Abstract:
The invention provides a user interface, such as used by an electronic trading hub. The interface includes a representation that describes instances in which a participant has won some units, but less than the number of items initially bid on. The representation of this partial win is displayed on web pages that present information to a user. Another representation shows start and end times for at least some of the markets in which the user is currently participating, and the start and end times for future markets. Color-coding of temporal events may also be included in the graphical representation. A representation of activities occurring in markets owned by a user is generated and displayed. Such representations useful to commercial entities which take positions as both buyers and sellers. Another representation identifies which type of market is referred to such as English auctions, RFBs (request for bids), Dutch auctions and others.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/284,357 filed Apr. 16, 2001 hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to display and presentation of information concerning collaborative planning and supply chain management. 
     2. Related Art 
     Supply chain management, collaborative design, electronic auctions and other trading systems frequently require a complex user interface to present information about one or more particular collaborators, trading partners or markets to a user. However, such interfaces may be unnecessarily complex or “user unfriendly”. For example, in the absence of an easily comprehensible trading platform user interface, the user may be uncertain as to the status of bids that have been made for particular items. Similarly, the user may also be uncertain as to the anticipated duration of bidding. Frequently, these problems restrict the overall efficiency of supply chain management and collaborative design. In particular, the following data may not be available or may not be easy to locate:
         Tables of markets that include sufficient information such as lot size and part number   information on the status of a user&#39;s bid   when the “end time” of trading occurs or when a market closes, or when different phases of a market may start or end   personal information regarding current negotiations   personal information regarding past negotiations   calculation of total units bid for and total price committed   other individual information.       

     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides an integrated, adaptable trading partner platform user interface, such as may be presented by an electronic trading hub to a user. In one embodiment, this interface is adapted to transactions involving electronic and computer components. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the interface includes a graphical representation that describes instances in which a participant in an auction has won some, but less than the total number of items that they were bidding on. For example, if the participant in an auction bid on ten hard drives and was outbid on six of those hard drives, then that participant has partially won the event because the participant&#39;s bids on four of the ten hard drives were successful. In a second example, a seller may wish to auction off a plurality of items at a particular price. In this second example, the graphical representation of a partial win is used to illustrate instances in which the seller has successfully sold some part of a total quantity at or above a particular price. In both of these examples, the graphical representation of this partial win is displayed on one or more web pages associated with the electronic hub. These pages may include summaries of the user&#39;s transactions, summaries of bids at one or more on-line auctions from a buyer&#39;s view, summaries of an one or more events at an on-line auction from a seller&#39;s view, and other similar pages such as may be used to present information to a user. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a different graphical presentation is used to show starting times and ending times for at least some of the markets in which the user is currently participating, and the start times and end times for at least some future markets in which the user is likely to be interested, to which the user is invited or some combination of other future markets. In this context, the term “market” refers to one or more particular auctions, negotiations or trading events relating to a quantity of an item of interest to either a buyer or seller. Further color-coding of temporal events (for example, when an auction goes into overtime, or the start and end of different phases of a multi-phase event) or other indicators such as blinking, may also be included in the graphical representation. This graphical representation is included in at least one web page provided by the hub relating to a summary of information relating to a particular user. This graphical representation can be used to represent ending times that are particularly ambiguous or unknown (for example, the end time of a Dutch auction). 
     In another aspect of the invention, a tabular representation of activities occurring in markets owned by a user is generated and displayed. This is a very different view than representations that reflect the user&#39;s status as an invited buyer or seller (i.e., a participant who doesn&#39;t “own” the market—usually, a buyer in a selling auction, or a seller in an auction representing a request to purchase). Such representations are particularly useful to large commercial entities which take positions as both buyers and sellers. Summarizing all sales and purchases in tabular form on behalf of a market owner is particularly beneficial for parties engaged in supply acquisition on behalf of the owner. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a graphical representation identifies which type of market is referred to. For example, different graphical representations are used to describe English auctions, op en RFBs (request for bids), Dutch auctions, sealed RFBs and other negotiations. This graphical representation is used in tables on web pages such as may be generated by an electronic hub to summarize information for a user. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the turn of the bidders in a negotiation is represented. In one embodiment, this representation is engagement specific. An engagement includes a set of offers and counter-offers between a specific pair of parties in a negotiation. This engagement-specific representation indicates that it is the bidder&#39;s turn with respect in that engagement. This prevents confusion and unnecessary delay as to which party should be bidding. In another embodiment, a negotiation-wide representation showing the turn of a particular bidder indicates that it is a particular bidder&#39;s turn if it is that bidder&#39;s turn in any of the markets in which that bidder is involved. In other embodiments, the representation showing the turn of a particular bidder is responsive to aggregated information about that bidder. In such other embodiments, the representation indicates that it is that bidder&#39;s turn only if it is actually that bidder&#39;s turn in a minimum number of markets. Other embodiments of this feature are also possible and are within the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary web page that includes a graphical representation of the status of a bidding event that involves a partial win. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exemplary web page that includes a graphical representation of on-going and future markets such as may be of interest to a user. 
