SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SALES GENERATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VEHICLE DATA SYSTEM

• US 20110191264A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TrueCar, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TrueCar, Inc.
• Inventors: Inghelbrecht, Philip, Painter, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Embodiments of sales generation, including sales generation employing reverse lead generation using vehicle data systems and methods, are presented herein. In particular, in certain embodiments a user may utilize the vehicle data system to obtain pricing data corresponding to a desired vehicle configuration. When the user is presented with the pricing data associated with the specified vehicle configuration the user may additionally be presented with an upfront price offered by a dealer, where by providing their personal information the user may obtain the name of the dealer offering the upfront price and may additionally be offered the opportunity to purchase the desired, or similar, vehicle at the upfront price.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A system, comprising:

a vehicle data system coupled to one or more computer devices over a network, the vehicle data system comprising;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable memory, comprising instructions for;

a processing module, the processing module configured to;

determine a plurality of sets of the historical transaction data, where each of the plurality of sets of historical transaction data is associated with a vehicle configuration, and the historical transaction data comprises data on vehicle transactions and

determine pricing data corresponding to a specified vehicle configuration wherein the pricing data includes a set of transaction prices and one or more price ranges determined based on the set of historical transaction data associated with the specified vehicle configuration;

a sales generation module, the sale generation module configured to;

determine an upfront price offer corresponding to the specified vehicle configuration, wherein the upfront price is offered by a dealer; and

an interface module configured to;

receive the specified vehicle configuration from a user at a computing device, and

generate an interface based on the pricing data and provide the interface to the one or more computer devices over the network, wherein the interface is configured to present the set of transaction prices, the price ranges and the upfront price in conjunction with one another.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the upfront price is presented relative to the set of transaction prices and the price ranges.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the set of transaction prices are presented as a curve and the price ranges and upfront price are presented in relation to the curve.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the interface presents the user an opportunity to initiate a purchase associated with the specified vehicle configuration.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the opportunity is presented in conjunction with the upfront price.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user initiates the purchase by providing personal information using the interface.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing module is on a processing computer, the sales generation module is on a sales generation computer and the interface module is on an interface computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing computer, the sale generation computer and the interface computer are the same.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, at a processing computer, a plurality of sets of historical transaction data, where each of the plurality of sets of historical transaction data is associated with a vehicle configuration and the historical transaction data comprises data on vehicle transactions;

receiving over a network, at the processing computer, a specified vehicle configuration from a user at a computing device;

determining, at the processing computer, pricing data corresponding to a specified vehicle configuration wherein the pricing data includes a set of transaction prices and one or more price ranges determined based on the set of historical transaction data associated with the specified vehicle configuration;

determining, at the processing computer, an upfront price offered by a dealer corresponding to the specified vehicle configuration and a dealer; and

generating, at an interface computer, an interface based on the pricing data and providing the interface to the computer devices over the network, wherein the interface is configured to present the set of transaction prices, the price ranges and the upfront price in conjunction with one another.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the upfront price is presented relative to the set of transaction prices and the price ranges.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of transaction prices are presented as a curve and the price ranges and upfront price are presented in relation to the curve.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the interface presents the user an opportunity to initiate a purchase associated with the specified vehicle configuration.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the opportunity is presented in conjunction with the upfront price.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user initiates the purchase by providing personal information using the interface.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing computer, the sale generation computer and the interface computer are the same.

17. A non-transitory computer readable media, comprising computer instructions executable by a processor for:

determining a plurality of sets of historical transaction data, where each of the plurality of sets of historical transaction data is associated with a vehicle configuration and the historical transaction data comprises data on vehicle transactions;

receiving a specified vehicle configuration from a user at a computing device;

determining pricing data corresponding to a specified vehicle configuration wherein the pricing data includes a set of transaction prices and one or more price ranges determined based on the set of historical transaction data associated with the specified vehicle configuration;

determining an upfront price offered by a dealer corresponding to the specified vehicle configuration and a dealer; and

generating an interface based on the pricing data and providing the interface to the computer devices over the network, wherein the interface is configured to present the set of transaction prices, the price ranges and the upfront price in conjunction with one another.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the upfront price is presented relative to the set of transaction prices and the price ranges.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of transaction prices are presented as a curve and the price ranges and upfront price are presented in relation to the curve.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the interface presents the user an opportunity to initiate a purchase associated with the specified vehicle configuration.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the opportunity is presented in conjunction with the upfront price.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user initiates the purchase by providing personal information using the interface.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the processing computer, the sale generation computer and the interface computer are the same.