JP2001250067A - Auction system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To provide an auction system incorporating the advantages of closed and open auctions. SOLUTION: A bid applicant accesses a bid page with a terminal to bid (S102). The server accepts the access request for the bid page from the terminal, and the auction process is started (S104). Since the terminal displays the bid page (S108), clicking the bid button starts a bidding procedure. The bid applicant makes a bid on the terminal (S110). The server accepts the bid (S112), and when the bid is accepted, performs the bidding process (S114). When the bidding process is completed, the UR of the bidding status confirmation page where you can see the bidding status list of the product
A page for confirming the contents of the bid including L and an ID and password for accessing the page is displayed on the terminal (S118).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auction system using a communication line such as the Internet.

[0002]

[Technical Background] Recently, various services have been provided on the Internet. FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of the Internet. A service provided from the server 20 connected to the Internet 10 is provided to a plurality of users 32 and 34.
Is used, for example, by accessing with a browser. One of the services provided on the Internet is an auction on the Internet. Currently, there are two types of auctions currently being conducted on the Internet from the viewpoint of a bid situation. Hereinafter, each method will be described.

<Open auctions and closed auctions
Auction> Open auction (hereinafter referred to as open format) is an auction format in which the bidding status is always disclosed to general users. Therefore, at the time of bidding, a bid applicant bids at a price that takes into account the status of the bidding. Further, when the bidding situation changes, a bid can be made again in consideration of the result of the change in the bidding situation. In contrast, Cooledsed Auctions (hereinafter referred to as
The closed type is a method in which the bidding status is not disclosed to general users. In this format, after the auction ends, only the final result will be disclosed. Since the bid applicant cannot know the status of the bidding at the time of bidding, he / she bids on the value of the product at the price determined by himself / herself.

<Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of open and closed> Generally, the purpose of an auction on the Internet is divided into the following two. One is the original purpose of the auction to actually sell the product at the highest possible price, and the other is to collect prospective information such as e-mail addresses obtained by conducting an auction on the Internet. is there. For these two purposes, the two existing formats each have advantages and disadvantages. In the case of the open format, the advantage is that the tender situation is visible to the bid applicants and bidders, so that the consciousness of competition between the bidders is easily stimulated, and the tender price tends to rise. Therefore, it has a great effect on the purpose of selling products at a high price. However, as a disadvantage, since the bidder can grasp the status of the bid, if the current bid price is higher than the desired bid price, the bidder often gives up and does not bid. Therefore, it has a weak point in collecting a list of prospective customers.
On the other hand, in the case of the closed type, since the advantage is that the bid situation is not known, even if the bid price of the bid applicant who is interested in the product is lower than the bid price, the bid Since bids can be made without knowing possible prices, it is possible to collect a large list of prospects. However, since bid applicants and bidders cannot grasp the status of bidding, competition consciousness is less likely to be stimulated, and the bid price tends to be lower than in the open format. Therefore, there is a drawback in terms of the purpose of selling the product (that is, selling at a high price). As described above, each of the existing auction formats has advantages and disadvantages, and it is difficult for an auction organizer to determine which method to select.

[0005]

As described above, each of the conventional auctions on the Internet has advantages and disadvantages. An object of the present invention is to provide a new auction system that incorporates the advantages of the open format and the closed format.

[0006]

An auction system in which a user participates from a terminal via a telecommunications network, and does not inform the user of the auction status at the time of bidding, and after the user bids for a product, You can now know the bidding status of the product auction. In this auction system, the initial bid can be bid at a price based on the value judgment of the bidder, and the bid price can be determined in the second and subsequent times in consideration of the bid situation.

[0007] The bidding status of the auction can be known by notifying the URL and the access keyword of the bidding status confirmation page for checking the bidding status of the auction. URL of the bid status confirmation page
And the access keyword can be notified by a page for confirming the bid or an e-mail addressed to the user.
This allows the bidder to access the page where the status of the bid can be confirmed, and conduct a bid again in consideration of the status of the bid.

After the end of the bidding period of the auction, access to the bidding status confirmation page can be released. With this configuration, a general user can freely view the bid result.

[0009] The user data and the bid data for the bid are collected and stored. From this data, the seller can obtain accurate market value and information on prospective customers. An auction can be registered via an electronic communication network, and an auction method can be selected when registering the auction. As a result, the seller can register the merchandise from a terminal that can access the auction system, and can freely set the auction format. A recording medium storing a program that allows the computer system to configure the auction system described above.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The system of the present invention also uses an auction and an auction constructed on the Internet as shown in FIG.
System. This system will be described below assuming that a user can participate in an auction by accessing a server page from a browser on a terminal.

