JP2002203140A - Auction device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Problem] To provide an auction apparatus capable of performing secure transactions and increasing the number of participants in an auction. SOLUTION: An auction apparatus for conducting an auction of a used car or the like inputs information (guarantee information or the like) on an object to be sold from a terminal of a third party different from a seller and a buyer, and uses the information as auction information. The device also manages the settlement procedure and the delivery of the auction object. Furthermore, the progress of the transfer procedure of the object of the auction is presented to the bidder and the seller. A bidder is provided with an ID and a password that are valid only for one auction object, and manages a bid limit related to the buyer's solvency in accordance with the ID.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auction apparatus and method, and more particularly to an auction apparatus and method for determining a selling price of a used car or the like through an Internet auction and managing a procedure related to trading as a business.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a used car auction system. Such a system is mainly used for business-to-business transactions. In an auction system, for example, a used car and the auction price of the used car (the offered price during the auction) are displayed on a screen. The final price of the used car is determined by responding to the auction price by, for example, pressing a button on the POS terminal by a plurality of buyer users.

When such a system is used, the time required for buying and selling a used car by computer processing is several tens of seconds. For this reason, there is an effect that the buying and selling price of a used car can be determined efficiently and in a short time. According to the invention described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-43748,
Since the traders can participate in the auction via the communication line, there is an effect that the traders do not need to gather at a predetermined auction site.

[0004]

A used car cannot be sold at a fixed price like a general product. The situation of a vehicle greatly depends on the environment and situation where each vehicle is used, for example, the mileage, the period of use, or the handling of the previous owner. Used cars are said to be value-for-money because prices are determined based on these circumstances. It is an assessment to determine prices for such used vehicles based on certain evaluation criteria. In the assessment, a trader presents the price of a used car to an individual in consideration of the state of the car and the market price. However, a clear value standard that consumers can know in the assessment is the appearance of the vehicle, and there is little information that consumers can obtain. In addition, there is a principle that valuation is only mentioned in exchanges between traders, and since the market price between traders greatly affects the determination of the assessment price,
Depending on the time, the value of the assessment will vary. In addition, when an individual sells a vehicle to a dealer, if several stores receive a plurality of assessments, the price may vary at present.

[0005] On the other hand, a buyer of a used car makes a decision on buying and selling by judging the price of the car in the store, the information provided, and the state of the car. Prices are usually displayed, but even for the same car model in a similar condition, the displayed prices vary depending on the dealer, and it is common for buyers to purchase several dealers while going around. As described above, the contents of the displayed price are opaque, but as long as the value is unique, there is no alternative but to rely on the price display at the store.

[0006] There is such a situation in the current used car distribution, and there is a problem that the process up to the display price is very unclear.

Further, the current used car distribution structure is very complicated. There are a plurality of intermediaries between the sellers and buyers of used cars, and these intermediaries benefit from an intermediate margin, so that the sellers are purchased cheaply and the buyers are purchasing high prices. The seller receives the price obtained by subtracting the margin from the price in the trader, and the buyer purchases the vehicle at the price obtained by adding the margin to the price of the vehicle purchased in the trader. That is, since both the seller and the buyer are individuals, the margin of these intermediaries is borne as a price.

[0008] Further, in order to purchase and sell a car, it is necessary to apply for registration in addition to settlement of the price. When purchasing a car, there is an obligation to pay taxes. When these registration applications are completed, trading is completed for the first time, but there is a problem that these procedures are complicated.

[0009] Further, the current car auction which has been conducted so far is designed to exhibit vehicles purchased by a dealer and sell them at stores by purchasing them by others, and participation is limited to the dealer only. And individuals cannot participate.

[0010] Under such circumstances, in a general auction using the Internet, a used vehicle is used as a transaction target.

However, the procedure for registering a transfer of a used car requires complicated procedures such as settlement of payment, transfer of registration documents, application for registration, and movement of the vehicle, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform it individually. .

[0012] In addition, there are many people who are reluctant to trade expensive used cars by buying and selling individuals on the Internet, and there is a problem that few people participate in the auction. In other words, in the transaction of used cars, it is necessary to pay a large price, and even if the sale is completed on an Internet auction, whether the complicated transfer registration is actually possible or is actually settled, the product is at hand Concerns about whether the item will arrive or if the condition of the item is certain are present in many of the vehicles currently on the Internet auction. This makes it difficult for individuals to participate in used car auctions.

