U.S. patent application number 14/187224 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-19 for user authentication in an auction system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Amazon.com, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Amazon.com, Inc.. Invention is credited to Greg Linden, Gus Lopez, Josh Petersen, Neil Roseman, Ryan Snodgrass.
Application Number | 20140172617 14/187224 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23072461 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140172617 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Roseman; Neil ; et
al. |
June 19, 2014 |
USER AUTHENTICATION IN AN AUCTION SYSTEM
Abstract
A method and system for authenticating users while conducting an
auction via a computer system. The system can automatically
authenticate users who have previously registered with the auction
system and who have enabled automatic authentication. When a user
is registered, the system may store authentication information in a
cookie on the user's computer. When the user decides to perform a
transaction (e.g., list item auction or place a bid for an item)
that requires authentication, the system retrieves the stored
authentication information. If automatic authentication is enabled,
then the system allows the transaction to proceed without manual
authentication. If, however, automatic authentication is not
enabled or the system does not recognize the stored authentication
information, then the system requests manual authentication. The
use of automatic authentication allows a user to enter information
relating to a transaction without manually entering any
identification information.
Inventors: |
Roseman; Neil; (Seattle,
WA) ; Petersen; Josh; (Seattle, WA) ; Linden;
Greg; (Seattle, WA) ; Snodgrass; Ryan;
(Kirkland, WA) ; Lopez; Gus; (Seattle,
WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Amazon.com, Inc. |
Seattle |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Amazon.com, Inc.
Seattle
WA
|
Family ID: |
23072461 |
Appl. No.: |
14/187224 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12857557 |
Aug 17, 2010 |
8700485 |
|
|
14187224 |
|
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|
09280292 |
Mar 29, 1999 |
7801775 |
|
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12857557 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/08 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G06Q 30/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26.3 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/08 20060101
G06Q030/08 |
Claims
1. A method in a computer-implemented auction system for bidding on
an auction item, the method comprising: authenticating a user of
the auction system for an authentication time period, the user
associated with a client computer; receiving from the client
computer a bid request from the authenticated user including a bid
amount for the auction item; based on a stored setting associated
with the authenticated user, determining whether the authentication
time period has expired based on an amount of time elapsed since a
last activity by the user; in response to the authentication time
period not having expired, placing a bid for the auction item
according to the bid request; and in response to the authentication
time period having expired, requesting reauthentication of the
user.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time elapsed since
the last activity by the user is an amount of time since a bid was
placed by the user.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time elapsed since
the last activity by the user is an amount of time since the client
computer last interacted with the auction system.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time elapsed since
the last activity by the user is a predetermined time period.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined time period is
specified by the user.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time elapsed since
the last activity by the user is determined based on past
interactions of the client computer with the auction system.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after placing the bid
for the auction item, resetting the authentication time period to a
new duration.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new duration is determined
based on an amount of time the user interacted with the auction
system to bid on the auction item.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the new duration is determined
based on a renewal time period provided by the user.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a
description for display on the client computer, the description
comprising information identifying the auction item, an enter bid
field prefilled with a suggested bid amount for the item, the
suggested bid amount generated for the user, and an indication of
an action that is to be performed to submit a bid on the item,
wherein the bid request is received in response to the action being
performed by the user and the bid amount included in the bid
request is equal to the suggested bid amount.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing
computer-readable program code comprising instructions for bidding
on an auction item, the instructions comprising: authenticating a
user of the auction system for an authentication time period, the
user associated with a client computer; receiving from the client
computer a bid request from the authenticated user including a bid
amount for the auction item; based on a stored setting associated
with the authenticated user, determining whether the authentication
time period has expired based on an amount of time elapsed since a
last activity by the user; in response to the authentication time
period not having expired, placing a bid for the auction item
according to the bid request; and in response to the authentication
time period having expired, requesting reauthentication of the
user.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the amount of
time elapsed since the last activity by the user is an amount of
time since a bid was placed by the user.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the amount of
time elapsed since the last activity by the user is an amount of
time since the client computer last interacted with the auction
system.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the amount of
time elapsed since the last activity by the user is a predetermined
time period.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the
predetermined time period is specified by the user.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the amount of
time elapsed since the last activity by the user is determined
based on past interactions of the client computer with the auction
system.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising,
after placing the bid for the auction item, resetting the
authentication time period to a new duration.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the new
duration is determined based on an amount of time the user
interacted with the auction system to bid on the auction item.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising
transmitting a description for display on the client computer, the
description comprising information identifying the auction item, an
enter bid field prefilled with a suggested bid amount for the item,
the suggested bid amount generated for the user, and an indication
of an action that is to be performed to submit a bid on the item,
wherein the bid request is received in response to the action being
performed by the user and the bid amount included in the bid
request is equal to the suggested bid amount.
