System and method for setting a hot product alert on transaction data

• US 10,332,088 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Groarke, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga B
• Application Number:
  US13/564,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,519 Days
• Field of Search: 705 7, 705 14, 705 28, 705 711, 705 1425, 705 729
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and a method for determining when a predetermined number of a specific product or of a type of product has been sold so that an alert can be generated when the number sold exceeds the predetermined number. Transaction rules can be set to monitor transaction data in a database to achieve this result. The transaction rules can be set for a generic product, for a specific product, or to exclude certain products. The system and the method issue an additional alert when data in a database indicates that the number of a specific product or of a type of product being sold in a selected time frame is below the selected predetermined number or another selected predetermined, for a selected period of time.

Claims

1. A method for using an automated transaction rule comprising at least one threshold quantity criterion to monitor transaction data to alert a user when a selected predetermined number of a specific product or type of product has been sold within a selected time frame, the method performed by a processor executing operations, in accordance with instructions embodied in a memory, the method comprising:

receiving raw transaction data from a transaction concentrator of a payment card system that is communicatively connected to a plurality of point of sale devices for the payment card system and is configured to generate the raw transaction data, the raw transaction data including a plurality of product identifiers for a specific product or type of product sold during the payment card transaction, a time of sale, and confidential payment cardholder information;

storing the raw transaction data in a transaction database of the payment card system, wherein the transaction database is not accessible via a website over the Internet;

filtering out personal cardholder information from the raw transaction data to yield filtered information;

storing the filtered information in a web accessible filtered transaction database, wherein the filtered information is directly accessible via a website over the Internet;

providing the website interface for a user device, wherein the website interface is configured to allow a user device to generate and submit the automated transaction rule with predefined criteria,

receiving from the user device, via the website, the automated transaction rule configured to define a product sales volume alert, wherein the transaction rule comprises at least one product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers, a time frame, and a threshold quantity of units of product associated with the at least one product identifier for the at least one threshold quantity criterion;

programming the processor with the automated transaction rule;

scanning the filtered transaction database a first time for transactions that meet the automated transaction rule during the time frame, to determine from the filtered transaction data, an actual quantity of units of product sold that satisfy the transaction rule;

comparing the actual quantity to the threshold quantity;

generating an alert when the actual quantity exceeds the threshold quantity; and

transmitting the alert to the user device,

wherein the processor is configured to generate at least one second alert when a quantity of units of product sold does not meet the at least one threshold quantity criterion within a predefined time period after the automated transaction rule is received,

wherein the at least one threshold quantity criterion for the second alert includes a criterion selected from;

the threshold quantity for the automated transaction rule generated by the user device; and

a threshold quantity generated by the system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of product identifiers include at least one product identifier selected from the group consisting of:

a specific product, a product type, an SKU number, and a text string.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deleting from the filtered transaction database filtered transaction data that is no longer current based on the time of sale, wherein the system is configured to identify data as no longer current when an actual quantity of units of product sold does not meet the at least one threshold quantity criterion within a predefined time period.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction rule criteria further comprises an exclusion criterion of at least a second product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers, wherein the exclusion is not included in the actual quantity.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personal cardholder information comprises payment card number, expiration date, and customer information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time frame is selected from the group consisting of:

a day, a week, and a month.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scanning the filtered transaction data a second time for transactions that meet the automated transaction rule during the time frame;

generating the second alert when the actual quantity falls below the threshold quantity criterion; and

transmitting the second alert to the user device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating the second alert when the actual quantity falls below the threshold quantity criterion for the predefined period of time; and

transmitting the second alert to the user device,

wherein the threshold quantity criterion includes both the threshold quantity for the automated transaction rule generated by the user device and the threshold quantity generated by the system; and

wherein the threshold quantity generated by the system is lower than the threshold quantity for the automated transaction rule generated by the user device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alert is at least one alert selected from the group consisting of:

a short message service (SMS) message, an e-mail, a text message, and a voice mail.

10. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of point of sale devices comprises a first point of sale device located in a first geographic area and a second point of sale device located in a second geographic area different than the first geographic area,

wherein the transaction concentrator comprises at least a first and a second transaction concentrator, wherein the first transaction concentrator receives the raw transaction data from the first geographic area, and the second transaction concentrator receives the raw transaction data the second geographic area,

wherein the raw transaction data includes geographic area information, and

wherein the transaction rule further comprises a desired geographical area.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first or second geographic area is at least one area selected from the group consisting of:

a city, a state, and a region.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the geographic area information is obtained by a global positioning system (GPS) unit communicatively coupled to at least the first point of sale device.

