Methods and apparatus for intelligent selection of goods and services in telephonic and electronic commerce
First Claim
1. A system for providing offers in real time of an item constituting a good or a service in the form of offers for purchase to prospective customers as users of the system, utilizing an electronic communication device, comprising:
- an interface configured to establish remote communication between the electronic communication device and the system, an input collection unit coupled to the interface and configured to receive an indication of a user'"'"'s interest to purchase a first item, an item selection unit configured to receive as an input at least an indication of the first item, the item selection unit outputting in real time an indication of at least one second item, different from the first item, for offer to the user, wherein the item selection unit comprises an electronic item selection unit that is;
modified dynamically over time, and employs negative rules to determine the at least one second item for offer, and a communication unit configured to offer the second item to the user in real time during the communication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for effecting remote commerce, such as in telemarketing (either inbound or outbound) and in electronic commerce, which are particularly adapted for the intelligent selection and proffer of products, services or information to a user or customer. In one aspect of the invention, goods, service or information are provided to the user via electronic communication, such as through a telephone, videophone or other computer link, as determined by the steps of first, establishing communication via the electronic communications device between the user and the system to effect a primary transaction or primary interaction, second, obtaining data with respect to the primary transaction or primary interaction, including at least in part a determination of the identity of the user or prospective customer, third, obtaining at least a second data element relating to the user, fourth, utilizing the primary transaction or primary interaction data along with the at least second data element as factors in determining at least one good, service or item of information for prospective upsell to the user or prospective customer, and offering the item to the prospective customer. In the preferred embodiment, the selection of the proffer of goods, services or information comprises an upsell with respect to the primary transaction or primary interaction data. The offer of the upsell is preferably generated and offered in real time, that is, during the course of the communication initiated with the primary transaction or primary interaction.
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Citations
120 Claims
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1. A system for providing offers in real time of an item constituting a good or a service in the form of offers for purchase to prospective customers as users of the system, utilizing an electronic communication device, comprising:
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an interface configured to establish remote communication between the electronic communication device and the system, an input collection unit coupled to the interface and configured to receive an indication of a user'"'"'s interest to purchase a first item, an item selection unit configured to receive as an input at least an indication of the first item, the item selection unit outputting in real time an indication of at least one second item, different from the first item, for offer to the user, wherein the item selection unit comprises an electronic item selection unit that is;
modified dynamically over time, and employs negative rules to determine the at least one second item for offer, and a communication unit configured to offer the second item to the user in real time during the communication. - 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, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for providing offers in real time of an item constituting a good or a service in the form of offers for purchase to prospective customers as users of the system, utilizing an electronic communication device, comprising:
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obtaining from the user during a remote communication an indication of interest to purchase a first item, inputting at least an indication of the first item into an item selection unit, the item selection unit outputting in real time an indication of at least one second item, different from the first item, for offer to the user, wherein the item selection unit includes an electronic item selection unit that is;
modified dynamically over time, and employs negative rules to determine the at least one second item for offer, and communicating an offer for the second item to the user via the electronic communication device in real time during the communication. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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97. A system for providing offers in real time of an item constituting a good or a service in the form of offers for purchase to prospective customers as users of the system, utilizing an electronic communication device, comprising:
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an interface configured to establish remote communication between the electronic communication device and the system, an input collection unit coupled to the interface and configured to receive an indication of a user'"'"'s interest to purchase a first item, an item selection unit configured to receive as an input at least an indication of the first item, the item selection unit outputting in real time an indication of at least one second item, different from the first item, for offer to the user, wherein the item selection unit comprises an electronic item selection unit that is modified dynamically over time, and a communication unit configured to offer the second item to the user in real time during the communication. - View Dependent Claims (98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. A method for providing offers in real time of an item constituting a good or a service in the form of offers for purchase to prospective customers as users of the system, utilizing an electronic communication device, comprising:
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obtaining from the user during a remote communication an indication of interest to purchase a first item, inputting at least an indication of the first item into an item selection unit, the item selection unit outputting in real time an indication of at least one second item, different from the first item, for offer to the user, wherein the item selection unit includes an electronic item selection unit that is modified dynamically over time, and communicating an offer for the second item to the user via the electronic communication device in real time during the communication. - View Dependent Claims (116, 117, 118, 119, 120)
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Specification