20. A computer-implemented auction system for bidding on an auction
item, the auction system comprising: a component for authenticating
a user of the auction system for an authentication time period, the
user associated with a client computer; a component for receiving
from the client computer a bid request from the authenticated user
including a bid amount for the auction item, and based on a stored
setting associated with the authenticated user, determining whether
the authentication time period has expired based on an amount of
time elapsed since a last activity by the user; and a component
for: placing a bid for the auction item according to the bid
request in response to the authentication time period not having
expired; and requesting reauthentication of the user in response to
the authentication time period having expired.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120
of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/857,557, entitled
"User Authentication in an Auction System," filed on Aug. 17, 2010,
which claims the benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 of
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/280,292, filed Mar. 29, 1999, entitled
"Method and System for Authenticating Users When Conducting
Commercial Transactions Using A Computer." Both are hereby
incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to conducting
electronic commerce, and more particularly, to authentication of
users conducting commercial transactions on a computer network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Because it facilitates electronic communications between
vendors and purchasers, the Internet is increasingly being used to
conduct "electronic commerce." The Internet comprises a vast number
of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through
communication channels. Electronic commerce refers generally to
commercial transactions that are at least partially conducted using
the computer systems of the parties to the transactions. For
example, a purchaser can use a personal computer to connect via the
Internet to a vendor's computer. The purchaser can then interact
with the vendor's computer to conduct the transaction. Although
many of the commercial transactions that are performed today could
be performed via electronic commerce, the acceptance and
wide-spread use of electronic commerce depends, in large part, upon
the ease-of-use of conducting such electronic commerce. If
electronic commerce can be easily conducted, then even the novice
computer user will choose to engage in electronic commerce.
Therefore, it is important that techniques be developed to
facilitate conducting electronic commerce.
[0004] The Internet facilitates conducting electronic commerce, in
part, because it uses standardized techniques for exchanging
information. Many standards have been established for exchanging
information over the Internet, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and
the World Wide Web ("WWW"). The WWW service allows a server
computer system (i.e., web server or web site) to send graphical
web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The
remote client computer system can then display the web pages. Each
resource (e.g., computer or web page) of the WWW is uniquely
identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"). To view a
specific web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for
that web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer Protocol
("HTTP") request). The request is forwarded to the web server that
supports that web page. When that web server receives the request,
it sends the requested web page to the client computer system. When
the client computer system receives that web page, it typically
displays the web page using a browser. A browser is typically a
special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of
web pages and the displaying of web pages.
[0005] Currently, web pages are generally defined using HyperText
Markup Language ("HTML"). HTML provides a standard set of tags that
define how a web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to
the browser to display a web page, the browser sends a request to
the server computer system to transfer to the client computer
system an HTML document that defines the web page. When the
requested HTML document is received by the client computer system,
the browser displays the web page as defined by the HTML document.
The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying
of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document
may contain URLs of other web pages available on that server
computer system or other server computer systems.
[0006] The World Wide Web portion of the Internet is especially
conducive to conducting electronic commerce. Many web servers have
been developed through which vendors can advertise and sell
product. The products can include items (e.g., music) that are
delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet and
items (e.g., books) that are delivered through conventional
distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier). A server computer
system may provide an electronic version of a catalog that lists
the items that are available. A user, who is a potential purchaser,
may browse through the catalog using a browser and select various
items that are to be purchased. When the user has completed
selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer system
then prompts the user for information to complete the ordering of
the items. This purchaser-specific order information may include
the purchaser's name, the purchaser's credit card number, and a
shipping address for the order. The server computer system then
typically confirms the order by sending a confirming web page to
the client computer system and schedules shipment of the items.
[0007] The World Wide Web is also being used to conduct other types
of commercial transactions. For example, some server computer
systems have been developed to support the conducting of auctions
electronically. To conduct an auction electronically, the seller of
an item provides a definition of the auction via web pages to a
server computer system. The definition includes a description of
the item, an auction time period, and optionally a minimum bid. The
server computer system then conducts the auction during the
specified time period. Potential buyers can search the server
computer system for an auction of interest. When such an auction is
found, the potential buyer can view the bidding history for the
auction and enter a bid for the item. When the auction is closed,
the server computer system notifies the winning bidder and the
seller (e.g., via electronic mail) so that they can complete the
transaction.
