Management and control of online merchandising
First Claim
1. A method for managing online offers in a networked environment, comprising the steps of:
- (a) using an offer management tool to establish rules relating to at least one online offer, said rules defining for said at least one offer, at least one of;
(i) a term;
(ii) a subject;
(iii) a location; and
(iv) a duration;
(b) employing the offer management tool to generate online offer content for said at least one online offer, without requiring programming knowledge by an operator of the offer management tool;
(c) using the offer management tool to enable a determination of whether the online offer content conforms to the rules; and
if so, (d) using the offer management tool to post the at least one online offer to the networked environment in accord with the rules, to make said at least one offer available for access by others.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a system and method for managing online merchandising. In one embodiment, a hierarchical management system enables managers to define an online merchandising offer, and to establish rules regarding the offer. The manager then authorizes an operator who develops the online offer content using the offer management system. The completed offer cannot be posted online until predefined checks ensure the offer content conforms to the manager defined rules. Preferably, the online content is inserted into a Web page using a dynamic node that links to the offer management system, enabling the manager to exert real-time control of the offer content. In another embodiment, an existing Web site is enabled to include such online offers, by inserting a plurality of dynamic nodes into the Web page, such that when not actively displaying offer content, the dynamic nodes are minimized in size and not apparent to a user.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. A method for managing online offers in a networked environment, comprising the steps of:
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(a) using an offer management tool to establish rules relating to at least one online offer, said rules defining for said at least one offer, at least one of;
(i) a term;
(ii) a subject;
(iii) a location; and
(iv) a duration;
(b) employing the offer management tool to generate online offer content for said at least one online offer, without requiring programming knowledge by an operator of the offer management tool;
(c) using the offer management tool to enable a determination of whether the online offer content conforms to the rules; and
if so,(d) using the offer management tool to post the at least one online offer to the networked environment in accord with the rules, to make said at least one offer available for access by others. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31)
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25. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a processor, comprising:
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(a) a memory medium; and
(b) a plurality of machine instructions, which are stored on the memory medium, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a processor, causing the processor to;
(i) enable a user to at establish rules relating to at least one online offer, said rules defining for said at least one offer, at least one of a term of the offer, a subject of the offer, a location of the offer and a duration of the offer;
(ii) enable a user to generate online offer content for said at least one online offer, without requiring programming knowledge;
(iii) determine if the online offer content is consistent with the rules established for the at least one online offer; and
(v) post the at least one online offer to the networked environment in accord with the rules, to make said at least one offer available for access by others.
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29. A system for managing online offers available to others in a networked environment, comprising:
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(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored;
(b) a display; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to the display and to the memory to access the machine instructions, said processor executing said machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, including;
(i) enabling a user to at establish rules relating to at least one online offer, said rules defining for said at least one offer, at least one of a term of the offer, a subject of the offer, a location of the offer and a duration of the offer;
(ii) enabling a user to generate online offer content for said at least one online offer, without requiring programming knowledge;
(iii) determining if the online offer content is consistent with the rules established for the at least one online offer; and
(v) posting the at least one online offer to the networked environment in accord with the rules, to make said at least one offer available for access by others.
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32. A method for introducing an online offer into a networked environment, for access by others, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining a specific location in the networked environment where the online offer is to be accessible by others;
(b) using an offer management tool to generate the online offer;
(c) inserting a dynamic node at the specific location, such that the dynamic node is linked to the online offer through the offer management tool;
(d) using the offer management tool to define activation and deactivation parameters that control access of the online offer at the specific location; and
(e) using the offer management tool for introducing the online offer at the specific location and making it accessible by others, according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a processor, comprising:
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(a) a memory medium; and
(b) a plurality of machine instructions, which are stored on the memory medium, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a processor, causing the processor to;
(i) enable a specific location in the networked environment where an online offer is to be accessible by others to be identified;
(ii) enable a user to generate the online offer content using an offer management tool;
(iii) enable a dynamic node to be inserted at the specific location, such that the dynamic node is linked to the offer management tool;
(iv) enable activation and deactivation parameters that control access of the online offer at the specific location to be defined; and
(v) introduce the online offer at the specific location and making it accessible by others, according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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46. A system for managing online merchandising offers available to users in a networked environment, comprising:
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(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions defining the parent application are stored;
(b) a display; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory to access the machine instructions and to the display, said processor executing said machine instructions which thereby cause the processor to;
(i) enable a specific location in the networked environment where an online offer is to be accessible by others to be identified;
(ii) enable a user to generate the online offer content using an offer management tool;
(iii) enable a dynamic node to be inserted at the specific location, such that the dynamic node is linked to the offer management tool;
(iv) enable activation and deactivation parameters that control access of the online offer at the specific location to be defined; and
(v) introduce the online offer at the specific location and making it accessible by others, according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters.
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48. A method for enabling access points accessed over a network to include online offers that are dynamically managed by an offer management tool, comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying each specific access point where an online offer is to be made accessible to others over the network;
(b) for each specific access point that is identified, inserting a dynamic node at the specific access point, said dynamic node being dynamically linkable with an online offer using the offer management tool; and
(c) linking specific online offers to selected corresponding specific dynamic nodes with the offer management tool, so that the online offers can be accessed by others over the network.
