Instant Messaging Real-Time Bidding via P2P Gateways
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network-based commerce systems face challenges in providing real-time communication and alert notifications to clients, such as outbid alerts and auction updates, which are typically limited to electronic mail messaging and lack immediacy.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that utilizes instant messaging clients, particularly through peer-to-peer (P2P) networks like Skype, to enable real-time bidding and notifications by integrating instant messaging services into the commerce system, allowing secure and direct communication between clients and the marketplace via P2P gateways and commerce servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electronic mail messaging is used for notifications, then system complexity is reduced, but real-time communication capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an instant messaging server as an intermediary component that bridges the commerce system and clients. This server receives notification requests from the commerce system, converts them into instant messaging format, and delivers them to clients through the P2P network. This intermediary approach enables real-time communication without requiring the entire commerce system to be rebuilt with complex P2P infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the commerce system handles auction logic, the P2P gateway manages network connectivity, the instant messaging server handles message routing, and P2P clients provide user interfaces. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, reducing overall system complexity while enabling real-time communication capabilities.
2Speed
If P2P network is implemented for real-time messaging, then communication speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines existing mature technologies into a unified system: P2P network technology for direct peer-to-peer communication, instant messaging protocols for message formatting and routing, and commerce system APIs for integration. By merging these proven technologies rather than developing new ones, the system achieves fast real-time communication without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If instant messaging integration is added to commerce system, then user engagement is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables clients to self-configure their communication preferences through the instant messaging client interface. Users can set their availability status, choose notification preferences, and manage their contact lists directly within the familiar IM environment. This self-service capability improves user engagement without requiring complex administrative interfaces or configuration systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided to implement real-time bidding using instant messaging. In one embodiment, real time messaging may be provided through IM messaging via an IM server over the internet, between a client and a web-based commerce system. The IM server may be provided by various service providers. In another embodiment, real-time messaging between a client and a web-based commerce system may take place over a P2P network provided by a service provider e.g. Skype. The real time messages may include notification messages communicated from the commerce system to a client. A notification message may include an outbid alert message. The real time messages may include re-bid messages communicated from a client to the commerce system.