[0013] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can perform secure transactions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an auction apparatus and method capable of increasing the number of participants in an auction.

[0014]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auction apparatus comprising: a communication unit for communicating with a terminal device on a seller side and a terminal device on a buyer side; An input unit for inputting information on an object to be sold from a terminal of a third party different from the seller and the buyer, a first management unit for managing a procedure for payment settlement, and managing the delivery of the object for sale. And second management means.

[0015] Preferably, the auction apparatus further includes presentation means for presenting at least one of the seller and the successful bidder in the auction with the progress of the transfer procedure of the object to be sold.

[0016] Preferably, the auction apparatus is provided with an issuing means for issuing to the buyer an ID and a password which are valid only for one trading object, and in correspondence with the ID,
Recording means for recording data relating to the buyer's solvency, based on the data relating to the buyer's solvency,
It is characterized in that a bid limit in a buyer's auction is determined.

[0017] Preferably, the object requiring registration application is an automobile. According to another aspect of the present invention, an auction method is realized by a system using a communication line, in which information on an object to be traded by a seller user is input via a terminal provided in a store; , Inputting information via a terminal provided in the store to determine a bid limit, providing a buyer user with a password valid only for one trading object, Presenting the status of the auction performed by the buyer and the user using the communication line to at least one terminal of the seller user and the buyer user; and Displaying the delivery status on at least one terminal of the seller user and the buyer user Equipped with a.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an auction system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, in a complicated used car distribution, by directly connecting both an individual seller and an individual buyer, an Internet auction of a used individual car for sale between individuals without passing through another middleman. Operate. Further, in this operation, it is possible to guarantee a payment method, a registration document transfer management, a vehicle registration application, and a product logistics that can eliminate anxiety in e-commerce relating to used vehicles.

The advantages of using an Internet auction include the following.

(1) Products can be purchased at a lower price than before. That is, since there are few intervening companies between the seller and the buyer, there is almost no intermediate margin, so that there is an advantage that the buyer can buy the product at a low price.

(2) No consumption tax is imposed on the product. That is, since a purchase is made from an individual, no consumption tax is imposed on the product.

In addition to the above general advantages, handling used cars on the Internet also has the following advantages.

(1) Open and highly transparent transactions are realized. The sales price and trade-in price of conventional used cars,
There were plenty of intermediary margins due to the many intermediaries between sellers and buyers. On the other hand, when buying and selling a used car through an Internet auction as in the present embodiment, a direct connection between the seller and the buyer can be made as much as possible, so that an opaque intermediate margin is not required, and There is an advantage that consent increases.

(2) A seller can sell a used car at a high price. In other words, not only is the general auction advantage of "buyers can buy cheaply"
Compared to the conventional trade-in price where the middle margin was in the view,
It is also possible for "sellers to sell high".

(3) Vehicles nationwide are to be purchased. In other words, only by paying the transportation cost corresponding to the transportation distance, the buyer can purchase used cars nationwide.

On the other hand, there are the following items as anxiety of the user when buying and selling a used car at an Internet auction.

(1) The purchase decision must be made without looking at the actual vehicle. (2) The buyer does not know whether the declaration on the condition of the vehicle is reliable.

(3) It is not known whether various procedures for owning or letting go of the vehicle can be reliably performed.

(4) It is uneasy to prepaid cash and to deliver goods because they are expensive goods. As described above, in the Internet auction, while consumers can easily buy and sell, the present situation is that there is anxiety that is inconsistent with the simplicity particularly in the case of expensive products. In this embodiment, by adopting the technology described later, it is possible to achieve both the convenience of inter-individual transactions performed using the Internet and the elimination of anxiety associated with trading high-priced products.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of an auction system according to the present embodiment.

Referring to the figure, the auction system includes:
The auction apparatus 100 includes a plurality of stores and cooperating companies E, a seller user S, and a buyer user B. The auction apparatus 100 includes a server, and the seller user S and the buyer user B visit the site of the auction apparatus 100 via the Internet or the like, thereby browsing, exhibiting, or bidding on the vehicles that are being exhibited. Can be performed.