[0008] Commercial transactions may involve the transmittal of
sensitive information (e.g., a credit card number) from a buyer to
a seller. Because this information when transmitted over the
Internet may pass through various intermediate computer systems on
its way to its final destination, security is a concern. Sellers
use various techniques to help ensure that their customers'
sensitive information is secure. For example, sellers use various
encryption techniques when transmitting such sensitive information
to ensure its security.
[0009] Although the encryption of sensitive information may provide
adequate security, it is very time-consuming and inconvenient for a
buyer to re-enter such sensitive information for each commercial
transaction. Some web sites store the sensitive information for a
buyer so that the buyer does not need to re-enter the information
when the next commercial transaction is conducted. When the buyer
next conducts a commercial transaction, the buyer can identify
themselves with a user identification and password, and the web
site can then retrieve the sensitive information that it stored for
the buyer. In this way, the sensitive information is not
transmitted over the Internet and not re-entered by the buyer. If a
buyer conducts multiple commercial transactions at one time, the
buyer may need to re-enter the user identification and password for
each commercial transaction. This entry of the user identification
and password, referred to as "manual authentication," can be
cumbersome.
[0010] Some web sites avoid this manual authentication altogether.
Such web sites store the identity of the buyer on the buyer's
computer, for example, as a cookie. When the buyer next accesses
the web site, the web site can automatically identify the buyer by
retrieving the buyer's identification that was stored on the
buyer's computer. The web site can then retrieve and use the
buyer's sensitive information without requiring manual
authentication. This approach, however, is only practical when the
buyer knows that no unauthorized person can access the buyer's
computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and
systems for conducting commercial transactions using a computer
system. In one embodiment, the system provides to a user's computer
a displayed description (e.g., web page) for entry of information
relating to the commercial transaction by the user. The user's
computer presents a display to the user in accordance with the
display description. The user can then enter information relating
to the commercial transaction. For example, if the commercial
transaction is to bid on an item being auctioned, then the display
description may describe the item being auctioned and request the
user to enter a bid amount and to select a button to submit the bid
the user's computer then sends the entered information to the
system. When the system receives the information entered by the
user, the system determines whether the user can be automatically
authenticated. If so, the system allows the commercial transaction
to proceed. If, however, the system cannot automatically
authenticate the user, then the system provides to the user's
computer another display description for entry of authentication
information. When the system receives the entered authentication
information from the user's computer, if the system can verify the
user's authenticity, then the system allows the commercial
transaction to proceed. In this way, the system defers the entry of
the authentication information until it determines that such
information is necessary.
[0012] In another embodiment, the system places a bid for an item
that is being auctioned. To place the bid, the system provides to a
user's computer the display description for entry of a bid amount
and for performing a single action after entry of the bid amount to
submit the bid. When the single action is performed, the user's
computer sends the entered bid amount to the system. The system
then effects the placing of the submitted bid for the item at the
entered bid amount. Alternatively, the system may include with the
display description a suggested bid amount and an indication of a
single action to perform to submit a bid for the item at that
suggested bid amount. The user can then perform that action to
submit a bid at the suggested bid amount without entry of any bid
amount. If the system cannot authenticate the user, then the system
provides to the user's computer another display description for
authenticating the user. The system may also provide a display
description for confirming the submitted bid prior to placing the
submitted bid for the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a display for submitting a bid.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates the display for requesting authentication
of a buyer.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a display for suggesting a bid amount to
a buyer.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates a display for establishing a condition
for authentication with semi-automatic authentication
expiration.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the components of the
auction system in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of a
submit bid routine that implements the submit bid component.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of the
authenticate/register routine that provides manual
authentication.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of a
list item auction routine.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of the
submit bid at suggest amount routine.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of
semi-automatic authentication of a process expiration selection
routine.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of a
restart expiration time period routine.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of
the need authentication routine.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of an
enabled/disable automatic authentication routine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0026] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and
system for controlling the bidding for an item during an auction.
The auction system facilitates the placing of bids by potential
buyers during an auction. The item "item" refers to any product,
service, or combination of product and service or, more generally,
exchangeable entity. In one embodiment, the auction system reduces
the actions that a buyer needs to perform to place a bid. In this
embodiment, the auction system executing at a server computer
provides a web page to client computer that identifies the item
being auctioned, that provides a field for entry of a bid amount by
the buyer, and that provides an indication of a single action to
perform after entry of the bid amount to submit the bid. When the
client computer displays the web page to the buyer, the buyer
enters the bid amount and performs the single action (e.g., click
on a button) to notify the auction system. In response to
performing the single action, the client computer notifies the
auction system that a bid is being submitted. Upon receiving the
notification, if the auction system can automatically authenticate
the buyer, the auction system places the bid for the buyer by
recording the bid amount as the highest bid. When the auction for
that item closes, the auction system notifies the seller and the
buyer who placed the highest bid. The seller and buyer can then
complete the sale of the item. The use of a web page that requires
only entry of the bid amount and performance of the single action
facilitates the submitting of a bid and thus encourages buyers to
participate in the auction.
