Patent ID: 7792724
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for electronically allocating a resource among subscribers in a system including a processor programmed to control an access interface, and a first stage and a second stage, the method comprising: determining with the processor an available capacity in the second stage; queuing, at the processor, arriving subscribers bidding for an allocation of the resource in the first stage; periodically admitting, by controlling the access interface with the processor, at least a portion of the arriving subscribers into the second stage based on respective bid amounts and second stage resource availability; determining, with the processor, a spot price of the resource based on at least one arrival subscriber not admitted; offering, with the processor, admitted subscribers a reservation, having a reservation fee, to secure a future allocation of the resource at a given bid price, subscribers accepting the reservation fee being admitted as reserved subscribers, those rejecting the reservation fee being admitted as non-reserved subscribers; displacing non-reserved subscribers whose bid prices are below the spot price by controlling the access interface; and activating, with the processor, a reservation of a reserved subscriber whose bid price is below the spot price.