Based on the information sent from the auction apparatus 100 to the store and the cooperating company E, the store and the cooperating company E perform agency of buying and selling, change of the name of the vehicle, delivery of the car, etc., and insurance. Or acting on behalf of a procedure.

The seller user S makes an exhibition request to the store or the cooperating company E, and the store or the cooperating company E performs the assessment, the exhibition procedure and the information provision for the vehicle to the seller user S.

When the buyer user B applies for a purchase request to the store or the cooperating company E, the store or the cooperating company E performs a credit check of the buyer user B, provides information, or provides the ID to the buyer user B. Or issue a password.

It is to be noted that the store and the cooperating company E may be a dealer having a car maintenance facility, a gas station, or another agency.

The store and the cooperating company E carry out the following procedures in buying and selling vehicles. (1) Assessment of vehicles to be exhibited at the auction, preparation for exhibition, name change of successful vehicles, maintenance, inspection, and delivery of vehicles (responsible for base office) (2) Procedures related to cost insurance for exhibited vehicles and non-life insurance for successful vehicles (In charge of non-life insurance company) (3) Credit guarantee for bidder's ability to pay in settlement of successful bid vehicles (in charge of credit sales company) (4) Transportation of successful vehicles (in charge of transport company) Used in this auction system In buying and selling a car, the seller user S and the buyer user B visit the store or the window of the cooperating company E (or a person in charge of the cooperating company visits the user). As a result, the user obtains an ID and a password for preparation for participating in the auction and for bidding / successful bidding.

As in the present system, the following advantageous effects occur when the store or the cooperating company E intervenes between the users.

[Exhibition] (1) The auction start price can be determined based on highly reliable evaluation by an expert.

(2) When your vehicle is sold,
You can receive the money through the cooperating company.

(3) Complicated procedures such as deletion of registration and name change can be performed by a cooperating company.

(4) If a complaint arises from the successful bidder, a cooperating company can process it.

[Purchase] (1) Since the reliability of the evaluation of the exhibited vehicles is high, it is possible to bid with confidence.

(2) When a desired vehicle is sold, a loan can be set up for payment. (3) Complicated procedures such as vehicle registration and name change can be performed by a cooperating company.

(4) If there is a complaint against the vehicle, the processing can be entrusted to a cooperating company.

As described above, in the present system, anxiety and uncertainty seen in a general Internet auction can be eliminated by interposing a cooperating company between auction participants and auction sites. .

The present system has the following features so that the auction participant can safely trade in a system on the Internet as well as in the presence of a cooperating company.

(1) The password given to the bidder has a bid upper limit and is valid only for one successful bid.

A bid applicant visits a cooperating company (store) to qualify for participation in the auction, informs the person in charge of the price image of the car he / she wants to purchase, and repayment in the case of ability to pay the price and installment. We are evaluated by a credit company for their abilities. Based on this, the cooperating company issues a one-time password with an upper limit on the bid amount.

As a result, reckless bidding that exceeds the ability of the bidder to pay can be prevented. Further, it is possible for the seller to prevent the cancellation of the purchase after the price of the exhibited vehicle soars, so that the seller can make the sale with confidence.

(2) A bidder cannot bid on a plurality of vehicles. In order to prevent a situation in which a buyer user bids on a plurality of vehicles and selects one of several vehicles that have won the bid and cancels the others, the owner of the password that is bidding the highest price must pay the bid price. Will not be able to bid on other vehicles until they are updated by others.

That is, buyer users participating in the Internet auction have been examined in advance at stores and cooperating companies, and a successful bid is made only once. In addition, an ID and a password with the upper limit of the bid amount are passed. The buyer user inputs these IDs and passwords at the time of bidding. Authenticating individuals in this way ensures security, guarantees individual payments,
Fair, transparent and reliable transactions can be realized.

In this auction system,
Operates used car Internet auctions centered on transactions between individuals and manages information on car sales such as payments, transfer of registration documents, registration applications and vehicle distribution in order to realize fair transactions on the Internet. In addition, it has a function of guaranteeing and a function of supporting the business processing of a series of agency operations in bidding and selling in an Internet auction. With such a system, an individual can directly participate in a used car Internet auction with confidence.

