KR20000030151A - Method of internet auction - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An internet auction method is provided to utilize one hundred percent mileage provided whenever a client buys goods from a seller by joining an internet auction technique and mileage technique. CONSTITUTION: An internet auction method includes the steps of enrolling as a member enterprise by subscribing a seller computer in auction service server(10) reserving a mileage when a client buys goods through the member enterprise(12), and storing a mileage score data in a client database installed in the auction service server(14). This method also includes the steps of enrolling goods in the auction via on-line from each member enterprise and starting auction in the auction service server(16). In the method, a client taking a mileage from each member enterprise subscribes to the auction service server as a member to participate in the auction and proposes a desired mileage score(18), and then the mileage score of the member participated in the auction is confirmed (20). An auction participator proposing the maximum mileage is determined as a successful bidder (22).

Description

Method of internet auction

The present invention relates to an internet auction method.

Internet auction

As the use of the Internet increased and the number of e-commerce sites increased, various sales methods appeared. In particular, auctions using computer systems and Internet systems are becoming a new type of commerce that is very convenient and interesting to consumers.

There are many cases of obtaining a patent right or applying for a patent by technically approaching auction using the Internet. In the United States, for example, U. S. Patent 5890138 relates to a computer auction system, which relates to a so-called reverse auction in which a seller participates in an auction and sets a lowest price as a buyer bids. US Patent 5826244 relates to an intermediary auction apparatus and method in the document providing industry, 5794219 relates to a method of performing an online auction by forming a bid pool, 5966699 relates to a loan auction over the network. There is also 5905975 on how to auction the Internet.

In Japan, many internet auction methods are registered. JP7037015 relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving auction information, JP63168770 relates to an automatic auction control system, JP9171531 and 7073251 to a collective auction system using a computer, and JP4342065 relates to an auction system that can participate in an auction remotely. Many other auction techniques are patented.

In Korea, there is no patented case yet, but it has been filed for the real estate court auction information service method (Publication No. 10-1999-084130), and the price of a lot of buyers and sellers in a similar way to reverse auction A buyer-centered e-commerce method that can lower the cost has been published (Publication No. 10-1999-078767).

Auctions using the Internet are generally performed in the same manner as in FIG. First, a person who wants to do an internet auction establishes an internet auction web service system [1]. This usually consists of securing a large number of sellers on a server computer, constructing a database, developing web service content, and installing a website homepage. Once the internet auction website is established, the registered seller or seller who wants to auction presents the product on the website [2]. A large number of users (buyers) access the website, submit a price, and participate in the auction [3]. If the bidder wins the bid in the auction with the highest price among the bidders [4], the prize is delivered to the bidder [5].

Various element descriptions are necessary to implement an auction on the Internet (see FIG. 1B). First, a service provider side server system 6 and a buyer / seller side computer system 7 are required, and a communication network 8 for communicating with multiple sellers and multiple buyers in real time is required. The network 8 is not only an internet network such as the World Wide Web, but also a LAN or a WAN in which only a certain group is connected to form a communication network.

There is also a need for a website homepage 6a serving as an auction market on the server 6 of the service provider. In order to build a homepage, a server-class computer and various peripheral devices are required as hardware, html language and JavaScript as software, and communication means for basic communication with other computers are required. All the seller / buyer side computers 7 basically need a communication means 7a that can connect to the server 6 of the service provider, and a web browser 7b that can view the website homepage 6a.

Mileage

On the other hand, various types of mileage (cumulative score) are prevalent in order to secure and retain fixed customers, whether they are online or online. Mileage is a score that rises in a certain manner every time a buyer purchases a product or uses a service, and accumulates this score and gives various benefits to the customer according to the mileage score at an appropriate time. However, most of the mileage schemes do not benefit consumers so much, and they do not get much response from customers.

For example, knowing how much of each customer's mileage is accumulated in each service provider's database, as well as the subjective reasons that many items are not suitable for consumers' preferences because the gift items paid by the service provider are determined uniformly by props. Difficult, cumulative mileage companies that do not have a private bank company often accumulate mileage accumulated over a long period of time is often forgotten. In addition, the limited amount determined by the company is determined, so if you have a lower mileage, you cannot use it.

Therefore, the applicant researched a method of utilizing 100% of the mileage granted every time a customer purchases a product from a seller, and then created a new method of internet auction by combining internet auction technology and mileage method. An object of the present invention is to provide an internet auction method that can efficiently use the mileage according to the score of the mileage by utilizing the earned points of the mileage received by the customer to purchase the product as the bidding price of the auction.

