MXPA00011779A - Interactive remote auction bidding system - Google Patents

Abstract

An interactive remote auction biddingsystem for conducting an auction among participants located at remote locations from the auction site utilizes a data input device for communication over a network to the auction site. The system includes a data processor located at the auction site for generating bid information for communication over the network to the remote locations. A processor located at the auction site monitors the participants'data input devices for sensing participant bids generated by the participants'data input devices. The system further displays visual bid information at the auction site for transmission over the network to the participants and generates audible bid information in support of that visual bid information.

Description

INTERACTIVE REMOTE SYSTEM OF SUB-STATES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an interactive communication system, and more particularly to a remote interactive auction system that allows several bidders to participate in a real-time auction from several locations remote. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The remarketing of surplus products is a challenge for manufacturers and traders in many industries, and particularly in the industry for industrial equipment. Inventories of used products but of not recent manufacture and "little used" products compete with products that come directly from the assembly lines. Equipment ownership and usage patterns have changed and continue to change. While before most new products were sold to end users, now many industrial segments deliver more than 65% of their new products to "fleets for rental / leasing". The future value of the equipment sold is often guaranteed. Customers have transferred many risk elements related to ownership to the manufacturer and merchants forcing sellers to provide rental options, financial leasing, or future value guarantees. The client's preference for income is driven by a combination of factors that include more stringent loan regulations, lack of fiscal incentives, increasing complexity and specialization of the equipment, volatility of the value of the equipment within its industries and growing availability and competitiveness of the solutions offered by short-term equipment rental. Revenues, long-term financial leases, and "repurchase" agreements offer customers the use of the equipment without the obligations or responsibilities inherent to the property. Manufacturers and merchants assume the "risk" and responsibility of the equipment for rent, lease and "repurchase" until its final sale. Taking into account these marketing techniques, as well as improvements in the useful life of a product, the re-commercialization load of several of these products after their first substantial use remains with manufacturers, merchants and other rental service operators. In many cases, the most severe competition faced by new products is generated by an "identical used product" rather than a new product from competitive manufacturers. Manufacturers and traders have achieved success in generating new product sales, but typically have less success in remarketing used equipment and transferring ownership obligations to end users. "Post-sales" remarketing specialists such as, for example, brokers, brokers, import-export entrepreneurs and retail auctioneers provide a required experience for sales of second-hand equipment and subsequent sales. These remarketing specialists sell in direct competition with new products sold by manufacturers and merchants. Due to the demographic diversity of their markets and the fractured communication among the merchants, the effectiveness of the merchants is limited to small geographic areas near their agency. Merchants have limited knowledge or success outside of their local sales areas. Manufacturers encourage the approach to the "local" market. While the focus on the "local" market may be effective in the case of new equipment, the remarketing of surplus equipment locally limits the potential and is a costly and largely ineffective strategy. At the same time, the effort invested, the per diem, language problems, currencies, cultural and informational barriers plus the lack of critical mass in a single market mean that venturing beyond the local areas of commerce becomes an expensive experience , risky, ineffective and often counterproductive for merchants.