In addition, the exhibitor and the bidder can check the status of the open auction and the progress of the work related to the open transfer procedure of the used car. As a result, it is possible to operate a reliable used car Internet auction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the auction system according to the present embodiment.

Referring to the figure, the present system is mainly configured with a network I using a communication line such as the Internet. Network I has communication terminals 500a-5 of a plurality of customers (seller users or buyer users).
00c, communication terminals 400a to 400c provided in cooperating companies and stores E1 to E3, and the auction apparatus 100 are connected.

The communication terminal 400c of the store E3 is connected to a photographing unit 402 composed of a digital camera or the like for photographing a vehicle to be bought and sold.

The auction apparatus 100 includes a communication terminal 102 that communicates with the network I, a display device 104 that displays data, a customer authentication unit 106 that authenticates a customer's ID and password, and the like. An auction control unit 108 for performing control, a business control unit 110 for performing overall processing of business, a customer database (DB) 112, a vehicle type database 114, an exhibition vehicle database 116, and a bid history database 1
18, an agency database 120, and a business database 122.

The databases in the auction apparatus 100 are collectively referred to as “auction database”.
Call.

The auction apparatus 100 is connected to an insurance database 200 of an insurance company as a cooperating company. Further, the auction apparatus 100 has a loan database 300a, 30 of a credit company as a cooperating company.
0b is connected. When there are a plurality of insurance companies and credit companies as cooperating companies, a plurality of databases of the plurality of companies are stored in the auction apparatus 10.
0 will be connected.

Communication terminals 500a to 500c and 400
General-purpose Internet browsing software (browser) is mounted on each of a to 400c. In addition, vehicle information including image information and character information is registered and managed in the auction database.

The business control unit 110 actually manages the business generated as a result of the operation of the auction control unit 108.

The auction control unit 108 displays vehicle information on a screen of a communication terminal or a display device.
The offered price for the vehicle is displayed. Within a certain period, the bidder inputs a desired amount from the communication terminal. A bidder who bids on the highest price within a certain period will win the vehicle. Further, after the conclusion of the transaction, the business up to the end of the transaction can be browsed on the Internet.

On the display screen of the communication terminal, vehicle information such as vehicle image, auction price, number of bids, exhibition number, manufacturer name, vehicle type, grade, model, year, color, vehicle inspection date, mileage are displayed on the display screen of the communication terminal. , Evaluation points, exhibiting locations, schematic diagrams of main equipment and their descriptions, comments of assessors and exhibitors, vehicle states, descriptions of abbreviations, etc. are displayed.

Further, on such a display screen, when the user designates information on the screen using a pointing device in order to browse the explanation of the abbreviation, the related information can be browsed.

The vehicle information, which is given a priority in accordance with the type such as a maker name or a vehicle type name, is stored in the exhibition vehicle database 116, and is controlled by the auction control unit 108 to have a higher priority. It is desirable to display vehicle information in order. This makes it possible to display vehicle information on the screen in descending order of priority regarding vehicle price determination.

The bid history database 118 registers, in addition to the bidding history, a vehicle sales contract or an unsuccessful contract by auction.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure performed by the exhibitor (seller user). Referring to the figure, in step S101, the exhibitor enters the auction apparatus 100
To access via the Internet and browse the homepage. Then, in step S103, a visit to the nearest store is made on the homepage. At this time, FIG.
It is desirable that a map is displayed on the screen of the seller's communication terminal as shown in (1), and the nearest store can be selected from the map.

The seller inputs necessary items on the exhibition on the browser in the same manner as the reservation for visiting the store. These requirements include your name (and reading), age, gender, date of birth,
Information such as an address, an e-mail address, a vehicle to be exhibited, and a desired price. Such information is recorded in the auction database via the network I, and transmitted from the database to the communication terminal of the corresponding store.
The store that has received the information contacts the exhibitor to adjust the date and time to visit (or visit the customer) and make a reservation.

In step S105, the exhibitor visits the store (or a person in charge at the store visits the exhibitor). In step S107, the vehicles to be exhibited are evaluated.
The information on the assessment is presented to the seller and transferred to the auction device via the network I.

Then, in step S109, an exhibition registration is accepted, and an ID and a password are issued to the seller. When the exhibition registration is completed, the seller can confirm and browse the information of the bidder and the current highest bid price using his / her own communication terminal or the like.

