reduce the reserve price without notice to prospective bidders and enters new bids generated by the seller or the system to promote the auction and attempt to bring it to a successful sale.

Abstract: A buyer-initiated method, system and business model for matching parties interested in conducting an internet initiated transaction is described. Through the use of this method, a request is placed by buyer at a client server system. Sellers can receive a response to a purchaser's request via the client server system by one or more methods such as: 1) Entering a search term of at least one word, or; 2) if a seller has buyer's request, seller automatically receives notification by one or more electronic methods such as an internet communication or a telecommunication text message. Sellers may search client server's database for a buyer's request for a product or service the seller controls or owns. An escrow service is provided by the business model should clients prefer a secure transaction. The system and model of the present invention can generate revenue streams from buyers and sellers for the service provided.

Abstract: A system for enabling and conducting an alternative transaction process for communicating price offers while conducting an online transaction in a networked environment is described. A transaction involving an item being offered for sale at a list price on an online medium is identified. Offers below the list price are received from potential buyers, but while the offers are below a minimum designated price, the seller is prompted to reduce the minimum designated price and is provided an interface for placing offers under an alias that pretend to outbid the previous bidders. When an offer is received that meets the minimum designated price, the alternate transaction process and the original transaction on the online medium are designated as complete based on the highest offer for the item.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating an indicator of value relating to a real property asset is provided. The method includes providing a user interface that includes one or more prompts for soliciting information associated with the real property asset. Data associated with the real property asset is received. Based on the data associated with the real property asset, comparable data associated with one or more comparable assets is determined. An auction reserve price for the real property asset is generated based on the data associated with the real property asset and the comparable data.

Abstract: An auction is conducted for an online auction environment. A set of characteristics are determined for a given asset of the auction, and asset profile information is determined for the given asset based on the set of characteristics. In particular, the asset profile information can be determined from one or more prior auctions provided at the online auction environment. The asset profile information can be based on one or more corresponding assets, each of which are deemed to be comparable to the given asset based on the one or more corresponding assets each having a set of characteristics that are similar to the set of characteristics of the given asset of the auction. A prediction is made as to whether the auction of the given asset will be successful based at least in part on the asset profile information.

Abstract: A valuation of a subject item includes determining a transaction price for one or more comparable items. For each comparable transaction, one or more unsuccessful offers is determined. The valuation of the subject item may be based on a valuation of each of the one or more comparable items, and the valuation of each of the one or more comparable items may be based at least in part on the one or more unsuccessful offers for that item.

Abstract: Example methods and systems are directed to generating recommendations based on one or more user inventories, which may be stored in a database. The inventory may include items (e.g., physical goods, electronic goods, and financial assets) owned by a user. A machine may use the database to provide suggestions to the user to buy or sell items. The machine may also use the database to provide suggestions to the user to join a community. The database may be used in conjunction with an electronic commerce site. The machine may be aware of which items in the site are being viewed by the user. The recommendation made by the machine may take into account the item being viewed. The user may be able to view the current market value for each item individually, the total value for a selection of items, or the total value for all items.

Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. Search results based on the search query, the search entity, and the selected third-party content may be provided for presentation as part of a search result screen.

Abstract: An auction forum in which multiple auctions are selected to end at a common end time based on a determination that the selected auctions are likely to interest a common set of prospective bidders.

Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. A visual layout for the third-party content may be generated based on the relationship between a search query and the entity-action pair and used as part of the presentation of the third-party content on a search result screen.

Abstract: A methodology, system and business model are disclosed for facilitating a fully automated buyer's auction in which the major types of transaction costs are significantly reduced by providing the buyer and the sellers with near-perfect information about one another, including information about buyer preferences and competing sellers' offers. The system implements a buyer's auction with multidimensional bidding that minimizes market intelligence, search, bargaining and transaction execution costs and thus creates more competitive, frictionless markets. Buyers and sellers can efficiently conduct the buyer's auction within a unified environment, thereby minimizing buyer integration costs as well. The buyer's auction generates commercially marketable proprietary information and a revenue stream for the auctioneer providing such a service.

Abstract: A system platform and associated methods are provided for implementing online reverse auctions in a social network platform (SNP). A fully-automated, live, reverse-auction based system is integrated into an SNP to enable buyers to initiate desired transactions and take advantage of a subscribers' network of friends, colleagues, co-workers, family members and connections by connecting buyers and sellers in a non-intrusive, targeted fashion. Sellers compete for buyers' business by providing dynamic, real-time seller-specific pricing while simultaneously optimizing the seller's target parameters such as price, inventory levels, profit, revenue and volume.

Abstract: The present invention provides improvements applicable to dynamic auctions such as clock auctions or combinatorial clock auctions. In a first embodiment, the present invention includes an improved activity rule that constrains the bids that may be submitted by a bidder, based on the bidder's own prior bids. In a second embodiment, the present invention includes an improved pricing rule that appropriately discounts the amounts (as compared to linear pricing) of bids that need to be submitted by a bidder. In a third embodiment, the present invention includes an improved iterative first-price auction. Bidders successively make bids, often a bid for a package of items at a specified price. When the auction concludes, some of these bids become “winning” bids; the respective bidders win the items specified in their winning bids and pay the prices specified in their winning bids. In some preferred embodiments, the present invention combines two or all three of these improvements.

Abstract: A system platform and associated methods are provided for implementing online reverse auctions in a social network platform (SNP). A fully-automated, live, reverse-auction based system is integrated into an SNP to enable buyers to initiate desired transactions and take advantage of a subscribers' network of friends, colleagues, co-workers, family members and connections by connecting buyers and sellers in a non-intrusive, targeted fashion. Sellers compete for buyers' business by providing dynamic, real-time seller-specific pricing while simultaneously optimizing the seller's target parameters such as price, inventory levels, profit, revenue and volume.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for integrating a plurality of isolated components to automatically provide real-time support to a participant in an online auction, particularly for live online auctions that may require quick decision making. An embodiment may automatically display information from the plurality of isolated components for the current item being auctioned in the online auction in a single user interface window. An embodiment may further update any information from any of the plurality of isolated components in real-time as the online auction is occurring. Examples of various isolated components that may be integrated into the single user interface window include: item history reports, third party valuation reports on the item, and the interface into the online auction. Various embodiments may have additional user interface windows concurrently monitoring/automatically integrating with different online auction locations that are concurrently auctioning different items.