Patent ID: 8135625

Claim:
EDP system for automatically conducting auctions by way of a data network ( 1 ), comprising a) an auction server ( 2 ) connected with the data network ( 1 ), which has an auction database ( 3 ) for managing auction data records comprising product description data and bid data, and which furthermore has an auction program controller by means of which the bid data are evaluated and auction winners are determined from them, b) a plurality of bidder terminals ( 4 , 5 , 6 ) also connected with the data network ( 1 ), which have means for retrieving data from the auction database ( 3 ) of the auction server ( 2 ), and means for transmitting bid data to the auction server ( 2 ), c) a retailer server ( 7 ) connected with the data network ( 1 ), d) an intermediary server ( 8 ) also connected with the data network ( 1 ), whereby the intermediary server ( 8 ) has a program controller by means of which product description data are extracted from product portfolio data records ( 9 ) received from the retailer server ( 7 ) by way of the data network ( 1 ), auction data records ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ) are put into the auction database ( 3 ) of the auction server ( 2 ), in accordance with the extracted product description data, by way of the data network ( 1 ), and order data records ( 17 ), which comprise the customer data assigned to the auction winners, are generated for the auction data records ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ).