JP2003271846A - Auction system and auction method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auction system capable of deciding a successful bidder near the address of an exhibitor and suppressing the delivery cost of articles. <P>SOLUTION: A management server 5 which carries out various processing associated with an auction and portable phones 1a, 1b, 1c that auction participants have are connected through a portable phone network 3. The management server 5 stores bidding information which includes bidding price transmitted from the portable phones 1a, 1b, 1c in a data base 5b. The management server 5 acquires the positional information of the auction participants from the portable phone network 3 and stores in the data base 5b. The management server 5 decides the successful bidder from the auction participants who participate in the bidding based on the bidding price and the positional information stored in the data base 5b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auction system and an auction method using a mobile terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an auction system for auctioning articles using the Internet has been put into practical use.
In the auction system, information such as the lowest bid price and the bidding period is posted on the home page of the Internet in addition to the information on the products to be auctioned and their products. When an auction participant bids for an item, he / she accesses the home page using a personal computer or a mobile phone that can connect to the Internet, and inputs a user ID, a desired bid price for the item, and the like. Then, in the predetermined bid period, the participant who offers the highest bid price is determined to be the successful bidder of the article, and the successful bidder is notified of the successful bid result. After that, when the payment for the goods by the successful bidder is completed, the goods are delivered to the successful bidder. The delivery cost of this item may be borne by the bidder or the seller who provides the item.

[0003]

By the way, when the seller bears the delivery cost of the article, the delivery cost of the article is actually charged even if the successful bidder is determined based on the highest bid price. There is a problem that the amount of money that can be obtained as consideration is reduced.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an auction system and an auction method which can reduce the delivery cost of goods.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auction including a management server which executes various processes relating to an auction in response to a request from a portable terminal connected via a mobile communication network. In the system, the management server may store bid information transmitted from the mobile terminal based on an input operation of an auction participant.
Storage means, second storage means for storing the position information of the auction participants, and a determination for determining the winning bidder from a plurality of auction participants who participated in the auction bid based on the bid information and the position information. And means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the auction system according to the first aspect, there is provided position acquisition means for acquiring current position information regarding the current position of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal accesses the management server. The second storage unit of the management server stores the current location information as position information of the auction participant.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In the auction system described in [1], if the management server prestores position information relating to addresses of auction exhibitors, and the deciding means determines that the auction participants have the same bid price, the plurality of auction participants. And the position information of the seller of the auction, the auction participant close to the address of the seller of the auction is determined as the successful bidder.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an auction in which a management server for executing various processes related to an auction and a mobile terminal are connected via a mobile communication network, and an auction is conducted based on input information from the mobile terminal. In the method, the management server stores bid information input by an auction participant using the mobile terminal and position information of the auction participant, and an auction based on the bid information and the position information. The winning bidder is determined from among the plurality of auction participants who participated in the auction.

(Operation) According to the inventions of claims 1 and 4, since the successful bidder is determined based on the bid information such as the bid price and the position information of the auction participants, the auction seller's address is set. It is possible to determine a successful bidder, and it is possible to reduce the delivery cost of the goods.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the mobile terminal accesses the management server, the position information (current position information) regarding the current position of the mobile terminal is acquired by the position acquisition means, and the current position information is auctioned. It is stored as the position information of the participants.

According to the third aspect of the invention, when the bid prices of a plurality of auction participants are the same, the auction participant close to the auction exhibitor's address is determined to be the successful bidder. The delivery cost of goods can be reduced.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an auction system according to this embodiment. In the system, a mobile phone 1 (1a, 1 as a mobile terminal
b, 1c) is connected to the management server 5 as the first and second storage means held by the management center 4 via the mobile phone base stations 2a, 2b, 2c and the mobile phone network (packet communication network) 3. There is.

The mobile phone 1 of the present embodiment accesses the home page of the URL by inputting a desired URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in addition to the function of transmitting / receiving an e-mail in addition to the function of calling with another mobile phone 1. It has a function to do.

The mobile phone base stations 2a to 2c are provided for each predetermined communication area. In this embodiment, the mobile phone 1a in the area A1 is connected to the mobile phone base station 2a by a wireless network. Similarly, the mobile phone base station 2b is connected to the mobile phone 1b in the area B1 via a wireless network, and the mobile phone base station 2c is connected to the mobile phone base station 2c.
The mobile phone 1c in the area C1 is connected by a wireless network.

The mobile phone base stations 2a to 2c have numbers corresponding to communication areas in which they can communicate, and periodically output signals (area signals) for notifying the same numbers. On the other hand, the mobile phones 1a to 1c receive the area signal from the mobile phone base stations 2a to 2c when the power is turned on, and the mobile phone base stations 2a to 2c receive the user IDs of the mobile phones 1a to 1c. Send to request location registration.

