Systems and methods to formulate offers via mobile devices and transaction data

• US 10,096,043 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beck, Andrew, Badea, Sebastian, Pandey, Vanita
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoltenberg, David J
• Application Number:
  US13/747,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A computing apparatus is configured to formulate and adjust offers to users of mobile devices that are configured to capture identification information of products, such as UPC codes. The transaction data of the user, the activities of the user capturing the identification information of products, the location of the user, and the user'"'"'s reactions to the offers are used to incrementally adjust the offers according to offer rules specified by the merchants. The mobile devices can be used to initiate a checkout process for purchasing items identified by the captured identification information of the products from the physical retail store at which the user is currently located, or via an online store associated with an offer presented via the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a computing apparatus having;

a data warehouse storing information about products available from merchants and transaction data of users;

an artificial intelligence engine; and

a portal;

receiving, via the portal over a communication connection from a mobile device positioned in a retail location, identification information of a product disposed in the retail location;

determining, by the computing apparatus, a list of retail prices at a plurality of merchants for the product based on the information about products stored in the data warehouse;

communicating, by the computing apparatus via the portal to the mobile device, the list of retail prices to cause the mobile device to present the list to a user of the mobile device;

determining, by the computing apparatus based on the transaction data stored in the data warehouse, whether the mobile device is used to purchase the product from the retail location;

in response to a determination that the mobile device is not used to purchase the product from the retail location and a determination that the mobile device is leaving the retail location,

generating, by the computing apparatus, an offer according to the identification information of the product;

communicating, by the computing apparatus, the offer to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to present the offer to the user of the mobile device; and

virtually representing, by the artificial intelligence engine, a merchant of the retail location in negotiating with the user of the mobile device according to best practices of deal negotiation and iteratively identifying, by the artificial intelligence engine according to rules specified for the offer, increases of the benefit of the offer provided to the user, wherein each iteration of the iteratively identifying of the increases includes;

receiving data indicating further actions of the user detected via the mobile device, the data comprising a number or type of products scanned by the user that are related to the product;

calculating intensity of interest of the user in the product;

calculating, under a condition that the offer is improved, a confidence level of the user of the mobile device purchasing the product from the retail location based on the data indicating further actions of the user detected via the mobile device; and

computing a corresponding one of the further increases in response to the further actions of the user and based on;

the intensity of interest of the user in the product; and

the likelihood confidence level of the user of the mobile device purchasing the product from the retail location;

communicating, by the portal, the increases of the benefit to the mobile device;

storing, in the data warehouse coupled with a transaction handler of an electronic payment processing network, the offer in association with a payment account of the user; and

transmitting to the mobile device a real-time message about the offer, in response to authorization of a transaction, to which the offer is applicable, being processed by the transaction handler, wherein the real-time message is configured to arrive at the mobile device substantially at a same time when an authorization response for the transaction arrives at a transaction terminal at the retail location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is generated based on transaction data of a user of the mobile device and prior identification information of products captured via the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is generated in response to a retail price at a competitor of the retail location, as presented in the list, being lower than a retail price of the product at the retail location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is generated in response to the mobile device being used to make a purchase from a competitor of the retail location in accordance with the list of retail prices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is generated in response to the mobile device leaving the retail location after the presentation of the list of retail prices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the product and the products related to the product are in the same product category.

6. A computing system, comprising:

at least a processor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to perform operations;

a data warehouse configured to store information about products available from merchants and transaction data of users;

a portal configured to communicate with a mobile device to determine identification information of a product disposed in a retail location, wherein the mobile device is positioned in the retail location of a first merchant and the portal is further configured to provide, based on the stored information about products available from the merchants, a list of retail prices at a plurality of merchants for the product to the mobile device and an offer from the first merchant; and

an artificial intelligence engine configured to;

receive information indicating actions of a user detected via the mobile device, the information comprising a number or type of products scanned by the user that are related to the product,

calculate intensity of interest of the user in the product;

calculate, under a condition that the offer is improved, a confidence level of the user of the mobile device purchasing the product from the retail location based on the information indicating actions of the user,

virtually represent, by the artificial intelligence engine, a merchant of the retail location in negotiating with the user of the mobile device according to best practices of deal negotiation and iteratively identify adjustments to a benefit of the offer from the first merchant, wherein each iteration of the adjustments is based on;

the intensity of interest of the user in the product;

the confidence level of the user purchasing the product from the retail location identified based on the actions of the user detected via the mobile device,

transaction data of the user, and

in response to the information collected by the mobile device about the actions of the user at the retail location, and

instruct the portal to communicate the adjustments to mobile device of the user in response to the actions of the user;

wherein redemption of the benefit of the offer requires the user purchasing the product from the first merchant;

wherein the data warehouse is coupled with a transaction handler of an electronic payment processing network and further configured to store the offer in association with a payment account of the user; and

wherein the portal is configured to transmit to the mobile device a real-time message about the offer, in response to authorization of a transaction, to which the offer is applicable, being processed by the transaction handler, wherein the real-time message is configured to arrive at the mobile device substantially at a same time when an authorization response for the transaction arrives at a transaction terminal at the retail location.

9. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the product and the products related to the product are in the same product category.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, via a portal of the computing apparatus over a communication connection from a mobile device positioned in a retail location, identification information of a product disposed in the retail location, wherein the computing apparatus includes;

a data warehouse storing information about products available from merchants and transaction data of users;

an artificial intelligence engine; and

the portal;

determining, by the computing apparatus, a list of retail prices at a plurality of merchants for the product based on the information about products stored in the data warehouse;

communicating, by the computing apparatus via the portal to the mobile device, the list of retail prices to cause the mobile device to present the list to a user of the mobile device;

determining, by the computing apparatus based on the transaction data stored in the data warehouse, whether the mobile device is used to purchase the product from the retail location;

in response to a determination that the mobile device is not used to purchase the product from the retail location and a determination that the mobile device is leaving the retail location,

generating, by the computing apparatus, an offer according to the identification information of the product;

communicating, by the computing apparatus, the offer to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to present the offer to the user of the mobile device; and

virtually representing, by the artificial intelligence engine, a merchant of the retail location in negotiating with the user of the mobile device according to best practices of deal negotiation and iteratively identifying, by the artificial intelligence engine according to rules specified for the offer, increases of the benefit of the offer provided to the user, wherein each iteration of the iteratively identifying of the increases includes;

receiving data indicating further actions of the user detected via the mobile device, the data comprising a number or type of products scanned by the user that are related to the product;

calculating intensity of interest of the user in the product;

calculating, under a condition that the offer is improved, a confidence level of the user of the mobile device purchasing the product from the retail location based on the data indicating further actions of the user detected via the mobile device; and

computing a corresponding one of the further increases in response to the further actions of the user and based on;

the intensity of interest of the user in the product; and

the likelihood confidence level of the user of the mobile device purchasing the product from the retail location;

communicating, by the portal, the increases of the benefit to the mobile device;

storing, in the data warehouse coupled with a transaction handler of an electronic payment processing network, the offer in association with a payment account of the user; and

transmitting to the mobile device a real-time message about the offer, in response to authorization of a transaction, to which the offer is applicable, being processed by the transaction handler, wherein the real-time message is configured to arrive at the mobile device substantially at a same time when an authorization response for the transaction arrives at a transaction terminal at the retail location.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the product and the products related to the product are in the same product category.