Mobile commerce framework

• US 20050267816A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apptech Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hothand Incorporated
• Inventors: Jaramillo, Randolph A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• 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 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A subscription-based system for providing commerce information for one or more mobile devices for one or more merchants. Some techniques employed feature a subscription-based method for presenting commercial resources to a mobile device. The method involves receiving mobile device user information relating to a geographic location to locate one or more merchants within a subscription-based shopping network, and receiving mobile device user information relating to a merchant type within the subscription-based shopping network. The method also involves receiving, from a database over a communication network, information for one or more merchants associated with the mobile device user information for the geographic location and the merchant type, and presenting the associated merchant information on the mobile device. The associated merchant information can include a merchant name and address, a merchant telephone number, a merchant advertisement, a merchant coupon, or a merchant product or service offering to subscribers of the shopping network.

Claims

1. A system for providing commercial resources for subscribers using a mobile device, the system comprising:

a communication network for communicating with the mobile device;

an application program executable on the mobile device, the application program configured for locating one or more of the commercial resources; and

an identification card associated with the subscriber and the corresponding mobile device, the identification card providing verification that the subscriber has subscription rights to access the commercial resources.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the commercial resources comprise information relating to goods and services provided by merchants within a shopping network communicating with the communication network.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to interact with a database of merchant information over the communication network.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the database is configured to store information associated with the subscribers and with merchants within the shopping network.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the application program is configured to receive subscriber preferences for merchants based on any of an area code, a city name, a township name, or a zip code.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a mapping tool to find resources in the database for the subscriber preferences.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the application program is configured to present information relating to the commercial resources, wherein the commercial resources comprise any of a merchant name, a merchant address, a merchant advertisement, a merchant telephone number, a merchant coupon, a merchant product offering, or a merchant service offering.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises any of a satellite channel, a telephony channel, an optical channel, a wireless channel, a cable channel, or the Internet.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein subscriber data is associated with the identification card, and wherein the subscriber data is maintained by a member service intermediary.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the member service intermediary provides the commercial resources and the application program to the mobile device over the communication network, and wherein the member service intermediary coordinates receiving commercial resources from merchants and providing the commercial resources to the mobile device over the communication network.

11. A subscription-based method for presenting merchant information to a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving mobile device user information relating to a geographic location to locate one or more merchants within a subscription-based shopping network;

receiving mobile device user information relating to a merchant type within the subscription-based shopping network;

receiving, from a database over a communication network, information for one or more merchants associated with the mobile device user information for the geographic location and the merchant type; and

presenting the associated merchant information on the mobile device.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the device user information relating to a geographic location comprises any of an area code, a ZIP code, a city name, or a township name.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein each merchant within the subscription-based shopping network is associated with at least one merchant type in the database, wherein the merchant type is classified by at least a product or service provided by the merchant.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the merchant type comprises any of a food merchant type, an entertainment merchant type, a health and beauty merchant type, or a travel type.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the associated merchant information comprises any of a merchant name, a merchant address, a merchant advertisement, a merchant coupon, a merchant product offering to subscribers of the shopping network, or a merchant service offering to subscribers of the shopping network.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising sending the mobile device user information for the geographic location and the merchant type to the database over the communication network.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising linking membership card identification to the subscription-based shopping network.

18. A computer program product for executing real-estate transactions on a mobile device, the computer program product comprising:

a real estate qualification tool to qualify a real estate transaction;

a loan initiation tool to initiate a loan;

real estate data to store in the mobile device; and

one or more templates and forms for the loan initiation tool and the real estate qualification tool, wherein the one or more templates and forms comprise pre-populated data, and wherein the loan initiation tool and the real estate qualification tool are operable to use real estate data transmitted over a communication network in near-real time.

19. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, further comprising:

a signature capturing tool to capture a signature, wherein the signal capturing tool is operable to send a captured signature over the communication network; and

a credit check tool to handle data related to checking a credit of real estate applicants, wherein the credit check tool is operable to use data transmitted over the communication network; and

a mortgage calculator operable to perform real-estate calculations, wherein the mortgage calculator comprise functionality for calculation of any of monthly payments, interest and principal payments, loan fees, loan points, estimated deductions, transaction costs, amortization schedules, and percentage rates.

20. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to execute application programs delivered from a membership services intermediary, wherein the membership services intermediary organizes information for a user of the computer program product and a mortgage broker.

21. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, wherein the computer program product is configured to receive updated real estate information over the communication network from a mortgage broker.

22. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, wherein the computer program product comprises instructions to cause a programmable processor to locate information for a real estate service provider from any of a zip code, a telephone country code, a telephone number area code, a city name, or a state name entered into the mobile device.

23. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, wherein the computer program product comprises instructions to cause a programmable processor to rank mortgage brokers based one or more factors, wherein the one or more factors comprise a cost of a loan from the mortgage broker, a fee of the mortgage broker, and a geographic location of the mortgage broker, and wherein the pre-populated data for the one or more templates and forms comprise names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

24. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, wherein the communication network comprises any of a satellite channel, a telephony channel, an optical channel, a wireless channel, a cable channel, or the Internet.

25. The computer program product in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a real estate tool suite comprising information for real estate locations, real estate values for one or more areas, charts to show bidding ranges, directions to property locations, area neighborhood information, a listing of mortgage brokers, and a listing of home maintenance and repair service providers, and wherein the real estate tool suite is operable to use information transmitted over the communication network in near-real time.