CONTEXT-AWARE SHOPPING SERVICES ON MOBILE

• US 20110320318A1
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Amol Bhasker, Menon, Suraj Satheesan
• Application Number:
  US13/154,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

A user is alerted on their mobile devices when a desired or potentially desirable item is available for purchase. The user can provide information about what the user is interested in purchasing, such as a general item (e.g., a 32″ LCD television), a specific item (e.g., a white Apple iPad2), a maximum price the user is willing to pay for the item, distance from user, availability (e.g., in stock, available within two weeks, not yet available but will be, etc.). A service provider may run queries to obtain information from merchants and other sellers. When there is a match with the user-specified parameters, the user is sent a notification, such as by SMS, email, voice message, or WAP Push, of the match.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a service provider, search parameters for an item of interest from a user, wherein the search parameters comprise a location and a distance from the location of the item of interest;

determining, by the processor, whether a merchant offering matches the search parameters; and

transmitting a notification when the search parameters match the merchant offering, wherein the user is notified on a user mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is sent by a service provider to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is notified by a merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a dynamic location of the user mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a static location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the search parameters comprise a price and a description of the item of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a payment from the user for purchasing an item in the notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is notified by text, email, or voice message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a communication is initiated between the user and a merchant when or after the user is notified.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the user with a listing of one or more items or services from a merchant when or after the user is notified.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a match does not require the search parameters to be met exactly by the merchant offering.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors of a server are adapted to cause the server to perform a method comprising:

receiving search parameters for an item of interest from a user, wherein the search parameters comprise a location and a distance from the location of the item of interest;

determining whether a merchant offering matches the search parameters; and

transmitting a notification when the search parameters match the merchant offering, wherein the user is notified on a user mobile device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the location is a dynamic location of the user mobile device.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the location is a static location.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the search parameters comprise a price and a description of the item of interest.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises processing a payment from the user for purchasing an item in the notification.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user is notified by text, email, or voice message.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a communication is initiated between the user and a merchant when or after the user is notified.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises presenting the user with a listing of one or more items or services from a merchant when or after the user is notified.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving search parameters for an item of interest from a user, wherein the search parameters comprise a location and a distance from the location of the item of interest;

means for determining whether a merchant offering matches the search parameters; and

means for transmitting a notification when the search parameters match the merchant offering, wherein the user is notified on a user mobile device.