Patent ID: 8521619
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of using networked computing devices to automatically, by computer, quantitatively assess and report on scarcity indicating demand versus supply of available items by observing and recording aspects of consumer behavior with respect to an online searchable database listing inventory of items available for selection by said consumers, said method comprising: (a) maintaining, on a server connected to a network, a storage of listings of items in inventory and available to consumers in a searchable database; (b) enabling online users to search said searchable database of item inventory listings with consumer-operated online appliances connected to said network, including receiving search criteria from user online appliances via the network and applying said received user-search criteria to query said searchable database of item inventory listings stored on the server to provide query results; (c) logging, with the server, information based at least in part on said received search criteria and query results, said logged information including at least the quantity of searches for items within said database and the quantity of available items in inventory returned from said database query results; and (d) assessing the scarcity of at least one queried item based on the quantity of available said items in inventory returned from said database queries by computing, using at least one processor, a quantitative scarcity index value qualified by a specific geographical area, said determined quantitative scarcity index value representing a relationship between a quantity of items searched and a quantity of items in inventory to thereby quantitatively indicate demand of said items as compared to quantity of said items available in inventory for said specific geographical area; and enabling said computed scarcity index to be used to align sales inventory with market supply and demand in said specific geographical area, thereby achieving a change of state of inventory of items available in inventory to consumers in said specific geographical area, thereby automatically measuring relative scarcity to predict item scarcity through use of computers and computer networks.