Fine print builder

• US 10,255,620 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Koren, Amit, Larrain, Francisco, Koshy, Tanya, Kaushik, Karan, Zilleruelo, Ricardo, Arenas, Matias, Kochar, Kavita, Wooten, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansari, Azam A
• Application Number:
  US13/929,253
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705 144
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of fine print for promotions. The method includes receiving identifying information that identifies one or more locations and either a product or service, transmitting the identifying information, and receiving, based on the identifying information, information including a set of relevant fine print clause data structures. The method further includes displaying, by a user interface, one or more fine print clauses from the relevant fine print clause data structures and generating, using a processor, a configured fine print data structure based on the displayed fine print clauses and input received via the user interface. Finally, the method includes transmitting the configured fine print data structure. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for machine learning to programmatically select and transmit relevant fine print clause data structures to a user device to facilitate user definition of configured fine print data structures for a promotion that is offered by a promotion and marketing service, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user device, information identifying one or more locations at which a customer may redeem the promotion and either a product or a service for which the promotion may be redeemed;

automatically identifying and dynamically generating, based on the received information, the relevant fine print clause data structures stored in a memory, wherein fine print clause data comprises legal and contractual parameters that outline a term, timing, and constraints for how and when a promotion may be redeemed, the term, timing, and constraints for how and when a promotion may be redeemed comprising and further comprise limitations on liability, conditions for eligibility, and warnings that a merchant places on a promotion, and further comprises an indication that the promotion must be redeemed prior to a specified deadline, for a specific good, service or experience,

wherein the automatically identifying and dynamically generating of the relevant fine print clause data structures comprises;

searching the memory for one or more mapping data structures associated with the location and either the product or the service;

receiving search results comprising the one or more mapping data structures;

retrieving the fine print clause data structures listed in the one or more mapping data structures;

determining a causal relationship between the retrieved fine print clause data structures and performance of promotions to which the retrieved fine print clause data structure have been applied to determine an impact of a given fine print clause on promotion performance,

wherein the determining of the impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance comprises;

querying a historical database to retrieve a historical set of previously offered promotions, searching the associated fine print for certain phrases from the fine print clause data structure, and flagging each historical promotion as containing or not containing the phrases included in the fine print clause data structure; and

applying a multivariable linear regression model, including the fine print clauses and other deal parameters including at least a location and a merchant quality, to determine the impact of a given fine print clause on deal performance;

selecting the relevant fine print clause data structures based on the determined impacts; and

assigning, based on the determined impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance, each of the selected relevant fine print clause data structures one of three default fields, including;

a “

Show-By-Default”

field, a “

Select-By-Default”

field, and a “

Required-By-Default”

field, wherein the default fields indicate default rules for configuring the relevant fine print clause data structures for a given promotion, wherein if the “

Show-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user via the user interface for the user'"'"'s selection, if the “

Select-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user for selection, but will also be automatically selected, and therefore will be included in the fine print for the promotion unless the user specifically deselects the fine print clause, and if the “

Required-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user, selected for inclusion in the fine print for the promotion, and will not be de-selectable;

transmitting the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device, configured for display in accordance with a respective impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance;

receiving, from the user device, the configured fine print data structure for the promotion based on the transmitted relevant fine print clause data structures, wherein the promotion is generated for display by the promotion and marketing service; and

generating, by the processor, in real-time, a promotion including a fine print string based on the configured fine print data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving from the one or more mapping data structures, for each fine print clause data structure, presentation information indicating whether a fine print clause associated with the fine print clause data structure is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection,

wherein transmitting the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device includes transmitting the presentation information for each fine print clause data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one fine print clause data structure includes configurable text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each fine print clause data structure includes fields indicating default instructions regarding whether an associated fine print clause is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection.

5. An apparatus for machine learning to programmatically select and transmit relevant fine print clause data structures to a user device to facilitate user definition of configured fine print data structures for a promotion, the apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory, the memory storing computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to:

receive, from the user device, information identifying one or more locations at which a customer may redeem the promotion and either a product or a service for which the promotion may be redeemed;

automatically identify and dynamically generate, based on the received information, the relevant fine print clause data structures stored in a memory,

wherein the automatic identification and dynamic generation of the relevant fine print clause data structures comprises;

searching the memory for one or more mapping data structures associated with the location and either the product or the service;

receiving search results comprising the one or more mapping data structures;

retrieving the fine print clause data structures listed in the one or more mapping data structures;

determining a causal relationship between the retrieved fine print clause data structures and performance of promotions to which the retrieved fine print clause data structure have been applied to determine an impact of a given fine print clause on promotion performance,

wherein the determining of the impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance comprises;

querying a historical database to retrieve a historical set of previously offered promotions, searching the associated fine print for certain phrases from the fine print clause data structure, and flagging each historical promotion as containing or not containing the phrases included in the fine print clause data structure; and

applying a multivariable linear regression model, including the fine print clauses and other deal parameters including at least a location and a merchant quality, to determine the impact of a given fine print clause on deal performance;

selecting the relevant fine print clause data structures based on the determined impacts; and

assigning, based on the determined impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance, each of the selected relevant fine print clause data structures one of three default fields, including;

a “

Show-By-Default”

field, a “

Select-By-Default”

field, and a “

Required-By-Default”

field, wherein the default fields indicate default rules for configuring the relevant fine print clause data structures for a given promotion, wherein if the “

