Real time electronic commerce telecommunication system and method

Abstract

An auction system and method, which identifies at least one lot to be auctioned, having a plurality of units within the lot and associated auction parameters; transmits a remaining quantity of units within the lot from a central server to a plurality of remote locations; receives bid identifications for remaining units within the lot at the contemporaneous offering price from the plurality of remote locations; and decrements the offering price over time. The decrement may be adaptive to a bid activity pattern, and the bid activity pattern may be stored in a database. A local server may be provided to communicate between the central server and remote locations while changing the format of the information communicated. The packets preferably include compressed information, and preferably include quantity remaining information for a plurality of auction lot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An auction method, comprising:
 (a) identifying auction parameters comprising at least one price rule and an auction end rule;   (b) transmitting an identification of the lot, and the auction parameters from an auction server system to a plurality of bidders at remote locations through a packet switched computer network;   (c) receiving bids from the bidders at the remote locations, from the plurality of bidders at the remote locations, through the packet switched computer network, the bids each being automatically time-stamped by the bidder; and   (d) verifying compliance with the auction parameters, and determining a winning bidder based on the received bids and the automatic time-stamp.   
     
     
         2 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , wherein the auction comprises an ascending price auction. 
     
     
         3 . The auction method according to  claim 2 , wherein each bid comprises bid price information. 
     
     
         4 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , wherein the auction comprises a descending price auction. 
     
     
         5 . The auction method according to  claim 4 , wherein bid price information is automatically determined by the auction server system. 
     
     
         6 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , wherein the auction server system is configured to support, in a single auction, bidders which interact with the auction server system through web browsers supporting HTML and through applets. 
     
     
         7 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the bidders at the remote locations communicate through wireless mobile devices. 
     
     
         8 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing stored bid pattern activity data to determine a set of auction parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The auction method according to  claim 8 , wherein an offering price is changed over time in a pattern adaptive to the defined set of auction parameters. 
     
     
         10 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing an interface to permit a bidder to implement a bidder agent which automatically communicates bids on behalf of the bidder. 
     
     
         11 . The auction method according to  claim 1 , wherein the auction end rule comprises ending the auction upon the earlier of an expiration of a time for the auction, and exhaustion of availability of a subject of the auction. 
     
     
         12 . An auction method, comprising:
 (a) defining at least one lot to be auctioned, comprising at least one unit in the lot, and associated auction parameters comprising at least a price rule and an auction end rule;   (b) communicating the associated auction parameters from an auction server to a plurality of remote locations;   (c) processing the auction parameters at each remote location to generate in dependence thereon a locally-defined display, comprising a displayed count-down clock, and an identification of the at least one lot;   (d) communicating bids from the plurality of remote locations to the auction server, each bid comprising at least an automatically generated time-stamp; and   (e) producing an output representing at least one winning bid based on the communicated bids received from the plurality of remote locations and the respective time-stamps.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the price rule defines a descending price auction. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the price rule defines a descending price auction. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the auction server communicates with bidders through at least protocols, a first protocol comprising HTML adapted for communication with a web browser, and a second protocol being adapted for communication with an applet. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the auction server is configured to communicate with mobile wireless devices through a wireless application protocol. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising synchronizing a bidder clock with the auction server clock. 
     
     
         18 . An auction method, comprising:
 (a) identifying an auction, having an auction price parameter and an auction termination parameter;   (b) transmitting an identification of the auction and associated auction price parameter and an auction termination parameter from an auction server to a plurality of bidder locations;   (c) receiving bids from the plurality of bidder locations, each bid comprising at least an automatically generated time-stamp;   (d) modifying the auction price over time, wherein said modifying is responsive to a pattern of bids received; and   (e) terminating the auction in accordance with the auction termination parameter, and outputting information representing at least one winning bidder responsive to at least the time-stamp.   
     
     
         19 . The auction method according to  claim 18 , wherein the auction server communicates with bidder locations through at least HTML and through applets. 
     
     
         20 . The auction method according to  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the remote locations comprise wireless mobile devices.