WO2008003966A1 - Procédé et appareil pour commander la configuration d'une structure d'enchères en ligne - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil pour commander la configuration d'une structure d'enchères en ligne Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008003966A1
WO2008003966A1 PCT/GB2007/002499 GB2007002499W WO2008003966A1 WO 2008003966 A1 WO2008003966 A1 WO 2008003966A1 GB 2007002499 W GB2007002499 W GB 2007002499W WO 2008003966 A1 WO2008003966 A1 WO 2008003966A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
user
item
message
auctioned
auction
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2007/002499
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Benjamin Peter Godfrey
Adam Spencer Rock
Original Assignee
Carbon Digital Media Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB0613385A external-priority patent/GB0613385D0/en
Priority claimed from GB0625655A external-priority patent/GB0625655D0/en
Application filed by Carbon Digital Media Limited filed Critical Carbon Digital Media Limited
Publication of WO2008003966A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008003966A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
    • G06Q30/08—Auctions

Definitions

  • This invention relates to methods and apparatus for controlling configuration of an online auction facility.
  • Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus and methods for carrying out forward and reverse purchase auctions from mobile phone devices or other browsing means.
  • the online auction is a popular model in which participants (or 'bidders') bid for products and services offered by individuals or businesses over the Internet.
  • the process of buying and selling in an auction-type system is made possible through auction applications, which control the various functions and processes.
  • the host does not actually sell its own goods or services.
  • the host acts as a facilitator in the distribution of goods and services offered by others by: listing and displaying goods; allowing bidders to bid on items; and sometimes overseeing the payment process.
  • a reverse auction is a type of auction in which the role of the buyer and seller are reversed.
  • the primary objective of the reverse auction is to drive purchase prices downward, i.e. sellers compete to obtain business from buyers.
  • the online auction is one such example. Users of online auctions increasingly wish to buy and sell goods quickly and simply from their mobile phone devices. For example, purchase an item whilst travelling on the bus or advertise for wanted items when they are seen in a shop.
  • Internet auction sites have become very popular in the last ten years with a large number of individuals using such auction sites to make informal transactions of goods.
  • Numerous network-based commerce systems have emerged since advancements in security for users of the internet.
  • potential sellers can enter information about their product or service for potential buyers to bid on.
  • the information submitted by potential sellers is then organised, stored and presented as a listing by the network-based commerce system.
  • Potential buyers can search through the organised seller information to find products or services on which they to purchase.
  • buying goods over the internet is by and large an easy and straightforward process.
  • selling items can be complex and time-consuming and does explain why on average more than 90% of online auction users are buyers rather than sellers.
  • Mobile camera phones (a mobile phone with an integrated camera capable of capturing still and moving images) have become very popular amongst individuals, with camera phone penetration being at nearly 50% amongst 25-34 year olds in 2004 (Source: Enpocket). Camera phones are regularly bundled with data connections allowing images to be sent easily and uploaded on to computers and between other mobile phone users. Transactions conducted over the mobile phone (or M-commerce) is therefore growing quickly. M-commerce transactions are generally low-value ($3 average - Source: Juniper Research), with ticketing, mobile content (ring tones, etc) currently dominating such transactions.
  • person- to-person mobile payments are maturing with the emergence of several wallet systems, and the launch in the UK of a joint payment system called Pay4lt.
  • This application also provides a description of a novel reverse auction concept to the area of online/internet purchase auctions. Buyers interested in a specific item will be able to post a picture or video and a description of that item from their mobile phone. Sellers will search and browse listings then make offers to sell to the buyer. The seller providing the lowest offer wins the chance to sell to the buyer.
  • a computer system for controlling configuration of an auction website for controlling configuration of an auction website.
  • a computer system for controlling configuration of an auction website comprises a receiver adapted to receive a first message from a first user on a first mobile device, said first message including a user identification and at least one audiovisual media representation of an item to be auctioned, and an extraction processor adapted to automatically extract the user identification and at least one audiovisual media representation from said received first message responsive to receipt of the first message and to create an auction record for the item to be auctioned associated with said extracted user identification and at least one audiovisual media representation.
  • embodiments further comprise features as set out in claims 2 to 28.
  • a method of controlling configurations of an auction website comprises receiving a first message from a first user on a first mobile device, wherein said first message includes a user identification and at least one audiovisual media representation of an item to be auctioned, automatically extracting the user identification and the at least one audiovisual media representation from said first message responsive to receipt of the first message, and automatically creating an auction record from said extracted user identification and the at least one audiovisual media representation.
  • embodiments further comprise features as set out in claims 30 to 52.
  • a server for auctioning an item there is provided a server for auctioning an item.
  • a server for auctioning an item comprises a database of known users of the server, said database comprising a set of records for each known user, including an user identification associated with said known user, a receiver adapted to receive a first message from a first user, said first message including an user identification, a processor adapted to extract the user identification from said received first message and to determine from said database and extracted user identification whether the first user is a known user.