The mobile phone network 3 includes a position registration database server 6, and in accordance with the position registration requests from the mobile phones 1a to 1c, position information associated with the user IDs of the mobile phones 1a to 1c is stored in the position registration database server 6. Remember. Further, when the user who owns the mobile phones 1a to 1c moves to the communication area of another mobile phone base station, the mobile phones 1a to 1c change the communication area based on the area signal received from the mobile phone base station. Judging that it has moved, request the location registration again. As a result, the position information of the mobile phones 1a to 1c stored in the position registration database server 6 is updated to the latest position information. This mobile phone 1a-1
The location information of c is notified from the mobile phone network 3 to the management server 5 of the management center 4, and the management server 5 notifies the mobile phone 1 of the location information.
It is possible to know in which area a to 1c are located.

The management center 4 is an application service provider (ASP) that posts auction homepages on the Internet and provides auction-related services. The management server 5 of the management center 4
It has databases 5a and 5b. Database 5
In a, a program for executing various processes related to the auction is stored. In the database 5b, auction information regarding auction items and user information regarding auction participants are registered.
The exhibition information includes the name of the exhibitor, product information, and information about the name and address of the exhibitor. The user information is personal information about an auction participant who has been registered as a user in advance to participate in the auction, and includes information such as name, cell phone number, user ID, and password.

Next, the auction method according to this embodiment will be described. Now, the auction participant operates the mobile phone 1 to access the URL of the auction home page.
When is input, the mobile phone 1 accesses the management server 5 designated by the URL. The management server 5 transmits the page data of the auction home page to the mobile phone 1 in response to the access of the mobile phone 1. As a result, various information posted on the auction website is displayed on the display unit of the mobile phone 1.

Information posted on the auction home page is divided into various categories. Then, the auction participant operates the mobile phone 1 to select a desired category for bidding, and then selects a desired article from the exhibition list on the page of the same category.
You can participate in the auction.

Here, when the item of the article X is selected from the exhibition list, the data notifying the selected item is sent from the mobile phone 1 to the management server 5, and the management server 5 responds to the data and sends the article. Send page data for bidding for X. The mobile phone 1 receives the page data from the management server 5, and displays the bid screen 11 (see FIG. 2) for the article X on the display unit.

On the bid screen 11 of FIG. 2, for example,
Items such as "minimum bid price", "bid end date and time", "desired bid price", etc. regarding the article X are displayed. In the item of “desired bid price”, a text box 12 for inputting a desired bid price for the article X is provided. Below the text box 12, text boxes 13 and 14 for inputting a user ID and password are provided.
Is provided. In addition, text boxes 13,1
Below “4”, a “bid” button 15 is provided.

Then, the desired bid price is entered in the text box 12, and the user I is entered in the text boxes 13 and 14.
After entering D and password, click the "Bid" button 15
When is selected, the mobile phone 1 transmits the bid price, the user ID, and the password data entered in the text boxes 12 to 14 to the management server 5.

The management server 5 determines whether or not the user is a registered user who is qualified to participate in the auction, based on the user ID and password included in the transmission data from the mobile phone 1. Here, when it is determined that the user is a registered user, the management server 5 stores the bid price included in the transmission data from the mobile phone 1 in the database 5b together with the information such as the user ID. In addition, the management server 5 uses the mobile phone network 3 to display the current location information of the auction participant (mobile phone 1).
Of the location registration database server 6 and stores the current location information in the database 5b in association with the user ID and the bid price information. On the other hand, when the user ID and the password do not match and it is determined that the user is not a registered user, the management server 5 transmits to the mobile phone 1 page data that prompts the user to re-enter the user ID and the password, and the user registration Send page data.

FIG. 3 shows a specific example of various information stored in the database 5b at the time of bidding for the article X. In the database 5b, a storage area is secured for each item to be bid (auction item), and in the storage area related to the item X, position information of the seller of the item X (for example,
City A) is registered in advance. Following that location information,
The names, telephone numbers, bid prices, and position information of the auction participants who participated in the bid for the item X are stored. In addition, a plurality of participants (three participants Na, Nb, and Nc in FIG. 3) are required to purchase the item X before the auction related to the item X ends.
When a bid is made, the information (name, telephone number, bid price, position information) about each participant is sequentially stored.

Here, the user registered in the database 5b is specified based on the user ID and password included in the transmission data from the mobile phone 1, and the name and telephone number are acquired from the personal information of the registered user. To be done. Further, the position information is registered based on the current location information of the auction participant (mobile phone 1).

