Method and apparatus for relieving pressure during peak-usage times

• US 20060230144A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.), Thomson Plasma
• Original Assignee: Thomson Plasma
• Inventors: Shah, Anil Rajaram
• Application Number:
  US10/981,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of relieving pressure during peak-usage times of an online system. Current usage of the system is monitored, and a determination is made as to whether the current usage is above a pre-determined threshold level. If the usage is above the threshold, then an offer is provided to a current user with an incentive to use the system during a future off-peak window. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of relieving pressure during peak-usage times of an online system, the method comprising:

monitoring current usage of a server of the system;

determining if the current usage is above a pre-determined threshold level; and

if the usage is above the threshold level, then providing an offer to a current user with an incentive to use the system during a future off-peak window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the off-peak window is predicted by analyzing historical usage data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple off-peak windows are presented to the current user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current user is an existing customer, and wherein the off-peak window presented is targeted to the current user using previous activity by the current user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current user is an existing customer, and wherein the offer is targeted to the current user based on a stored customer profile for the current user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises a discount on a purchase during the off-peak window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises free shipping on qualifying purchases during the off-peak window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the future off-peak window comprises a time slot later in a current day, wherein the time slot is predicted to have less user-traffic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the future off-peak window comprises a later day predicted to have less user-traffic.

10. A system of relieving pressure during peak-usage times of a web site, the system comprising:

at least one server configured to host the web site;

a historical usage database coupled to the server and used for determining future off-peak windows;

computer-executable code configured to monitor current usage of the web site and to determine if the current usage is above a pre-determined threshold level; and

computer-executable code configured to present an offer to a current user with an incentive to use the system during a future off-peak window if the current usage is above the threshold level.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a customer profile database coupled to the server,

wherein the current user is an existing customer with a profile in the database, and

wherein the off-peak window presented is targeted to the current user using data in the profile relating to previous activity by the current user.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a customer profile database coupled to the server,

wherein the current user is an existing customer with a profile in the database,

and wherein the offer is targeted to the current user based on the profile.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the offer comprises a discount on a purchase during the off-peak window.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the offer comprises free shipping on qualifying purchases during the off-peak window.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the future off-peak window comprises a time slot later in a current day, wherein the time slot is predicted to have less user-traffic.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the future off-peak window comprises a later day predicted to have less user-traffic by an analysis of data in the historical usage database.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable code thereon which is configured to perform a method for relieving pressure during peak-usage times of an online system comprising:

determining current usage of a server of the system;

checking if the current usage is above a pre-determined threshold level; and

if the usage is above the threshold level, then generating an offer to send to a current user with an incentive to use the system during a future off-peak window.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the off-peak window is predicted by analyzing historical usage data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the current user is an existing customer, and wherein the off-peak window for the offer is targeted to the current user using previous activity by the current user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the current user is an existing customer, and wherein the incentive for the offer is targeted to the current user based on a stored customer profile for the current user.