System and method for conducting self-modifying semi-opaque sales

• US 10,318,981 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netstartups LLC
• Original Assignee: Joseph Bous
• Inventors: Bous, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US14/481,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for semi-opaque sales with bundles of items. An example bundle can include hotel lodging and a bonus service, status, or item associated with that hotel. An system can identify a first bundle of a first base and bonus item, and a second bundle of a second base and bonus item. The system can present a semi-opaque offer comprising the first bundle, the second bundle, and a discount price, wherein the semi-opaque offer does not identify which of the first bundle and the second bundle will be sold at the discount price to the user upon acceptance of the semi-opaque offer, and wherein the discount price is a full price of the first base item. After receiving acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user, the system can disclose that the user has purchased the first bundle at the discount price.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a system, at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device;

generating, by the system, a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price;

determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change;

transmitting, by the system, the semi-opaque offer to the user device for display on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and

upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying, by the system, the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and

transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a base item and at least one bonus item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises removing a bonus item.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises modifying a detail of one of the base item or the at least one bonus item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the detail of the base item comprises at least one of timing, an item class, or a level of service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises increasing the discount price.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is static.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is dynamically determined.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the time period is determined based on at least one of item availability, a target profit margin, characteristics of a user, occupancy, or a pool of available discounts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-opaque offer is presented to a user in response to a purchase inquiry.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device;

generating a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price;

determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change;

transmitting the semi-opaque offer to the user device for presentation on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and

upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and

transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the item comprises a base item and at least one bonus item.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises removing a bonus item.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises modifying a detail of one of the base item or the at least one bonus item.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the detail of the base item comprises at least one of timing, an item class, or a level of service.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises increasing the discount price.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the time period is static.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the time period is dynamically determined.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the time period is determined based on at least one of item availability, a target profit margin, characteristics of a user, occupancy, or a pool of available discounts.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device;

generating a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price;

determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change;

transmitting the semi-opaque offer to the user device for presentation on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and

upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and

transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device.