Specifically, the participant Na is the area A in FIG.
When a bid for an auction is made using the mobile phone 1a in No. 1, the management server 5 determines that the participant Na (the mobile phone 1
The current location information indicating that the position of a) is the area A1 is acquired from the mobile phone network 3, and the city A corresponding to the area A1 is registered as the position information of the participant Na. Similarly, when the participant Nb makes a bid using the mobile phone 1b in the area B1, the B city corresponding to the area B1 is registered as the location information of the participant Nb, and the participant Nc receives the mobile phone 1c in the area C1. When a bid is made using, the C city corresponding to the area C1 is registered as the position information of the participant Nc.

Next, regarding the bid of the article X, the management server 5
The processing executed by will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step 100, the management server 5 determines the article X
It is determined whether or not the mobile phone 1 has accessed the bid page, and if there is access, the process proceeds to step 110 and the bid page data is transmitted to the mobile phone 1. As a result, the bid screen 11 shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the mobile phone 1, and as described above, the bid button 15 is selected after the desired bid price, the user ID, and the password are input. Then, the data including the desired bid price, the user ID, and the password is transmitted from the mobile phone 1 to the management server 5.

When the management server 5 as the first storage means receives the data from the mobile phone 1 in step 120, the management server 5 identifies the auction participant by the user ID and the password included in the received data, and includes it in the received data. The bid price is stored in the database 5b in association with the participant's name and telephone number (see FIG. 3). Thereafter, the management server 5 as the second storage means, in step 130, obtains the current position information (position information) of the auction participant (mobile phone 1) from the mobile phone network 3 as the position acquisition means.
And stored in the database 5b.

At step 140, the management server 5
The own timer function is used to determine whether or not the bid end date and time for the article X has been reached. If the bid end date and time has not been reached, the process returns to step 100 and the above-described processing is executed again. When it is determined in step 100 that the mobile phone 1 is not accessed, the management server 5 proceeds to step 140 and determines whether the bid end date and time has come.

When it is determined in step 140 that the bid end date and time has been reached, the management server 5 proceeds to step 150.
And the stored information about the bid of the article X (see FIG. 3).
Is read from the database 5b. Then, in step 160, the management server 5 as the determining means determines the winning bidder among the auction participants based on the bid price and the position information read from the database 5b.

Here, in the bid period of the article X, FIG.
As described above, a case where three participants Na, Nb, and Nc bid will be described as an example. In this case, the bid price of participant Na is 10,000 yen and the bid price of participant Nb is 100.
Since the bid price of 00 yen and the participant Nc is 9800 yen, the management server 5 first sets the participants Na, Nb, and Nc.
Participant N who submitted a high bid based on the bid price of
Select a and Nb. Then, the management server 5 uses the participant Na
Participant Na who has the same position information as the seller of the article X is determined as the successful bidder of the article X based on the position information (A city) and the position information (B city) of the participant Nb.

At step 170, the management server 5 calls the mobile phone 1a based on the telephone number of the participant Na stored in the database 5b, notifies the message of the successful bid of the article X, and then the book. Complete the process.

As described in detail above, the present embodiment has the following features. (1) When the bid prices of a plurality of auction participants Na and NB are the same, the successful bidder close to the address of the auction exhibitor is determined based on the position information of the auction participants. As a result, the delivery cost of the article can be suppressed, so that the seller can obtain a larger amount of money as the consideration for the article.

(2) The management server 5 stores the telephone numbers of the auction participants in the database 5b, and makes a telephone call to notify the result of a successful bid based on the telephone number. In this way, the successful bid result can be automatically notified without the need for operator's operation, which is practically preferable.

In addition to the above, the present invention can be embodied in the following forms. In the above embodiment, the auction participant's desired bid price is not disclosed, and the winning bidder is determined based on the desired bid prices of a plurality of auction participants after the end of the bidding period. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is not something that will be done. For example, it may be applied to an auction in which an auction seller predetermines a bid price of an article and recruits auction participants (bidders) who wish to bid at the bid price. Further, in this case, when there is no bidder even after the lapse of a predetermined period, the bid price is lowered and the bidder is recruited again. Then, when a plurality of auction participants desire to bid in a predetermined bidding period, the winning bidder is determined based on the position information of the auction participants.
Even in this case, since the delivery cost of the article can be suppressed, the seller can obtain a larger amount of money as the consideration for the article.

