OFFEREE REQUESTED OFFER BASED ON POINT-OF-SERVICE TO OFFEREE DISTANCE

• US 20090076925A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: MOSER, Dennis Norman, DeWitt, Jay Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/855,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

In response to a consumer'"'"'s request for inventory, an merchant supplies a requested offer for inventory to a consumer when the consumer is within a predetermined distance from the merchant. The merchant transmits a merchant identifier, a description of the inventory of the merchant that the merchant is willing to make an offer on, the offer, and instructions to transmit the offer to the consumer making the request for the inventory when the consumer is within the predetermined distance. The merchant receives notice that the offer has been made to the consumer. The consumer accepts the merchant'"'"'s offer by entering into a transaction with the merchant for the requested inventory that applies the offer to the transaction. The value of the offer may be based on a parameter such as the consumer'"'"'s distance from the merchant or the consumer'"'"'s transaction history for an account associated with the consumer within a payment processing system.

Claims

1. A portable consumer device comprising a processor and memory including instructions which, when executed by the processor, the portable consumer device performs the steps of:

sending a first transmission containing information sufficient to derive;

an identifier for an account associated with a consumer;

a description of inventory; and

the location of the portable consumer device;

and

receiving a second transmission including an offer for a purchase of the inventory upon the account from a merchant having a location within a predetermined distance from the derived location of the portable consumer device.

2. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein after the receiving of the second transmission and prior to the offer having been accepted by the consumer, the portable consumer device further performs the step of receiving a third transmission that includes a revocation of the offer.

3. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the portable consumer device further performs the step of providing at least one of a visual cue and an audible cue to give notice to the consumer that the offer has been received.

4. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the sending and the receiving are facilitated by a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of:

cellular telephony;

near field communications;

contact communications;

contactless communications;

wireless communications;

hard wired communications;

local area network communications;

wide area network communications; and

combinations thereof.

5. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the account is included in a payment system payment comprising:

means for processing a purchase upon the account in which the offer for the inventory from the merchant is accepted by a consumer; and

acquirer means for;

receiving notification of the transaction from the merchant; and

notifying the transaction to an issuer means for;

issuing the account to the consumer; and

receiving a payment on the account from the consumer for the transaction.

6. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the second transmission is received when the derived location of the portable consumer device is within the predetermined distance from the merchant for a predetermined prior of time.

7. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the second transmission is received only during a predetermined time of day.

8. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the offer includes at least one of:

the location of the merchant;

the description of the inventory;

a discounted purchase value redeemable upon a transaction for the purchase of the inventory upon the account from the merchant;

an confirmation code for the offer; and

an identifier for the offer.

9. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the offer is derived at least in part from a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

the predetermined distance;

the distance between the location of the portable consumer device and the location of a competitor of the merchant;

a sales volume of the competitor of the merchant for the inventory;

a current quantity of the inventory that the merchant has in-stock;

the time of day that the portable consumer device is within the predetermined distance from the location of the merchant;

a duration of time that the portable consumer device is within the predetermined distance;

a quantity of the inventory derived from the description of inventory;

a duration of time that the inventory has been in the possession of the merchant;

the location of the inventory;

transactions of the consumer that were each payable on the account that is within a payment processing system in which a transaction handler processes each said transaction characterized by one said merchant engaging in the transaction on the account, wherein the account is issued by an issuer to the consumer, and the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by the transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through the issuer; and

a combination of the foregoing.

10. The portable consumer device as defined in claim, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.

11. A method comprising:

receiving input of a description of inventory into a portable consumer device;

sending a first transmission from the portable communication device, the first transmission containing information sufficient to derive;

an identifier for an offeree associated with the portable consumer device;

a request for the inventory; and

the location of the portable consumer device;

and

receiving a second transmission including;

a location of an offeror within a predetermined distance from the derived location of the portable consumer device; and

an offer for the inventory to the offeree from the offeror redeemable upon a transaction between the offeror and the offeree for the inventory.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein, after the receiving of the second transmission and prior to the offer having been accepted, receiving a third transmission that includes a revocation of the offer.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the sending and the receiving are facilitated by a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of:

cellular telephony;

near field communications;

contact communications;

contactless communications;

wireless communications;

hard wired communications;

local area network communications;

wide area network communications; and

combinations thereof.

14. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the receiving of the input comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:

reading indicia on a product label with a reader in communication with the portable consumer device;

wirelessly receiving a signal emitted from a product identifier with a receiver in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a user interface of the portable consumer device;

receiving a selection of the description of inventory rendered on a display of the portable consumer device using a user interface in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a hard wired connection in communication with the portable consumer device; and

a combination of the foregoing.

15. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.

16. A method comprising:

sending, from a portable communication device, a first transmission including information sufficient to derive;

an identifier of an account in a payment system;

a request for inventory; and

the location of the portable consumer device;

and

receiving a second transmission addressed from a merchant and including;

the location of the merchant within a predetermined distance from the derived location of the portable consumer device; and

an offer for the inventory from the merchant for a transaction upon the account issued by an issuer in the payment system, wherein;

the transaction is processed by a transaction handler receiving the transmission from an acquirer;

the acquirer receives the transaction from the merchant and sends the transaction to the issuer; and

the issuer receives payment on the account for the transaction.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein, after the receiving of the second transmission and prior to the offer having been accepted by the consumer, receiving a third transmission that includes a revocation of the offer.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the sending and the receiving are facilitated by a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of:

cellular telephony;

near field communications;

contact communications;

contactless communications;

wireless communications;

hard wired communications;

local area network communications;

wide area network communications; and

combinations thereof.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the receiving of the input comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:

reading indicia on a product label with a reader in communication with the portable consumer device;

wirelessly receiving a signal emitted from a product identifier with a receiver in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a user interface of the portable consumer device;

receiving a selection of the description of inventory rendered on a display of the portable consumer device using a user interface in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a hard wired connection in communication with the portable consumer device; and

a combination of the foregoing.

20. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.

21. A portable consumer device comprising a processor, a user interface, and memory including instructions which, when executed by the processor, the portable consumer device performs the steps of:

receiving, through the user interface, of a description of inventory;

sending a first transmission containing information sufficient to derive;

an identifier for an account in a payment system;

a request for the inventory; and

the location of the portable consumer device;

and

receiving a second transmission including;

the location of the merchant within a predetermined distance from the derived location of the portable consumer device; and

an offer for the inventory from the merchant for a transaction upon the account issued by an issuer in the payment system, wherein;

the transaction is processed by a transaction handler receiving the transmission from an acquirer;

the acquirer receives the transaction from the merchant and sends the transaction to the issuer; and

the issuer receives payment on the account for the transaction.

22. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 21, wherein after the receiving of the second transmission and prior to the offer having been accepted, the portable consumer device further performs the step of receiving a third transmission that includes a revocation of the offer.

23. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 21, wherein the receiving, through the user interface, of the description of inventory comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:

reading indicia on a product label with a reader in communication with the portable consumer device;

wirelessly receiving a signal emitted from a product identifier with a receiver in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a user interface of the portable consumer device;

receiving a selection of the description of inventory rendered on a display of the portable consumer device using a user interface in communication with the portable consumer device;

receiving the description of inventory from a hard wired connection in communication with the portable consumer device; and

a combination of the foregoing.

24. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 21, wherein the offer is derived at least in part from a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

the predetermined distance;

a second predetermined distance between the location of the portable consumer device and the location of a competitor of the merchant;

a sales volume of the competitor of the merchant for the inventory;

a current quantity of the inventory that the merchant has in-stock;

the time of day that the portable consumer device is within the predetermined distance from the location of the merchant;

a duration of time that the portable consumer device is within the predetermined distance;

a quantity of the inventory derived from the description of inventory;

a duration of time that the inventory has been in the possession of the merchant;

the location of the inventory;

transactions of the consumer that were each payable on the account; and

a combination of the foregoing.

25. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 21, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.