Consequently, the remarketing of used equipment has been inefficient. Conventionally, auctions of used or similar equipment require that the equipment be purchased at the auction site and presented by the vendor where the auction takes place. In addition, all participants in the auction must meet at the auction site. This auction is therefore limited to the regional geographic areas due to the costs involved to concentrate both the teams and the participants. Scale is an essential factor in the success of an auction. The scale attracts buyers. The greater the number of buyers, the better the results. The more specialized the product, the greater the distance that buyers and products must travel so that the auction reaches the appropriate scale or critical mass. The freight of the large equipment is expensive, and the displacement of equipment to an auction site, and then its removal, if it is not sold, produces an expense without non-efficient added value. This also represents expenses for buyers who have to travel to the place where the auctions have verification. Accordingly, there is a need for a "real-time" auction information processing system that allows individuals who are dispersed over a wide geographical area to participate in an auction without meeting at the auction site. There is also a need for a system that allows individuals to participate in an auction without requiring a large investment in technical infrastructure in the remote locations of buyers / bidders. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, an interactive remote auction system is provided to conduct an auction among participants who are located at locations far from the auction site. Each participant in a remote location uses a data entry device for network communication to the auction site. The system includes a data processor placed on the auction site to generate bidding information for communication in the network to remote locations. A processor located on the auction site monitors the participants' data entry devices to detect the participants' offers generated by the participants' data entry devices. The system also displays the bid information on the auction site for transmission on the network to the participants. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the present invention and to mention additional advantages, reference is now made to the following description of the preferred embodiments in combination with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of the present system; Figures 2-4 are flow charts illustrating the overall process of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES With reference to Figure 1, a remote, interactive auction system for auctioning among participants located in remote locations is illustrated, and is generally identified by the number 10. The system 10 allows the participants to they find in remote locations 12, 12a, 12b-12n to communicate with an auction site 14 through a communication network 16. At each remote site 12 there is a data entry device 18. The data entry device 18 can understand, for example, a conventional tone phone that has a keyboard that generates double tone multiple frequency (DTMF) signals. In addition, the data entry device 18 may include a cell phone, a two-way radio-locator, other radio wave transmitters / transponders, or a personal computer, to generate offer acceptance data for communication in the network 16 to the auction site 14. Each re-membered location 12 further includes a deployment device 20. The deployment device 20 receives information from the auction site 14 through a network 16 and may include, for example, a conventional television, a conference videophone, or a personal computer. Communication between remote sites 12 and network 16 takes place in communication links 22, 22a, 22b-22n. The communication network 16 may include, but is not limited to, a conventional telephone network, a cellular network, a satellite communication system, a cable broadcast system, and a television broadcasting system. The network 16 may comprise a combination of several types of communication systems for communicating data between remote locations 12 and auction site 14. The configuration of the network 16 depends on the type of equipment used by the participants in remote locations 12 and, in Its simplest form includes a telephone switching network and a television broadcasting system, and in its most sophisticated state, the configuration includes the Internet. The auction site 14 comprises a location, away from where the participants are located, where offers are accepted and where the auction is controlled. The auction is controlled by an auctioneer 24 that is located on the auction site 14. Auctioneer 24 works in the same way as an auctioneer in a typical auction where participants are on the auction site. The equipment to be auctioned on an auction site 14 may or may not be physically present on the auction site 14. On the auction site 14 there is a receiver / transmitter processor 26 that receives and transmits bid information through a bidder. network 16 to and from remote locations 12. The receiver / transmitter processor 26 may include, for example, a dual tone multi-frequency receiver / processor for monitoring DTMF signals generated by the ingress devices 18 at each remote site 12. In addition. , the processor 26 may include speech recognition technology to receive and decode a speech input from the input device 18. The processor 28 is able to identify and monitor each input device 18 from a remote site 12 as well as communicate over a network 16 with each remote site 12. In addition, the processor 26 receives initialization parameters, which will be described later, for the sub through the terminal 30. The initialization parameters are selected by the auctioneer 24 and the input to the processor 26 is effected through the terminal 30. The processor 26 controls a display 32 located in an auction site 14. The display 32 presents information such as, for example, the auction price, the current offer, the identification of the tenderer, the location of the tenderer and the lot number.

When an auction is carried out across national borders, the auction price and the current offer can be displayed in several foreign currencies. The information generated by the processor 26 and displayed on the deployment device 32 is communicated to the participants at remote locations 12 through a broadcast system 34. The diffuser 34 may include a conventional broadcast television system whose output is supplied to through a communication link 36 to the network 16. The diffuser 34 may include a conventional television system, in addition to a satellite communication system, cable network, or the like. The information generated by the broadcast system 34 is displayed on display devices 20 at each remote location 12. The broadcast system 34 can capture a live "image" of the auctioneer 24 on the auction site 14 that carries the auction including photographs and other details of the equipment in auction. In this way, each participant in a remote location 12 has the feeling of being physically present on the auction site 14 during the auction. The broadcast system 34 also captures information displayed on the deployment device 32 for transmission to each remote location 12. In this way, during the bidding process, the real-time process information is available to each tenderer at the remote site. 12 during the auction.