In the above embodiment, the position information of the mobile phone 1 is acquired by the mobile phone network 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. As a mobile phone, a mobile phone having a function of acquiring current location information by GPS (Global Measurement System) has been put into practical use. When using the mobile phone, the current location information acquired by GPS may be used as the position information of the auction participant.

Further, when the address information is registered in advance in the database 5b as the personal information of the auction participant, the address information can be used as the position information. For example, it is possible that an auction participant participates in the auction from a place other than home. Therefore, when the address of the auction participant is closer to the address of the seller than the current position acquired from the mobile phone network 3, the management server 5 determines the winning bidder by using the address information as the position information. Even in this case, the winning bidder can be accurately determined in consideration of the delivery cost, and thus the auction seller can obtain a larger amount of money as consideration for the article.

The delivery fee may be obtained based on the location information of the seller and the location information of the auction participants, and the winning bidder may be determined based on the delivery fee and the bid price. Specifically, table data having position information as a parameter is prepared in advance, and the management server 5 refers to the table data to obtain a delivery charge for each auction participant. Further, the management server 5 subtracts the delivery fee from the bid price to calculate the winning bid price (= bid price-delivery amount), and determines the participant with the highest winning bid price as the winning bidder. In this case, since the accurate delivery cost can be calculated, the successful bidder can be determined more accurately.

In the above embodiment, the management server 5 notifies the successful bidder of the successful bid by calling the successful bidder, but the present invention is not limited to this. In particular,
The management server 5 may be configured to generate an email notifying the successful bid result and send the email to the winning bidder. In this case, the e-mail address of the auction participant is added as the personal information registered in the database 5b.

In the above embodiment, the mobile phone 1 is embodied as a mobile terminal, but a PHS (Personal Handyphone) is used.
It may be embodied in a System) or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

The technical idea that can be understood from the above embodiment will be described together with its effects. (A) A position acquisition unit that acquires current location information regarding the current location of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is accessed to the management server, and a database that stores address information regarding the addresses of the auction participants and auction exhibitors. The determining means refers to the current location information and the address information, sets the information closer to the address of the auction seller as the position information of the auction participant, and determines the winning bidder based on the position information. The auction system according to claim 1, wherein: In this case, even if the auction participant participates in the auction from a place away from the address of the auction seller, the successful bidder can be determined based on the address information of the participant, which is practically preferable. .

(B) The auction system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the management server includes means for notifying a successful bid result. In this way, the successful bidder can be notified automatically without the need for an operator or the like.

(C) The auction is conducted by keeping the desired bid price of the auction participant included in the bid information transmitted from the portable terminal private, and performing the auction. The auction system described in. As described above, when the inventions of claims 1 to 3 are applied to an auction in which the desired bid price is not disclosed, it is practically preferable.

(D) The bid price of the article is decided in advance,
The auction system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein auction participants who wish to bid at the bid price are recruited. In this way, when the invention of claims 1 to 3 is applied to an auction in which the bid price of the article is determined in advance and the auction participants who participate in the bid at the bid price are recruited,
It is practically preferable.

[0045]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
The successful bidder close to the seller's address is determined, and the delivery cost of the article can be suppressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an auction system in the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen of a mobile phone.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing stored information in a database.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a management server.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a, 1b, 1c Mobile phones as mobile terminals 3 Mobile phone network as mobile communication network 5 management server 5b database

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An auction system including a management server that executes various processes related to an auction in response to a request from a mobile terminal connected via a mobile communication network, wherein the management server is an auction participant. First storage means for storing bid information transmitted from the mobile terminal based on the input operation of, a second storage means for storing position information of the auction participant, based on the bid information and position information, An auction system comprising: a determination unit that determines a successful bidder from a plurality of auction participants who participated in an auction bid. 2. The auction system according to claim 1, further comprising position acquisition means for acquiring current position information regarding a current position of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal accesses the management server, and the second storage of the management server. An auction system, wherein the means stores the current location information as position information of the auction participant. 3. The auction system according to claim 1, wherein the management server pre-stores position information relating to the addresses of auction exhibitors, and the determination means determines that bid prices of a plurality of auction participants are the same. , The location information of the plurality of auction participants and the location information of the auction exhibitor are referred to,
An auction system, wherein an auction participant close to the address of the seller of the auction is determined as a successful bidder. 4. An auction method in which a management server for executing various processes related to an auction and a mobile terminal are connected via a mobile communication network, and an auction is conducted based on input information from the mobile terminal, wherein the management The server stores the bid information input by the auction participant using the mobile terminal and the position information of the auction participant, and based on the bid information and the position information, a plurality of bidders who participated in the auction bid. An auction method characterized by determining a successful bidder from among auction participants.