[0027] The auction system automatically authenticates a user who is
recognized by the auction system, for example, based on a cookie
stored on the user's computer and who is enabled to participate in
auctions. When automatic authentication is enabled, a buyer can
submit bids and a seller can list items without having to enter
authentication information (e.g., user identification and
password). Because, when automatic authentication is enabled, the
auction system does not prompt the user to manually enter
authentication information, automatic authentication is referred to
as single-action (e.g., clicking on a button) auction
participation. In one embodiment, when automatic authentication is
not enabled, the auction system provides automatic authentication
for a time period after a user manually provides authentication
information. For example, if a buyer submits a bid, the auction
system will prompt for manual authentication when automatic
authentication is not enabled. If the buyer then submits another
bid within a certain time period, the auction system automatically
authenticates the buyer. This process of automatically
authenticating a user during a certain time period after manual
authentication is referred to as "semi-automatic authentication"
since the user needs only perform one manual authentication for a
series of commercial transactions.
[0028] When manual authentication is required, the auction system
may defer that authentication (and new user registration as
discussed below) until as late as possible before placing the bid.
The auction system provides a web page that identifies the item
being auctioned and that provides a field for entry of the bid
amount by the buyer. When the client computer displays the web
page, the buyer enters the bid amount and submits the bid by, for
example, pressing the enter key. The client computer then notifies
the auction system that the buyer is trying to submit a bid. When
the auction system receives the notification, the auction system
may check to ensure that the bid is acceptable. A bid may not be
acceptable if the bid amount is too low or the auction has recently
closed. If the bid is acceptable, the auction system provides a web
page that requests authentication information from the buyer (if
the user has not yet registered with the auction system or is
registered but has not yet provided enough information to
participate in an auction, the auction system requests such
registration or additional information. When the auction system
receives the authentication information from the client computer,
it verifies the authentication information and places the bid for
the item on behalf of a buyer. The use of a two-web page process in
collecting the bid amount and the authentication information has
the advantage of deferring the authentication (or registration)
until the bid amount is determined to be acceptable. This process
also encourages buyers to participate in an auction because the
first web page of this two-web page process is less intimidating
than a single-web page process that combines the entering of both
the bid amount and of the authentication information on a single
web page. This deferred authentication card (and registration) is
particularly useful in a wide variety of commercial and
noncommercial transactions. For example, deferred authentication
can be used when a buyer is purchasing an item at a fixed price or
when a user is requesting access to a resource with restricted
access or with unrestricted access that the supplier of the
resource wants to monitor.
[0029] The auction system provides a deferred registration process
by which new users (e.g., buyers and sellers) can register with the
auction system. If the auction system does not recognize a buyer
who has submitted a bid, the auction system requests the buyer to
register. During registration, the user provides to the auction
system with information such as a user identification (e.g., email
address), home address, phone number, billing information (e.g., a
credit card number), and a password. The auction system may also
have access to registration information for some users who, for
example, have previously made a retail purchase through a web site
associated with the auction system. Once a user is registered, the
auction system may store authentication information on the user's
computer system as, for example, a cookie. When the user next
accesses the auction system (assuming automatic authentication is
enabled), it can automatically recognize the user based on the
stored authentication information. Even though a user is registered
with the auction system, the auction system may require additional
information from the user before allowing the user to participate
in auctions as either a buyer or a seller. The auction system
collects this additional information at the completion of placing a
bid or at the completion of listing of an item to be auctioned.
This deferring of registration is also useful when conducting other
types of transactions as discussed above. The auction system may
also allow a user to enable or disable automatic authentication
(e.g., single-action auction participation). With automatic
authentication enabled, a user who is recognized and enabled to
participate in an auction can perform a single action (e.g.,
clicking on a button) to submit bids and list items without manual
authentication.
[0030] The auction system may also allow a buyer to place a bid
without even entering a bid amount. The auction system provides to
the client computer a web page that identifies the item being
auctioned, that includes a predefined bid amount, and that provides
an indication of the single action to perform to submit the bid at
that predefined bid amount. When the client computer displays the
web page, the buyer performs that single action to submit the bid,
and the client computer then notifies the auction system. When the
auction system receives the notification, the auction system either
places the bid at that time if the auction system can automatically
authenticate the buyer or requests manual authentication by the
buyer before placing the bid. The auction system can calculate the
predefined bid amount in various ways. For example, the predefined
bid amount can be the highest bid plus the bid increment.