At step S111, bidding is waited on the network, and bidding is accepted at step S113. If a predetermined period (for example, two weeks) has elapsed, it is assumed that the buyer with the highest price has won the bid (S115), and the seller confirms his intention to sell (S117).

If the exhibitor intends to sell (and the successful bidder intends to purchase), the exhibitor transfers the vehicle to the store in step S119, and at the same time transfers the documents necessary for the registration procedure and settles the price. I do. In step S121, a vehicle transfer procedure is performed at the store, and the transaction ends.

If there is no successful bidder, a bid is made (S123), and the exhibitor is re-listed (S123).
125), and prompts the user to determine whether to withdraw the exhibition (S127).

If the exhibitor does not intend to sell after the successful bid (or the successful bidder does not intend to purchase), a similar re-exhibition (S
125), the user is prompted to select whether to withdraw the exhibition (S127).

The confirmation of the intention to sell may be performed by sending an e-mail or the like directly to the exhibitor from the auction apparatus, or the store may contact the exhibitor.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing operations performed by the store on the exhibitor side. Referring to the figure, step S2
If the exhibitor has visited the store at 01 (or a person from the store visits the exhibitor), the vehicle to be exhibited is evaluated in step S203. The assessment will determine the starting price of the listing.

At step S205, exhibition registration is performed. At this time, the status of the vehicle and the like are acquired as information and transmitted to the auction device. The state of the vehicle includes the image of the vehicle (exterior, front, side, rear, interior, etc.), desired price,
Bidding unit (1000 yen to 10000 yen, etc.), manufacturer, model, grade, year, model, color, inspection deadline, mileage, evaluation point, exhibition location, state such as scratches and dents, other equipment, exhibitor's Includes comments, assessor comments, etc. At this time, unpublished information such as a vehicle registration number and a vehicle body number is also acquired and transmitted to the auction apparatus.

At the time of exhibition registration, in the auction device, there is no duplication of the exhibited vehicle information, and there is a legal problem (for example, that the owner does not understand or the vehicle is stolen).
It is desirable to perform the check automatically. After this,
Issue an ID and password at the store. Then, information on the exhibited vehicles is posted on a homepage or the like.

During the exhibition, the person in charge of the store can view the bidding status of the exhibition information from the home page of the auction apparatus, and can coordinate the seller with the seller based on the information.

If there is a successful bid in step S207, the seller confirms the intention of buying and selling in step S209, and if there is an intention of buying and selling (and the intention of the successful bidder to purchase), step S209 is performed.
At 211, the vehicle and documents (including a seal certificate etc.) are received from the exhibitor, and the settlement is made. Then, step S21
The transaction is terminated at 3. If there is no bidding, a bid is made (S215), and a re-exhibition (S217) or an exhibition withdrawal (S219) is determined in consultation with the exhibitor, and the process is performed.

After the exhibitor's intention to sell and the successful bidder's intention to purchase are matched by the auction device, the store carries out the procedure for changing the name of the vehicle and transports. Entered into the auction database. Thereby, the seller and the successful bidder can check the progress of the current business.

FIG. 6 shows steps S201 to S20 in FIG.
9 is a flowchart showing details of a procedure from assessment to exhibition performed in Step 5.

Referring to the figure, in step S301, a customer visits a store (or a person in charge visits the customer). In step S303, the person in charge assesses the state of the vehicle.

At step S305, the evaluated vehicle information is input to the terminal of the store by the person in charge. Step S30
At 7, the vehicle information is transmitted to the auction database. When the data is received by the auction database in step S309, the auction database checks the assessment information in step S311. At this time, if the necessary items are not satisfied, a reply is sent to that effect, and step S305 is performed.
Return to

[0086] In step S313, the auction database performs a vehicle registration and exhibition procedure for the auction. In step S315, the result of vehicle registration, the ID, and the password are transmitted from the auction database to the communication terminal of the store.

In step S317, the ID and password received at the store are passed from the person in charge to the exhibitor. Thereby, it is possible for the exhibitor and the person in charge to browse, operate, and input detailed information during the exhibition period of the vehicle held in step S319.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of a procedure up to bidding by a bidder (buyer user). In step S401, the bidder visits the site of the auction apparatus 100 via the Internet, and selects an agency on the site in step S403. Then, the necessary items are entered in the form and transmitted to the auction database.