         FIG. 3  shows an exemplary web page that includes a tabular representation of activities occurring in markets, including an indicator that shows whose turn it is to bid. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention is described herein with regard to preferred steps and data structures. Those skilled in the art will recognize, after perusal of this application, that the described steps and data structures are not limited to any particular processing devices (whether general-purpose or special-purpose processing devices, or specific circuitry). Rather, those of ordinary skill in the art would be able to implement the described steps and data structures, and equivalents thereof, without undue experimentation or further invention. All such implementations are within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Inventions described herein can be used in conjunction with inventions described in the following applications:
         application Ser. No. 09/823,888, filed Mar. 30, 2001, in the name of inventor Gregory Clark, titled Private Collaborative Planning in a Many to Many Hub   application Ser. No. 10/087,444, filed Mar. 1, 2002, in the name of inventor Erik Stuart, titled “On-Line Auction with Different Rules Applicable to Different Phases”   application Ser. No. 09/967,905, filed Sep. 28, 2001, in the name of inventor Gregory Clark, titled “Method for Business to Business Collaborative Viral Adoption”   application Ser. No. 09/967,907, filed Sep. 28, 2001, in the name of inventor Gregory Clark, titled “Securing Information in a Design Collaboration and Trading Partner Environment”, in the name of inventor Gregory Clark.       

     These applications are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. They are collectively referred to as the “incorporated disclosures”. 
     System Elements 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary web page that includes a graphical representation of the status of a bidding event that involves a partial win. 
     A web page  100  includes a presentation of a set of open markets  110 , a presentation of a set of upcoming markets  130  in which a trading partner has bid or is likely to be interested to bidding, and a graphical representation  160  showing the current status of the bid. In this context, “market” refers to a particular event of selling an offered quantity of a good, service, or bundle of goods and services, or a particular event of requesting to purchase a desired quantity of a good, service, or bundle of goods and services. 
     The set of open markets  110  includes a table of information relating to markets in which bidding is actively taking place. This table of information includes data fields for at least some of the following parameters: the market number  111 , description  112 , part number  113 , manufacturer  114 , category  115 , availability  116 , lot size  117 , current price  118 , end time  119 , type of market  120 , bid status  121  and watch  122 . In one embodiment, the user can sort information based upon any of these parameters. 
     The market number  111  refers to a code used by the hub to identify a particular market. The description  112  includes a brief description of the item being sold. The part number  113  includes a number used to identify a particular good. In one embodiment, the part number  113  is provided by the manufacturer of the good. In other embodiments, the part number  113  is provided by the hub. The category  115  of the event includes a broad description of the good. Examples of categories include storage, LCD panels, and other broad descriptors. The availability  116  describes how many of the items are being sold. The lot size  117  describes number of items in the units being sold. For example, a seller offers to sell 100 disk drives, in 10 lots of 10 drives each. Absent other information from a seller, s buyer would have to buy a whole number of lots—they could not buy 5 drives or 25 drives. Specifying lot size resolves problems associated with orders that include quantities that are not measured in whole lots. Information associated with lot size  117  helps the buyer understand exactly how many items they will receive so that a bid can be tailored accordingly. The current price  118  includes the price at which the good is presently available. During the course of an auction, the current price  118  will change in response to the bidding. The end time  119  specifies when a market will close. The end time  119  may be expressed as a date, a time, or some combination of both. The type of market  120  indicates the nature of the market (for example, a Dutch auction, an English auction, open RFBs (request for bids), sealed RFBs or other market types). The bid status  120  refers to whether the bidder has won, lost or partially won the bidding in a particular market. In one embodiment, the bid status  120  may change during the course of the bidding. Watch  121  provides information about a market without the user necessarily bidding. For example, a user may choose to watch a particular market for a period of time before actually bidding. 