1 is a general Internet auction method, (a) is an Internet auction method and (b) shows a system required for this.

2 is an overall configuration diagram of the Internet auction method according to the present invention.

3 is a flowchart of a mileage management procedure.

4 is a flow chart of membership registration and auction participation procedure.

5 is a detailed flowchart of the auction procedure.

6 is a flowchart of a second embodiment.

7 is a flowchart of a third embodiment.

Definition of terms

Definitions of terms used in the specification are as follows. The remaining terms are the same as those generally used.

(1) auction service server: a server built by a person operating the Internet auction method according to the present invention

(2) Member company: A vendor that subscribes to the auction service server as a member and provides auctions.

(3) Customers: Buyers who purchase products from member companies and receive mileage

(4) Customer member: A customer who has registered as a member to participate in the internet auctioning method performed by the auction service server, and has been given mileage from the member company.

System configuration

The internet auction method according to the present invention is performed in a computer system connected to the Internet or a local network such as the World Wide Web. In the network, a server performing an auction service, a commodity vendor computer, and a customer computer are connected to each other.

The auction service server communicates with an external computer through a network, such as a customer database that stores customer information and mileage, a website homepage for auction service, an arithmetic processing unit that performs member verification and mileage verification, and a network. It consists of 'communication means' to carry out. The vendor's computer is a web browser, a tool that allows users to log in to the auction service server's homepage and provide auctions, an computing unit that calculates mileage for customers' purchases, and communicates with external computers via the network. It consists of 'communication means'. The customer computer also consists of a web browser, a tool that allows users to log in to the auction service server's homepage, register and participate in the auction, and a communication means for communicating with an external computer via a network.

Overview of the Internet Auction Method

The configuration and operation of the Internet auction method according to the present invention implemented by such a system will be described with reference to FIG. The internet auction method according to the present invention is implemented by a system in which an auction service server, a vendor computer, and a customer computer are interconnected through a network as shown in FIG. The present invention,

1) the vendor computer joining the auction service server as a member and registering as a member company [10],

2) the customer accumulates mileage when purchasing products through member companies [12],

3) storing the mileage score data in a customer database installed in the auction service server [14],

4) each member company registers the product in the auction online and starts the auction in the auction service server [16],

5) the customer who receives the mileage from each member company joins the auction service server as a member to participate in the auction and present the mileage score as much as desired [18],

6) checking the mileage score of the member customer participating in the auction [20],

7) determining an auction participant who presented the highest mileage score as a successful bidder [22].

Description of each step

1) The auction service server receives a plurality of vendors in advance as a member [10]. According to the present invention, if a seller (that is, a member company) who subscribes as a member puts his or her product as an auction product online at the auction service server, a plurality of customers auction service to auction the product of the member company online. Auction through the server. This will be described later.

2) Each time a customer purchases a product from a member company, he or she will receive mileage in the usual way. Each member company provides and manages the mileage as in the example of FIG. Member companies can join without a predetermined qualification when joining the auction service server as a member. However, membership fees shall be paid differentially [24]. As the membership fee is differentiated, each member company can provide the mileage rate to its guests differentially [26]. For example, depending on the amount of the membership fee paid by the member company, the mileage may be determined as 5% or 10% of the sale price. As a result, customers with a high membership fee will receive more miles.

3) Continuing to refer to Fig. 3, when a customer purchases a product from a member company, it should adopt the desired payment method [28]. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, credit card settlement [30] or cash settlement [32] can be performed. In the case of credit card payment, payment is made by the credit card company, and in the case of cash payment, payment is made by computerized cash dispenser [34], and the mileage score is automatically calculated according to the payment amount [36]. This mileage score is converted to TCP / IP using a member company's terminal [38] and connected to an auction service server connected to the Internet. If a member company is subscribed to a card company or VAN's EDI network, information such as the amount and mileage score from the cash dispenser will be connected to the Internet by a server running an electronic data interchange (EDI) system.

In the auction service server, a customer database is installed for each member company and the mileage is input [42], and the mileage is accumulated by its own common gateway interface (CGI) program [44]. CGI is an interface that connects a web server and a script or program used to process a specific job. CGI is an old element where processes such as user queries and image maps are processed in a script or program, not a web server, through CGI.

Whenever a customer purchases a product of a specific member company, the mileage granted is stored as data in the customer database of the auction service server. The customer is entitled to participate in the internet auction running on the auction service server with this mileage score.

