Methods and apparatus for providing variable price structures for time-based services available through a transaction system

• US 20020095391A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Celia Francis, Gabiel Manjarrez, Garret Swart, John Lee, Laurent Demailly, Mike Rauta, Nathan Boyd, Nino Walker, Pete Duimstra
• Original Assignee: Celia Francis, Gabiel Manjarrez, Garret Swart, John Lee, Laurent Demailly, Mike Rauta, Nathan Boyd, Nino Walker, Pete Duimstra
• Inventors: Lee, John, Boyd, Nathan, Swart, Garret, Walker, Nino, Demailly, Laurent, Duimstra, Pete, Francis, Celia, Manjarrez, Gabiel, Rauta, Mike
• Application Number:
  US09/737,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

In a database-driven transaction system, a dynamic-pricing mechanism for setting prices for timebased services offered and available through an interactive interface of the transaction system is provided. The mechanism comprises a floating time window for identifying a span of time in which services are available to be engaged; an averaging function for determining an average price paid to a single or multiple suppliers for services offered; a scaling function for dividing the time window into definitive time units; and a price-adjustment function for adjusting prices paid by customers for services according to position of engagement of said services within the time window. In some embodiments the price-adjusting function is based on service inventory levels defined at the time of potential engagements within the time window. In still other embodiments, the price-adjusting function is programmed according to calendar and or time considerations. Also in some embodiments, the price-adjusting function is temporarily disabled for the purpose of holding various types of auction sales.

Claims

1. In a database-driven transaction system, a dynamic-pricing mechanism for setting prices for timebased services offered and available through an interactive interface of the transaction system comprising:

a floating time window for identifying a span of time in which services are available to be engaged;

an averaging function for determining an average price paid to a single or multiple suppliers of services offered;

a scaling function for dividing the time window into definitive time units; and

a price-adjustment function for adjusting prices paid by customers for services according to position of engagement of said services within the time window.

2. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the prices determined by the averaging function are paid by an entity hosting the transaction system.

3. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 2, wherein the prices adjusted by the price-adjustment function are paid to the entity hosting the transaction system.

4. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 3, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function are adjusted in a graduated fashion higher or lower depending on engaged position from a predetermined position within the time window.

5. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 4, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function increase gradually according to engagement positions indicated serially from the predetermined position in the time window to the beginning of the time window.

6. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 5, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function decrease gradually according to engagement positions indicated serially from the predetermined position in the time window to the end of the time window.

7. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the time-window parameters are expressed in XML format.

8. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the pricing parameters are expressed in XML format.

9. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the time-window parameters and the pricing parameters are expressed as one of a family of SGML-based markup languages.

10. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the time-window is displayable in a graphics format on a suitable display device connected to the transaction system.

11. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the price-adjustment function is programmed to make pricing adjustments according to time-of-day, day-of-week, week-of-month, month-of-year, or a combination thereof.

12. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 1, wherein the price-adjustment function is deactivated for the purpose of conducting one of a straight auction, a reverse auction, or a Dutch auction.

14. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the prices determined by the averaging function are paid by an entity hosting the transaction system.

15. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 14, wherein the prices adjusted by the price-adjustment function are paid to the entity hosting the transaction system.

16. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 15, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function are adjusted in a graduated fashion higher or lower depending on the indicated level of inventory of said services at the time of service engagement within the time window.

17. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 16, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function increase gradually according to indication of gradually lower inventory levels as quantified by the inventory quantifier at the time of given service engagements within the time window.

18. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 17, wherein the prices adjusted by the price adjustment function decrease gradually according to indication of gradually higher inventory levels as quantified by the inventory quantifier at the time of given service engagements within the time window.

19. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the time-window parameters and the indicated inventory levels are expressed in XML format.

20. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the pricing parameters are expressed in XML format.

21. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the time-window parameters, the indicated inventory levels, and the pricing parameters are expressed as one of a family of SGML-based markup languages.

22. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the time-window and indication of inventory levels are displayable in a graphics format on a suitable display device connected to the transaction system.

23. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the price-adjustment function is deactivated for the purpose of conducting one of a straight auction, a reverse auction, or a Dutch auction.

24. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the price-adjustment function is further programmed to make pricing adjustments according to time-of-day, day-of-week, week-of-month, month-of-year, or a combination thereof.

25. The dynamic-pricing mechanism of claim 13, wherein the price-adjustment function is further programmed to set prices according to quantity of a like inventory engaged by one customer.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein in step (a), the prices determined by the averaging function are paid by an entity hosting the transaction system.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein in step (c), the prices adjusted by the price-adjustment function are paid to the entity hosting the transaction system.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein in step (a), the averaging function includes averaging prices set for disparate services offered by a single supplier.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein in step (a), the averaging function includes averaging prices set for disparate services offered by multiple suppliers.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein in step (c), the sliding-scale rule provides for increasing or decreasing prices depending on the position of potential service engagements identified within the time window from a predetermined position in the time window.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein in step (c), the sliding-scale rule dictates a gradual increase in price according to engagement positions indicated serially from the predetermined position in the time window to the beginning of the time window.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein in step (c), the sliding-scale rule dictates a gradual decrease in price according to engagement positions indicated serially from the predetermined position in the time window to the end of the time window.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein in step (a), price averaging includes the averaging of materials and labor.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein in steps (a) and (b), the expressions representing given prices and time-window parameters are XML expressions.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein in steps (a) and (b), the expressions representing given prices and time-window parameters are one of a family of SGML-based expressions.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein in step (b), the time-window is displayable in a graphics format on a suitable display device connected to the transaction system.

38. The method of claim 26, further comprising a step (d) for providing an indication of an inventory level associated with a defined timebased service available within the time window.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising a step (e) for subsequent adjusting prices paid by customers according to given levels of inventory of available timebased services indicated within the time window.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising a step (f) for temporarily deactivating steps (c) and (e) for the purpose of conducting one of a straight auction, a reverse auction, or a Dutch auction.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising a step (f) for temporarily deactivating steps (c), and (e) for the purpose of adjusting prices paid by customers according to time-of-day, day-of-week, week-of-month, month-of-year, or a combination thereof.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising a step (f) for performing subsequent adjustment of prices paid by customers according to engagement of a plurality of like services by one customer.

13. In a database-driven transaction system, a dynamic-pricing mechanism for setting prices for timebased services offered and available through an interactive interface of the transaction system comprising:

a floating time window for identifying a span of time in which services are available to be engaged;

a scaling function for dividing the time window into definitive time units;

an inventory quantifier for quantifying inventory levels of available services within the time window;

an averaging function for determining an average price paid to a single or multiple suppliers for services offered; and

a price-adjustment function for adjusting prices paid by customers for services according to an indicated level of inventory of said services quantified by the inventory quantifier and available within the time window.

26. In a database-driven transaction system, a method for determining a variable pricing structure for timebased services offered through an interactive interface of the system comprising the steps of:

(a) averaging actual prices paid to suppliers for services according to specific time units,

(b) providing a time window within the transaction system, the window dividable by the specific time units; and

(c) adjusting the actual prices paid by customers for service engagements established within the time window according to a preset sliding-scale rule implemented within the time window.