Patent ID: 8428996
Filing Date: 2013-04-23
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a network-based transaction facility including a plurality of front-end servers coupled to at least one network and to at least one back-end server, the plurality of front-end servers operable to facilitate communications between the network-based transaction facility and at least one client machine coupled to the network; the network-based transaction facility operable to receive a request from a client machine to view items that are offered for sale on the network-based transaction facility and to communicate the request through the plurality of front-end servers to the at least one back-end server, the at least one back-end server operable to search a database maintained by the network-based transaction facility, wherein the network-based transaction facility includes a database engine server coupled to at least one engine server database including a user table, the engine server database includes an items table that is linked to the user table and that includes a sellers items table and a bidders items table, wherein the items table includes a number of fields for each of a plurality of records that describe an item offered for sale via the network-based transaction facility, wherein at least one of the number of fields includes a sale type field operable to record a type of item that indicates a price-setting process by which a price for the item relevant to the record associated with the item being offered for sale is established, the database including at least one item offered for sale using an auction-type price setting process and at least one item offered for sale using a fixed price setting process; the at least one back-end server operable to generate a commingled list of items offered for sale based on the request and on data stored within the database, wherein the commingled list includes items being offered for sale by any combination of an auction-type price setting process and a fixed price setting process; and wherein the commingled list includes items being offered for sale by any combination of an auction-type price setting process and a fixed price setting process, and wherein if the request includes a specified transaction type, the at least one back-end server is operable to filter the comingled list to include only items offered for sale that have a type of item in the sale type field for the item offered for sale that matches the specified transaction type, the at least one back-end server operable to communicate the commingled list through the plurality of front-end servers and over the network to the client machine.