Show-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user via the user interface for the user'"'"'s selection, if the “

Select-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user for selection, but will also be automatically selected, and therefore will be included in the fine print for the promotion unless the user specifically deselects the fine print clause, and if the “

Required-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user, selected for inclusion in the fine print for the promotion, and will not be de-selectable;

transmit the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device, configured for display in accordance with a respective impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance;

receive, from the user device, the configured fine print data structure for the promotion based on the transmitted relevant fine print clause data structures, wherein the promotion is generated for display by the promotion and marketing service; and

generate, by the processor, in real-time, a promotion including a fine print string based on the configured fine print data structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:

retrieve from the one or more mapping data structures, for each fine print clause data structure, presentation information indicating whether a fine print clause associated with the fine print clause data structure is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection,

wherein transmitting the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device includes transmitting the presentation information for each fine print clause data structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one fine print clause data structure includes configurable text.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each fine print clause data structure includes fields indicating default instructions regarding whether an associated fine print clause is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection.

9. A computer program product for machine learning to programmatically select and transmit relevant fine print clause data structures to a user device to facilitate user definition of configured fine print data structures for a promotion, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to:

receive, from the user device, information identifying one or more locations at which a customer may redeem the promotion and either a product or a service for which the promotion may be redeemed;

automatically identifying and dynamically generating, based on the received information, the relevant fine print clause data structures stored in a memory, wherein fine print clause data comprises legal and contractual parameters that outline a term, timing, and constraints for how and when a promotion may be redeemed, and further comprise limitations on liability, conditions for eligibility, and warnings that a merchant places on a promotion, and further comprises an indication that the promotion must be redeemed prior to a specified deadline, for a specific good, service or experience,

wherein the automatically identifying and dynamically generating of the relevant fine print clause data structures comprises;

searching the memory for one or more mapping data structures associated with the location and either the product or the service;

receiving search results comprising the one or more mapping data structures;

retrieving the fine print clause data structures listed in the one or more mapping data structures;

determining

a causal relationship between the retrieved fine print clause data structures and performance of promotions to which the retrieved fine print clause data structure have been applied to determine an impact of a given fine print clause on promotion performance,

wherein the determining of the impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance comprises;

querying a historical database to retrieve a historical set of previously offered promotions, searching the associated fine print for certain phrases from the fine print clause data structure, and flagging each historical promotion as containing or not containing the phrases included in the fine print clause data structure; and

applying a multivariable linear regression model, including the fine print clauses and other deal parameters including at least a location and a merchant quality, to determine the impact of a given fine print clause on deal performance;

selecting the relevant fine print clause data structures based on the determined impacts; and

assigning, based on the determined impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance, each of the selected relevant fine print clause data structures one of three default fields, including;

a “

Show-By-Default”

field, a “

Select-By-Default”

field, and a “

Required-By-Default”

field, wherein the default fields indicate default rules for configuring the relevant fine print clause data structures for a given promotion, wherein if the “

Show-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user via the user interface for the user'"'"'s selection, if the “

Select-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user for selection, but will also be automatically selected, and therefore will be included in the fine print for the promotion unless the user specifically deselects the fine print clause, and if the “

Required-By-Default”

field is true, then the fine print clause stored in the data structure will be shown to the user, selected for inclusion in the fine print for the promotion, and will not be de-selectable;

transmit the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device, configured for display in accordance with a respective impact of the given fine print clause on promotion performance;

receive, from the user device, the configured fine print data structure for the promotion based on the transmitted relevant fine print clause data structures, wherein the promotion is generated for display by the promotion and marketing service; and

generating, by the processor, in real-time, a promotion including a fine print string based on the configured fine print data structure.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the apparatus, further causes the apparatus to:

retrieve from the one or more mapping data structures, for each fine print clause data structure, presentation information indicating whether a fine print clause associated with the fine print clause data structure is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection,

wherein transmitting the relevant fine print clause data structures to the user device includes transmitting the presentation information for each fine print clause data structure.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein at least one fine print clause data structure includes configurable text.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein each fine print clause data structure includes fields indicating default instructions regarding whether an associated fine print clause is required for the promotion, selected for inclusion in the promotion, or should be shown to a user for selection.