Bidding support method

Abstract

To provide a bid supporting method capable of selecting a flexible pricing system corresponding to the bid item of merchandise sales.SOLUTION: In a system including a server terminal, a promoter terminal, and a bidder terminal, a control unit of the server terminal receives input data related to a bidding period of a bidding matter from the promoter terminal of a promoter who plans the bidding matter, receives input data related to at least one of a specific pricing method among a plurality of pricing methods and various parameters defining the specific pricing method of the bidding matter from the promoter terminal, and registers a pricing method by storing the received data related to the bidding period and the pricing method in a storage unit of the server terminal in association with data related to the bidding matter; The contents of the bid item are disclosed by transmitting data on the registered bid item including information on a bidding period and a pricing system to a plurality of bidder terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for assisting bidding. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, bidding for government bonds has been an example of bidding for multiple homogeneous goods. Although the word "auction" is often used instead of "bidding," the word "bidding" here refers to both bidding and auction.

[0003] In auctions for government bonds, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, the winning bidder is determined based on the amount bid by the bidder, starting with the highest bidder, and in particular, under the conventional method, the bid price of the successful bidder is determined as the amount to be paid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Introduction to Japanese Government Bonds: Introduction to the bidding (auction) system and academic research, focusing on the Dutch and conventional methods (Ministry of Finance) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a document related to bidding for government bonds, but a variety of financial products, such as newly listed stocks sold in IPOs, security tokens, and crypto assets, as well as greenhouse gas emission allowances and credits, are suitable for bidding for multiple homogeneous goods in addition to government bonds, and it is expected that demand for services that support online bidding for multiple homogeneous goods will increase in the future.In addition, it is expected that organizers (operators) who plan bidding projects for product sales will want to be able to flexibly select and set pricing methods depending on the product and / or time, when selling various products or the same product at different times.

[0006] In view of the above problems and needs, the present invention provides a bidding support method that allows flexible selection of a pricing method depending on the bidding item for product sales. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a method for supporting bidding for product sales comprises a control unit of a server terminal receiving input data regarding a bidding period for a bidding item from a host terminal of a host planning the bidding item, receiving input data from the host terminal regarding one of a plurality of pricing methods for the bidding item and at least one of various parameters that define a specific pricing method, and storing the received data regarding the bidding period and the pricing method in a memory unit of the server terminal, in association with data regarding the bidding item. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bidding support method that allows a pricing method to be flexibly selected or set depending on the bidding item for product sales. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a system for supporting bidding for product sales according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the server terminal 100 of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a functional block diagram showing the promoter terminal 200 of the bidding campaign of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of bid data stored in the server terminal 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of bid data stored in the server terminal 100 and received from a bidder. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an example of a bid support method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.It is a conceptual diagram explaining an example of evaluation data. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of a bid support method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a bid support method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of a bid support method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

[0011] <Configuration> 1 is a block diagram showing a system for executing a method for supporting bidding for product sales according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This system 1 is composed of, for example, a server terminal 100 that manages one or more bidding items and supports bidding processing for each bidding item, a host terminal 200 of a plan organizer that plans the bidding items, and bidder terminals 300 of bidders that submit bids for the bidding items. For ease of explanation, each terminal is described as being single or a specific number, but the number of each is not limited.

[0012] The server terminal 100, the host terminal 200, and the bidder terminal 300 are connected to each other via a network NW1. The network NW is configured by the Internet, an intranet, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like.

[0013] The server terminal 100 may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

[0014] The host terminal 200 and the bidder terminal 300 are, for example, information processing devices such as personal computers and tablet terminals, but may also be configured as smartphones, mobile phones, PDAs, or the like.

[0015] In this embodiment, the system 1 is described as comprising a server terminal 100, a host 200, and a bidder terminal 300, with users of each terminal using their respective terminals to operate the server terminal 100; however, the server terminal 100 may be configured as a stand-alone terminal, and the server terminal itself may have the function of allowing each host to directly operate it.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the server terminal 100 of Fig. 1. The server terminal 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit .

[0017] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for communicating with the host terminal 200 and the bidder terminals 300 via the network NW1, and communication is performed according to a communication protocol such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

[0018] The storage unit 120 stores input data, programs for executing various control processes and functions in the control unit 130, and is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The storage unit 120 also has a bid data storage unit 121 that stores various data related to bidding items. A database (not shown) storing various data may be constructed outside the storage unit 120 or the server terminal 100.

[0019] The control unit 130 controls the overall operation of the server terminal 100 by executing the programs stored in the memory unit 120, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The functions of the control unit 130 include an information reception unit 131 that receives instructions and information from each terminal, and an information processing unit 132 that refers to and processes various data related to the bidding item. The information reception unit 131 and the information processing unit 132 are activated by the programs stored in the memory unit 120 and executed by the server terminal 100, which is a computer (electronic calculator).

[0020] The information receiving unit 131 receives information from the organizer terminal 200, the bidder terminal 300, etc. via the communication unit 110. For example, from the organizer terminal 200, it receives information on the conditions related to the bidding item entered by the organizer.

[0021] The information processing unit 132 refers to various data related to the bidding item (for example, bidding data 1000, which will be described later) and performs predetermined processing.

[0022] The control unit 130 may also have a screen generation unit (not shown), which generates screen information to be displayed via the user interface of the organizer terminal 200 or the bidder terminal 300 upon request. For example, the control unit 130 generates a user interface by using image and text data (not shown) stored in the storage unit 120 as material and arranging various images and text in predetermined areas of the user interface based on predetermined layout rules. Processing related to the image generation unit may also be executed by a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0023] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the organizer terminal 200 of Fig. 1. The organizer terminal 200 includes a communication unit 210, a display operation unit 220, a storage unit 230, and a control unit 240.

[0024] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with the server terminal 100 via the network NW, and communication is performed according to a communication protocol such as TCP / IP.

[0025] The display operation unit 220 is a user interface used for inputting instructions by the user and displaying text, images, etc. in accordance with input data from the control unit 240, and is composed of a display, keyboard, and mouse if the organizer terminal 200 is configured as a personal computer, and is composed of a touch panel, etc. if the organizer terminal 200 is configured as a smartphone or tablet terminal. This display operation unit 220 is started up by a control program stored in the storage unit 230 and executed by the organizer terminal 200, which is a computer (electronic calculator).

[0026] The storage unit 230 stores input data, programs for executing various control processes and functions in the control unit 240, and is composed of RAM, ROM, etc. The storage unit 230 also temporarily stores the contents of communication with the server terminal 100.

[0027] The control unit 240 controls the overall operation of the host terminal 200 by executing the programs stored in the storage unit 230, and is composed of a CPU, a GPU, and the like.

[0028] The bidder terminal 300 can also have substantially the same configuration as the host terminal 200, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of bid data stored in the server terminal 100. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The bid data 1000 shown in FIG. 4 stores various data related to bidding. For the sake of convenience, FIG. 4 shows an example of one bidding item (for example, a bidding item identified by a bidding ID "10001" corresponding to a financial product sold by Company X), but information on multiple items can be stored. The various data related to bidding include, for example, basic data on the bidding item (for example, item name, organizer data (organizer ID, organizer name, industry, etc.), product data (product name, product category, product description, etc.), bid setting data (bidding method (open / sealed bidding), bidding period, pricing method (bid payment method, flat price method, Spanish method, etc.), various parameters defining a specific pricing method (variables defining an equation for determining a price depending on information on the bidding item and bids, etc.), parameters defining the range of the number of bids, etc.), and the like. The bid data 1000 may include, but is not limited to, bidding transaction data (bidder, bid amount, number of bids, bidding date and time, successful bidder bid amount, successful bidder, payment amount, etc.), and analysis data (sponsor data, highest successful bid price, lowest successful bid price, highest non-successful bid price, characteristics of the winning bid amount, characteristics of the successful bidder's bidding timing, characteristics of all bids, target revenue achievement rate, etc.) analyzed based on bidding item data for each item, each sponsor, each industry, each product category, etc.

