Systems and methods to modify interaction rules during run time

• US 10,055,745 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark, Stan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winter, John M
• Application Number:
  US13/237,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics

Abstract

In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are independent from each other in processing and are linked via prerequisite conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign. The computing apparatus is configured to store data indicating the completion statuses of the events and process the events, including the scheduled actions, if any, in an atomic way. Thus, the offer rules can be changed on-the-fly during run time execution by the computing apparatus.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a computing apparatus comprising;

a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network in communication paths between;

transaction terminals configured to initiate payment transactions made using payment accounts; and

issuer processors configured to control the payment accounts;

a portal configured to provide a communications interface for communicating with user and merchant computing devices without using the communication paths, and

a data warehouse, coupled with the portal and the transaction handler, configured to store data indicating a completion status of events for each of a plurality of users;

receiving, by the portal, from a user computing device of a first user, a communication reference of the first user;

receiving, by the portal, from a merchant computing device, input data specifying a set of event records that defines a campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record, each respective event record in the set of event records having a plurality of data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record,

the second event record further having;

a fourth field to specify the identifier of the first event record as a prerequisite for processing of the second event record;

generating, by the computing apparatus, trigger records according to the set of event records identified in the input data to detect a first event associated with the first event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record and to detect a second event associated with the second event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record, wherein the second event associated with the second event record is not detected before the first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field as the prerequisite of the second event record is detected;

storing, in the data warehouse, the trigger records generated according to the set of event records identified in the input data;

identifying, by the transaction handler, a first communication associated with the first event for the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, in real-time with providing a response to the first communication, wherein the first event corresponds to a transaction made in the electronic payment processing network;

detecting, by the transaction handler, the second event required of the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record in a sequence according to the prerequisite identified by the identifier of the first event record specified in the fourth field of the second event record;

in response to an occurrence of each event associated with each event record of the set of the event records for the first user;

performing, by the computing apparatus, an action specified in a corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

determining, by a message broker, a message specified by the corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

transmitting, by a media controller, the message to the user computing device via the communication reference in accordance with the input data, the message transmitted to arrive at the user computing device in real time with the occurrence of the respective event;

storing, in the computing apparatus, data indicating completion of the respective event by the first user in the campaign;

receiving, via the portal, from the merchant computing device, a modification to the input data at a time during the campaign when the first user has a position between a beginning of the campaign and an ending of the campaign, the position based on completion of at least one event associated with the set of event records that defines the campaign; and

updating, by the computing apparatus, in the data warehouse, at least one of the trigger records according to the modification while preserving the position of the first user in the campaign as modified by the modification to the input data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification comprises a modification to at least one of:

a time window of the second event, a target user set of the second event, an action specified for the second event, or the prerequisite for processing of the second event record.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating is performed with a need to modify the data indicating the completion of the at least one event by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the modification to the input data comprises adding a third event record to the set of event records, the method further comprising:

updating, by the computing apparatus, the trigger records according to the third event record, without a need to modify the data indicating the completion of the at least one event by the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication reference is at least one of:

a phone number or an email address; and

the message is transmitted via at least one of;

a short message service or an email.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises one or more offers;

and the input data defines rules for the offers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein for each event record in the set of event records, the input data identifies at least one of:

a set of users the event associated with the respective event record which is to be detected;

a time window during which the event associated with the respective event record is to be detected;

or

at least one action to be performed in response to detection of the event associated with the respective event record according to the input data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event type includes at least one of:

a first type of event corresponding to transactions being processed by a transaction handler;

a second type of event corresponding to user interactions with the computing apparatus;

or

a third type of event corresponding to completions of one or more predetermined events.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing thereon instructions, the instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to:

receive, by a portal, from a user computing device of a first user, a communication reference of the first user, wherein the computing apparatus comprises the portal, a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network in communication paths between transaction terminals configured to initiate payment transactions made using payment accounts and issuer processors configured to control the payment accounts, and a data warehouse, coupled with the portal and the transaction handler, configured to store data indicating a completion status of events for each of a plurality of users, and wherein the portal is configured to provide a communications interface for communicating with user and merchant computing devices without using the communication paths, and;

receive, by the portal, from a merchant computing device, input data specifying a set of event records that defines a campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record, each respective event record in the set of event records having a plurality of data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record,

the second event record further having;

a fourth field to specify the identifier of the first event record as a prerequisite for processing of the second event record;

generate, by the computing apparatus, trigger records according to the set of event records identified in the input data to detect a first event associated with the first event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record and to detect a second event associated with the second event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record, wherein the second event associated with the second event record is not detected before the first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field as the prerequisite of the second event record is detected;

