Patent ID: 7346574

Claim:
A computer implemented method of conducting an online auction hosted by a server over a network, wherein each of a first and a second bidder is competing for a first lot and a second lot to be auctioned by an auction requester, said method comprising: receiving electronically at the server at least one bid for each of said first and said second lots from each of said first and second bidders over the network, wherein the first and second bidders are sellers for supplying the first and second lots and wherein the auction requester is a buyer seeking to purchase the first and second lots; the server waiting until bidding for each of said first and said second lots is closed; the server inviting by electronically transmitting data to said first and said second bidders over the network to offer a first price and a second price respectively for an aggregate lot after said bidding for each of said first and second lots is closed, wherein said aggregate lot is created by combining said first and said second lots; for said first bidder, the server presenting a first transformed price for said aggregate lot based on the first price offered for the aggregate lot by the first bidder and one or more first transformed bids received from said first bidder for said first and second lots individually, wherein each of the one or more first transformed bids is based on a first transformation function and a first set of non-comparative bid parameters, and wherein the first transformation function and at least one of the first set of non-comparative bid parameters are known only to the auction requester; and for said second bidder, the server presenting a second transformed price for said aggregate lot based on the second price offered by the second bidder for the aggregate lot and from one or more second transformed bids received from said second bidder for said first and said second lots individually, wherein each of the one or more second transformed bids is based on a second transformation function and a second set of non-comparative bid parameters, and wherein the second transformation function and at least one of the second set of non-comparative bid parameters are known only to the auction requester.