  • an embodiment further includes a transmitter adapted to send a second message from the server to the first user in response to receipt of said first message when the first user is determined not to be a known user, said second message providing a link to a registration information input form for providing registration information on the first user, said registration information input form being associated a new record for the first user, such that the first user becomes a known user.
  • a transmitter adapted to send a second message from the server to the first user in response to receipt of said first message when the first user is determined not to be a known user, said second message providing a link to a registration information input form for providing registration information on the first user, said registration information input form being associated a new record for the first user, such that the first user becomes a known user.
  • a method of detecting prior use of an auction system by a user comprises receiving a message from a user including data on an item to be auctioned and a user identification, comparing said received user identification against a database of previously received user identifications associated with known users of the auction system.
  • a server for auctioning an item comprises a management processor adapted to provide a suite of management tools for use in managing an auction of an item, wherein the management processor is adapted to operate dependent upon the user being determined to be known user of the server.
  • the suite of management tools includes a visual representation manipulation tool, adapted to manipulate a received image of an item to be auctioned.
  • a method of listing an item to be auctioned on an auction website server comprises receiving a multimedia message about an item to be auctioned from a user's mobile camera phone, said multimedia message containing an attachment comprising any one or more of: a picture, video or sound, sending a WAP push message to the mobile camera phone of the user containing a link to an information input form, and receiving further information on the item to be auctioned through the information input form.
  • Embodiments also provide a method of listing an item to be auctioned on an auction website server, comprising receiving an email message from a user containing an attachment containing information on the item to be auctioned in the form of any one or more of: a picture, a video or a sound, sending a return email to the user containing a link to an input form, and receiving further information on the item to be auctioned through the information input form.
  • Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method for producing an auction listing, comprising receiving a first message from a user including a user identification and at least one audiovisual representation of an item to be auctioned, extracting the user identification and the at least one audiovisual representation of the item to be auctioned from said received message, creating an auction record associated with said user identification and said at least one audiovisual representation, creating an information input form associated with said auction record, comparing said user identification against a database of known users, populating at least a portion of the information input form based on information from the database of known users when said comparison indicates the user is a known user, and forwarding a second message to the user containing a link to said information input form, such that said user can input any remaining required further information.
  • inventions of the invention provide a method of reverse auctioning an item on an auction website, comprising receiving a first message from a first user including an user identification and at least one audiovisual media representation of an item the first users wishes to purchase, authenticating the user, sending a second message to the first user requesting further information on the item the first user wishes to purchase, to define search criteria for searching items already on sale from other users, receiving further information from the first user defining said search criteria, and comparing the search criteria with information associated with each item for sale on the auction website and providing details of items matching said predefined criteria.
  • a computer program code and computer program product comprising instructions executable by a computer, recorded on a computer readable carrier, and which upon execution carries out the methods of the above embodiments.
  • an audiovisual media representation includes any one or more of a picture, video or sound, and does not necessarily include both audio and visual content at the same time, i.e. the term is intended to cover all of: audio only; visual only; and the combination of audio and visual content.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the auction server according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the listing process of the present invention
  • FIG. 3 illustrates the forward auction mechanism of the present invention
  • Figure 4 illustrates the mobile interface for adding details to an item listing
  • Figure 5 illustrates the mobile interface to view a list of items for auction
  • Figure 6 illustrates the mobile interface to view details of an item listing
  • Figure 7 shows the reverse auction listing method according to an embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 8 shows the bidding process in more detail for an embodiment of the reverse auction method according to the present invention
  • Figure 9 shows an example of bid increment sizes in relation to the auctioned item price, according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the users of auction websites can be broadly categorised into two types: buyers and sellers. Buyers are looking to purchases goods or services (hereinafter referred to items) through the auction website, while sellers are looking to sell items through the auction website. Thus an item to be auctioned may be for offered for sale or wanted to buy. Both buyers and sellers may be individuals or companies. A particular user, especially when they are an individual person, may be both a buyer and seller during the course of their use of the auction website. This, in the following description, the term 'user' is used where the portion of the invention being described may be equally applied to both the buyer and the seller.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention 10.
  • a server 100 connected with at least one network for transmitting data to users of the server 100, for example a mobile phone network 101.
  • the server is connected to an alternative network, such as the internet 102, so that users may access the auction site from any internet connected device, for example a desktop PC 105.
  • the server 100 is in communication with at least one buyer 104 via a suitable device 108, and at least one seller 106 via a suitable device 108 which may be a mobile phone device, desktop PC or other suitable browsing means.
  • a suitable device 108 which may be a mobile phone device, desktop PC or other suitable browsing means.
  • the devices 108 are mobile camera phones.
  • the mobile network 101 and internet 102 will typically be interconnected, such that mobile devices 108 users may access the internet while on the move.
  • Mobile phone companies typically offer data bundles allowing such connection to the internet 102.
  • the server 100 further comprises: a database 110 for storing information on all the aspects of the auction process, such as the users registered to use the auction website (known users), bids offered, bids received, and the like; an MMS receiver module 120 for receiving MMS's from users; an SMS transceiver module 125, for sending and receiving SMS's to/from users, including WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) push messages containing URLs to WAP content pages; a website module 130 for providing the website pages driving the auction website process that are accessible by the users; a WAP module 135 for providing WAP content pages; an email processor 140, for sending and receiving emails from or to users of the auction website 130 running on the server 100; and an auction module 150, which controls the various aspects of the auction process dependent upon auction algorithms 155 according to the invention, including any price determination algorithms.
  • a database 110 for storing information on all the aspects of the auction process, such as the users registered to use the auction website (known users), bids offered, bids received, and the like
  • an MMS receiver module 120 for
  • the server web-site 130 is accessible by the users 104/106 via their access device, for example mobile phone devices 108 and/or other browsing means, such as desktop computers 105 with HTML browsers.
  • the database 110 includes: a list of items 112 to be auctioned, which may be the goods or services offered by sellers for sale or the goods or services requested by buyers to purchase; a list of known users 114 who have previously registered for (and used) the services of the auction website server 100, these often taking the form of user accounts; details of all the bids 116 that have been both sent and received by the buyers 104 or sellers 106 during the course of the auction process. This may take the form of a tally of how many bids have been placed and logically associates this information with the item being bid upon stored in the item database 112.
  • the tally will indicate such things as the price of the offers made by a certain user (buyer 104 or seller 106), and the user account of the user who has made the offer.
  • the above described portions of the database 110 may take the form of a single database containing all the information, cross associated in the necessary way. Alternatively, the database 110 may comprise a number of sub databases for each set of data (Items 112, Known Users 114, Bids 114, etc).
  • the database 110 will typically be formed from non-volatile storage, such as hard disk drives. However, other non-volatile memory such as flash RAM, MRAM, or the like may be used. Even volatile memory could be used in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • a typical embodiment would comprise a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) array, for example, a RAID 5 hard disk array.
  • RAID Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
  • a method and system for creating a listing on a network-based commerce system auction site through use of mobile telephony A seller captures one or more image and video files from their mobile camera phone for an item to be listed. The seller sends these images and/or video files to a server by Multimedia Message (MMS). MMS allows users to send pictures, videos and sound recordings to other compatible handsets and/or mobile phone network plans. On receipt of these files by the server a new listing is created with the files associated to it. The server then uses a WAP push message, for example, in the form of an SMS containing an URL, to automatically direct the seller's mobile phone's browser to a form requesting additional details about the listing. Details include but are not limited to the title, description, condition, price and category.
  • the above described receipt of the audiovisual media representation file by the server via MMS effectively triggers the formation of an information input form, preferably from a template.
  • the information input form allows the additional details requested about the item to be auctioned to be inputted by the user.
  • certain portions of the necessary information required may be automatically filled in on behalf of the first user from the data stored in the server for that user. This reduces the time taken to fill in the form, and the amount of traffic required also, prior to listing the auction. This is especially beneficial in the context of a mobile auction, since the means of inputting information may be restricted (due to the size and/or configuration of the input device on the mobile device). Equally, reducing the amount of data sent over the air may reduce the cost associated with making a new auction listing.
  • the information input form may include fields requesting information about the user, so that the user can be registered on the hosting auction website.
  • a conventional auction process with fixed price option is undertaken, allowing buyers to place bids or pay the seller-specified fixed price immediately.
  • Picture and video formats will generally be compatible with mobile phones (both for those with, and without cameras), for example pictures could be uploaded in JPEG file format and videos in the industry standard 3GPP format.
  • an application is present on the server 100 which may, for example, resize images in order to optimise them for display on mobile phones. For example, a user may upload a photograph to the server in a resolution of 640x480 pixels. The server then resizes the image to 400 x 300 pixels.
  • the user does not need to remember to take a picture in any particular size, since the server application will automatically resize to a predetermined size suitable for use in a particular portion of the process, e.g. 400 * 300 pixels for use on the website portion online, and 120 * 90 for mobile use and for thumbnails.
  • Pictures may be taken in other picture file formats, for example GIF or PNG format. Any of the most common file types may be used. Thus any pictures created should be supported by most, if not all, mobile phones and can also be viewed by all computer- based web browsers.
  • the user i.e. buyer/seller
  • Sellers can quickly and easily create listings from their phone or from a computer. Items listed will be displayed on the site for 7 days or until the seller withdraws the item. Images uploaded from a computer or phone will be resized to the dimensions required by the web interface and two thumbnail versions (large and small) will be created automatically. Video and audio files uploaded will be displayed using embedded players of the appropriate type, preferring QuickTime where there is a choice.
  • the items are stored in the database 110.
  • the items are categorised and stored in the database based on criteria such as: title, description (such as sizes, age, aspects of appearance), condition, goods category, notable features, delivery details (including postage costs), etc.
