Patent ID: 7349880

Claim:
A transaction information processing apparatus that is connected to a plurality of transaction terminal units via a network, for processing information relating to a predetermined transaction item, the transaction information processing apparatus comprising: a subscription information storage unit which stores a subscription total number or a subscription total amount as a condition for inviting bids for the transaction item; a bid information storage unit which stores a bid unit price and a bid total number or a bid total amount transmitted from each of a plurality of bidders via the respective transaction terminal unit; and a successful bid processing unit operable to carry out a successful bid processing of the transaction item, based on the subscription total number or the subscription total amount stored in the subscription information storage unit, and the bid unit prices and the bid numbers or the bid total amounts stored in the bid information storage unit, the successful bid processing unit including, a successful bid price determination unit operable to determine the same successful bid price to all the successful bidders; and a successful bid number determination unit operable to determine successful bid numbers to all the successful bidders; wherein when (i) a cumulative bid number of the bid numbers or a cumulative bid amount of the bid amounts by the plurality of bidders exceeds the subscription total number or the subscription total amount, respectively, and (ii) a plurality of bidders present bids that generate said excess and the plurality of bidders exceeding the subscription total number or the subscription total amount present the same bid unit price, then the successful bid number determination unit is operable (a) to determine successful bid numbers of all the bidders who present the same bid unit price as that of the bidder that generates said excess, by proportionally allocating a successful bid number remaining at the time when the excess occurred according to the respective bid numbers of the bidders, or (b) to select, by lot, successful bidders from the plurality of bidders who present the same bid price as that of the bidder that generate the excess.