Referring now to Figure 2, prior to the start of the auction, communication paths are established between each remote location 12 and the auction site 14 through the network 16. For example, a tenderer at a remote location 12a makes a telephone call to auction site 14 using a telephone entry device 18. A tenderer can dial an 800 telephone number to auction site 14 in step 40, thereby establishing a communication path through link 22a, the network 16, and link 28 for the receiver / transmitter processor 26. The acknowledgment of the call to the participant at location 12a is made by the processor 26 by generating a greeting for the participant and a notice for the key of the participant in step 42. Upon hearing the announcement, the participant enters a key using the input device 18. In step 44, the processor 26 makes a decision to determine whether the key has been entered correctly by the participant. If no key has been entered, in step 46 the processor terminates the telephone call. If the appropriate key has been entered and if said key has been received by the processor 26, the processor 26 asks the participant at the remote site 12a for a personal identification number (PIN) in step 48. The participant then enters the participant's PIN number through an entry device 18. In step 50, the processor 26 then determines whether an appropriate PIN number has been received. If no appropriate PIN number has been received, the telephone call ends in step 52. If the PIN number has been received, the processor 26 indicates to the participant in step 54 the participant's bidder number. The processor 26 then determines whether the number of the bidder has been entered by a participant in step 56. If the bidder number has been entered and accepted, the process continues until step 70 (Figure 3). If the processor 26 determines that no correct bidder number was entered by a participant in a remote location 12a, the processor 26 assigns a bidder number to the participant in step 58. The processor 26 then asks the requester for a bidder number in the step 60. The participant then enters the newly assigned bidder number and the processor 26 determines whether the bidder number has been entered in step 62. If a bidder number has not been entered, the telephone call is terminated in step 64 If an acceptable number of bidder has been entered in step 62, the process continues until step 70 (figure 3). At this point, before the start of the auction, each participant in remote locations 12 is linked through a network 16 to the auction site 14. Processor 26 continuously monitors each incoming device 18 in remote locations 12 as well as transmits data to each remote location 12 in the established communication links. Before the start of the auction, data such as, for example, sales information, auction messages and instructions, as well as music, can be transmitted to each remote location 12. Referring now to figure 3 before the start of an auction , several parameters are initialized and displayed in an auction site 14 in step 66. An auctioneer 24 enters processor 26 through terminal 30 data related to a lot number, the initial price, the initial auction price, a pre-defined increment, and currency conversion factors for currency denominations for the remote locations participating in the auction. This information is used by the processor 26 to generate data for the deployment 32. The display 32 in turn provides data to a broadcast system 34 that communicates the information in the deployment device 32 through communication links 36, the network 16, and communication link 22 to deployment devices 20 in remote locations 12. Therefore, before the start of the auction of each lot, each participant has information regarding the lot number, the requested auction price and its equivalent in any foreign currency involved in the auction. Throughout the auction, the deployment device 32 is updated to reflect the current offers made during the auction (and may also include the amount required to move the last offer) in such a way that each participant in the remote location 12 participates in the auction. Real time in the auction and have a current bidding information. The effect of "real-time" deployment and participation is that while some minimal communication / calculation delays may be present, participants will be able to effectively interact and see the current information in the auction process as if those participants were present on the site. the auction 14. An additional parameter initiated is the duration or cycle time during which the bids are accepted. This parameter will also be adjusted by the auctioneer 24 during the auction. After the initialization of the system, the processor 26 starts accepting offers in step 70 of the participants in remote locations 12. Participants in locations 12 using revenue device 18 generate offer acceptance signals through the use of input devices 18 such as by pressing the "#" symbol key on the keyboard of a telephone entry device 18. Those participants who do not wish to take part in an auction, do not touch any key on the telephone. When a processor 26 includes speech recognition capability, a participant can indicate his acceptance of a tender by speaking on an entry device 18 such as "yip". The processor 26 continues to monitor the communication link 28 for the entry of proposals in step 72. The processor 26 determines in step 74 whether an offer has been accepted. If the offer of the participant has not been accepted, a response is generated to each participant whose offer has not been accepted in step 76. The response may include a predetermined tone generated by the transmitter 26, such as for example a "horn" sound "or the words" offer not accepted, please