Patent ID: 8095428
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for publishing a scheduled auction on a seller's network site in an internal auction system using an internal auction application, comprising: identifying, using a processing device, an auction record in an auction properties table of the auction system having a field satisfying a predetermined criteria, the auction record including an auction identifier field, an auction start time field, an auction product identifier field, an auction duration field, an auction lot size field, a starting price field, an original target group of bidders field, and a final bid field; automatically checking by the internal auction application whether a time in the start time field of the identified auction record has passed; and publishing the scheduled auction using data from the identified auction record on the seller's network site by the internal auction application responsive to a passing of the start time, the scheduled auction visible to buyers through a buyer-side application for a duration in the auction duration field; identifying, using the processing device, a condition-action record in a condition-action table having its auction identifier field match that of the identified auction record, each condition-action record also including a plurality of conditions and associated actions; evaluating, using the processing device, whether the scheduled auction ended with a winning final bid, wherein the winning final bid is evaluated as having occurred if there has been at least one bid in the scheduled auction or there has been at least one bid which has met a reserve price in the scheduled auction; responsive to evaluating that the scheduled auction ended with a winning final bid, automatically checking inventory levels in the seller business information system of a product associated with an auction product identifier in the an auction product identifier field and placing an available lot size inventory of the product on hold, the lot size obtained from the auction lot size field, and automatically creating a new auction with a higher starting price than in the start price field; and responsive to evaluating that the scheduled auction ended without a winning final bid, automatically creating a direct product sales entry in the seller business information system using the processing device to sell the product in a non-auction format, the direct product sales entry published on a seller e-commerce site, a published price of the product obtained from a price field in the identified auction record.