Alternatively, the auction system may statistically analyze the
bidding history of the item being auction or similar items that
have been or are being auctioned to suggest a bid amount.
[0031] As described above, the auction system may automatically
authenticate a buyer when the buyer has recently performed a manual
authentication by entering authentication information. For example,
when the buyer enters the bid and manually provides authentication
information as requested by the auction system, the auction system
may automatically authenticate all bid submission from the buyer's
computer system for a period of time. During that time period, the
buyer can submit additional bids without the auction system
re-requesting manual authentication. After expiration of that time
period, the auction system will request manual authentication of
the buyer when the buyer next enters a bid. The auction system may
restart a time period that has not expired when it detects that the
buyer is still actively accessing the auction system. For example,
the auction system may restart the time period when the buyer
accesses any web page of the auction system. Alternately, the
auction system may restart the time period whenever the buyer
performs an activity that requires authentication (e.g., submits a
bid). The auction system may also optionally allow the buyer to
specify the time period and to specify the conditions for
restarting the time period. One skilled in the art will appreciate
that different conditions can be used to determine when a time
period can be restarted. For example, the auction system can
analyze the interaction between the buyer and the auction system to
determine both an appropriate restarting condition and time period.
If a buyer typically enters bids quickly, then the auction system
may set the time period to a relatively small period so that when
the buyer stops bidding the automatic authentication can expire
quickly. In contrast, if the buyer submits bids at a slow pace,
then the auction system may set the time period to a relatively
large period so that the buyer is not needlessly re-requested to
perform a manual authentication.
[0032] Although the techniques of the present invention are
described primarily in the context of placing a bid for an item,
the techniques can be used in other auction-related contexts, such
as when a seller lists an item to be auctioned, and in contexts not
related to auctions. Many commercial transaction and even
noncommercial transactions (e.g., accessing proprietary information
via the world wide web) require authentication and registration.
For example, when an auction is closed, the auction system may
provide the email address of the buyer to the seller and vice
versa. Since email addresses are sensitive information, the auction
system may require authentication of the party requesting the email
address of the other party. This authentication can be automatic,
for example, if the requesting party has recently provided a manual
authentication. Authentication, automatic or manual, may be
required when a seller sets up an auction to list an item, when a
buyer places a want advertisement, when a seller places a for sale
advertisement, when a seller or buyer changes sensitive information
(e.g., their email address or credit card information), and so on.
Also, a transaction system, commercial or noncommercial, may allow
some activity to proceed with automatic authentication and other
activity to always require manual authentication. For example, the
supplying of an email address of one user to another user is
particularly sensitive, so the transaction system may always
require manual authentication.
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a display for submitting a bid. The
display 100 includes a description of the item 101, auction
information 102, a minimum bid amount 103, an enter bid field 104,
and a submit bid button 105. The buyer can identify the item from
the item description and review the auction information, which may
provide the bidding history of the auction and indicate the time
when the auction will close. The minimum bid indicates the minimum
bid amount that can be placed on the item. The minimum bid is
typically the highest bid plus a bid increment established when the
auction was set up. The buyer enters the bid amount into the enter
bid field and then selects the submit bid button to submit the bid.
When the submit bid button is selected, the client computer
notifies the auction system that the buyer is trying to submit a
bid. If authentication is automatic (e.g., because the auction
system recognizes the buyer and automatic or semi-automatic
authentication is enabled), then the auction system places the bid
for the buyer. Otherwise, the auction system requests manual
authentication before placing the bid. In one embodiment, the
auction system may request confirmation of the bid via a separate
web page especially when authentication is automatic.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates the display for requesting authentication
of a buyer. The display 200 contains the bid amount field 201, an
item description field 202, a user identification field 203, a
password field 204, and a submit bid button 205. A buyer manually
performs authentication by entering their user identification and
password and then selecting the submit bid button. When the buyer
selects the submit bid button, the client computer notifies the
auction system of the user identification and password. The auction
system then verifies whether the password matches the user
identification. If verified, then the authentication system places
the bid for the buyer. The authentication system may also restart
the time period for expiration of the authentication.
[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates a display for suggesting a bid amount to
a buyer. The display 300 contains a description of the item 301,
auction information 302, a minimum bid field 303, an enter bid
field 304, and a submit bid button 305 that each function as
described for FIG. 1. This display, however, also contains a
suggested bid field 306 and a submit bid at suggested price button
307. The suggested bid field contains a suggested bid amount. The
auction system may calculate the suggested bid amount based on the
bid increment or by a statistical analysis of bidding history. The
buyer can submit a bid at the suggested price by clicking on the
submit bid at suggested price button. When the buyer selects that
button, the client computer notifies the auction system that the
buyer is submitting a bid at the suggested price. The auction
system can then place the bid for the suggested amount for the
buyer after automatic or manual authentication. The auction system
can present a suggested price to a buyer in many different ways.