4) The auction service server executes an auction. Each auction company registers an auction required by the auction service server. The auction service server announces auctions for a certain period of time (for example, 7 days) through its website and executes an auction. At this time, the customer who has been granted mileage from each member company can join the auction service server as a member to participate in the auction.

4 shows a member registration procedure and an auction participation method for participating in an auction. First, access the homepage of the auction service server [45] and apply for membership [46]. At this point, the customer will usually be informed of the terms and conditions of membership. The terms of use and the user guide are written in html document and stored on the homepage of the auction service server. The auction service server receives an application for membership registration and approves registration [47] and stores information about each customer member in a customer database [48].

5) Next, the auction service server starts an auction [50], and a customer registered as a member searches for a product presented as an auction item [52] and presents a predetermined score of his mileage when there is a desired product. Enter [54]. You can access the homepage of the auction service server through the browser of the customer's computer and enter it through the score input window installed on the homepage.

6) The auction service server checks whether the customer is a member when the mileage score transmitted from the customer's computer and the purchase intention signal are received [56]. Mileage checks are made by searching the customer database previously entered and stored from member companies [60].

7) When the mileage check confirms the member customer who presented the mileage with the highest score as a successful bidder, the mileage corresponding to the successful bid price is deducted from the database of the successful member customers when the auction ends [64].

Detail explanation

A detailed description of the auction method will be described with reference to FIG. 5. First, the auction service server registers the auctions provided by each member company [66] and checks the number of people participating in the auction service using JavaScript [68]. When the member customer participates in the auction, the auction service server receives the auction participation in the Java applet window in real time [70] and receives the mileage scores suggested by the member customer [72]. Next, using the Common Gateway Interface (CGI), statistical indicators are inserted into participants at each auction [74], and then the deadline is displayed [76]. Closing auctions can also be automatically closed using CGI [78]. The winners are selected among the customer members who participated in the auction [80]. Unlike regular auctions, participants don't quote prices, but enter as many points as they would like to present within the range of pre-stored mileage points, automatically checked by the server [90] to determine the highest mileage. The winner is decided as the winner. When the successful bidder is determined, the mileage corresponding to the successful bidder is deducted from the successful bidder's customer database [92], and the member customer is notified through CGI with details including the successful bidder's facts [94]. The successful bidder will now use the mileage credited to him to purchase the product.

Second embodiment

Figure 6 shows another embodiment applying the Internet auction method according to the present invention. This embodiment may be referred to as "Internet auction utilizing club mileage." A group of members with mileage members form a club [100]. Each member's computer can be used as a network to form fellowships and club activities [102]. Each computer is equipped with a browser and communication means capable of receiving web services, and one of the member computers can be a server, serving as a focal point of the community.

In the auction service server, a fellowship database for storing mileage of the fellowship is built, and all the mileages of the member customers are accumulated and accumulated in front of the fellowship [104]. If the auction is carried out in the auction service server [106], each fellowship can participate in the auction within the range of mileage accumulated in the fellowship.

The auction will be provided as necessary for fellowship activities, such as bus rentals, charity bazaar rentals, condominium rentals, merchandise sales, etc., for example, as shown in FIG. When the club that has accumulated mileage accesses the auction service server and participates in the auction, the auction service server checks the mileage of each group and determines the group that presents the highest score as a successful bidder [108]. The auction procedure is the same as described previously.

Third embodiment

Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention. First, an auction is started with a member who has secured the purchase mileage (200). Members with insufficient mileage cannot participate in the auction.

If the auction item is registered on the auction service website (201) and a successful bidder is determined by the highest mileage (202), the successful bidder re-auctions (204). That is, the winning bid is again provided to the auction (206), and the auction announcement is made. In this case, it is possible to auction in cash as well as mileage score (208).

Members who were unable to participate in the auction due to insufficient mileage at the beginning of the auction, members who need specific items, or members who want to purchase even with cash, can participate in this new auction (210). In this re-auction, the member who initiated the re-auction decides the winner (212).

When a successful bidder is determined in this re-auction, a certain portion of the successful bidder's mileage is deducted (214) or a product price is deposited in a bank account (216), and the product is delivered to the member who purchased through the re-auction. Meanwhile, the successful bidder in the original auction recognizes the trouble of re-auction and automatically accumulates a predetermined mileage (218) or deposits cash in the account (220) and notifies the fact of the deposit (222).

According to the third embodiment, the successful bidder of the auction carried out by the auction service server re-auctions to attract other members or allow members with insufficient mileage to participate in the auction, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the Internet auction method.