In step S405, the buyer user visits the selected agency (or a person in charge of the agency visits the buyer user). Then, the agency performs a credit check.

If the result of the credit check is OK in step S407, the buyer user pays a deposit (deposit) and receives an ID and a password based on the deposit.
The bid password is valid until a successful bid is made, and cannot be bid on different vehicles at the same time. In the event of a bid cancellation before a successful bid, the password right will continue, but if a purchase is canceled after a successful bid, the right will automatically expire.
Preferably, it is controlled.

At step S409, the buyer user can make a bid. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process after the buyer user makes a successful bid.

If a successful bid is made in step S451,
In step S453, a mail for confirming the successful bid is transmitted from the auction apparatus to the successful bidder. This e-mail contains the name of the successful bidder, the successful bid product, the successful bid price, the designated agency, and the successful bid registration password.

[0093] In step S455, the successful bidder enters necessary items in the form and transmits the form to the auction apparatus. The content input at this time is also transmitted to the designated agency (S457).

At step S459, the designated agent confirms the purchase intention by telephone to the successful bidder, and the subsequent schedule is determined.

In step S461, the agency confirms the purchase intention and starts various procedures. Further, in step S463, the successful bidder makes a payment for the price at the agency, and in step S465, the car is delivered and the transaction ends.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing from more detailed bidding to procedures after a successful bid.

[0097] In step S501, the buyer user visits the homepage of the auction apparatus. If the password has already been issued in step S503, login is performed by inputting the password in step S505.

On the other hand, if the password has not been issued, a registration procedure is performed in step S531, and a temporary password is issued or a formal password is issued in each store (S532).

If the log-in has been performed, a search for the exhibited vehicle is performed in step S507, and a list of the searched vehicles is displayed in step S509.

This search is performed based on the user's favorite search conditions, such as the manufacturer name, vehicle type, and color. Further, a recommended vehicle, a most expensive vehicle, a least expensive vehicle, or the like may be displayed.

If necessary, details of the vehicle are displayed in step S511. A bid is made in step S513, and when the bid is made, a bid confirmation mail is issued from the auction apparatus to the bidder (S54).
1) A watch list is displayed (S543), and if necessary, a re-bid or an automatic bid is performed (S545).

If a successful bid is made, a successful bid price, a product, a password for the successful bidder and 24
An e-mail including a request for a reply within the time is sent to the successful bidder.

[0103] The store confirms the successful bid by telephone (S517). In step S519, an agent that picks up the vehicle is determined, and in step S521, settlement and delivery procedures (procedures such as a process related to a loan, a process related to insurance, a garage certification, and a vehicle registration) are performed in the agency.

If a bid has been made but a successful bid has not been made, an e-mail is sent in step S551, describing the winning bid and the product.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure performed by a bidder (buyer user).

Referring to the figure, in step S601, the bidder browses the home page of the auction apparatus, and makes a reservation for visiting a desired store in step S603. At this time, it is desirable to display a map as shown in FIG.

If the bidder has come to the store in step S605, the examination is performed in step S607.
If the examination is passed, the bidder is registered in step S609, and an ID and a password are issued.

When making a reservation on the homepage (S603), the name (and reading), age, gender, date of birth, address, e-mail address, certificate to be brought (license, insurance card, etc.) It is desirable to input the type, desired vehicle type, year, budget, etc., and transfer them to the agency and the auction database.

At step S611, the bidder makes a bid using the communication terminal. At this time, the assigned ID and password are required.

If the highest price has been set, step S
At 613, the bid is awarded. At the time of the award, the assigned ID becomes invalid with respect to the bid. This ID is an ID for accessing the business progress confirmation page of the successful bidder.

At step S615, the purchase intention is confirmed, and if OK, the bidder pays the price at step S617 and deposits the registration required documents. Then, the vehicle is received in step S619, and the transaction ends in step S621.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a screen displayed on the bidder's communication terminal. When the password input page P7 is displayed by the user on the top page P1 of the auction, the user inputs the ID and the password, and if the password and the ID are correct, the process proceeds to the bidding page P4. Here, the user inputs a bid amount, and if the bid amount is within the limit recorded in association with the ID and the bid is accepted, the result is displayed on page P5.