For example, the auction system can prefill the enter bid field of
FIG. 1 with a suggested bid amount and then user need only select
the submit bid button to submit the bid at the suggested bid
amount. Alternately, the auction system can display a suggested bid
amount, and the buyer can enter the suggested bid amount into the
enter bid field as desired.
[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates a display for establishing a condition
for authentication with semi-automatic authentication expiration. A
typical system to support commercial transactions would not allow
users the option of establishing their authentication expiration
conditions and time period. Rather, the system may use fixed
conditions and time periods or may allow an administrator of the
system to set the conditions and time periods for all users.
Nevertheless, this display is described as if a user is customizing
their own conditions and time periods. The display 400 includes
five radio buttons 401-405 for each of the expiration conditions.
Condition 401 indicates that the buyer will be authenticated
whenever an action requiring authentication is performed, in other
words, any authentication expires immediately. This first condition
thus enables manual authentication. The next three conditions
enable forms of semi-automatic authentication. Condition 402 allows
for expiration a certain time period after the last manual
authentication, that is the time period is restarted after each
manual authentication. Condition 403 allows for expiration a
certain time period after the last activity that requires
authentication, that is the time period is restarted whenever the
buyer performs an activity that requires authentication. Condition
404 allows for expiration a certain time period after the last
activity by a buyer, that is the time period is restarted whenever
the buyer accesses the auction system. Condition 405 indicates that
the buyer will never need to be re-authenticated, for example,
because the auction system stores authentication information on the
client system and automatically retrieves and authenticates that
information. This last condition is equivalent to enabling
automatic authentication. The buyer selects the set expiration
button 406 after selecting one of the conditions and entering the
length of the time period, which may default to a predefined time
period. The auction system, of course, only restarts time periods
that have not yet expired.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the components of the
auction system in one embodiment of the present invention. The
client computers 501 and the server computer 503 are interconnected
via the Internet 502. The computers may include a central
processing unit, memory, input devices (e.g., keyboard and pointing
device), output devices (e.g., display devices), and storage
devices (e.g., disk drives). The memory and the storage devices are
computer-readable media that may contain computer instructions that
implement the auction system of the present invention. The client
computers may use a browser to access various web pages via the
Internet. The server computer implements the auction system of the
present invention. The auction system includes a server engine 504,
a submit bid component 505, a submit bid at suggested price
component 506, a need authentication component 507, a process
expiration selection component 508, a restart expiration time
period component 509, a user data base 510, an auction database
511, and other components not shown in this figure. The server
engine receives requests for resources (e.g., web pages) via the
Internet and coordinates the generation and transmission of the
resources. The submit bid component controls the submitting of bids
by buyers. The submit bid at suggested price component controls the
submitting of a bid at a price suggested by buyers. The need
authentication component determines whether manual authentication
is required in one embodiment of the present invention. The process
expiration selection component controls the setting of the
expiration condition and time period by either a user or an
administrator. The restart expiration component restarts the time
period as appropriate. The user database contains information for
each buyer and seller. The information may include the user's name,
moniker, home address, email address, billing information, delivery
information, and so on. The auction database contains information
for each auction including the identification of the seller, a
description of the item being auctioned, a minimum bid amount, a
bid increment, the time when the auction closes, and bidding
history, which may include, for each bid placed, the moniker of the
bidder, the bid amount, and the time that the bid was placed.
[0038] One skilled in the art will appreciate that the concepts of
the present invention can be used in various environments other
than the Internet. For example, the concepts can also be used in an
electronic mail environment in which electronic mail messages may
describe an auction or sale. In general, a display description may
be in an HTML format, email format, or any other format suitable
for displaying information. Also, various communication channels
may be used such as a local area network, wide area network, or a
point-to-point dial-up connection instead of the Internet. The
commercial transactions may also be conducted within a single
computer environment, rather than in a client/server environment.
Also, a server system may comprise any combination of hardware or
software that can support these concepts. In particular, a web
server may actually include multiple computers. A client system may
comprise any combination of hardware or software that interacts
with the server system. These client systems may include
television-based systems and various other consumer products
through which commercial transactions or noncommercial transactions
can be conducted.