In the above description of the online internet auction method using a network, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the spirit of the present invention can be applied to the offline auction method as it is. In addition, since the auction service server according to the present invention receives a seller as a member, instead of managing the customer for each seller, the auction service server may manage the mileage of all customers through the network. In other words, the consumer's purchase information can be managed in real time on the auction service server.

According to the present invention, when a consumer receives a free gift according to mileage, there is no need to wait for a desired product to come out, and the user can use it as second cash because the user can make a purchase with the mileage score which is his purchasing performance. In addition, you can purchase the items you need with a score, not necessarily money, which can reduce unnecessary waste. In the Internet auction method according to the present invention, unlike the general auction, the maximum limit amount is determined for each auction participant. General auctions, even if their favorite products will have a desire to purchase even with a high interest, but according to the present invention it is impossible to bid itself beyond the highest score earned by him. This will motivate many members to collect more mileage and the company will try to provide more mileage. In addition, the product provider can also induce consumers to buy by presenting a better product.

Claims (8)

The auction service server, the vendor computer and the customer computer are connected to each other on the Internet or local network. The auction service server communicates with an external computer through a network, such as a customer database that stores customer information and mileage, a website homepage for auction service, an arithmetic processing unit that performs member verification and mileage verification, and a network. It consists of 'communication means' to perform, The vendor's computer is a web browser, a tool that allows users to log in to the auction service server's homepage and provide auctions, an computing unit that calculates mileage for customers' purchases, and communicates with external computers via the network. Consisting of 'communication means', A customer computer is an auction method implemented by a system consisting of a 'web browser', a tool for logging in to the homepage of an auction service server and signing up for an auction, and a 'communication means' for communicating with an external computer through a network. 1) the vendor computer joins the auction service server as a member and registers as a member company; 2) the customer accumulates mileage when purchasing products through member companies; 3) storing the mileage score data in the customer database installed in the auction service server, 4) each member company to register the product in the auction online and start the auction in the auction service server, 5) the customer who receives the mileage from each member company joins the auction service server as a member to participate in the auction, 6) checking the mileage score of the member customers participating in the auction, 7) An internet auction method comprising determining an auction participant who presented the highest mileage score as a successful bidder. In claim 1, Mileage accrual step of step 3), The mileage score is automatically calculated according to the payment amount, The mileage score is input to the virtual terminal of the member company and converted to TCP / IP and connected to the auction service server connected to the Internet. Internet auction method comprising the step of storing the mileage in the customer database to the auction service server. In claim 1, step 5, 6, 7 of the customer registration step and auction participation and auction progress step i) accessing the homepage of the auction service server and applying for membership; ii) storing the information about each customer member in the customer database while receiving an application for membership registration and approval in the auction service server, iii) starting the auction in the auction service server, the customer registered as a member to search for the product provided by the auction, present the mileage score as desired when there is a desired product and enter a purchase intention, iv) when the auction service server receives a purchase intention signal from the customer's computer, checks whether the customer is a member, and if so, searches the customer database to check mileage; v) confirming the mileage to determine the member customer who presented the highest mileage score as the winner; vi) An internet auction method comprising the steps of deducting the mileage corresponding to the winning price in the database of the winning member customers. In claim 3, the member verification step of step iv) registers the auction items presented by each member company in the auction service server, and confirms the number of visitors to the auction service using JavaScript, if the member customer participates in the auction service Internet auction method, characterized in that the server receives the auction in the Java applet window in real time, and receives the mileage application proposed by the member customer. In claim 3, between step iv) and step v) And inserting statistical indices into the participants in each auction using a common gateway interface (CGI), and then displaying a deadline. The method of claim 3, wherein the deducting of the mileage corresponding to the winning bid price of step vi) comprises deducting the mileage corresponding to the winning bid price from the successful bidder's customer database, and notifying the member customer through CGI of the details including the winning bidding fact. Internet auction method. The compound according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Form a fellowship among customers who have received mileage from member companies, The mileage of each member is added and stored in the fellowship database of the auction service server. Internet auction method characterized in that the community participates in the auction running on the auction service server. In any one of claims 1 to 6, The successful bidder provides the auctioned item back to the auction and announces the auction to execute the re-auction. A member other than the successful bidder participates in the re-auction to determine the successful bidder for the re-auction, Internet auction method, characterized in that the step of paying a predetermined mileage or cash to the original bidder who provided the product to the re-auction.