  • the seller generally also submits: a minimum price they are willing to sell the given item for, which corresponds to the amount that the auction for the item will start at and is also the reserve price for the item; a photograph of the item, which acts as proof of possession and to aid the buyer in verifying the correctness of the specification and the condition of the item.
  • the present invention provides the first mobile-powered auction site. Users will be able to list items on the site using the following simple process:
  • MMS messages As this process is initiated by an MMS message, it is limited to domestic users.
  • MMS messages may be limited in size, and therefore not large enough for useful video clips to be sent. For this reason the Hosting Auction Site may alternatively support listing items through emails sent to the Host's message processing software.
  • the WAP push message sent back to the user is a form of browser message.
  • This WAP push message works in the same way as a text message but it allows the user to follow a link to the hosting auction website, or mobile internet site, if need be. It may be stored separately from normal messages, within the mobile phone, for example in the "Browser messages" folder.
  • FIG. 2 shows the above described auction listing process.
  • the process starts by a seller wanting to sell an item 200. Therefore, the seller takes a photo 201 of the item they would like to sell with their mobile camera phone 108, or other suitable device, and sends 202 the picture to the server 100.
  • Any audiovisual media representation of the item to be auctioned may be used, such a video or sound, instead of (or in addition to) the afore-mentioned picture.
  • the audiovisual media representation is sent to the server 100 via an MMS message 202, however an email message, or other message format that allows the attachment of a picture, video or sound may be equally used.
  • An user identification is included in the message sent to the server 100.
  • the user identification takes the form of the sender's telephone number which is contained within the MMS message.
  • the user identification may derived from a predetermined field of the message, such as the 'from' field of an email. Alternatively, the necessary information made be parsed from the main body of the text within the message.
  • the server 100 receives the message sent by the seller, which includes the audiovisual representation of the item to be auctioned, and creates a new auction record, or listing from the information provided in the message received 203.
  • the server 100 then sends a WAP push link to the seller 204.
  • the mobile will then processes the linked contained in the WAP push message 205, and direct the seller to an information input form which the seller completes by supplying details and an optional maximum price for a given item 206.
  • Figure 4 shows an exemplary information input form.
  • a check of the user is carried out 207/208 by cross checking the telephone number from which the MMS was sent against the stored telephone numbers in the known user database. If the seller is new to the system, i.e. is not a known user of the server 100, then the further information input form will additionally contain information required in order to register with the auction website 209. If the seller is known, then respective portions of the further information input form will be pre filled in with data from the membership portion of the database 208.
  • the seller may be asked to double check the information already entered 210.
  • the seller pays for the listing by an accepted form of payment, such as a reverse charge premium SMS, or other charging method, such as Luup or Paypal 211 , or credit card.
  • an accepted form of payment such as a reverse charge premium SMS, or other charging method, such as Luup or Paypal 211 , or credit card.
  • the new listing for the item to be auctioned by the seller is listed on the website/mobile site 212.
  • a link titled "Sell" in the primary site navigation will take the user to a single page form where they may enter all the required details about their item and select up to five image, video or audio files to upload. If the seller has not yet entered house number and postcode details, they will be required to enter these here. The seller must confirm they have read the selling terms and conditions. The seller will be asked to pay via an online payment service, or optionally, premium rate SMS immediately. The listing will begin once this payment is confirmed.
  • Files uploaded will be restricted to the major image, video and audio types supported by web browsers, i.e. JPEG, PNG, GIF, MPG, MOV, AVI, Real Media, 3GP, 3G2, MP3, WAV and AIFF. Files may be limited, for instance, to a maximum of 2Mb in size.
  • Figure 4 shows an example interface of an embodiment of the present invention for the information input form.
  • text input fields or list selection fields for entering the required further information on the item to be auctioned. These include a title; description of the item; and condition of the item.
  • Figure 5 shows an example interface of an embodiment of the present invention for listing items currently up for auction.
  • Figure 6 shows an example interface of an embodiment of the present invention for showing a user details about a particular item being auctioned on the website. This includes read only listings of the information requested in the information input form shown in Figure 4.
  • the listing in the example provided, further includes a notification opt-in portion, activated by either registering (when the user is a new, as yet, unknown user) or signing in (when the user is a known user, but has not yet logged onto the website).
  • Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the forward auction process.
  • the auction mechanism is the system of listing items, finding buyers, managing bids and the process of helping buyer and seller to fulfil the order once placed.
  • the seller lists the item, setting an initial price 301.
  • the seller optionally adds a fixed price, allowing buyers to skip bidding
  • a potential buyer locates the item 304 and enters the limit they are willing to pay at this point, or agrees to pay the fixed price 306.
  • the system calculates a new price 305 as follows:
  • Price initial price + increment
  • increment is variable depending on the current high bid.
  • Figure 9 shows an example bid increment plan, based upon the price of the item being auctioned.
  • bidders may place multiple bids.
  • the listing is automatically closed after 7 days (e.g. 7:00 Friday 20th to 7:00 Friday 27th)
  • the price agreed is the current incremental price, not the bidder's bid limit.