On the other hand, if the bidding has failed (the bidding price exceeds the limit, etc.), the result is described on page P6.

On the password input page P7, if the password and the ID are incorrect, a confirmation failure page P8 is displayed.

After the details about the auction are displayed on the page P2 from the auction top page P1, if the user inputs that he / she wants to bid, the process proceeds to the password input page P3. If the password and the ID are correct, the process proceeds to the bidding page P4.

On the other hand, if the password and the ID are incorrect, a confirmation failure page P9 is displayed.

[0117] If an instruction to display a bid history is made on the bid page P4, the flow shifts to the bid history page P10.

In the bidding, the user can select an automatic bidding. In the automatic bidding, when another bidder comes out, automatic bidding is performed within the bid limit of the user, taking into account the amount presented by the other bidder. Also, if another bidder bids immediately before the end of the listing period,
It is automatically extended for a certain period of time.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of business performed by the bidder's store. Referring to the figure, if the bidder has come to the store in step S701, the auction apparatus performs the examination based on the information in step S703. If the bidder is to pay in cash, the loan company databases 300a, 300
The examination is performed using the registration information of b. If there is a registration such as a black list, it is determined that registration is not possible (cannot participate in the auction) (S721).

When using a loan, reference is made to the database 300a, 300b of the credit company as well.
Determine whether the maximum bid amount (loan payment maximum amount) is acceptable. If it is impossible to bid at the desired price, or if the person is registered in the blacklist, it is determined that bidding is impossible (S721).

If the examination is OK, a notification of registration and a notification of the bid limit are sent from the auction apparatus to the communication terminal of the store, and at the same time, an ID and a password are issued (S705, S707).

The bid information and the successful bid information are always sent from the auction database to the terminal of the store (S709,
S711), the person in charge can perform the check.

When a successful bid is made, a notification is sent from the auction database to the successful bidder and the agency responsible for the bid. Then, the purchase intention of the successful bidder is confirmed (S713).

If both the purchase intention of the successful bidder and the transfer intention of the exhibitor match in the database, the sales contract is completed, and the store receives the fee and the necessary documents from the bidder in step S715.

In step S717, the vehicle is delivered, and the transaction ends (S717, S719).

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing step S70 in FIG.
6 is a flowchart illustrating processing in steps 1 to S707.

In step S801, if the buyer user has visited the store, the buyer user enters necessary information such as his / her name in step S803. When the content of the examination is input to the terminal by the person in charge in step S805, it is transmitted to the auction database in step S807.

If the confirmation of the input items is OK in step S809, the data is transferred from the auction database to the database of the loan company in step S811. In step S813, the examination result is returned from the loan company database to the auction apparatus.

In step S815, the auction database receives a reply from the loan company database.

In step S817, the auction database issues an ID and password in which a term (a fixed period from the examination date) and a maximum bid amount are set, and transmits the ID and password to the store.

In step S819, the store hands over the ID and password to the buyer user. In step S821, the buyer user can participate in the auction.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing after a successful bid has been made by an auction. This process is performed when the exhibition period ends. The highest bidder of the period will be awarded the right to win.

In the auction apparatus, step S
At 940, a notice of the successful bid is transmitted to the exhibitor, the bidder, and each agent (store). In step S941,
If the seller's intention to sell and the successful bidder's purchase intention match, a closing process is performed, and a successful bid is made in step S943 →
Contract status → Settlement → Registration application → Progress of each vehicle distribution procedure is disclosed on the website.

Next, in step S945, the purchase price of the vehicle is taken from the bidding agent's agency, the commission is subtracted, and then remitted to the exhibitor's agency. Thus, the transaction is completed (S947).

In the agent on the exhibitor side, step S921
When the person in charge at the store receives the notification of the successful bid in step S923, the person in charge performs an operation to confirm the seller's intention to sell in step S923. If there is a sale intention, step S9
At 25, the rep receives the vehicle and the required documents.

In step S927, the agent pays the price of the vehicle to the exhibitor before receiving the price of the vehicle (prepayment). Then, in step S929, the price of the vehicle to which the commission is added is received, and the transaction ends (S931).