[0031] <Processing flow> The flow of processing in a bidding support method executed by the system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for supporting bidding according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] First, a sponsor planning a bidding item accesses the server terminal 100 via a browser or application installed on the sponsor terminal 200 and logs in to the service. Then, to create a bidding item, the sponsor inputs necessary information from among basic data related to the bidding item, bidding transaction data, and related data via a predetermined screen displayed on the sponsor terminal 200, and the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives the input information. The information input by the sponsor includes information related to the determination of the pricing method, such as a specific pricing method selected from multiple candidates and at least one of various parameters that define the specific pricing method. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the received basic information in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as part of the bid data 1000, thereby registering the item.

[0033] In step S101, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data related to the bidding method entered by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. Bidding methods include open bidding and sealed bidding. In sealed bidding, once a bidder submits a bid, they generally cannot change their bid details, such as the bid amount or quantity, whereas in open bidding, they can update their bid details within the bidding period. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 registers the bidding method by storing the received input data related to the bidding method in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as part of the bid data 1000. In the following example, the following description is based on the premise that multiple homogeneous items (multiple identical items) are sold using sealed bidding. However, this embodiment also includes a special case in which the item being sold is one item rather than multiple items.

[0034] Next, in the process of step S102, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data on the bidding period input by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the received input data on the bidding period in the bidding data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as part of the bidding data 1000, thereby registering the bidding period.

[0035] Next, in the processing of step S103, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data on the pricing method input by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 registers the pricing method by storing the received input data on the pricing method in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as part of the bid data 1000. Here, the pricing method refers to a method for setting the payment amount to be paid by a bidder after the bidding results are finalized.

[0036] The goods to be sold are allocated in descending order of the bid amounts in the bid vector. Here, the bid vector is, for example, a combination (b,q) = ((b_1,q_1),(b_2,q_2),...,(b_n,q_n)) of bid details (b_i,q_i) such as the bid amount b_i and the quantity q_i of each bidder i. The person who has made a bid that has been allocated goods will be the successful bidder for the allocated quantity. As an example, consider a situation where five units of the same goods are for sale and there are four bidders. Let's assume the bidding situation is as follows. That is, 1) Bidder A bids "2 units for 20 yen" (b_A=20,q_A=2). *"20 yen" is the bid amount per unit. 2) Bidder B bids "1 item for 13 yen" (b_B=13, q_B=1). 3) Bidder C bids "2 units for 11 yen" (b_C=11,q_c=2). *"11 yen" is the bid amount per unit. 4) Bidder D bids "1 for 9 yen" (b_D=9,q_D=1). From the above, the bid vector is (b,q)=((20,2),(13,1),(11,2),(9,1)). Incidentally, it is possible for "Bidder A and Bidder B to be the same person." A person who bids both "2 units for 20 yen" and "1 unit for 13 yen" will be represented here as two bidders. The top five bids are "Bidder A's 2 units for 20 yen," "Bidder B's 1 unit for 13 yen," and "Bidder C's 2 units for 11 yen." These are the "winning bids," and the goods will be allocated to them as successful bidders. Note that if there are multiple bidders who have placed the same bid amount, and the number of goods to be allocated is less than the total number of items desired at that bid amount, the winning bid will be determined by information other than the bid amount, a lottery, or a combination of both.

