OPTIMIZING ROUTING BASED ON OFFERS

• US 20130046624A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew A., Ross, Erik Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/212,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046624A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise optimizing travel routes for purchasing the products in which a user is interested. In some embodiments the system may provide the user with an optimized route based on the best offers available from various businesses. The best offers may be based on products with the lowest prices, highest quantities, highest user ratings, most convenient locations, etc. The offers may also be based on the user'"'"'s current location, past location, future location, etc. Optimization of the route may also take into account user transaction history, user profile data, the time a user spends in a location, discounts, etc. In some embodiments of the invention the optimized route may be split between two or more people, over one or more trips, that may occur over one or more days, in order to maximize the best available offers with minimal expenditures of time, money, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying one or more products in which a user is interested;

identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses for the one or more products;

identifying locations of the one or more businesses;

determining, through the use of a processing device, one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers from the one or more businesses based on the one or more products in which the user is interested and the locations of the one or more businesses; and

providing the one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying products in which a user is interested comprises identifying products on a virtual shopping list of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a user location; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the user location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the user location comprises identifying the user location based on a location determining device in a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the user location comprises receiving a location selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the user location comprises identifying the location automatically.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the user location is a current location of the user.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the user location is a future location of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying an amount of time the user will be at the future location; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the amount of time the user will be at the future location.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the user location is a past location of the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying the past location over a time interval to determine locations and routes the user has been in the past; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the past location of the user over the time interval.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a discount from the one or more businesses associated with the one or more offers.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises putting the virtual shopping list up for a bid auction to one or more businesses.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises accessing the one or more offers from the one or more businesses.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to add the one or more products to a virtual shopping list using product identifies; and

wherein product identifiers associated with the one or more products are captured using a data capture device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be split between two or more users.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be made at two or more different times.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more optimized routes may have a different starting location and a different ending location.

19. A system comprising:

a memory device having computer readable program code store thereon;

a communication device; and

a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device, and the communication device, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the computer readable program code to;

identify one or more products in which a user is interested;

identify one or more offers from one or more businesses for the one or more products;

identify locations of the one or more businesses;

determine one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers from the one or more businesses based on the one or more products in which the user is interested and the locations of the one or more businesses; and

provide the one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers to the user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify products in which a user is interested comprises identifying products on a virtual shopping list of the user.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing device if further configured to execute the computer readable program code to:

identify a user location; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the user location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify the user location comprises identifying the user location based on a location determining device in a mobile device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify the user location comprises receiving a location selected by the user.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify the user location comprises identifying the location automatically.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the user location is a current location of the user.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the user location is a future location of the user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the computer readable program code to:

identify an amount of time the user will be at the future location; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the amount of time the user will be at the future location.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the user location is a past location of the user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the computer readable program code to:

identify the past location over a time interval to determine locations and routes the user has been in the past; and

wherein determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the past location of the user over the time interval.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the computer readable program code to:

identify a discount from the one or more businesses associated with the one or more offers.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises putting the virtual shopping list up for a bid auction to one or more businesses.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing device configured to execute the computer readable program code to identify one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises accessing the one or more offers from the one or more businesses.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the computer readable program code to:

receive a request from a user to add the one or more products to a virtual shopping list using product identifies; and

wherein product identifiers associated with the one or more products are captured using a data capture device.

34. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be split between two or more users.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be made at two or more different times.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more optimized routes may have a different starting location and a different ending location.

37. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying one or more products in which a user is interested;

an executable portion configured for identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses for the one or more products;

an executable portion configured for identifying locations of the one or more businesses;

an executable portion configured for determining, through the use of a processing device, one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers from the one or more businesses based on the one or more products in which the user is interested and the locations of the one or more businesses; and

an executable portion configured for providing the one or more optimized routes to purchase the one or more offers to the user.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying products in which a user is interested comprises identifying products on a virtual shopping list of the user.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying a user location; and

wherein the executable portion configured for determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the user location.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying the user location comprises identifying the user location based on a location determining device in a mobile device.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying the user location comprises receiving a location selected by the user.

42. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying the user location comprises identifying the location automatically.

43. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the user location is a current location of the user.

44. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the user location is a future location of the user.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying an amount of time the user will be at the future location; and

wherein the executable portion configured for determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the amount of time the user will be at the future location.

46. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the user location is a past location of the user.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying the past location over a time interval to determine locations and routes the user has been in the past; and

wherein the executable portion configured for determining one or more optimized routes is also based on the past location of the user over the time interval.

48. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying a discount from the one or more businesses associated with the one or more offers.

49. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises putting the virtual shopping list up for a bid auction to one or more businesses.

50. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the executable portion configured for identifying one or more offers from one or more businesses comprises accessing the one or more offers from the one or more businesses.

51. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for receiving a request from a user to add the one or more products to a virtual shopping list using product identifies; and

wherein product identifiers associated with the one or more products are captured using a data capture device.

52. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be split between two or more users.

53. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the one or more optimized routes may be made at two or more different times.

54. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the one or more optimized routes may have a different starting location and a different ending location.