submit another offer "communicated to a participant through a device 18. If an offer has been accepted, a response is generated to the participant in step 78 in such a way that, for example, by generating a tone in the transmitter 26 in the form of a "beep" sound or the words "accepted offer" indicating to a particular participant in a remote location 12 that the offer has been accepted. In step 80, a decision is made to determine whether the particular participant in remote location 12 has made the offer. The response to the tenderer in step 78 includes a confirmation request to confirm whether the participant made the offer. The participant can press a key on a telephone keypad on the input device 18 to confirm the offer, if the offer is not confirmed, generate a subsequent question for the participant, the participant can be routed to a help desk number, but after a predetermined time, if no confirmation is received, the participant can be excluded from participation in the next cycle of offers in step 82. Alternatively, in some embodiments, step 80 can be avoided to increase the speed by taking note that the participants already selected are sincere. In this case, only the winning bid is confirmed in step 102, below. Whereas confirmation has been received (or alternatively avoided) from the particular participant that made an offer, deployment 32 is updated in step 82. Deployment 32 generates the current offer, the location of the tenderer, and the identification of the tenderer . The auctioneer 24 also has acceptance information for the offer in step 84. At this point, in the auction process, each participant receives information in real time regarding the acknowledgment of receipt of the offer and the current status of the auction. . All participants in the auction know the location of the bidder, the amount of the offer accepted in the value in the currency of the participant and the identification number of the bidder of the accepted bid.

In step 86, the auctioneer 24 then makes a decision as to whether the accepted bid was the final bid price for the lot. If the decision is positive, the process continues until step 100 (figure 4). If the offer is not the final auction price of step 86, the auction price is increased in accordance with the predetermined increments established at the beginning in step 66. The auction price is then increased and the display 32 is updated in the step 90. In addition, the new auction price can be adjusted in real time by the auctioneer 24 as the tender approaches the final offer. The new auction price is subsequently communicated to the participants through a broadcast system 34. The auction price is increased and a predetermined delay is incorporated in the processor 26 before the processor 26 begins accepting subsequent offers of participants in locations 12. In this way, the processor 26 controls the subsequent acceptances of offers to prevent the system 10 from being exceeded and establishes a window of time for acceptance of offers. The delay can be adjusted by the auctioneer 24 based on the particular bidding environment and based on the aggressiveness of the participants. After the update of the display 32 with current information of the auction, passes the predetermined delay, new offers are then accepted in step 70. The process continues as the prices requested increase and accept until the auctioneer determines the final auction price it has been accepted in step 86, and the process continues until step 100 (figure 4). Auctioneer 24 can provide a warning that the current offer is about to be accepted as the winning bid. The warning can be communicated through audio feedback (such as drum sound) or video feedback (such as flashing a bid amount or changing the color of the bid amount) on the display 32. The acceptance of the final offer by the auctioneer 24 can also generate a real-time response to the display 32 such as cymbal noise or visual acceptance signal with the amount of the offer accepted. With the acceptance of the final offer, the auctioneer blocks or closes all the participants, except the winning bidder and continues the confirmation process with the winning bidder. Referring now to Figure 4, with the acceptance of the final auction price, the last bidder is informed that the final bid is a winning bid in step 100. Processor 26 informs the winning bidder and asks the winning bidder determining a confirmation in step 102. If the confirmation is not received, the auctioneer 24 receives a notice in step 104. The auctioneer 24 then provides subsequent instructions to the terminal 30 for communication with the winning bidder participant. If a confirmation is received in step 102, a decision is made in step 106 to determine whether the previous batch was the last batch in the auction. If the decision is positive, the call communication path between the remote locations 12 and the auction site 14 ends in step 108. The auctioneer may also select to reopen the offers to the entire audience at the level of the previous offer. If subsequent batches must be finished, the process continues until step 66 (figure 3) and new parameters are started and displayed for a subsequent batch to be auctioned. During the bidding process, the processor 26 keeps an audit trail of each participant's response, whether the offer is accepted or not. Therefore, it can be observed that the remote auction system allows participants who are located far away from the auction site to participate in an interactive way in an auction. Participants watch a video broadcast in real time, through video conference, broadcast by television, satellite, cable or Internet:, and communicate offers using an entry device, for example, a traditional telephone. The