Distributed computing platform for improving processing performance

• US 10,445,760 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, David Edward, Quinn, Jonathan G., Minasi, Michael Robert, Marian, Michelle, Aamir, Mir Mohammad, Pattison, Tamara Ruth
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Sun M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US15/044,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources

Abstract

A computer system for distributing one or more functions in response to a notification includes a first server connected to a point of sale device and a second server separate from and connected to the first server. Upon reception of a notification by the first server from the point of sale device, the first server diverts the purchase notification to the second server, and distributes one or more functions to the second server to prevent the first server from slowing down.

Claims

1. A computer system for distributing one or more functions in response to a notification, the computer system comprising:

a point of sale device;

a first server comprising a first processor and first instructions stored on a first memory, the first server being connected to the point of sale device; and

a second server comprising a second processor and second instructions stored on a second memory, the second server being separate from and connected to the first server;

upon reception of the notification by the first server from the point of sale device, the first instructions, when processed by the first processor, cause the first server to;

i) retrieve a retailer account specified in the notification, wherein the retailer account is associated with a customer,

ii) send to a computer system of a consumer packaged good partner, via a network, information that the customer is only willing to buy a product at a reduced price;

iii) after the computer system of the consumer packaged good partner receives the information, receive from the computer system of the consumer packaged good partner an agreement to provide funding for an offer;

iv) transfer, to the second server, a redemption of the offer for the product specified in the notification, and

v) distribute one or more functions to the second server to prevent the first server from being slowed down, the one or more functions distributed to the second server including;

process a redemption of the offer,

wherein the point of sale device is configured to determine the offer can be redeemed for the product specified in the notification.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first server and second server are operated by a retailer.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the offer is a customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of the product to a purchase price at or below a competitor price offered for a competing product by a competitor of the retailer, the competitor located within a geographic location specified in the retailer account.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the notification is a purchase notification.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein process a redemption of the offer comprises redeem one or more brand switching offers by associating a first brand of the product with a loyalty adjustment independent of a general market price point associated with the first brand at a time of reception of the notification.

6. The computer system of claim 5, the one or more functions distributed to the second server further including:

allocate the one or more brand switching offers for the first brand of at least two brands of the product to at least one retailer account associated with the customer, the one or more brand switching offers including the loyalty adjustment changing the general market price point of the first brand to a purchase price at or below a purchase price of a second brand of the at least two brands of the product.

7. The computer system of claim 6, the one or more functions distributed to the second server further including one or more of:

determine an amount the customer spends on an allocation category according to a purchase history associated with the customer; and

determine a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the first brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer, the likelihood of brand switching being one of high and low.

8. The computer system of claim 7, the one or more functions distributed to the second server including one or more of:

determine that the customer is a low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low; and

upon determination that the customer is a low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low, allocate the one or more brand switching offers for the first brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that the purchase history indicates that the customer previously purchased the first brand at least once, and the first brand is included in a predetermined number of top selling brands.

9. The computer system of claim 5, the one or more functions distributed to the second server further including:

receive customer data associated with the notification from the first server; and

store, in one or more linked databases, customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer and a product profile including the product and the at least two brands associated with the product, the customer data including at least one retailer account and a purchase history associated with a customer, the purchase history including a date, a price, a quantity, and a markdown amount for each purchase of the at least two brands of the product by the customer, the product profile further including a date and a price for each of the at least two brands of the product available for purchase at the retailer on the date for each purchase of the at least two brands of the product by the customer in the purchase history.

10. The computer system of claim 1, the first instructions, when processed by the first processor, further cause the first server to:

store, in one or more linked databases, customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer and a product profile including the product and at least two brands associated with the product, the customer data including at least one retailer account and a purchase history associated with the customer, the purchase history including a date, a price, a quantity, and a markdown amount for each purchase of the at least two brands of the product by the customer, the product profile further including a date and a price for each of the at least two brands of the product available for purchase at the retailer on the date for each purchase of the at least two brands of the product by the customer in the purchase history.

11. The computer system of claim 10, the first instructions, when processed by the first processor, further cause the first server to:

select a first brand and a second brand from the at least two brands associated with the product;

determine the customer does not have a brand preference for the second brand over the first brand using the purchase history associated with the customer and the product profile; and

determine the customer has a price preference for the product at or below a purchase price of the second brand using the purchase history associated with the customer and the product profile.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the offer comprises one or more brand switching offers, the first instructions, when processed by the first processor, further cause the first server to:

allocate the one or more brand switching offers for the first brand of the at least two brands of the product to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer, the one or more brand switching offers including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of the first brand to a purchase price at or below the purchase price of the second brand of the at least two brands of the product.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first instructions processed by the first processor further cause the first server to:

determine an amount the customer spends on an allocation category according to the purchase history associated with the customer; and

determine a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the first brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer, the likelihood of brand switching being one of high and low.

14. The computer system of claim 13, the first instructions processed by the first processor further cause the first server to:

determine that the customer is a low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low; and

upon determination that the customer is a low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low, allocate the one or more brand switching offers for the first brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that the purchase history indicates that the customer previously purchased the first brand at least once, and the first brand is included in a predetermined number of top selling brands.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the likelihood of brand switching is low upon determination from the customer purchase history that a percentage of the amount spent on the at least two brands not including the first brand is greater than or equal to a brand purchase threshold.

16. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more linked databases connected to the first server and the second server; and

the point of sale device connected to the first server.