[0039] FIGS. 6-9 are flow diagrams of example implementations of a
submit bid, submit bid at a suggested amount, and list item
components the auction system. Each component is described as the
single routine that is implemented on a computer to illustrate the
processing of the components. One skilled in the art will
appreciate that each of these components will typically be
implemented as several separate routines. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram
of an example implementation of a submit bid routine that
implements the submit bid component. This routine provides a web
page to a buyer's computer that describes the item being auctioned
and the bidding history, and requests the buyer to enter a bid
amount and submit the bid. When the routine receives an indication
that the buyer has submitted the bid, the routine determines
whether the auction system can recognize the buyer. The auction
system recognizes the buyer, for example, when authentication
information is provided with the submitted bid. The client computer
may retrieve this authentication information from a cookie stored
at the client computer by the auction system. If the auction system
recognizes the buyer and if participation in auctions and automatic
authentication are enabled for that buyer, then the routine places
the bid for the buyer. Otherwise, the routine requests
authentication or registration of the buyer depending on whether
the buyer has been previously registered with the auction system.
In step 601, the routine generates a bid web page that describes
the auctioned item and the bidding history, and requests the buyer
to enter a bid amount and submit the bid. In step 602, the routine
sends the generated web page to the client computer. Eventually, as
indicated by the ellipsis, the auction system receives a response
to the submit bid web page in step 603. In step 604, if the routine
recognizes the buyer and if participation in auctions and automatic
authentication (e.g., "single-action bid enabled") are enabled,
then the routine continues that step 606, else the routine
continues at step 605. The routine checks the user database to
determine whether the buyer is enabled to participate in auctions
and has enabled automatic authentication. In step 605, the routine
invokes an authenticate/register routine to authenticate or
register the buyer. In step 606, the routine places the bid for the
buyer and completes.
[0040] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of the
authenticate/register routine that provides manual authentication.
This routine is invoked when some level of authentication or
registration is needed for a user. If the auction system recognizes
the user, then the auction system requests manual authentication.
If the auction system does not recognize the user, then the auction
system requests the user to enter their user identification (e.g.,
email address). Based on the user identification, the auction
system determines whether that user has already been registered. If
the user has already been registered, then the auction system
requests manual authentication because the auction system either
did not recognize automatically supplied authentication information
(e.g., a cookie) or the user has not enabled automatic
authentication. If a registered user is not enabled to participate
in auctions, then the auction system requests additional
information from the user so that user can participate in auctions.
In step 701, if the routine recognizes the user, then the routine
continues that step 702, else the routine continues that step 704.
In step 702, the routine requests, retrieves, and validates the
user's user identification and password. The routine generates an
authentication web page, sends the generated web page to the client
computer, receives a response that includes the user identification
and password, and then validates that the password is correct for
that user identification by checking the user database. In step
703, if the user database does not include billing information
(e.g., credit card number) for the user, then the routine requests
billing information from the user in step 704. In steps 705-707,
the routine performs processing for a user that is not recognized
by the auction system. In step 705, the routine requests and
receives the user identification from the user. In step 707, if the
received user identification is not in user database, then the
routine continues that step 707, else the routine continues that
step 702. In step 707, the routine requests and receives
information (e.g., home address, phone number, credit card number,
and password) needed to register the user. If the user
identification is in the database, then in step 702 the routine
would only need to prompt the user for their password. In step 708,
if the user is enabled to participate in auctions, then the routine
completes, else the routine prompts the user to enter information
so that the user can be enabled to participate in auctions. In step
709, the routine prompts the user for a moniker or nickname that
the user wishes to use when participating in auctions. In step 710,
the routine provides the user with the terms of use for
participating in auctions. In step 711, the routine stores a flag
in the user database to indicate that the buyer is enabled to
participate in auctions. The routine then completes. The
authenticate/register routine can be modified to support
semi-automatic authentication. In particular, if the user is
recognized in step 701, then the routine can determine whether
semi-automatic authentication is enabled and whether the
authentication expiration period has expired. If enabled and not
expired, then the routine can skip step 702. This routine may make
this determination by invoking the need authentication routine
described below.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of a
list item auction routine. This routine prompts a seller for
information describing the item to be auctioned and information
defining how the auction is to be conducted. For example the
information defining how the auction is to be conducted may include
the type of auction, the minimum bid, the bid increment, and the
duration of the auction. If the auction system does not recognize
the seller, if the seller is not enabled to participate in
auctions, or if the buyer has not enabled automatic authentication,
then the routine requests authentication or registration prior to
setting up the auction. In step 801, the routine generates a list
item auction web page. In step 802, the routine sends the generated
web page to the client computer of the seller. In step 803, the
routine receives a response from the sent web page. In step 804, if
the auction system recognizes the seller, if the seller is enabled
to participate in auctions, and if the seller has enabled automatic
authentication, then the routine continues at step 806, else the
routine continues at step 805. In step 805, the routine invokes the
authenticate/register routine. In step 806, the routine sets up the
auction by storing the information describing the auction in the
auction database. The routine then completes.
