Search

US-20260127664-A1 - Auction-Based Multi-Round Bidding Game with Champion Progression and Strategic Budget Management Dynamics

US20260127664A1US 20260127664 A1US20260127664 A1US 20260127664A1US-20260127664-A1

Abstract

A computer system provides a multi-round auction with a preferred embodiment permitting a winner bidders of a round of bidding to automatically skip to a round of bidding, reducing budgets as bidding occurs, and displaying some of the bids to some of the remaining bidders.

Inventors

  • Mustafa Kulekci

Assignees

  • Mustafa Kulekci

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251106

Claims (13)

  1. 1 . A method of auctioning at least one item, determining a budget for each of a plurality of first bidders, providing a first round of bidding for at least one item that receives first bids from the plurality of first bidders, the first bids being less than the budget of each of the plurality of first bidders, determining a top bidder from the plurality of first bidders based on the first bids, automatically advancing the top bidder to a third round of bidding, determining a second round of second bidders that includes a portion of the plurality of first bidders that provided higher first bids in the first round of bidding, reducing the budget of each of the plurality of second bidders and the top bidder by their first bids made in the first round of bidding, providing a second round of bidding that receives second bids from the plurality of second bidders, the second bids being less than the budget of each of the plurality of second bidders, determining a third round of third bidders that includes a portion of the plurality of second bidders that provided higher second bids in second round of bidding and the top bidder, reducing the budget of each of the plurality of third bidders by their second bids made in the second round of bidding, concluding the bidding when two bidders remain, and determining a winner as the bidder with the highest remaining budget.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second higher bids is in about the top half of the first and second bids, respectively.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , where the budget is determined by providing a predetermined range to the plurality of first bidders.
  4. 4 . The method from claim 1 , further comprises a step of breaking ties between identical bids from at least one of the first, second, and third bids based on which of the identical bids was placed first in time.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of disclosing the first bids to second bidders and top bidder while retaining the top bid from the second bidders.
  6. 6 . A computer system for determining the purchaser of at least one item comprising memory, a processor, and means for determining an overall winner of a multi-round auction from a plurality of bidders, with an intermediate winner of a round automatically skipping a round while the remaining bidders from the plurality of bidders bid against each other in a subsequent round.
  7. 7 . The computer system of claim 6 , wherein each round of the multi-round auction has at least one top bidder and the at least one top bidder in the last two rounds of the multi-round auction does not automatically skip a round.
  8. 8 . The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of bidders includes at least five bidders.
  9. 9 . The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the multi-round auction has at least three rounds of bidding.
  10. 10 . The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the multi-round auction has at least three rounds of bidding.
  11. 11 . A computer system for determining the purchaser of at least one item comprising memory, a processor, and means for disclosing bids from a round of bids from a plurality of bidders, the plurality of bidders including a top bidder having a highest bid from the round of bids and a plurality of lower bidders and the bids of the lower bidders being disclosed to the lower bidders and the top bidder while the highest bid being retained from the lower bidders.
  12. 12 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of bidders has a budget which is reduced by a respective bid after the plurality of bidders place a bid resulting in a plurality of reduced budgets.
  13. 13 . The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the reduced budgets are retained from the plurality of bidders in a subsequent round.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. titled “AUCTION-BASED MULTI-ROUND BIDDING GAME WITH CHAMPION PROGRESSION AND STRATEGIC BUDGET MANAGEMENT DYNAMICS” to Mustafa Kulekci, filed on Nov. 6, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present application relates to systems and methods of auctioning items. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Methods of auctioning are a known way to sell and purchase goods and services, with auctioned goods and services being awarded to the top bidder. According to the present disclosure, a method of auctioning at least one item is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a budget for each of a plurality of first bidders and providing a first round of bidding for at least one item that receives first bids from the plurality of first bidders. The first bids are less than the budget of each of the plurality of first bidders. The method further includes the steps of determining a top bidder from the plurality of first bidders based on the first bids, automatically advancing the top bidder to a third round of bidding, determining a second round of second bidders that includes a portion of the plurality of first bidders that provided higher first bids in the first round of bidding, reducing the budget of each of the plurality of second bidders and the top bidder by their first bids made in the first round of bidding, and providing a second round of bidding that receives second bids from the plurality of second bidders. The second bids are less than the budget of each of the plurality of second bidders. The method further includes the steps of determining a third round of third bidders that includes a portion of the plurality of second bidders that provided higher second bids in second round of bidding and the top bidder, reducing the budget of each of the plurality of third bidders by their second bids made in the second round of bidding, concluding the bidding when two bidders remain, and determining a winner as the bidder with the highest remaining budget. According to another aspect of the disclosure, a computer system for determining the purchaser of at least one item is provided. The computer system includes memory, a processor, and means for determining an overall winner of a multi-round auction from a plurality of bidders, with an intermediate winner of a round automatically skipping a round while the remaining bidders from the plurality of bidders bid against each other in a subsequent round. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer system for determining the purchaser of at least one item is provided. The computer system includes memory, a processor, and means for disclosing bids from a round of bids from a plurality of bidders. The plurality of bidders includes a top bidder having a highest bid from the round of bids and a plurality of lower bidders. The bids of the lower bidders are disclosed to the lower bidders and the top bidder while the highest bid is retained from the lower bidders. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a computer system programed to determine the winner of an item after a multi-round auction. FIG. 2 shows a table illustrating the inputs and outputs of several rounds of bidding how each auction begins, where the number of rounds has already been calculated and the budget is predetermined. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As shown in FIG. 1, a computer system 10 is provided that has memory 12 including programming operated by a processor 13 that determines the winner of a multi-round auction with the winner receiving an item 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the auction starts with a plurality of first bidders 16 (P1 . . . P10). Each first bidder 16 establishes an available budget 18 for the auction and computer system 10 determines the budget for each of the plurality of first bidders 16 based on established budget 18. Computer system 10 may be programmed to limit available budgets 18 to a predetermined range or a specific amount so that each first bidder 16 starts with the same available budget 18. For example, in FIG. 10, each of the plurality of first bidders 16 established an available budget 18 of 100 units, such as U.S. dollars, although budgets 18 for each first bidder 16 may be different. Computer system 10 then provides a first round of bidding for item 14 and receives first bids 20 from plurality of first bidders 16. First bids 20 must be less than budgets 18 (ex. $100) of each of plurality of first bidders 16. Although only ten bidders are illustrated in FIG. 2, fewer or more bidders 16 may participate in the first round of bidding. Preferably, the auction starts with at least five first bidders 16. Next, computer system 10 determines a top bidder 22 from plurality of first bidders 16 based on the first bids. In the example in FIG. 2, top bidder 22 (P