Online auction method and system facilitating the sale of multiple product units at prices varying with volume

Abstract

An online auction system for auctioning off products includes a server system, plural buyer systems, and plural seller systems. The server system comprises a seller interface, a buyer interface, a price adjustment mechanism, and a bid manager. The seller interface performs an online bid setup process including obtaining, from a given seller system, price varying information and quantity information corresponding to the price varying information. The buyer interface communicates, to select buyer systems, bid information and product information, and accepts from a given buyer system a given quantity needed and a given bid. The price adjustment mechanism determines a given parity price for the given buyer, which varies according to the given quantity needed. The bid manager defines a given winning bid for the given buyer as a function of the given parity price and a rank of the given buyer in relation to other buyers.

1 . In an online auction system for auctioning off products in measurable units, the online auction system comprising a server system, plural buyer systems, and plural seller systems, said server system comprising: 
 a seller interface for performing an online bid setup process including obtaining, from a given said seller system, price varying information and quantity information corresponding to said price varying information;    a buyer interface communicating to select buyer systems bid information and product information and accepting, from a given said buyer system, a given quantity needed, the given quantity needed being an amount of units of a product a given buyer using said given buyer system desires to purchase, and accepting a given bid;    a unit price adjustment mechanism for determining a given parity price for said given buyer, said given parity price varying according to said given quantity needed; and    a bid manager for defining a given winning bid amount for said given buyer as a function of said given parity price and a rank of said given buyer in relation to other buyers.    
   
   
       2 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said products comprise goods.  
   
   
       3 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said products comprise services.  
   
   
       4 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said products comprise computer hardware and software systems.  
   
   
       5 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said products comprise personal computers.  
   
   
       6 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said bidding information comprises bidding period information.  
   
   
       7 . The server system according to  claim 6 , wherein said bidding information comprises an auction start date/time and an auction end date/time.  
   
   
       8 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said price adjustment mechanism comprises a unit price adjustment mechanism for determining a given unit parity price.  
   
   
       9 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said bid manager comprises a mechanism for quoting as said winning bid amount said given parity price when said quantity needed is greater than a current high bid quantity.  
   
   
       10 . The server system according to  claim 9 , wherein said current high bid quantity comprises the current highest quantity bid at a parity price for that quantity.  
   
   
       11 . The server system according to  claim 1 , wherein said bid manager comprises a mechanism for quoting as said winning bid amount a value equal to said given parity price plus a bid increment when a sum of said given quantity needed and said current high bid quantity is greater than a total remaining quantity for sale.