[0042] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of the
submit bid at suggest amount routine. This routine functions
similarly to the submit bid routine, except that it determines
whether the submit bid at suggested amount button has been
selected. In step 901, the routine generates a submit bid at
suggested amount web page that contains the information of submit
bid web page along with a suggested bid amount and a submit bid at
suggested price button. In step 902, the routine sends the
generated web page to the client computer. As described above, the
auction system can determine the suggested amount in various ways.
Eventually, the auction system receives a response to the submit
bid at suggested amount web page in step 903. In step 904, the
routine determines whether the buyer selected the submitted bid
button or selected the submit bid at suggested amount button. If
the buyer selected the submit bid button, then the routine
continues with the processing at step 604 of FIG. 6. If the buyer
selected the submit bid at suggested amount button, then the
routine continues that step 905. In step 905, the routine sets the
bid amount to the suggested amount and continues at step 604 of
FIG. 6.
[0043] FIGS. 10-12 are flow diagrams illustrating example
implementations of components of the auction system. FIG. 10 is a
flow diagram of an example implementation of semi-automatic
authentication of a process expiration selection routine. This
component sets the expiration status to indicate the expiration
condition and as appropriate sets the time period and initializes
an activity time to the current time to indicate the start of the
time period. The routine processes the selection of FIG. 4. In step
1001-1005, the routine determines the radio button that was
selected by the buyer. If the buyer indicated that the expiration
was to the immediate (i.e., manual authentication), then the
routine sets the expiration status to immediate in step 1006. If
buyer indicated that the expiration was to be based on the last
authentication, then the routine sets the expiration status to
indicate since last authentication, sets the time period as entered
by the buyer, and initializes the last authorization time to the
current time in step 1007. If the buyer indicated that the
expiration was based on the last activity that required
authentication, then the routine sets the expiration status to
indicate last authenticated activity, sets the time period as
entered by the buyer, and initializes the time of last
authenticated activity to the current time in step 1008. If the
buyer indicated that the expiration was to be based on the last
activity, then the routine sets the expiration status to indicate
last activity, sets the time period as entered by the user, and
initializes the last activity time to the current time in step
1009. If the buyer indicated that there was never to be an
expiration (i.e., automatic authentication), then the routine sets
the expiration status to never in step 1010. The routine then
completes.
[0044] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of a
restart expiration time period routine. This routine is passed an
indication of the activity that was performed by a user and
restarts the authentication expiration time period as appropriate.
In step 1101, if the current time period has not yet expired, which
can be determined by invoking the need authentication routine
(describe below), then the routine returns, else the routine
continues at step 1102. In step 1102, the routine sets the last
activity time to the current time. In step 1103, if the passed
activity requires authentication, then the routine continues that
step 1104, else the routine continues that step 1105. In step 1104,
the routine sets the last authenticated activity time to the
current time. In step 1105, if the passed activity is an
authentication, then the routine continues at step 1105, else the
routine completes. In step 1106, the routine sets the last
authentication time to the current time and completes.
[0045] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of
the need authentication routine. This routine determines whether
authentication is manual, semi-automatic or automatic. In steps
1201-1205, the routine determines the current expiration status. If
the expiration status is immediate, then routine returns an
indication that manual authentication is needed. If the expiration
status is never, then the routine returns and indication that
manual authentication is not needed. In step 1206, if the
expiration status is since last activity, then the routine
continues at step 1206. In steps 1206-1208, if the time period has
expired based on the current expiration status, then the routine
returns with an indication that manual authentication is needed,
else the routine returns an indication that manual authentication
is not needed.
[0046] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of an example implementation of an
enabled/disable automatic authentication routine. This routine
allows a user to indicate whether automatic authentication is
enabled or disabled for them. In step 1301, the routine generates a
web page to change the current setting. To generate the web page,
the routine retrieves the user's current setting from the user
database. In step 1302, the routine sends the generated web page to
the user's computer. In step 1303, the routine receives a response
to the sent web page from the user's computer. This response
indicates whether the user wants to change the current setting. In
step 1304, if the response indicates that the user wants to change
the setting, then the routine continues at step 1305, else the
routine completes. In step 1305, the routine changes the setting in
the user database and completes.
[0047] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that although
specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made
without deviate from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not limited except by the following
claims.
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