If the exhibitor has received the notice of the successful bid in step S901, the process proceeds to step S90.
At 3, the agent is notified of the decision to sell. If there is an intention to sell, the vehicle is transferred to the agency in step S905, and the document is also transferred.

[0138] In step S907, the exhibitor receives the price from the agency, and in step S909, confirms the change of the name of the vehicle on the homepage, thereby completing the transaction.

In the bidding agent's agency, step S
If the person in charge has received the successful bid notification in 961, the person in charge confirms the purchase intention of the bidder in step S963. If the purchase intention can be confirmed, step S96
At 5, the person in charge receives the price and documents from the bidder. In step S967, the person in charge keeps the vehicle and the documents from the store on the exhibitor's side and substitutes for the registration.
At this time, if necessary, the insurance database 200 is accessed to perform insurance registration processing.

In step S969, the remittance is performed at the bidder's side store by subtracting the commission from the received price, and the transaction ends in step S971.

Upon receiving the notice of the successful bid in step S981, the bidder determines the purchase intention in step S983. If OK, step S9
At 85, the agent is paid for and the necessary documents are deposited.

At step S987, the bidder (successful bidder) receives the registered vehicle from the agency, and the transaction ends (S989).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the auction apparatus manages the payment settlement procedure, the transfer of the documents for the registration application, the progress of the registration application, and the delivery of the object. It is possible to manage not only mere intermediary with the buyer, but also the settlement, registration application, delivery of the object, and the like that occur for the sale and purchase, and perform an auction highly reliable for the user.

Further, since the user can view the status of the auction and the progress of the transfer procedure of the object to be bought and sold at any time by using a homepage or the like, there is an advantage that the user can make a transaction with confidence.

In addition, since a valid ID and password are issued to only one object to be bought and sold to the buyer, and data relating to the buyer's solvency is recorded for the ID, the transaction must be performed safely. There is also an advantage that you can do.

[0146] In the above-described embodiment, a used car is taken as an example of an object to be bought and sold. However, a motorcycle, a real estate, a ship, etc., which require a registration application for buying and selling, expensive goods, jewelry, precious metals, etc. If the quality assurance of an object such as a watch, a pet, or the like greatly influences the decision of purchasing, the object can be handled by the auction apparatus according to the present invention.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an auction system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an auction system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process performed by an exhibitor.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen for making a visit reservation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a store on the exhibitor side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process from an assessment to an exhibition performed by a store on the exhibitor side.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a bidder before bidding.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a bidder after a successful bid.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure performed by a bidder.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a bidder.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of a screen displayed when making a bid.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a task performed by a bidder's side store.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a bidder examination process.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing processing after a successful bid.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 auction device, 102 communication terminal, 106
Customer authentication unit, 108 auction control unit, 110 business control unit, 112 customer database, 116 exhibited vehicle database, 118 bid history database, 20
0 Insurance database, 300a, 300b Loan database, 400a-400c, 500a-500c
Communication terminal, B buyer user, E store and cooperating company, S seller user.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 330 G06F 17/60 330 332 332

Claims (5)

[Claims] An auction apparatus for performing an auction, comprising: communication means for performing communication between a terminal device on a seller side and a terminal device on a buyer side; and a terminal of a third party different from the seller and the buyer. ,
An auction apparatus comprising: input means for inputting information on an object to be traded; first management means for managing a payment settlement procedure; and second management means for managing delivery of the object for sale. 2. The auction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising presentation means for presenting, to at least one of the seller and the successful bidder in the auction, the progress of the transfer procedure of the object to be sold. 3. An issuing means for issuing to a buyer an ID and a password valid only for one trading object, and a recording means for recording data relating to the buyer's solvency in association with the ID. 3. The auction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a bidding limit of the buyer in the auction based on data on a solvency of the buyer. 4. 4. The auction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be sold is an automobile. 5. An auction method for performing an auction, wherein the auction method is realized by a system using a communication line, and inputs information on an object to be bought or sold by a seller user via a terminal provided in a store. And the step of inputting the information of the buyer user through a terminal provided in the store, and determining a bid limit; and providing the buyer user with a password valid only for one trading object. Granting; presenting, to at least one terminal of the seller user and the buyer user, the status of an auction performed by the seller user and the buyer user using a communication line; The seller, the status of the registration application or the delivery of the Displaying on at least one terminal of a user and the buyer user.