Systems and methods for on demand local commerce

• US 10,366,402 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Sundaresan, Neelakantan
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgalas, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US14/530,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Systems and methods for on demand local commerce are described. One example embodiment includes a device gathering location information and product interest associated with clients and client devices. The system may use location information in determining that the first plurality of client devices are within a first geographic area during a first time period, and may further use the interest information in calculating an interest level for a first product. A threshold may be identified and used in determining that the interest level for the first product exceeds the threshold. When the calculated interest level exceeds the threshold, a local commerce action is initiated. In various embodiments, the local commerce action may be a live on demand auction at a particular location, an offer associated with a geofenced area, a sales location recommendation to a merchant, or any other such local commerce action.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a hardware processor;

a client location module configured to interact with a client device location module contained on a plurality of client devices to obtain geographic locations for each of the plurality of client devices;

a geofencing module configured to interact with an input module on an event provider server to obtain bounding information associated with a first live auction event, the bounding information defining a geographic boundary for participants in the first live auction event, a participant in the first live auction event being a person having an account permitting bidding in the first live auction event;

a threshold module configured to interact with the input module on the event provider server to obtain a first threshold for the first live auction event, the first threshold defining a minimum number of participants having an interest in the first live auction event;

an interest module configured to interact with a client device profile module on each of the plurality of client devices to obtain interest information from the client device profile module on each of the plurality of client devices and to calculate an interest level for the first live auction event from the interest information, the interest level indicating a count of client devices, within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information, having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event;

the threshold module further configured to compare the interest level with the first threshold;

a communication module configured to, in response to a determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, cause an event application on the event provider server to initiate the first live auction event, the communication module further configured to, in response to the determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, cause a client event application on each of the client devices within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information and having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event to receive a local commerce message inviting the corresponding client device to participate in the first live auction event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is a dynamic threshold that dynamically changes based on time of day.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interest module is further configured to assign a first weight to interest information from a first client device of the plurality of client devices and a second weight, different than the first weight, to interest information from a second client device of the plurality of client devices, based on previous history of interactions by the plurality of client devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the weights are further based on proximity to a fixed point within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the weights are further based on time of day.

6. A method comprising

obtaining geographic locations for each of a plurality of client devices from a client device location module contained on each of the plurality of client devices;

obtaining bounding information associated with a first live auction event from an input module on an event provider server, the bounding information defining a geographic boundary for participants in the first live auction event, a participant in the first live auction event being a person having an account permitting bidding in the first live auction event;

obtaining a first threshold for the first live auction event from the input module on the event provider server, the first threshold defining a minimum number of participants having an interest in the first live auction event;

obtaining interest information from the client device profile module on each of the plurality of client devices and to calculate an interest level for the first live auction event from the interest information, the interest level indicating a count of client devices, within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information, having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event;

comparing the interest level with the first threshold;

in response to a determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, causing an event application on the event provider server to initiate the first live auction event; and

in response to the determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, causing a client event application on each of the client devices within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information and having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event to receive a local commerce message inviting the corresponding client device to participate in the first live auction event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first threshold is a dynamic threshold that dynamically changes based on time of day.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning a first weight to interest information from a first client device of the plurality of client devices and a second weight, different than the first weight, to interest information from a second client device of the plurality of client devices, based on previous history of interactions by the plurality of client devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the weights are further based on proximity to a fixed point within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the weights are further based on time of day.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining geographic locations for each of a plurality of client devices from a client device location module contained on each of the plurality of client devices;

obtaining bounding information associated with a first live auction event from an input module on an event provider server, the bounding information defining a geographic boundary for participants in the first live auction event, a participant in the first live auction event being a person having an account permitting bidding in the first live auction event;

obtaining a first threshold for the first live auction event from the input module on the event provider server, the first threshold defining a minimum number of participants having an interest in the first live auction event;

obtaining interest information from the client device profile module on each of the plurality of client devices and to calculate an interest level for the first live auction event from the interest information, the interest level indicating a count of client devices, within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information, having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event;

comparing the interest level with the first threshold;

in response to a determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, causing an event application on the event provider server to initiate the first live auction event; and

in response to the determination that the interest level is greater than or equal to the first threshold, causing a client event application on each of the client devices within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information and having client device profile modules providing interest information indicating an interest in the first live auction event to receive a local commerce message inviting the corresponding client device to participate in the first live auction event.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first threshold is a dynamic threshold that dynamically changes based on time of day.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise a first weight to interest information from a first client device of the plurality of client devices and a second weight, different than the first weight, to interest information from a second client device of the plurality of client devices, based on previous history of interactions by the plurality of client devices.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the weights are further based on proximity to a fixed point within the geographic boundary defined by the bounding information.