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:
Nov. 16, 2010
Filed:
Dec. 15, 2008
Craig E. Boutilier, Toronto, CA;
Holger H. Hoos, Vancouver, CA;
Craig E. Boutilier, Toronto, CA;
Holger H. Hoos, Vancouver, CA;
CombineNet, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
In a computer-implemented method for finding a high quality allocation of one or more bids in a combinatorial auction, a number of bids is electronically received. Each bid includes a number of sub bids and a Boolean operator logically connecting each pair of sub bids. Each sub bid is either (1) a good and an associated price or (2) one of the Boolean operators associated with a price and at least two other sub bids. From a number of allocations of goods to sub bids, wherein each allocation of the goods is to a different set of sub bids, an allocation is output that has the greatest value. The value of each allocation includes of a sum of prices of bids that have at least one satisfied sub bid. The price of each bid includes a sum of the prices associated with each satisfied sub bid of the bid.