  • the phone numbers of the buyer and the seller are made available to one another. Actually speaking to the other person will help to increase trust levels between buyer and seller over email conversation.
  • Buyer and seller may optionally leave a feedback about the other user 311.
  • the hosting site may instead incorporate an internal, or even bought in 3rd party payment system, to effect payment between users.
  • an internal or even bought in 3rd party payment system, to effect payment between users.
  • PayPal, Luup or the like For example, PayPal, Luup or the like.
  • the payment may be made by a plug in payment module, operated for example by a JavaScript, Active X control or the like.
  • the payment scheme may be operated by suitably linking the databases of the auction site and 3rd party payment system, to effect transfer of the necessary information required for billing that is already stored by the auction site, such as the item cost, delivery cost, user name, user address, user telephone number, and the like.
  • the buyer may have the opportunity to buy an item at a fixed price.
  • sellers will be able to add a fixed price through the web interface and mobile account management interface (not the initial listing submission form). If a seller adds a fixed price, the detail page for the listing will allow buyers to view the price and click to submit their intention to pay that price. A notification will be sent to the seller informing them of the offer. A seller will be able to view the offer made and the phone numbers of the buyers through their account interface. The seller can then contact the buyer to arrange payment and delivery.
  • the Hosting Auction site may invoke a simple user ratings and feedback system to help buyers judge the reputation of sellers and vice versa.
  • both buyer and seller will be able to leave positive or negative feedback about the other, as well as a short comment.
  • Positive feedback will increase the user's rating by one point, negative feedback will decrease it.
  • the rating of a user will be indicated by a set of symbols next to their username whenever this is displayed. Each username will be a link to a page displaying feedback left by other users.
  • the charge for a listing may be a base rate, plus a per asset (image, video or audio file) price or a combination of both.
  • a basic listing might cost, for instance, £1 and include one free asset, with subsequent assets costing e.g. 25p per image, 4Op per video.
  • Listing fees will be billed by reverse SMS for MMS/WAP listed items and by online payment provider (Worldpay, PayPal, etc) for items listed through a browser or by email from a handset by default. The user will have the option to select the payment mechanism for each transaction.
  • SMS For MMS/WAP listed items, once the user has completed the details they will receive an SMS containing a text message.
  • This message may be "[Host Auction Site]: confirm billing for listing 123. PIs reply 'confirm payment 123'.”
  • the code may be uniquely generated for each use. The user must reply "confirm payment 123" with the correct code.
  • a second SMS may be sent containing the text "[Host Auction Site]: Listing 123 confirmed. Thanks! or words of similar effect. This SMS will be premium rate and charged to the rate required to fulfil the fee.
  • Payments made online may be supported the Host Auction Site by integrating with a payment provider.
  • the provider will process payments made by credit cards or via e-money systems such as PayPal.
  • the Hosting Auction Site can then either operate alongside a service such as for example, Worldpay, where payment pages are hosted by the provider, or choose to integrate the payment process into it's own site.
  • Premium rate SMS is only supported for domestic users. International users can not be billed in this way. International users will be required to visit the site and make a payment via the chosen online payment provider, PayPal, Worldpay, etc, before the listing is made live.
  • the detail page for a closed listing will always be visible via bookmarks, links from user account tools and the price guide.
  • the content displayed on the closed listing page will be identical to an open listing except that the place bid and pay fixed price elements will no longer be displayed.
  • the seller account management view will allow the seller to manage their listings quickly and easily. Sellers will be able to browse a complete history of their listings, ordered by listing date. For each listing, the seller will be able to: View the details of a listing, open or closed.
  • Re-list an item which closed without selling - the seller will be charged the listing fee a second time, the re-list fee could potentially be lower than the original fee, except in the case where the original listing was closed early and the seller received a refund. Records will be kept of each re-listing.
  • a seller can upload up to five photographs or videos of an item they have in their possession. These photographs can be taken with either a mobile camera phone or a digital camera and uploaded, for example, via a desktop PC and internet connection.
  • Sellers could be provided the option to request status notifications be sent to them by SMS, with the option to receive a notification whenever a new bid is placed or when the listing closes. Notifications will be sent by premium rate SMS. For this reason the seller will have a double opt-in:
  • the seller workflow has the following steps:
  • Potential buyers 104 will use the category navigation, the home page hot items list and the simple and advanced search functionality to locate items.
  • the simple search form will be located on every page.
  • Buyers will be able to control the sorting of lists of listings using a drop-down menu located between the page navigation control on list pages, e.g.:
  • Sorting options may be:
  • Buyers will be able to select the view by clicking a link in the same row as the page and sorting controls.
  • the link title will be "Smaller pictures” when in normal view and "Larger pictures” when in small view.
  • icons could be used, e.g. +/- magnifying glass icons.
  • the advanced search form will allow buyers to specify the following parameters to control the listings displayed:
  • Search phrase (same as simple search).