auction can incorporate and receive offers from remote participants who belong to various cultures, speak several languages, and manage several currencies. Although more sophisticated communication devices including, for example, two-way paging, speech recognition systems, and the Internet can be employed with the present invention, typical telephone devices provide an economical and simple communication vehicle for participating in a Auction carried out through the use of this system. The communication network requires only a telephone infrastructure that can be based, for example, on long-distance telephone lines, cell phones and satellite communication systems. The present system is scalable to fit unlimited numbers of participants based on the size of the communications processor employed at the auction site. In addition, communication through network 16 can be ensured by using encrypted (encrypted) data between the auction site and the remote locations. While the present invention has been described in relation to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by the person skilled in the art and that the present invention encompasses such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS n remote real-time interactive auction system to conduct an auction among several bidders located far away from the auction site, each of the several bidders having a telephone that includes a double tone multi-frequency transmitter / processor to communicate by a telephone network to the auction site, the system comprises: a device located on the auction site to generate auction information and to transmit said bidding information to the various bidders in the remote locations; dual-tone multiple frequency receivers / processors located on the auction site to monitor the telephony network for bidding data generated by the various bidders through the auction phones and to capture the bid acceptances of bidders generated by the bidders. Tenderers using the tenderer's telephones, in such a way that all the bidders participate in the whole auction until the acceptance of a final bid on the auction site; and means located at the auction site to display the auction information in real time for transmission in real time to the various bidders located in the remote locations. The system according to claim 1, wherein said deployment device includes the deployment of a lot number, a current offer, a requested auction price, and the identification of the tenderer. The system according to claim 1, wherein said deployment device includes the deployment of several currency values representing a current offer and a requested auction price. The system according to claim 1, wherein said deployment device includes a video display of the auction site. The system according to claim 1, wherein said information generated by said generation device includes the requested auction prices and the increases at the auction prices requested. n Real-time remote interactive system of auctions to conduct an auction among several bidders located in remote locations in relation to the auction site, each of the various bidders has a telephone that includes a multi-frequency tone transmitter / processor double for communication in a telephony network with the auction site, the system includes: means located at the auction site to generate requested auction prices, and price increases; dual-tone multiple frequency receiver / processor located on the auction site to monitor the telephony network to capture the bid acceptances of bidders generated by the various bidders using the bidder's phones for a predetermined period of time in such a way that all of the various bidders participate in the entire auction until the acceptance of a final offer on the auction site; a device located on the auction site for the real-time deployment of current offer acceptances, a requested price and bidder information; and a device located on the auction site to disseminate in real time current acceptances of bid, a requested auction price and identification of bidder to the various bidders in the remote locations. The system according to claim 6, wherein said deployment device presents a current offer and a requested auction price in several currencies. A method for conducting a real-time auction among several bidders located in remote locations in relation to the auction site, each of the various bidders has a telephone that includes a dual tone multi-frequency transmitter / processor to communicate by telephone with the auction site, which includes: generation on the auction site of auction prices requested; the transmission of acceptances of an offer in the remote location by the various bidders by generating a tone through the use of telephones of the bidders, in such a way that all of the various bidders participate in the entire auction until the acceptance of a final offer on the auction site; the monitoring, on the auction site, of the telephone network; the capture, on the auction site, of the bid acceptances of the bidders generated by the various bidders who use the telephones of the bidders by detecting tones transmitted on the telephone network; the deployment, on the site of the auction, in real time, of acceptances of current offer, the auction price requested and information of the bidder; and the dissemination, in real time, of acceptances of current offer, a requested price and information from the bidder to the plurality of bidders in the remote locations. The method according to claim 8, wherein the deployment step presents a current offer and the auction price requested in several currencies. The method according to claim 8, wherein the diffusion step includes broadcast via television. -i -_. -. -boss-*.