13. A system including automated transaction rules comprising at least one threshold quantity criterion configured to monitor transaction data to alert a user when a selected predetermined number of a specific product or type of product has been sold within a selected time frame, the system comprising:

a plurality of point of sale devices for a payment card system, wherein each point of sale device is configured to obtain raw transaction data from a payment card transaction, the raw transaction data including a plurality of product identifiers for a specific product or type of product sold during the payment card transaction, a time of sale, and confidential payment cardholder information;

a transaction concentrator of the payment card system communicatively connected to each point of sale device and receiving the raw transaction data therefrom;

a transaction database;

a web-accessible filtered transaction database, wherein the filtered information is directly accessible via a website over the Internet; and

a processor and a memory with instructions that are readable by the processor and cause the processor to;

store the raw transaction data in a transaction database;

filter out personal cardholder information from the raw transaction data to yield filtered information;

store the filtered information in the filtered transaction database;

receive a transaction rule from a user device, wherein the transaction rule comprises at least one product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers and a time frame, to define a sales volume;

receive, from the user device, a criterion for a threshold quantity of units of product associated with the at least one product identifier;

scan the filtered transaction data a first time for transactions that meet the automated transaction rule during the time frame, to determine from the filtered transaction data, an actual quantity of units of product sold that satisfy the transaction rule;

compare the actual quantity to the threshold quantity;

generate an alert when the actual quantity exceeds the threshold quantity; and

transmit the alert to the user device,

wherein the system is configured to generate a second alert when a quantity of units of product sold does not meet the threshold quantity of products sold within a predefined time period after the first time period,

wherein the at least one threshold quantity criterion for the second alert includes a criterion selected from;

the threshold quantity for the automated transaction rule generated by the user device; and

a threshold quantity generated by the system.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of product identifiers include at least one product identifier selected from the group consisting of:

a specific product, a product type, an SKU number, and a text string.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the transaction rule further comprises an exclusion of at least a second product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers, and wherein the exclusion is not included in the actual quantity.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

scan the filtered transaction data a second time;

generate the second alert when the actual quantity falls below the threshold quantity; and

transmit the second alert to the user device.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the alert is at least one alert selected from the group consisting of:

a short message service (SMS) message, an e-mail, a text message, and a voice mail.

18. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the plurality of point of sale devices comprises a first point of sale device located in a first geographic area and a second point of sale device located in a second geographic area different than the first geographic area,

wherein the transaction concentrator comprises at least a first and a second transaction concentrator, wherein the first transaction concentrator receives the raw transaction data from the first geographic area, and the second transaction concentrator receives the raw transaction data from the second geographic area,

wherein the raw transaction data includes geographic area information, and

wherein the transaction rule further comprises a desired geographical area.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to delete filtered transaction data from the filtered transaction database that is no longer current.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one product identifier is at least one distinct product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers.

20. A non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions for using automated transaction rules to monitor transaction data to alert a user when a selected predetermined number of a specific product or type of product has been sold within a selected time frame, the instructions readable by a processor and cause the processor to:

receive raw transaction data from a transaction concentrator of a payment card system that is communicatively connected to a plurality of point of sale devices for the payment card system, the raw transaction data including a plurality of product identifiers for a specific product or type of product sold during the payment card transaction, a time of sale, and confidential payment cardholder information;

store the raw transaction data in a transaction database of the payment card system, wherein the transaction database is not accessible via a website over the Internet;

filter out personal cardholder information from the raw transaction data to yield filtered information;

store the filtered information in a web accessible filtered transaction database, wherein the filtered information is directly accessible via a website over the Internet;

deleting, from the filtered transaction database, filtered transaction data for that is no longer current based on a predefined time after a time of sale of the product;

receive, via the website, a transaction rule from a user device, wherein the transaction rule comprises at least one product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers and a time frame, to define a sales volume;

receive, from the user device, a criterion for a threshold quantity of units of product associated with the at least one product identifier;

scan the filtered transaction data a first time for transactions that meet the transaction rule during the time frame, to determine from the filtered transaction data, an actual quantity of units of product sold that satisfy the transaction rule;

compare the actual quantity to the threshold quantity;

generate an alert when the actual quantity exceeds the threshold quantity, wherein the alert is at least one alert selected from the group consisting of;

a short message service (SMS) message, an e-mail, a text message, and a voice mail; and

transmit the alert to the user device,

wherein the processor is configured to generate a second alert when a quantity of units of product sold does not meet the threshold quantity of products sold within a predefined time period after the time frame.