<Semi-closed Auction> The semi-closed auction of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as a semi-closed form) is, in short, an auction form incorporating only the advantages of both the open form and the closed form. . In the semi-closed format, a user who does not intend to bid cannot know the bidding status of the auction as in the existing closed format. However, the auction is performed as in the open format by disclosing the bidding status of the bidding product to the bidding bidder. In this semi-closed format, bidders can collect a list of prospects in the same manner as in the closed format by bidding, and by disclosing the bidding status only to bidders,
It is also possible to achieve the sales purpose of stimulating competitiveness and increasing prices.

<Registration of merchandise> Prior to starting an auction, a seller who sells a product in the auction needs to register the product to be sold in the system. Hereinafter, an example in which a seller registers a product for sale from a terminal via the Internet will be described. A seller who sells an item for sale at the auction can register the item on the system via the Internet by inputting each item using, for example, a page for registering an item as shown in FIG. This figure 2
For example, in the registration page shown in (2), a bid button (304), a recommended mail button (305), and an add to favorite button (304) are input as a product name (301) and a product number (302), and as a style of the product page. 30
6) It is possible to select whether to add etc. Further, it is also possible to display the blow price (310), input the lowest bid price (311), and enter the consumption tax / different (312).

[0013] The seller at the auction can specify a successful bid form on this registration page. In the successful bid determination method (307), the form of the successful bid can be selected from a selection menu (not shown). For example, in this successful bid form, there is a single auction in which only one item is handled and the highest bidder is the highest bidder. The highest bidder of the bidder is the highest bidder, the "power auction" where each successful bidder purchases at the bid price, and the bidder with the highest bid price when there are multiple handled products sold , But all successful bidders can purchase goods at the bid price of the lowest successful bidder, such as "Dutch Auction (aka: bottom line auction)." Also, when the selection (310) of the display of the blow price is set to “display”, the rule of “blow auction” is applied to the auction as an additional function. The blow auction is a price set at the highest bid price (316) on the product registration page in FIG.
The rule is that bidders who bid at a blow price can win a bid on a first-come, first-served basis regardless of the bidding period.

[0014] The method of disclosing the bidding situation can be selected from three types: a conventional open format, a closed format, and a semi-closed format of the present invention. If you want to run a semi-closed auction, you can use the "Bid Progress Display" as shown in Figure 2.
In (308), the option of "semi-closed" is selected in the menu selection (309) that is popped up.
In the case of the closed format, select "Hide" in the menu selection (309). In the case of the open format, "Display with comment" to display the comment at the time of bidding by the bidder, or "Comment without displaying the comment of the bidder" Select "None". In addition, for example, the minimum bid price unit (31
7), handling quantity (318), maximum bid quantity (319),
A bid start time (320) and a bid end time (321) for designating a bid period, a registered genre (322) of a product for sale, and the like can be registered on this page.

An outline of the processing of a semi-closed auction (hereinafter, referred to as a semi-closed form) will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the relationship between the server of the organizer conducting the auction and the terminal at which the user participating in the auction accesses the Internet using the semi-closed format. The broken lines between the server and the terminal indicate that data is transmitted in the direction of the arrow.

<Display of merchandise> At the time set in the bidding start time (320) of the page in FIG. 2, the bidding starts. During the bidding period, the user views the registered product displayed on the auction page (not shown) accessible from the product name (301) displayed according to the registered genre (322) input in FIG. 2, for example. Can be. In the case of the open format, the bidding status list of the product is displayed on the auction page simultaneously with the introduction of the product, but in the case of the semi-closed format of the present invention, the bidding status list is not displayed on this page.

