Patent ID: 7346571

Claim:
In a computer, a method for determining whether or not to bid on a bid item Y, the method comprising: a) storing, in a memory device, a logical formula representing a logical OR of a bid item X and the bid item Y, a value table containing values xm and ym of respective ones of the bid items X and Y, present prices x and y of respective ones of the bid items X and Y, and a total purchasing fund T; b) determining, by the computer, whether y<ym (hereafter, called Condition 1) is satisfied; c) determining, by the computer, whether y<(T+ym−xm)/2 (hereafter, called Condition 2) is satisfied; d) determining, by the computer, whether y−ym<x−xm (hereafter, called Condition 3) is satisfied; e) determining, by the computer, not to bid on the bid item Y in a case where the Condition 1 is not satisfied; f) determining, by the computer, to bid on the bid item Y in cases where (i) the Conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied, or (ii) the Condition 1 is satisfied, the Condition 2 is not satisfied, and the Condition 3 is satisfied; and g) determining, by the computer in accordance with a parameterized decision function, whether or not to bid on the bid item Y in a case where the Condition 1 is satisfied and the Conditions 2 and 3 are not satisfied.