Patent ID: 8176177

Claim:
A method of reducing burst usage in a networked computer system, the method comprising: transmitting over a network to a plurality of computers information regarding a future first time period when resource requests for a first set of resources will be accepted, wherein resources in the first set of resources are not allocated during the first time period; receiving a plurality of resource requests from a plurality of requesters for at least a portion of the resources in the first set of resources, wherein the resources in the first set of resources have respective fixed prices, during the first period of time, wherein the plurality of resource requests are received over the network, wherein the plurality of resource requests include a request from a first of the resource requesters for a preferred resource and an indication as to whether an alternate resource different than the preferred resource would be acceptable; during a second time period beginning after the first time period ends, processing the plurality of resource requests in batch mode using a processing system, the processing further comprising: ranking the plurality of resource requests based on one or more of the following criteria: corresponding locations for some or all of the resource requesters; history of resource requests for some or all of the resource requesters; allocating resources to at least a portion of the plurality requesters based at least in part on corresponding resource request rankings and availability of requested resources; transmitting a communication over the network to one or more requesters receiving an allocation, the communication providing information regarding the corresponding allocation; allocating the alternate resource to the first requester if the first requester indicated a willingness to accept the alternate resource, was not allocated the preferred resource, and if the alternate resource is available to be allocated to the first requester; and transmitting a communication over the network regarding the alternate resource allocation to the first requester.