Integration of remote bidders into multiple and simultaneous live auctions

摘要

Multiple simultaneous auctions can be monitored and participated in using a single bidding device operated by a single remote bidder. A multi-windowed environment allows for the display of active bidding windows and docked bidding windows. The active bidding windows are fully functional bidding windows and include auction status, product information and the like. The docked bidding windows provide a subset of the information but, nonetheless provide real-time auction status information and allows for bidders to enter bids into the auctioning process without having to move the bidding window into an active status. A customer-identifier selector of identifier allows the remote bidder to associate a customer with a particular bidding window. The customer-identifier advantageously helps the remote bidder to track who purchased items are associated with, as well as providing control structure over the bidding process.

主权项

1. A method for enabling a bidder to actively participate in and monitor multiple simultaneous auctioning events using a single bidding device with a display, the method comprising the steps of:
communicatively coupling the bidding device to a network that is communicatively coupled to one or more bid processing system servers; the bidding device receiving over the network, auction status information for a plurality of active auctioning events from the one or more bid processing system servers; upon receiving the auction status information, the bidding device creating and displaying a dashboard window for at least two or more of the active auctioning events, wherein each of the dashboard windows is displayed in a first area of a display of the bidding device; the bidding device populating each of the two or more dashboard windows with a first level of the auction status information such that each of the two or more dashboard windows is associated with an auctioning event of the plurality of auctioning events and each of the associated auctioning events are auctioning events in which the bidder can actively participate; the bidding device presenting a bidding actuator in each of the two or more dashboard windows, wherein the bidding actuator of each dashboard window can be actuated by a bidder to take an action in the associated auctioning event, wherein a user can participate in the auctioning event through the displayed two or more dashboard windows; the bidding device receiving a user selection of one of the one of the two or more dashboard windows; in response to receiving the user selection, the bidding device displaying a main bidding window within a second area of the display; the bidding device populating the main bidding window with a second level of auction status information for the auctioning event associated with the selected dashboard window, wherein the second level of auction status includes more detail pertaining to the associated auctioning event than the first level of auction status; the bidding device presenting one or more bidding actuators in the main bidding window, wherein the one or more bidding actuators of the main bidding window can be actuated by a bidder to take an action in the associated auctioning event, wherein a user can participate in the auctioning event through the displayed main bidding window; and the bidding device associating an identifier for each of the auctioning events associated with each of the dashboard windows, wherein the identifier is uniquely associated with a customer; and the bidding device receiving an actuation of a particular bidding actuator associated with a particular dashboard window or an actuation of a main bidding window actuator associated with the auctioning event associated with the main bidding window, wherein upon receipt of the actuation the bidding device forwards a signal to the bid processing system managing the auctioning event associated with the actuated bidding actuator, wherein the bid processing system can respond to the activity associated with the bid actuator.