     The set of upcoming markets  130  includes information relating to markets in which the bidding has not yet begun. This information relates to at least some of the following parameters: the market number  131 , description  132 , part number  133 , manufacturer  134 , category  135 , availability  136 , lot size  137 , current price  138 , end time  139 , type of market  140 , bid status  141  and watch  142 . In one embodiment, the user can sort information based upon any of these parameters. Descriptions of these parameters are similar to those parameters associated with the set of open markets  110 . However, the information associated with current price  138  does not reflect bidding because bidding has not yet begun. There may be no information associated with current price  138  or the information associated with current price  138  reflects an intended start price. There is no information associated with bid status  141  because bidding has not yet begun. 
     The graphical representation  150  includes a winning bid box  152 , an outbid box  154  and a partial win box  156 . The winning bid box  152  is used to graphically represent a winning bid status. The outbid box  154  is used to graphically represent those markets in which the user has been outbid. The partial win box  156  is used to graphically represent those markets in which the trading partner has achieved a partial win. The partial win is used when the user has won some, but not all of the items in a particular market that were initially bid upon. 
     The graphical representation  150  appears on the web page as a key for interpreting information included under bid status  121 . Depending upon the status of a bid in any particular market, either the winning bid box,  152 , the outbid box  154  or the partial win box  156  are used to graphically represent the status of a bid under the bid status parameter  121 . These boxes are not used to represent the status of a bid under the parameter associated with bid status  141  because bidding has not yet started. 
     In other embodiments, the graphical representation  150  appears on other web pages presented by an electronic trading hub, including the following:
         web pages that summarize the activities of a buyer, a seller, an owner or a negotiator   web pages presenting information about a single transaction   web pages that present information related status updates   other web pages that present information about trading activities.       

     In other embodiments, the partial win box  156  provides information to a user that is responsive to a partial win with respect to price, quantity, phase of bidding (for example, if the user won one phase of a multi-stage bidding event) or other aspects of a transaction. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary web page including a graphical representation of on-going and future markets such as may be of interest to a user. 
     A web page  200  includes a display of a set of markets  210  and a temporal status representation  220 . The web page  200  further includes at least some of the following: an event descriptor  230 , a part indicator  235 , a manufacturer indicator  240  and a market type indicator  245 . 
     The set of markets  210  includes a table of those markets in which a user has bid or is likely to bid. For purposes of illustration, the eight markets shown in this exemplary set of markets  210  are designated  210 A– 210 H. 
     The temporal status representation  220  includes a graphical representation indicating the dates or times during which the market will be open for bidding or negotiating. This information is used by a bidder to schedule bids in a timely manner. For example, in  FIG. 200 , markets  210 A,  210 B,  210 C,  210 D and  210 E are open for bidding. Market  210 A is scheduled to close shortly and market  210 C will close in several days. Markets  210 F,  210 G and  210 H are not yet open for bidding. 
     In other embodiments, the web page  200  is also used to provide additional information relating to the progress of one or more markets  210 . In such embodiments, the temporal status representation  220  is used to identify a particular stage of a multiphase auction (please see application Ser. No. 10/087,444, filed Mar. 1, 2002, in the name of inventor Erik Stuart, titled “On-Line Auction with Different Rules Applicable to Different Phases”, for more information on multiphase events). In other embodiments, the temporal status representation  220  identifies whether the auction has gone into overtime bidding, whether preliminary bidding is taking place or whether certain rules associated with a particular time are being implemented. This is particular useful when the market involves a multi-stage auction. 
     In other embodiments, the temporal status representation  220  includes a countdown clock that measures the time until another event of importance occurs. Such events may include at least one of the following:
         time until the next bid in a Dutch auction   time until the next phase in a multi-phase bidding event   time until the end of bidding   time until the commencement of bidding   time until overtime runs out.
 
In various embodiments, this count-down clock may measure the passing of time by counting up to a stated time or by counting down to a zero time.
       

     If an ongoing market in the set of markets  210  has an ambiguous end time (for example, the market involves a Dutch auction), the end time is displayed as the last unit of time that includes the current time or the starting time, whichever is later. For example, if the temporal status representation  220  is measured in days (as in  FIG. 200 ), then the end time will be marked as the current day. If the market in the set of markets  210  has not yet begun, then the end time is displayed as one unit of time after the start time. 