  • Listing detail pages will display a list of five related items. A maximum of five items will be displayed.
  • the list will be created by searching the current category for items where the title or description contains keywords from the title of the current listing. Stop words ("the”, “and”, “new”, etc) will be removed from the title before the search is performed. E.g. from a listing titled “Brand new Nokia N70,” the keywords "Nokia” and “N70” would be extracted. Items containing either word in their title or description would then be displayed in the related items list.
  • the buyer account management view will allow buyers to view a history of the items they have bought and a watch list of items they are interested in. Whenever a buyer places a bid on an item it will automatically be added to their watch list. Buyers may also manually place an item on their watch list using a link on the item detail page.
  • Buyers will also be able to request notifications for items on their watch list. Notifications can either be sent whenever a bid is placed on an item, or when the item closes, notifying the user if they have won. The same doubt opt-in process used for seller notifications will be used here. Buyer workflow
  • This workflow has the following steps:
  • Visitors will be required to register in order to place a bid, add an item to a watch list or list an item through their computer.
  • Sellers who create a listing from their phone will have an account created for them. They will be able to claim this account for use online later. All users will be identified by username, as phone numbers can not be displayed on the site.
  • Demographic information such as DOB (date of birth) and gender may be useful to provide an audience profile.
  • the reminders may equally be sent by another suitable means, such as an email message (upon request).
  • the user may be directed to a webpage which asks security questions that only the registered user will know.
  • the auction website can authenticate the user and forward the missing information on to the user whilst still maintaining the security of the site.
  • the present invention provides a unique feature of a complete mobile experience. Users of WAP 2.0 (XHTM L-M P/Basic) will be able to use all of the core features of the site:
  • Mobile users will be able to access the category list, search functionality and a link to their account from the mobile home page. Through categories and search they can access sets of listings. Images will not be displayed on listings pages. Each listing with have a detail page containing the first asset, links to additional assets and the option to place a bid or buy it now. They will be able to complete sales/purchases as they will be able to access the phone number of the buyer/seller. WTAI or tel: links will be created to allow users to make calls easily. Item payment should be supported, depending on payment provider.
  • the Hosting Auction site may optionally include a price guide created using information from closed listings. Visitors will be able to search for phrases, such as "Nokia N70.” All matching items will be found and an average price calculated. This will be displayed as well as the complete set of listings ordered with the most recently closed listings first. As the price guide relies on phrases existing in titles or descriptions, results will not be completely accurate. Related items with potentially very different prices will match the query, e.g. "Nokia N70 charger” will match "Nokia N70.” There is no clear solution to this problem, other than having a list of known products, which the user can select from. This list would be prohibitively time- consuming to maintain. To try to produce the best result set, items whose title exactly matches the search query will be preferred.
  • Careful interface design can be used to manage the user's expectations for the price guide. We suggest splitting the results into items which are exact matches - "These listings were for 'Nokia N70'" - and those which are related - "These items may include 'Nokia N70' or may be related items".
  • the method for conducting reverse auctions operates as follows.
  • the buyer takes a photo of the item they would like to buy with their mobile phone and sends it to the hosting Auction site as an MMS message.
  • a WAP push link directs the buyer to a form allowing them to supply details and an optional maximum price.
  • the list of items currently on sale on the hosting Auction site is search for matches. If items with similar titles or descriptions are found, these are displayed to the buyer. They may at this point abandon the listing process and choose to buy one of the on sale items.
  • the current price of the item is calculated using a modified version of the hosting Auction site buying price algorithm. Price increments are the same as in the buying process.
  • the buyer may reject offers.
  • the listing is closed after 7 days.
  • Buyer and seller may optionally leave feedback about the other user.
  • the exact length of auction is arbitrary. Typically the length of the auction will be set by the user who is creating the auction. However, minimum and maximum terms may be imposed by the hosting auction site, in order to prevent auction of unduly short or long times. This would be in order to, for example, ensure fair and reasonable auction terms.
  • Figure 7 illustrates the above described method for conducting reverse auctions according to an embodiment of the present invention 700 in more detail.
  • the buyer takes a photo of the item they would like to buy with their mobile camera phone 108 and sends 702 it to the server 100. Typically this is done via an MMS message, however an email message, or other message format that allows the attachment of a picture, video or sound may be equally used.
  • a WAP push link is sent from the server 100 to the buyer 704. The link directs the buyer to a form which the buyer completes by supplying details and an optional maximum price for a given item 706.
  • the server 100 searches the list of items currently on sale (i.e. items stored in the database 110) for matches 708. If items with similar titles or descriptions are found, these are displayed to the buyer. The buyer may at this point abandon the listing process and choose to buy one of the on sale items 710. In the event that there are no on sale items or the buyer refuses the on sale items, the listing is published on the web and mobile sites 712. In the event that the buyer refuses to purchase on sale items, they will ideally provide a reason for their refusal, e.g. 'goods in damaged condition, 'wrong colour', etc. The reason will be passed to the seller who may be able to make subsequent offers, e.g. a reduction in price for an item in damaged condition.
