The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 20, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 04, 2000
Tom Van Horn, Bellevue, WA (US);
Dale A. Woodford, Redmond, WA (US);
Richard V. Halbert, Redmond, WA (US);
Jerome P. Pache, Seattle, WA (US);
Greg C. Dean, Redmond, WA (US);
Tom Van Horn, Bellevue, WA (US);
Dale A. Woodford, Redmond, WA (US);
Richard V. Halbert, Redmond, WA (US);
Jerome P. Pache, Seattle, WA (US);
Greg C. Dean, Redmond, WA (US);
Vulcan Portals, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
In the definition of an on-line group-buying sale (), a price of a featured item may be specified as a fixed amount, such as $25 per month. As indicated at (), the salehas an increasing incentive as more buyers () join the sale. Buyers () make offers as indicated at (). As more buyers () make offers below a maximum threshold, the on-line group-buying sale software () increases the incentive as indicated at (). At the conclusion of the sale (), the on-line group-buying sale software () confirms acceptance of all offers specifying an incentive at or below the final, increased incentive in the sale (), as indicated at (). The modified pricing on-line group-buying sale can be applied to a variety of featured items, such as long distance calling plans, rebates for the purchase of an automobile, bank certificates of deposit, or credit instruments, with an increasing number of free long distance minutes, an increasing face value for the rebate, an increasing interest rate for the certificate of deposit, or a lower interest rate for the credit instrument, as more buyers join the sale.