<Bid on product> A bid applicant accesses a bid page on a terminal to bid (S102).
The server accepts the access request for the bid page from the terminal, and the auction process is started (S10).
4). The server sends the bidding page to the terminal (S1
06) For example, a bidding page for a product as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed (S108). The bid page of FIG. 4 displays the product name registered with the product name (301) of FIG. 2 (550), and the bidding method and the transaction conditions of the product registered on the product registration page of FIG. 2 are displayed. (552). Among them, for example, a bid button (501), an inquiry button (502) to the exhibitor, a link to a page where other users can write an e-mail introducing the product (503), a page that the user likes And a link (504) to a page for registering the URL of a page with a product, a link (505) to a page for displaying an auction guide, and the like. Also,
Information about the auction (transaction) (506) is also displayed. If a bid is desired, clicking the bid button (501) on this page starts the bidding procedure.
The bidder enters a user-identifiable information such as ID, password or e-mail address on the terminal,
A bid is made by inputting a desired bid price and the like (S110). The server accepts the bid (S112), and when the bid is accepted, performs the bidding process (S114). In this process,
Bid prices and bidder customer data are also accumulated, and sellers can use this data to obtain accurate market value and prospective customer information. The auction participants may be required to register all members in advance, so that only registered members can participate in the auction. This allows
Since personal information can be checked at the time of member registration, security in commercial transactions can be enhanced.

When the bidding process is completed, the server sets the URL of the bidding status confirmation page where the bidding status list of the product can be viewed, and the ID and password for accessing the page (hereinafter referred to as access keywords). Is transmitted to the terminal (S116), and for example, the terminal displays a page for confirming the contents of the bid as shown in FIG. 5 (S11).
8). As shown in FIG. 5, the bid confirmation page displays, for example, information on the user who has made the bid (60).
1), display of the bidding method for the bid product and the transaction conditions of the product (605), bid price (611) as bid information of the user, number of bids (612), user name (61)
3), comment (614), and bid acceptance number (61)
5) The URL (616) of the bidding status confirmation page, and access keywords such as a user name (617) and a password (618) are displayed. In addition, the server gives the user (bidder) who has bid at the same time a URL and access /
The keyword is transmitted by e-mail (see FIG. 6) (S1
20) You can. Therefore, even if the bidder misses the URL of the bid status confirmation page or the memo of the access keyword, the bidder does not enter the URL of the bid status confirmation page.
A confirmation mail of the contents of the bid in which the RL and the access keyword are described is received (S122), and the confirmation can be made.

<Access to Bid Status Confirmation Page> When the bidder accesses the URL of the received bid status confirmation page (S124), the server receives an access request and requests an access keyword to the terminal (S12).
6). The bidder's terminal displays an access key input request window of the bid status confirmation page as shown in FIG. 7 (S128). Therefore, the bidder receives the received access keyword, that is, the user name (61) displayed in FIG.
7) and the password (618) are input (S130).
The server receives the access keyword input by the bidder from the terminal (S132). The server determines whether the received access keyword is correct (S13).
4). If it is not a correct access keyword (S1
34, the server requests the terminal to re-enter the access keyword (S136), returns to the access keyword reception (S132), and returns to the access keyword from the terminal.
Accept keywords. On the other hand, the terminal requests a re-entry of the access keyword (not shown).
Is displayed (S138), and when re-input is selected on the window, the process returns to the process of accepting the input of the access keyword again (S128). If the access keyword received by the server is correct (Yes in S134)
s), and transmits a bid status confirmation page to the terminal (S1).
40). A bid status confirmation page as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the terminal (S142). By accessing the bid status confirmation page shown in FIG. 8, only the bidder can check the bid status list (900) of the desired product. The bidding status list (900) in the form of a table describes the ranking of bid prices, the date and time of bidding, the bid price, the number of bids, and the nickname of the bidder, which are the results of bidding by the time of access. .

<Second or later bidding> A bidder who has experienced bidding on the same product at least once during the auction of the same product can bid on the second and subsequent times while checking the bidding situation. If you want to bid again (Y in S144)
es) The bidding page of S102 is accessed again until the bidding period ends, and a series of bidding operations can be repeated.

<End of Bid Period> When the time set in the bid end time (321) on the page of FIG. 2 has passed (S146)
Yes), the acceptance of the bid ends. The result of the bidding situation, that is, the bidding situation list, can be freely viewed for general access users and bidders (S14).
8).

<Example of the structure of a semi-closed auction> Depending on how the system is constructed in a semi-closed format, for example, the following three types of semi-closed auctions
An auction is conceivable. The first bidding process is the same as the closed auction system, and the second and subsequent bidding processes are the same as the open auction system. Bids are handled as a closed auction system, but only bidders can access and
The system is configured such that a keyword (user name / password) can be input to view the bidding status list. Bids are handled in the same way as open auctions, except that the bidding status is generally not disclosed until the end of the bidding period. At this time, a configuration is adopted in which a bid status list can be viewed by inputting an access keyword only on a specific page for bidders.

