Community-Based System and Method for Automatic Discount of a Purchase

• US 20100299193A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bryan A. Jourdan, Hilda S. Cosman
• Original Assignee: Bryan A. Jourdan, Hilda S. Cosman
• Inventors: Cosman, Hilda S., Jourdan, Bryan A.
• Application Number:
  US12/469,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A community-based system and method for providing automatic discounting of a purchase is described. A database containing a plurality of items for purchase and a plurality of discounts associated with the items is provided. A search query is received from a user using a networked device, and items responsive to the search query are transmitted to the device for display. The device is then usable to select one or more displayed items. Corresponding discounts are automatically associated with the selected items, and when purchase of the item is completed, the associated discounts are applied in a paperless manner. Concurrent with the discount feature, users are permitted to create customizable user accounts, through which favorite items and groupings of items can be uploaded, flagged, stored, and shared with other users. User accounts are usable for tracking of demographic information, communication with other users, and providing automatic notifications based on user-selected preferences.

Claims

1. A method for automatically discounting a purchase at a location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a search query from a user using a device in communication with a database comprising a plurality of items and a plurality of discounts associated with the plurality of items;

transmitting to the device at least one item of the plurality of items responsive to the search query for display;

receiving a selection of said at least one displayed item from the user using the device;

automatically associating at least one corresponding discount of the plurality of discounts with said at least one selected item; and

automatically applying said at least one corresponding discount to said at least one selected item when said at least one selected item is purchased.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at least one discount of the plurality of discounts from at least one third party responsible for availability, provision, sale, or distribution of at least one corresponding item and storing said at least one discount in the database for automatic association with and application to said at least one corresponding item when said at least one corresponding item is purchased.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises a search for a group of items, and wherein the step of transmitting to the device said at least one item comprises displaying a list of items contained within the group of items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises a search for an event, the method further comprising the step of transmitting to the device at least one item corresponding to the event, at least one group of items corresponding to the event, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting to the device at least one advertisement for display, said at least one advertisement corresponding to at least one selected item of the plurality of items, at least one third party related to said at least one selected item of the plurality of items, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one advertisement comprises a textual advertisement, a graphic advertisement, a query enabling the user to provide selection of said at least one selected item, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting to the device said at least one item comprises transmitting for display a list of items responsive to the search query wherein the list of items is ordered in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

items provided by third parties that have paid a premium before other items, items in order of decreasing advertising dollars received from third parties, items in order determined by price accounting for said at least one corresponding discount, items in an order determined by the user or a group of users, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting for display on the device said at least one corresponding discount associated with said at least one item.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of accepting account information from the device, accepting selected information from the device, storing the selected information in the database in association with the account information, thereby forming a user account, accepting identifying information from the device for accessing the user account, and accepting a selection of at least one item of the selected information to be made accessible to other users.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected information comprises at least one item from the database, at least one group of items from the database, at least one item of personal information, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of accepting a communication from a first user and storing the communication in association with account information of a second user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one corresponding discount is provided by a third party, the method further comprising the step of transmitting account information of the user to the third party after automatically applying said at least one corresponding discount to said at least one selected item.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing at least one automatic notification to be stored in association with the user account based on the selected information from the user.

14. A system for automatically discounting a purchase, the system comprising:

a database comprising;

a plurality of items for purchase;

a plurality of discounts, wherein each discount of the plurality of discounts is associated with at least one item of the plurality of items;

a plurality of account information, wherein each item of account information of the plurality of account information is associated with a user;

a plurality of stored information, wherein each item of stored information of the plurality of stored information is associated with the user;

computer instructions for receiving a search query and transmitting said at least one item of the plurality of items responsive to the search query;

computer instructions for receiving a selection of said at least one item;

computer instructions for automatically associating and applying at least one corresponding discount of the plurality of discounts to said at least one item;

at least one networked device in communication with the database for providing search queries and providing and modifying said items of account information, said items of stored information, or combinations thereof; and

at least one administrative device in communication with the database for providing and modifying the plurality of items, the plurality of discounts, or combinations thereof.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of discounts comprises discounts provided by the location, discounts provided by at least one third party responsible for providing at least one of the items, or combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of stored information comprises at least one selected item or group of items, at least one item of personal information, or combinations thereof.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the database further comprises personal information of the user, a plurality of demographic information related to the user, items purchased by the user, discounts used by the user, favorite products of the user, or combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the database further comprises a plurality of groups of items, wherein each group of the plurality of groups of items is associated with at least one item of the plurality of items.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the database further comprises advertising information relating to said at least one item of the plurality of items, at least one third party associated with said at least one item, or combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the database further comprises computer instructions for ordering results of the search query in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

items provided by third parties that have paid a premium before other items, items in order of decreasing advertising dollars received from third parties, items in order determined by price accounting for said at least one corresponding discount, items in an order determined by a group of users, and combinations thereof.