METHOD FOR AGGREGATED LOCATION-BASED SERVICES

• US 20110040642A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uverj LLC
• Original Assignee: Uverj LLC
• Inventors: O'DELL, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for operating an aggregated web service to display location-based items and services and allow for their remote purchase and pick-up or delivery. Algorithms provided to vendors allow for automated pricing adjustments to encourage purchase in competitive geographical locations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving information associated with a selection made by a user from among a plurality of search options concurrently displayed to the user through a web browser;

receiving information associated with a geographical location of the user, such information being produced by a device on which the web browser is displayed or provided by the user through the web browser;

receiving information associated with a geographical range of interest of the user;

processing the information associated with the selection made, the geographical location, and the geographical range of interest to determine one or more businesses of interest;

determining a price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest;

when a business from the one or more businesses of interest is a participating business and the price associated with the participating business is not a lowest price of the prices associated with the one or more businesses of interest, adjusting the price associated with the participating business; and

sending the price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest to the web browser for display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest is the price of a service, or a item, or both, provided by the one or more businesses of interest, and

the service, or the item, or both, for which the price is determined, is based on the information associated with the selection made by a user through the web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the lowest price of the prices associated with the one or more businesses of interest; and

adjusting the price associated with the participating business to be the lowest price when the lowest price is higher than a minimum price provided by the participating business.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

adjusting the price associated with the participating business based on a predetermined percentage of a standard retail price or on a predetermined amount below the standard retail price to produce an adjusted price,

wherein when the adjusted price is lower than a minimum price provided by the participating business, the adjusted price is set to the minimum price.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when a business from the one or more businesses of interest is a non-participating business, the price associated with the non-participating business is based on data collected from a web site associated with the non-participating business.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the price associated with the participating business is based on data received from the participating business, the data including a standard retail price, or discount pricing information, or both.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a business is deemed to be a business of interest when that business has an available service or an available item associated with the selection made by the user, the availability of the service or the availability of the item being determined based on data stored and associated with that business.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one server configured to execute an application to communicate with one or more web sites to collect data from the web sites; and

a storage device configured to store data, including the data collected from the web sites,

wherein the at least one server is configured to search the data stored in the storage device based on information received associated with a selection made by a user from among a plurality of search options concurrently displayed to the user through a web browser, on a geographical location of the user, and on a geographical range of interest of the user, the at least one server being configured to determine one or more businesses of interest based on the searched data, the at least one server being configured to determine a price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest, when a business from the one or more businesses of interest is a participating business and the price associated with the participating business is not a lowest price of the prices associated with the one or more businesses of interest, the at least one server being configured to adjust the price associated with the participating business, and

wherein the at least one server is configured to send the price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest to the web browser for display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest is the price of a service, or a item, or both, provided by the one or more businesses of interest, and

the service, or the item, or both, for which the price is determined, is based on the information associated with the selection made by a user through the web browser.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one server is configured to determine a lowest price from the prices associated with the one or more businesses of interest, and

the at least one server is configured to adjust the price associated with the participating business to be the lowest price when the lowest price is above a minimum price provided by the participating business.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one server is configured to adjust the price associated with the participating business based on a predetermined percentage of a standard retail price or on a predetermined amount below the standard retail price to produce an adjusted price,

wherein when the adjusted price is lower than a minimum price provided by the participating business, the adjusted price is set to the minimum price.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

when a business from the one or more businesses of interest is a non-participating business, the price associated with the non-participating business is based on data collected by the first server from a web site associated with the non-participating business.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the price associated with the participating business is based on data stored in the storage device and received from the participating business, the data including a standard retail price, or discount pricing information, or both.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one server is configured to execute the application to communicate with the one or more web sites to collect data from the web sites according to a predetermined schedule.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the data collected from the web sites includes store location and address, or a location name, or a location type, or a phone number, or hours of operation, or mail pick-up times, or package pick-up times, or an item price, or a service price, or inventory quantities, or a product name, or a product number, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one server is configured to authenticate a communication with a participating business to store data associated with that participating business in the storage device, and

the data associated with that participating business includes store location and address, or a location name, or a location type, or a phone number, or hours of operation, or mail pick-up times, or package pick-up times, or an item price, or a service price, or inventory quantities, or a product name, or a product number, or a universal product code (UPC), or a combination thereof.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving information associated with a selection made by a user from among a plurality of search options concurrently displayed to the user through a web browser;

receiving information associated with a geographical location of the user, such information being produced by a device on which the web browser is displayed or provided by the user through the web browser;

receiving information associated with a geographical range of interest of the user;

processing the information associated with the selection made, the geographical location, and the geographical range of interest to determine one or more businesses of interest;

generating a timing information associated with a time remaining before a closing time of a businesses from the one of more businesses of interest, or with a time remaining before an opening time of that businesses, or with a time remaining before a pick up time at that business, the timing information having associated a color; and

sending the timing information to the web browser for display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

when the time remaining before the closing time or before the pick up time is more than a predetermined time, the color associated with the timing information is green.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

when the time remaining before the closing time or before the pick up time is less than a predetermined time, the color associated with the timing information is amber or yellow.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the color associated with the time remaining before the opening time, or when the next pick-up time is not the same day, is red.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending the price associated with each of the one or more businesses of interest to the web browser for display;

receiving a selection of one of the one or more businesses of interest; and

generating the timing information for the selected business from the one or more businesses of interest.