METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL BUYERS

• US 20080201232A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tulley, Stephen C., Bemer, Keith, Walker, Jay S., Packes, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method by which potential buyers are identified includes receiving a description of an item a potential buyer intends to purchase within a particular time, determining a reward for the potential buyer based on intent data, providing the reward to the potential buyer and applying a penalty to a financial account of the potential buyer if the potential buyer does not purchase the item within the particular time period. The system includes a controller coupled to at least one input device with the controller operable to compute a reward offer. The controller includes circuitry, or software, configured to compute and apply a penalty if the potential buyer does not purchase the item within the particular time period.

Claims

1-76. -76. (canceled)

77. A method for identifying potential buyers, comprising the steps of:

receiving intent data from a potential buyer, wherein the intent data identifies an item the potential buyer intends to purchase within a particular time period;

determining a reward for the potential buyer based on the intent data, in which the reward comprises money for the potential buyer;

receiving a payment identifier of a financial account of the potential buyer;

issuing the reward to the potential buyer in exchange for potential buyer providing the intent data; and

applying a penalty to the financial account of the potential buyer.

78. The method of claim 77, further comprising:

determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the item within the particular time period.

79. The method of claim 78, in which applying the penalty comprises:

applying the penalty to the financial account of the potential buyer in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the item within the particular time period.

80. The method of claim 77, further comprising the step of:

calculating the penalty from a value of the reward.

81. The method of claim 77, wherein the step of applying the penalty comprises the steps of:

receiving a confirmation that the potential buyer has purchased within the particular time period a similar item to the item the potential buyer intended to purchase; and

applying a partial penalty to the financial account of the potential buyer, wherein the partial penalty is less than a total penalty charged when the potential buyer fails to purchase the item within the particular time period.

82. The method of claim 77, wherein the step of applying the penalty to the potential buyer comprises the steps of:

receiving a confirmation that the potential buyer has purchased within the particular time period a similar item to the item the potential buyer intended to purchase; and

applying a partial penalty to the financial account.

83. A method for identifying potential buyers, comprising the steps of:

receiving a description of an item a potential buyer intends to purchase within a particular time period, the description having a degree of specificity;

receiving a degree of certainty with which the potential buyer intends to purchase the item within the particular time period;

receiving a payment identifier of a financial account of the potential buyer;

determining a reward offer associated with a reward based on at least one of the degree of specificity, the degree of certainty, and a length of the particular time period;

outputting the reward offer to the potential buyer, in which the reward offer comprises an offer for money for the potential buyer;

receiving a confirmation signal indicating that the potential buyer purchased the item within the particular time period;

determining based on the confirmation signal that the potential buyer did not purchase the item within the particular time period; and

applying a penalty to the financial account of the potential buyer.

84. The method of claim 83, in which applying the penalty comprises:

applying the penalty to the financial account of the potential buyer in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the item within the particular time period.

85. The method of claim 83, further comprising the step of:

calculating the penalty based on a price of a reward associated with the reward offer.