  • a potential seller may find listings for any item they possess 714 and enters the lowest amount they will take in exchange for that item 716. Typically, the seller will be required to supply a photograph of the item as proof of ownership. The current price of the item is calculated 718 using the buying price algorithm shown in figure 8, and described in more detail below.
  • the listing is typically closed after a predetermined length of time 720, e.g. 7 days, or alternatively may be automatically extended for a predetermined extra length of time.
  • the server 100 determines whether or not offers have been made 722. If no offers have been received within the predetermined length of time, the buyer may re-list the item 724. If an offer has been received, the lowest offer is the winner 726. The buyer and seller are then notified by text message and/or email that the bidding has ended 728 and the phone numbers and/or other contact details of the buyer and the seller are made available to one another.
  • the Buyer and seller agree payment method 730 This may also include negotiating and agreeing the method of shipping and who is responsible for paying for shipping.
  • the buyer then pays the seller the agreed amount 732.
  • the seller then delivers the item to the buyer 734.
  • the Buyer and seller may optionally leave feedback about the other user 736, such as "Positive” or “Negative", along with a brief explanation or recommendation.
  • Figure 8 shows the buying price algorithm 800 according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the server 100 checks the an offer tally in order to ascertain how many offers have been placed for a given item 802. In the event that the if there are no offers 804, the server further checks if the buyer has submitted a maximum price they are willing to pay for the item 806. If the buyer has submitted a maximum price 808, the price of the item corresponds to the maximum price 810. In the event that the buyer has not submitted a maximum price 812, there is no price for the item 814.
  • the server 100 returns a result that there has been one offer for a given item 816, it further performs a check to ascertain whether the buyer has submitted a maximum price they are willing to pay for the item 818. If the buyer has submitted a maximum price 820, the price of the item is equal to the maximum price of the item submitted by the buyer minus the price increment 822. If the buyer has not submitted a maximum price 824, the price of the item is equal to the lowest offer made by the seller 826.
  • the server 100 If the server 100 returns a result that there has been more than one offer for a given item 828, it fixes the "incremental price" equal to the second lowest offer price minus the price increment 830. The server 100 then performs a check to ascertain whether the lowest offer is greater or less than the incremental price 832. If the lowest offer price is greater than the incremental price 834, the server 100 fixes the price of the item at the lowest offer price 826 made by the seller. If, on the other hand, the lowest offer price is equal to or less than the incremental price 836, the server 100 fixes the price of the item at the incremental price 838.
  • Buyers who can not find a specific item on the site will be able to take a picture and send it to either a dedicated MMS number or to the standard number with the word "want" in the body or subject of the message.
  • the buyer will receive a WAP push message, directing them to a form to enter details about the item.
  • the buyer will input the following information:
  • the user's listing will be displayed on the site for any potential seller to view.
  • the set of current items on sale will be searched for potential matches. Any items with similar words in the title or description will be displayed to the buyer. The user may choose to cancel their want it listing and purchase one of the suggested items instead.
  • Sellers will be able to browse want it listings using the same tools as normal listings, by category and by searching. They will be able to sort listings by price and time. A new button will be added to the home page allowing access to the want it section.
  • the want it section will have a set of categories like the normal auctions.
  • the want it section pages will be made distinct from the normal pages using colour and graphics. Otherwise they will be identical.
  • the seller When making an offer online, the seller will be able to upload the photograph through the offer form or to place the offer pending a photograph which is subsequently sent by MMS. For offers placed from mobiles, the seller will send the photograph to the MMS number with the keyword "offer ID,” where ID is unique to each listing. The seller will then receive a WAP push to a form which will allow them to complete the remaining details for the listing, as described in the specification above. Matching items to sellers
  • Sellers will be able to register to receive email or text notifications when new items are added to a category. In addition, they will be able to receive a digest email of all items posted to a category in the last 24 hours, sent each morning. They will be able to subscribe to an RSS feed for each category.
  • Sellers will be able to save search parameters and monitor those searches through both test messages, RSS and email. Sellers can create as many searches as required, matching categories, titles, descriptions, prices and other features. Text or email messages can be sent as soon as a new item matches a saved search. Email digests of items listed in the last 24 hours will be sent each morning and RSS feeds will be updated immediately.
  • Database upload Sellers will be able to upload a database of all the items they have available in tab-separated or comma-separated format. These items may be marked as for listing on the site or not. Items marked for listing will have auctions created automatically and will be discovered in the on sale check phase of the want it process. Items marked as not for listing will be stored and checked whenever a new want it item is added by a buyer. The seller will receive a notification that a listing matching their database has been found.
  • the location of the item (their location).
  • the seller When making an offer online, the seller will be able to upload the photograph through the offer form or to place the offer pending a photograph which is subsequently sent by MMS. For offers placed from mobiles, the seller will send the photograph to the MMS number with the keyword "offer ID,” where ID is unique to each listing. The seller will then receive a WAP push to a form which will allow them to complete the remaining details for the listing.
