Patent Application
20050240502
1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an online bidding method, and in particular relates to an online bidding method with dynamic adjustment.
2. Related Art
As Scott McNealy, chief executive of Sun Microsystem, Inc., said, Internet is biggest marketplace on the world. E-commerce through Internet is a kind of nationwide or worldwide activity. “Online bidding” has been a new trend of trade on the web. There is no limitation on location and time for the seller and the buyer. The inquiry, quotation and trading is easy and fast. A reasonable and satisfied price can be obtained through the interactions, and trades can be settled with high efficiency. Through online bidding, offers and purchases are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The market prices are dynamically suited according to the supplies and the needs, and are usually beneficial to both suppliers and buyers without a charge on the intermittent channels.
As described above, online bidding is turning into a valuable tool of trade that vendors and their partners are delightedly participating.
The object of the invention is to provide a dynamically adjusting online bidding method through which the buyer can get a purchasing item with a reasonable price. The process is efficient and saves time and efforts.
An online bidding method according to the invention includes an online bidding system established on a web server for an inquirer (purchaser) to publish at least an inquiring item; and a plurality of suppliers to compete the bids. The method includes the following steps. Receiving inquiry information of at least a bid item registered by an inquirer. The inquiry information includes specifications, quantities, bid price settings and preset weightings for bidders. Each bid item is stored in a respective databank in the web server. When receiving bid information from a bidder, storing the bid information in the correspondent bid item databank. The bid information includes the will of bid or not, and an initial bid price. Calculate the rank of initial bids of all bidders according to the initial bid prices and the preset weightings. Store the rank in the correspondent bid item databank. The bidders update their bids with some reduction ratios. Then, the system stores the data in the correspondent bid item databank, and updates the rank by the newest bid prices and the preset weightings.
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow. However, this description is for purposes of illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the invention, wherein:
The bidders receiving and reviewing the inquiry information reply their will information via the web server to the inquirer (step 103). The will information includes the will of bid or not, specifications and quantity for the bid item, and an initial bid price. The bid information is stored in the correspondent bid item databank.
The system calculates the rank of all bidders according to the initial bid prices and the information of bidders registered by the inquirer (step 104). The information of bidders includes weightings for each bidder. For example, a certified bidder gets a higher weighting; and an uncertified bidder gets a lower weighting. The rank is judged first by the weightings then by the bid prices; or first by the bid prices then the weightings, depending on the setting of the inquirer.
The rank of the bidders is stored into the bid item databank for the inquirer to check and inform each bidder the respective rank. Then, the bidder can register a next bid price under the setting of bidding (such as the minimum price reduction ratio) (step 105). The updated bid price is stored in the bid item databank.
Whenever there is an updated bid price in the databank, the system re-calculates the rank according to the newest bid prices and weightings of the bidders, updates the data in the databank, and informs each bidder the updated rank (step 106).
The aforesaid steps 105 and 106 repeat till the bidding ends. The bidding is automatically extended for 1 minute if there is a bid price being updated in the last minute. The times of extension are unlimited. The inquirer has the right to extend the bidding time or to close the bidding earlier. When the bidding ends, the inquirer gets the final rank of bidders and decides a bid-gainer (step 107). After the bid-gainer being decided, informing the bid-gainer the relative information of the bid (step 108), such as the specifications and quantity of the bid item, the starting and ending time of the bidding, numbers of bid-gainer, the minimum reduction ratio of bidding, the initial bid price, the final bid price and the total reduction ratio, etc.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