Although an example of the configuration in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is shown, the above-described system or the system can be constructed with a slight modification similarly to the processing shown in the flowchart in FIG. For example, in the case of "treating a bid as an open format" (described above), if the desired bid price is equal to or less than the available bid price at that time, it is not accepted. Further, in the case of “treating a bid as a closed form” (described above), even if the bid price is lower than the available bid price at the bidding stage (S110 in FIG. 3), the bid is accepted.

<Characteristics and Advantages of Semi-Closed Auction> The semi-closed auction is an auction having only the advantages of both the open format and the closed format. In the semi-closed form of the present invention, bidders who have been lost in bidding can not know the bidding situation like the closed form without bidding, and also stimulate curiosity to see the bidding situation. Many bids are expected from. Also, compared to the open format, the bid amount of the first bidder can be bid without being affected by the bid amounts of other bidders. For this reason, the bidder can select the bid amount according to the value standard for the bidder's own product. That is, it is possible to solve the problem that the list of prospective customers, which is a problem in the open format, is difficult to gather. In addition, sellers will be able to collect information about the exact market value of products that cannot be collected in an open format. The collected prospect list and information will be an important source of information for subsequent marketing activities and the like.

In the semi-closed format in which the bidding status is disclosed to the bidder who bid on the product, the bidding situation is exactly the same as in the open format. It is possible to take advantage of the open format that makes it expensive. As a result, the problem that the contract price is lower in the closed format than in the open format can be solved, and the sales and profits obtained from the auction can be increased as compared with the closed format. In addition, due to lack of information, bidders can bid without risking unnecessarily high prices.

<Application example of semi-closed auction> This semi-closed auction system is used not only for the Internet but also for closed telecommunications networks and service contents of original networks such as mobile phones and mobile terminals. It can also be used as a service provider. The configuration of the present invention can be implemented in a computer system by reading out and executing the program from a storage medium storing the program according to the present invention. This recording medium includes a floppy disk (flexible disk), a CD-RO
M, magnetic tape, ROM cassette and the like. Further, the system of the present invention can be implemented in a single system or a multi-system including a plurality of systems.

[0027]

As described above, by using the semi-closed type auction system of the present invention, bidders take into consideration the same type of closed type bid based on their own value judgment and information on the bidding status. Opportunities for bidding in two positions of bidding similar to the open format are given, and it is possible to form an appropriate market price. In addition, the seller can achieve the same purpose as in the closed format, that is, collecting a list of prospective customers and information for knowing the accurate market value of the product. And, by disclosing the bidding situation only to the bidder, it is possible to achieve the same sales purpose as in the open format, which stimulates competition and raises the price.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration on the Internet.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image screen of a page for registering auction products.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a relationship between a server on the organizer side and a user's Internet terminal when conducting a semi-closed auction.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image screen of a bidding page for a product.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image screen of a confirmation page of a bid content.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an image screen of a bid content confirmation mail in which a URL of a bid status confirmation page and an access keyword are described.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an image screen of an access key input request window of a bid status confirmation page.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an image screen of a bid status confirmation page.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Internet 20 Auction server 32, 34 User terminal

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinnosuke Honjo 2-8-16 Yutenji, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Yutenji KIT Rakuten Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5B049 BB11 BB36 CC05 CC10 DD01 EE00 FF03 GG04 GG07 5B089 GA11 GB03 HA10 JA08 JA36 KA02 KB07

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An auction system in which a user participates from a terminal via a telecommunication network, wherein the user does not notify the auction status at the time of bidding, An auction system wherein the user can know the status of a bid. 2. The auction system according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network is the Internet, and knowing the bidding status of the auction is based on a URL and an access keyword of a bidding status confirmation page capable of confirming the bidding status of the auction. An auction system characterized by performing the following. 3. The auction system according to claim 2, wherein the URL of the bid status confirmation page and the access keyword are notified by a page for confirming the bid. 4. The auction system according to claim 2, wherein the URL of the bidding status confirmation page and an access keyword are notified by e-mail addressed to the user. 5. The auction system according to claim 2, wherein an access to the bidding status confirmation page is released after a bidding period of the auction ends. 6. The auction system according to claim 1, wherein bidder data and bid data are collected and stored. 7. The auction system according to claim 1, wherein the listing in the auction is registered via an electronic communication network. 8. The auction system according to claim 7, wherein a form of a successful bid can be selected at the time of registration of listing in the auction. 9. A recording medium storing a program for causing a computer system to configure the auction system according to claim 1.