store, in the data warehouse, the trigger records generated according to the set of event records identified in the input data;

identify, by the transaction handler, a first communication associated with the first event for the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, in real-time with providing a response to the first communication, wherein the first event corresponds to a transaction made in the electronic payment processing network;

detect, by the transaction handler, the second event required of the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record in a sequence according to the prerequisite identified by the identifier of the first event record specified in the fourth field of the second event record;

in response to an occurrence of each event associated with each event record of the set of the event records for the first user;

perform, by the computing apparatus, an action specified in a corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

determine, by a message broker, a message specified by the corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

transmit, by a media controller, the message to the user computing device via the communication reference in accordance with the input data, the message transmitted to arrive at the user computing device in real time with the occurrence of the respective event;

store, in the computing apparatus, data indicating completion of the respective event by the first user in the campaign;

receive, via the portal, from the merchant computing device, a modification to the input data at a time during the campaign when the first user has a position between a beginning of the campaign and an ending of the campaign, the position based on completion of at least one event associated with the set of event records that defines the campaign; and

update, by the computing apparatus, in the data warehouse, at least one of the trigger records according to the modification while preserving the position of the first user in the campaign as modified by the modification to the input data.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the modification comprises a change to the prerequisite for processing of the second event record.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the change to the prerequisite comprises a change to the fourth field of the second event record of the set of event records.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the modification comprises a modification to at least one of:

a time window of the first event, a target user set of the first event, an action specified for the first event, or the prerequisite for processing of the second event record.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the updating is performed with a need to modify the data indicating the completion of the at least one event by the first user.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein

the modification to the input data comprises adding a third event record to the set of event records;

and

wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the computing apparatus to update the trigger records according to the third event record, without a need to modify the data indicating the completion of the at least one event by the first user.

15. A system, comprising:

a computing apparatus comprising;

a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network in communication paths between;

transaction terminals configured to initiate payment transactions made using payment accounts; and

issuer processors configured to control the payment accounts;

a portal configured to provide a communications interface for communicating with user and merchant computing devices without using the communication paths, and

a data warehouse, coupled with the portal and the transaction handler, configured to store data indicating a completion status of events for each of a plurality of users;

the computing apparatus configured to;

receive, by the portal, from a user computing device of a first user, a communication reference of the first user;

receive, by the portal, from a merchant computing device, input data specifying a set of event records that defines a campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record, each respective event record in the set of event records having a plurality of data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record,

the second event record further having;

a fourth field to specify the identifier of the first event record as a prerequisite for processing of the second event record;

generate, by the computing apparatus, trigger records according to the set of event records identified in the input data to detect a first event associated with the first event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record and to detect a second event associated with the second event record based on the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record, wherein the second event associated with the second event record is not detected before the first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field as the prerequisite of the second event record is detected;

store, in the data warehouse, the trigger records generated according to the set of event records identified in the input data;

identify, by the transaction handler, a first communication associated with the first event for the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the first event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, in real-time with providing a response to the first communication, wherein the first event corresponds to a transaction made in the electronic payment processing network;

detect, by the transaction handler, the second event required of the first user based on at least one of the trigger records that identifies the event type specified in the first field of the second event record and the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record in a sequence according to the prerequisite identified by the identifier of the first event record specified in the fourth field of the second event record;

in response to an occurrence of each event associated with each event record of the set of the event records for the first user;

performing, by the computing apparatus, an action specified in a corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

determining, by a message broker, a message specified by the corresponding one of the event records specified in the input data;

transmitting, by a media controller, the message to the user computing device via the communication reference in accordance with the input data, the message transmitted to arrive at the user computing device in real time with the occurrence of the respective event;

store, in the computing apparatus, data indicating completion of the respective event by the first user in the campaign;

receive, via the portal, from the merchant computing device, a modification to the input data at a time during the campaign when the first user has a position between a beginning of the campaign and an ending of the campaign, the position based on completion of at least one event associated with the set of event records that defines the campaign; and

update, by the computing apparatus, in the data warehouse, at least one of the trigger records according to the modification while preserving the position of the first user in the campaign as modified by the modification to the input data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the event type includes at least one of:

a first type of event corresponding to transactions being processed by a transaction handler;

a second type of event corresponding to user interactions with the computing apparatus;

or

a third type of event corresponding to completions of one or more predetermined events.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing apparatus is configured to provide the trigger records to the transaction handler, wherein the first communication comprises an authorization request, and wherein the transaction handler is configured to identify the authorization request based on the at least one of the trigger records in real-time with providing the response to the authorization request.