[0037] The amount paid by the successful bidder can vary depending on the pricing method. Below are some examples. 1) Bid payment method: The bid amount is the price for each person. In other words, "Bidder A's 2 units for 20 yen" will be 20 yen for both units, "Bidder B's 1 unit for 13 yen" will be 13 yen, and "Bidder C's 2 units for 11 yen" will be 11 yen for both units. The organizer will receive a total of (20 + 20) + 13 + (11 + 11) = 75 yen. 2) Flat price method: The lowest winning bid is the price for each bidder. In other words, "Bidder A's 2 items for 20 yen, "Bidder B's 1 item for 13 yen, and "Bidder C's 2 items for 11 yen each earn 1 + (11 + 11) = 55 yen." 3) Spanish Method: The average value of the winning bids is (20+20+13+11+11) / 5=75 / 5=15 yen. The amount each person pays per item is limited to the average value of the winning bids. In other words, for "Bidder A's 20 yen," which exceeds the average of 15 yen, the price per item is limited to 15 yen. On the other hand, "Bidder B's 1 item for 14 yen," which is below the average, is priced at 14 yen, and "Bidder C's 2 items for 11 yen," which is also below the average, is priced at 11 yen per item. The organizer receives a total of (15+15)+13+(11+11)=65 yen.

[0038] In this step, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 sets the following function F using the information regarding the determination of the pricing method input by the organizer. That is, the function F provides the payment vector F(b,q)=(F_1(b,q), F_2(b,q), ..., F_n(b,q)) of bidder i=1,2, ..., n according to the bid vector (b,q). Here, F_i(b,q) represents the payment amount of bidder i. In other words, the information regarding the determination of the pricing method determines the shape of the function F, and the function F determines the payment amount of each bidder according to the given bid vector.

[0039] Next, in step S104, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 transmits data regarding the registered bidding item, including information regarding the bidding period and pricing method, to multiple bidder terminals 300, thereby making the contents of the bidding item public.

[0040] 7 is a flowchart showing another example of a method for supporting bidding according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the following description will be given assuming that bids are accepted from multiple bidders for the published bidding item.

[0041] In step S201, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data on the bid amount and bid quantity entered by the bidders for the bidding item from multiple bidder terminals 300 via the communication unit 110. Here, when each bidder i enters his or her bid amount and bid quantity (b_i, q_i) as the bid details at each bidder terminal 300, the bid vector is expressed as (b, q) = ((b_1, q_1), (b_2, q_2), ..., (b_n, q_n)). However, depending on various parameters set in advance by the organizer, the range of numbers that bidders can enter for p_i and q_i may be limited or the numbers may be fixed. If the numbers are fixed, the setting is usually such that bidders do not have to bother to enter the numbers. 5, for example, bidder A bids "2 units for 20 yen," bidder B bids "1 unit for 13 yen," bidder C bids "2 units for 11 yen," and bidder D bids "1 unit for 9 yen." Information processing unit 132 of control unit 130 of server terminal 100 stores the received input data regarding the bid amounts and quantities in bid data storage unit 121 of memory unit 120 as bid data 1000.

[0042] Next, in step S202, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 determines the winning bidder (winning bid) in descending order of bid amount based on data regarding bid amounts and bid quantities input by multiple bidders via the communication unit 110. For example, the top five bid amounts are "Bidder A's 2 units for 20 yen," "Bidder B's 1 unit for 13 yen," and "Bidder C's 2 units for 11 yen." These bids are determined as "winning bids," and the goods are allocated to bidders A, B, and C. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the determined winning bidder (winning bid) in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as bid data 1000. If there are multiple bidders with the same bid amount, the winning bid is determined based on information other than the bid amount, by random drawing, or by a combination of these two methods.

[0043] Subsequently, in the process of step S203, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 refers to the information related to the determination of the pricing method, which is stored in the bid data 1000 of the bid data storage unit 121 of the storage unit 121.