     The event descriptor  230  includes such information as may readily identify the market for a user. Although this generally includes the name of the part (for example, a 15 inch SVGA TFT Glass), other event descriptors  230  may include thumbnail photographs or drawings of a particular component. 
     The part indicator  235  provides additional information concerning the item being bid for. In one embodiment, the part indicator  235  refers to the manufacturer&#39;s part number. In other embodiments, the part indicator  235  indicates includes an internal numbering system such as may be readily understood by users or the hub. 
     The manufacturer indicator  240  indicates the manufacturer of the good being sold. This is particularly useful when the manufacturer of the goods is different from the seller of the goods. 
     The market type indicator  245  indicates what type of markets are included in the set of markets  210 . These markets include at least some of the following: English auctions, open RFBs (request for bids), Dutch auctions, sealed RFBs and other negotiations. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exemplary web page that includes a tabular representation of negotiations, including an indicator that shows whose turn it is. 
     A web page  300  includes at least one market summary  310 . The market summary  310  includes a set of market identifier data fields  315  and a set of offer detail data fields  320 . Although web page  300  describes a negotiation, the set of market identifier data fields  315  and the set of offer detail data fields  320  can also be used to describe requests for bids, English auctions, Dutch auctions and other types of transactions. 
     The set of market identifier data fields  315  includes sufficient information to clearly identify which market is being summarized. This information includes at least some of the following: the market number, what is being sold, the party number, manufacturer, end time, type of market and status. 
     The set of offer detail data fields  320  includes data fields associated with party  322 , last offer  324 , price  326 , quantity  328 , lot size  330  and attributes  332 . 
     Party  322  refers to the identity of the parties who are bidding. The market summary  310  on the top of web page  300  identifies the bidding parties as John Smith and the user. Some contact information (for example, an email address, fax number or telephone number) associated with the parties may also be included. 
     Last offer  324  describes the date and time the most recent offer was made and an indicator  340  of whose turn it is to bid. In various embodiments, the indicator  340  could indicate “Your Turn”, “Seller&#39;s Turn”, “Buyer&#39;s Turn”, “Owner&#39;s Turn” or similar identifiers relating to the status of the bidding. In the first set of offer details  320  shown on the top of web page  300 , it is the seller&#39;s turn to bid. The most recent bid was made by the user of this page on March 4 th  at 11:00 AM. 
     In one embodiment, if the indicator  340  indicates “Your Turn”, then the other party has made the last offer and it would be appropriate for the user to respond. In another embodiment, if the indicator  340  indicates “Your Turn”, then at least one criteria with respect to price, quantity or some other variable has been met. 
     If the indicator  340  indicates a status other than “Your Turn”, then the last party to bid is the user and it would not be appropriate for the user to respond again at this time. In other embodiments, if the indicator  340  indicates a status other than “Your Turn”, then at least one criteria with respect to price, quantity or other variable has not been met (i.e. the counter-party has accepted at least in part). 
     In other embodiments, the indicator  340  is responsive to aggregated information about a number of markets, rather than just a single market. In such embodiments, indicator  340  is responsive to threshold such as may be selected by a user. For example, indicator  340  indicates that it is a particular bidder&#39;s turn only if it is their turn in a selected number of markets rather than just one (for example, ten or more such markets). Similarly, indicator  340  may indicate that it is a bidder&#39;s turn if the bidding exceeds a specific quantity or other aspect of bidding that is important to the bidder. 
     Price  336  and quantity  328  refer to the most recent price and quantity bid for by the respective parties. Price  326  and quantity shown on the top of web page  300  reveal that the most recent bid by Jon Smith was $35.00/unit for 550 units and the most recent bid by the user was $32.50/unit for 500 units. 
     Lot size  330  defines the number of units in a lot. This is similar to lot size  117 . The lot size  117  describes number of items in the units being sold. Information associated with lot size  117  helps the buyer understand exactly how many items they will receive so that a bid can be tailored accordingly. 
     Attributes  332  provides additional information such as may be available in a database associated with the hub. This information may include information on past transactions, credit information associated with the parties, additional information on the goods being marketed and other attributes that are relevant to the transaction. 
     ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Although preferred embodiments are disclosed herein, many variations are possible which remain within the concept, scope and spirit of the invention; these variations would be clear to those skilled in the art after perusal of this application.