Patent ID: 8489466

Claim:
A method for communicating information in an on-line group-buying sale, comprising: providing, by a computer system, communication support for an on-line group-buying sale in a negotiating room; providing, by the computer system, an initial price for a first featured item; initiating, by the computer system, the on-line group-buying sale for the first featured item; providing, by the computer system, first communications via the negotiating room, wherein at least some of the first communications include first featured item unit offers for the first featured item; producing, by the computer system, a first flash demand curve associated with the first featured item unit offers for the first featured item, wherein the first flash demand curve is generated based on real-time offers and wherein the first featured item unit offers are revocable offers; providing, by the computer system, the first flash demand curve; providing a modified price for the first featured item; providing, by the computer system, a message stating that subsequently received offers will be treated as irrevocable; and providing, by the computer system, further communications, wherein at least some of the further communications include irrevocable offers.