[0044] Next, in step S204, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 determines the payment amount for each bidder based on the information regarding the determination of the pricing method and the bid vector. Here, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 assigns a payment amount vector F(b,q)=(F_1(b,q), F_2(b,q), ..., F_n(b,q)) to the bid vector (b,q). Here, F_i(b,q) represents the payment amount for bidder i, and can be zero (if i is the losing bidder, this value is usually zero. Usually, the organizer sets F to be zero). As explained above, for example, if F corresponds to the bid payment method, bidder A will pay 20 yen for both items, bidder B will pay 13 yen, and bidder C will pay 11 yen for both items, resulting in a total of 75 yen for the organizer. Furthermore, if F corresponds to the flat price system, bidders A, B, and C will all pay 11 yen per unit, and the organizer will receive a total of 55 yen. Thus, according to this embodiment, the organizer can flexibly set the pricing system depending on the bidding for the product sale. This selection can also increase sales. For example, while the bid payment system may at first glance appear to maximize the organizer's sales, this is not always the case. This is because bidders change their bid amount and quantity depending on the pricing system. For example, under the flat price system, the minimum bid price is the amount paid per unit, so bidders feel comfortable placing high bids. If many bidders behave in this way, the minimum bid price will rise, potentially increasing the organizer's sales. The important thing is that the organizer can flexibly select and set the pricing system according to their own objectives.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a bidding support method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] First, in step S301, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data related to the bidding method input by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. Bidding methods include open bidding and sealed bidding. In sealed bidding, once a bidder has placed a bid, they are generally unable to change their bid details, such as the bid amount or quantity, whereas in open bidding, bidders can update their bid details within the bidding period. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 registers the bidding method by storing the received input data related to the bidding method in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as bid data 1000. In the following example, the following description is based on the assumption that multiple homogeneous goods (multiple items of the same item) are sold using sealed bidding.

[0047] Next, in the process of step S302, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data on the bidding period input by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the received input data on the bidding period in the bidding data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as bidding data 1000, thereby registering the bidding period.

[0048] Next, in the process of step S303, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives data on the upper limit of the payment amount entered by the organizer for the bidding item from the organizer terminal 200 via the communication unit 110. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the received input data on the upper limit of the payment amount in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as bid data 1000, thereby registering the upper limit of the payment amount. In this step, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 sets the following function G. That is, the function G gives the "upper limit of the price that a bidder will pay," and the payment amount vector F is defined by G.

[0049] Next, in step S304, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 transmits data regarding the registered bidding item, including information regarding the setting of the upper limit of the payment amount, to multiple bidder terminals 300, thereby making the contents of the bidding item public.

[0050] 9 is a flowchart showing another example of a method for supporting bidding according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the following description will be given assuming that bids are accepted from multiple bidders for the published bidding item.

[0051] In step S401, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives, via the communication unit 110, data on the bid amounts and bid quantities for the bidding item, which are determined by various parameters entered by the bidders or set in advance by the organizer, from multiple bidder terminals 300. When each bidder i enters his or her bid amount and bid quantity (b_i, q_i) at each bidder terminal 300, the bid vector can be expressed as (b, q) = ((b_1, q_1), (b_2, q_2), ..., (b_n, q_n)). Here, the bid amounts and bid quantities entered by each bidder are, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, for Bidder A's bid of "2 units at 20 yen," Bidder B's bid of "1 unit at 13 yen," Bidder C's bid of "2 units at 11 yen," and Bidder D's bid of "1 unit at 9 yen." The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the received input data relating to the bid price and quantity in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as bid data 1000 .

[0052] Next, in step S402, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 determines a successful bidder (winning bid) based on data regarding the bid amount and the bid quantity via the communication unit 110. For example, the top five bid amounts are "bidder A's 2 units for 20 yen," "bidder B's 1 unit for 13 yen," and "bidder C's 2 units for 11 yen," and these are determined to be "winning bids," and the goods will be allocated to bidders A, B, and C. The information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 stores the determined successful bidder (winning bid) in the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120 as part of the bid data 1000.

[0053] Next, in the processing of step S403, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 refers to information regarding the determination of the above-mentioned pricing method stored in the bid data 1000 of the bid data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 121, and also refers to the upper limit of the payment amount set above.