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53. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a processor, comprising:
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(a) a memory medium; and
(b) a plurality of machine instructions, which are stored on the memory medium, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a processor, causing the processor to;
(i) enable each specific access point where an online offer is to be made accessible to others over a network to be identified;
(ii) for each specific access point that is identified, enable a dynamic node to be inserted at the specific access point, said dynamic node being dynamically linkable with an online offer using an offer management tool; and
(iii) link specific online offers to selected corresponding specific dynamic nodes with the offer management tool, so that the online offers can be accessed by others over the network. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 61)
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56. A system for enabling online merchandising offers managed by a dynamic offer management tool to be incorporated into a Web site, comprising:
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(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions defining the parent application are stored;
(b) a display; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory to access the machine instructions and to the display, said processor executing said machine instructions and thereby implementing a plurality of functions, as follows;
(i) enabling each specific access point where an online offer is to be made accessible to others over the network to be identified;
(ii) for each specific access point that is identified, inserting a dynamic node at the specific access point, said dynamic node being dynamically linkable with an online offer using the offer management tool; and
(iii) linking specific online offers to selected corresponding specific dynamic nodes with the offer management tool, so that the online offers can be accessed by others over the network.
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58. A method for enabling an authorized person to introduce an online offer at a specific location in a networked environment, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting an online offer to be accessed by others over the networked environment;
(b) determining the specific location in the networked environment where the online offer that was selected is to be introduced;
(c) determining if a dynamic node exists at the specific location, said dynamic node being linkable to the online offer through an offer management tool, and if not, generating said dynamic node at the specific location;
(d) determining if an existing online offer is linked to the dynamic node at the specific location, and if so, performing one of the following steps;
(i) determining if the existing online offer is to be deactivated; and
(ii) determining if access to the existing online offer is to alternate with access to the online offer that was selected, according to defined parameters;
(e) determining if the online offer that was selected will fit at the specific location, and if not, configuring the online offer that was selected to fit at the specific location with the offer management tool;
(f) using the offer management tool to define activation and deactivation parameters that will control access by others of the online offer that was selected, when inserted at the specific location; and
(e) linking the online offer that was selected to the dynamic node at the specific location, such that said online offer will be accessible by others according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters.
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62. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a processor, comprising:
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(a) a memory medium; and
(b) a plurality of machine instructions, which are stored on the memory medium, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;
(i) enable an online offer to be accessed by others over the networked environment to be selected;
(ii) enable the specific location in the networked environment where the online offer that was selected is to be introduced to be determined;
(iii) determine if a dynamic node exists at the specific location, said dynamic node being linkable to the online offer that was selected, and if not, generating said dynamic node at the specific location;
(iv) determine if an existing online offer is being displayed by the dynamic node at the specific location, and if so, determining if access to the existing online offer is to be deactivated;
or if access to the existing online offer is to alternated with access to online offer that was selected, such alternating access being controlled according to a defined parameter;
(v) determine if the online offer that was selected will fit at the specific location, and if not, configuring the online offer that was selected to fit at the specific location;
(vi) enable activation and deactivation parameters to be defined, said activation and deactivation parameters controlling access by others of the online offer that was selected at the specific location; and
(vi) link the online offer that was selected to the dynamic node at the specific location, such that said online offer will be accessible by others according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters.
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63. A system for enabling an authorized user to include an online offer at a specific location in a networked environment, comprising:
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(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions defining the parent application are stored;
(b) a display; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory to access the machine instructions and to the display, said processor executing said machine instructions and thereby implementing a plurality of functions, as follows;
(i) enabling an online offer to be accessed by others over the networked environment to be selected;
(ii) enabling the specific location in the networked environment where the online offer that was selected is to be introduced to be determined;
(iii) determining if a dynamic node exists at the specific location, said dynamic node being linkable to the online offer that was selected, and if not, generating said dynamic node at the specific location;
(iv) determining if an existing online offer is being displayed by the dynamic node at the specific location, and if so, determining if access to the existing online offer is to be deactivated;
or if access to the existing online offer is to alternated with access to online offer that was selected, such alternating access being controlled according to a defined parameter;
(v) determining if the online offer that was selected will fit at the specific location, and if not, configuring the online offer that was selected to fit at the specific location;
(vi) enabling activation and deactivation parameters to be defined, said activation and deactivation parameters controlling access by others of the online offer that was selected at the specific location; and
(vi) linking the online offer that was selected to the dynamic node at the specific location, such that said online offer will be accessible by others according to the defined activation and deactivation parameters.
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64. A method managing a plurality of online offers using an integrated offer management tool, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a plurality of dynamic nodes into an online network, such that each dynamic node is inserted into a specific network location defined by the offer management tool;
(b) making online offer content available to the offer management tool; and
(c) using the offer management tool to control the display of the online offer content at any of the dynamic nodes inserted into the network. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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Specification