  • the buyer may reject an offer as not sufficiently similar to the required item, as being in unsatisfactory condition or as too far away. They must provide a short description of their reason. This description will be passed to the seller, who may make subsequent offers.
  • the buyer may allow sellers to offer similar items. For example, a buyer may create a want it listing titled "Sony Wega 32" TV. A seller could offer a 28" Sony Wega TV at a substantially lower price. The seller must provide a description of the similar item in order to highlight differences. Buyers will be able to reject offers as not sufficien ⁇ iy similar or in an unsatisfactory condition,
  • the want it listing detail page will display controls allow the user to place an offer, including information about making offer by MMS message.
  • the detail will display each offer to the buyer.
  • the photo and key information will be listed below the item photograph and description in the main column.
  • the normal detail page will be modified to display information about bids in the same way. The exact value of offers and bids will not be displayed if they are higher than the current item price.
  • the account page will display want it items in the buying column.
  • the item image will be overlaid with a tag with the text "Want.” Closed want items will be displayed with the tag "Gone.”
  • the entry for each listing will display the time left, the number of offers, and the value of the best offer.
  • An extra link, "Wanted,” will be added to the buying section of the account local navigation. This will let buyers view just items they have listed to the want it section.
  • Buyers and sellers will be able to add want it items to their watch lists.
  • New sections will be added to the account page allowing users to create and manage category notifications and saved searches.
  • a link will be added to each category or search results page allowing the user to save the current view as a category notification or a saved search.
  • Listing an item in the want it section of the site will be free for buyers. If a seller makes a successful offer to sell an item to a buyer, they will be required to a pay a fee to the hosting auction site. The buyer's details will not be revealed to the seller until the fee has been paid. The fee will depend on the final value of the sale. Sellers will be able to pay by Luup, premium-rate text message or credit card..
  • the user may want to export listings of items to be auctioned from another auction website provider, or a local database program that keeps a stock list of items they have available, for example a spreadsheet program such as Excel.
  • the user may upload a spreadsheet file, for example a CSV file, containing all the details to hosting auction website host.
  • the spreadsheet file may contain the following columns: Title; Description; Condition (one of new, used, worn or broken); Minimum price; Fixed price (optional); Postage (to anywhere in the UK); Category.
  • Pictures, videos or sounds may be included for each item. These may need to be named in some way that allows the auction website server 100 to link the correct pictures to the relevant details in the CSV file. For example, by numbering the files according to the entry numbering in the spreadsheet: 1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.3gp, etc.
  • notification messages can be sent to users.
  • these are in the form of text messages or emails and may contain information disclosing, for example, when a seller has made an offer on an item, when the seller has been out-bid by another seller with a lower offer, when the item is nearing the closing time, or general news relating to features of the auction.
  • a user is able to configure notification options for each individual item they are buying or selling. When an option for an item is selected, the settings will be saved immediately in the user account.
  • an advantage of embodiments of the invention is that it allows a user to quickly take a photo, video, sound or other audiovisual media representation of an item to be auctioned (for sale, or wanted to buy) and send a message, such as a MMS, containing only that representation to the server 100.
  • the server then automatically extracts the audiovisual media representation to create a new auction record and automatically generates a further input form, linked by, for example, a WAP push message, so that the user can fill in the further information about the item to be auctioned subsequently.
  • the invention provides a more streamlined way to create auction listing.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne, dans certains de ses aspects, un système et un procédé informatique pour commander la configuration d'un site Web d'enchères. Dans un mode de réalisation, un système informatique destiné à commander la configuration d'un site Web d'enchères comprend un récepteur capable de recevoir un premier message d'un premier utilisateur sur un premier dispositif mobile, le premier message comprenant une identification de l'utilisateur et au moins une représentation du média audiovisuel d'un article à mettre aux enchères, ainsi qu'un processeur d'extraction capable d'extraire automatiquement l'identification utilisateur et au moins une représentation de média audiovisuel du premier message reçu répondant à la réception du premier message et créer un enregistrement d'enchère pour l'article à mettre aux enchères associé à l'identification extraite de l'utilisateur et au moins une représentation du média audiovisuel.
PCT/GB2007/002499 2006-07-05 2007-07-04 Procédé et appareil pour commander la configuration d'une structure d'enchères en ligne WO2008003966A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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GB0613385.4 2006-07-05
GB0613385A GB0613385D0 (en) 2006-07-05 2006-07-05 Method and system for creating an auction listing from a mobile telephone
GB0625655A GB0625655D0 (en) 2006-12-21 2006-12-21 Online auction facility
GB0625655.6 2006-12-21

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WO2008003966A1 true WO2008003966A1 (fr) 2008-01-10

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US11049156B2 (en) 2012-03-22 2021-06-29 Ebay Inc. Time-decay analysis of a photo collection for automated item listing generation
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