Method and system for providing reverse online auction and mobile commerce

• US 20060173747A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gantman, Alexander, Steenstra, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system for providing product pricing information is disclosed. The system includes a mobile client configured to allow a user to issue a request for pricing information on a specified product, a price research server configured to receive the request from the mobile client and generate pricing research results on the specified product in response to the request, the pricing research results including pricing information with respect to the specified product collected from one or more merchants, and a merchant server configured to receive the pricing research results and generate a response for delivery to the mobile client, the response including an offer.

Claims

1. A system for providing product pricing information, the system comprising:

a mobile client configured to allow a user to issue a request for pricing information on a specified product;

a price research server configured to receive the request from the mobile client and generate pricing research results on the specified product in response to the request, the pricing research results including pricing information with respect to the specified product collected from one or more merchants; and

a merchant server configured to receive the pricing research results and generate a response for delivery to the mobile client, the response including an offer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile client is further configured to derive product information relating to the specified product and incorporate the product information into the request.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the mobile client is configured to derive the product information by capturing and analyzing video images of the specified product, the video images including a barcode located on the specified product.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile client is further configured to include user information in the request;

and

wherein the price research server is further configured to retrieve user profile information based on the user information and generate the pricing research results using the user profile information.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the user profile information includes user preferences on merchants.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile client is further configured to allow the user to make a selection with respect to the response.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the mobile client is further configured to complete a purchase transaction with respect to the specified product in response to the user making the selection.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the mobile client is further configured to complete the purchase transaction online.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile client is further configured to include location information in the request, the location information identifying the physical location of the mobile client;

wherein the price research server is further configured to forward the location information to the merchant server; and

wherein the merchant server is further configured to generate the response based on the location information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile client includes a mobile phone;

and

wherein the mobile client is further configured to allow the user to issue the request at a point of sale or while the user is browsing products at a store.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the offer includes an electronic coupon, an alternative product offering, or a hyperlink corresponding to the specified product at a merchant website.

12. A system for providing product pricing information, the system comprising:

a mobile phone configured to;

derive product information with respect to a desired product; and

issue a request for pricing information on the desired product, the request including the product information;

a price research server configured to perform pricing research on the desired product and generate pricing research results in response to the request, the pricing research results including pricing information on the desired product from a plurality of merchants; and

a plurality of merchant servers, each merchant server configured to receive the pricing research results from the price research server and generate a response, the response including an offer.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the price research server is further configured to receive respective responses from the plurality of merchant servers and forward the responses to the mobile phone for selection by a user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to allow the user to make a selection from amongst the responses.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to complete a purchase transaction with respect to the desired product in response to the user making the selection.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to complete the purchase transaction online.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to derive the product information by capturing video images of the desired product and analyzing the captured video images to derive the product information, the video images including a barcode located on the desired product.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to include user information in the request;

and

wherein the price research server is further configured to retrieve user profile information based on the user information and generate the pricing research results using the user profile information.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the user profile information includes user preferences on merchants.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile phone is further configured to include location information in the request, the location information identifying the physical location of the mobile phone;

wherein the price research server is further configured to forward the location information to the plurality of merchant servers; and

wherein one or more of the plurality of merchant servers are further configured to generate their respective responses based on the location information.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile client is further configured to allow a user to issue the request at a point of sale or while the user is browsing products at a store.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the offer includes an electronic coupon, an alternative product offering, or a hyperlink corresponding to the specified product at a merchant website.

23. A mobile device usable to obtain product pricing information, the mobile device comprising:

a processor configured to execute control logic;

wherein the control logic is configured to;

allow a user to issue a request for pricing information on a desired product;

receive a plurality of responses corresponding to respective merchants pursuant to the request, the plurality of responses including a plurality of offers with respect to the desired product or a plurality of alternative product offerings;

display the plurality of responses to the user; and

allow the user to select one of the plurality of responses.

24. The mobile device of claim 23 wherein the control logic is further configured to:

derive product information relating to the desired product and incorporate the product information into the request.

25. The mobile device of claim 24 wherein the control logic is further configured to acquire the product information by capturing and analyzing video images of the desired product, the video images including a barcode located on the desired product.

26. The mobile device of claim 23 wherein the control logic is further configured to include user information in the request;

and

wherein at least one of the plurality of responses is generated based on user profile information corresponding to the user information.

27. The mobile device of claim 26 wherein the user profile information includes user preferences on merchants.

28. The mobile device of claim 23 wherein the control logic is configured to complete a purchase transaction with respect to the desired product in response to the user selecting one of the plurality of responses.

29. The mobile device of claim 28 wherein the control logic is configured to complete the purchase transaction online.

30. The mobile device of claim 23 wherein the control logic is configured to include location information in the request, the location information identifying the physical location of the mobile device;

and

wherein at least one of the plurality of responses is generated based on the location information.

31. A method for providing product pricing information, the method comprising:

directing a mobile device to issue a request for pricing information on a desired product;

generating pricing research results on the desired product in response to the request;

generating a plurality of responses based on the pricing research results;

forwarding the plurality of responses to the mobile device; and

directing the mobile device to display the plurality of responses for selection by a user.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

directing the mobile device to complete a purchase transaction with respect to the desired product upon the user selecting one of the plurality of responses.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the purchase transaction is completed online.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

directing the mobile device to derive product information relating to the desired product; and

directing the mobile device to incorporate the product information into the request.

35. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

directing the mobile device to include user information in the request; and

retrieving user profile information based on the user information;

wherein the pricing research results are generated based on the user profile information.

36. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

directing the mobile device to include location information in the request, the location information identifying the physical location of the mobile device;

wherein at least one of the plurality of responses is generated based on the location information.

37. A method for providing product pricing information, the method comprising:

directing a mobile phone to derive product information with respect to a desired product;

issuing a request for pricing information on the desired product, the request including the product information;

generating pricing research results on the desired product in response to the request;

generating a plurality of responses based on the pricing research results;

forwarding the plurality of responses to the mobile phone; and

directing the mobile phone to display the plurality of responses for selection by a user.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein directing the mobile phone to derive the product information includes capturing and analyzing video images of the desired product to determine the product information, the video images including a barcode located on the desired product.

39. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

directing the mobile phone to complete a purchase transaction with respect to the desired product upon the user selecting one of the plurality of responses.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the purchase transaction is completed online.

41. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

incorporating user information in the request; and

retrieving user profile information based on the user information;

wherein the pricing research results are generated based on the user profile information.

42. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

incorporating location information in the request, the location information identifying the physical location of the mobile phone;

wherein at least one of the plurality of responses is generated based on the location information.