[0054] Next, in step S404, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 determines the payment amount of the winning bidder based on information regarding the determination of the pricing method and information regarding bid details such as the bid amount and the number of bids. Here, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 assigns an upper limit vector G(b,q)=(G_1(b,q), G_2(b,q), ..., G_n(b,q)) to the bid vector (b,q). The information processing unit 132 then determines that the payment amount of a winning bid where b_i > G_i(b,q) is limited to G_i(b,q), and that the payment amount of a winning bid where b_i ≦ G_i(b,q) is b_i. In other words, the bidder who places the winning bid pays F_i(b,q)=min{G_i(b,q),b_i} yen per unit to the organizer and receives the goods. For example, if G is a set of G_i(b,q) for each possible (b,q), a) In terms of the function that corresponds to the "average value" of the winning bids, this bidding method is consistent with the Spanish method. b) If the function is such that the "maximum" of the winning bid corresponds, then this bidding method is consistent with the bid-pay method. c) If we use a function that matches the "minimum value" of the winning bid, then this bidding method is consistent with the flat price method. G can also set upper limits based on information such as the age of the bidder, rather than just the bid amount or number of bids. For example, a relatively low upper limit can be set for younger bidders so that they pay less. In other words, by equipping an online bidding system with this functionality, organizers can easily create various pricing methods.

[0055] Here, in relation to the functions disclosed in the first and second embodiments, the information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 can: a) calculate the statistical analysis results of the bids after the end of the bidding period, and display them on the management screen of the organizer terminal 200. Examples of the statistical analysis results include the following: 1) Highest successful bid (highest winning bid), lowest successful bid (lowest winning bid), highest non-successful bid (highest losing bid) 2) The nature of the winning bid amount (average, variance, etc.) 3) The nature of the winning bid (date, time, etc.) 4) The nature of all bids (average, variance, etc.) 5) The nature of all bids (date, time, etc.)

[0056] The information processing unit 132 can also calculate and display statistical analysis results for a plurality of bidding events designated by the user from among a large number of bidding events held in the past. Examples of statistical analysis results include the following: 1) Suppose product X is sold using the bid payment method in bidding event A, and the flat price method in bidding event B. In this case, if you use this function, the results of 1) above for A and the results of 1) above for B will be calculated and displayed side by side for easy comparison. For example, if "A has a higher reserve price than B," only A will be displayed in red. 2) Calculate and display statistical analysis results for bidding events that have been conducted using common methods (e.g., bid payment method). For example, in the bid payment method, the variance of bid amounts and the achievement rate of target revenues are displayed. Furthermore, the information processing unit 132 can simultaneously calculate and display the above (a) for multiple methods. This makes it possible to quantitatively compare which of the bid payment method and the flat price method has a higher rate of achieving the target profit amount. This embodiment not only allows the organizer to flexibly select and set the pricing method, but also allows the organizer to determine the selection and setting of the pricing method based on statistics.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made. These embodiments, modifications, and omissions, substitutions, and modifications are included in the technical scope of the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 System 100 Server terminal, 110 Communication unit, 120 Storage unit, 130 Control unit, 200 Host terminal, 300 Bidder terminal, NW1 Network

Claims

1. 1. A method for supporting bidding for a sale of a commodity, comprising: The control unit of the server terminal receiving input data relating to the bidding item from a host terminal of a host who plans the bidding item; receiving input data from the organizer terminal regarding the setting of a pricing method for the bidding item, such as a specific pricing method selected from a plurality of candidates and at least one of various parameters that define the specific pricing method; The method further comprises storing the received data on the pricing method in a memory unit of the server terminal in association with data on the bidding item.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, The control unit receives input data related to a bidding method for the bidding item from the organizer terminal.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, The control unit receives input data regarding bid details, such as bid amount and bid quantity, from the bidder terminals of multiple bidders for the bidding item, and determines multiple possible successful bidders from among the multiple bidders based on the received input data.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, The control unit determines a payment amount for each of the successful bidders based on the pricing method and the input data of the successful bidders.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, receiving input data from the host terminal regarding a maximum payment amount for the bidding item, and determining a payment amount for each of the successful bidders based on the maximum payment amount.

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