Methods, Systems, and Products for Electronic Purchases

• US 20140297460A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett M., Perrella, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 9,619,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A server receives an electronic shopping cart from a client device. The electronic shopping cart describes an item for purchase from a merchant. The server comparison-shops to determine a different merchant offering the same or comparable item for sale. The server sends a notification to the client device describing a lower price offered by the different merchant. The server may then receive an approval to replace the item selected for purchase from the merchant with the item offered by the different merchant.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

inspecting, by a server, an electronic shopping cart for a description of an item offered for sale by a merchant at a price;

determining, by the server, a different merchant that also offers the item;

retrieving, by the server, a lower price for the item offered by the different merchant; and

sending to a client, by the server, the lower price for the item offered by the different merchant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing the item in the electronic shopping cart with the item offered by the different merchant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a comparable item offered by the different merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a database for the description of the item, the database mapping different descriptions of items to different identifiers of merchants.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving an identifier of the different merchant associated with the description of the item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing pricing to determine the lower price for the item offered by the different merchant.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification informing the merchant of replacement of the item from the electronic shopping cart.

8. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

inspecting an electronic shopping cart for a description of an item offered for sale by a merchant at a price;

determining a different merchant also offers the item;

retrieving a lower price for the item offered by the different merchant; and

sending a recommendation to a client device that recommends the lower price for the item offered by the different merchant.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request from the client device to purchase the item from the different merchant offering the lower price.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise replacing a name of the merchant in the electronic shopping cart with the name of the different merchant offering the lower price.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise replacing the description of the item in the electronic shopping cart with the description of the item offered by the different merchant.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise replacing, in the electronic shopping cart, the price offered by the merchant with the lower price offered by the different merchant.

13. The server of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database for the description of the item, the database mapping different descriptions of items to different identifiers of merchants.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an identifier of the different merchant associated with the description of the item.

15. The server of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise comparing pricing to determine the lower price for the item offered by the different merchant.

16. The server of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise sending a notification informing the merchant of replacement of the item from the electronic shopping cart.

17. A memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

inspecting an electronic shopping cart associated with a device for a description of an item offered for sale by a merchant at a price;

determining a different merchant also offers the item;

retrieving a lower price for the item offered by the different merchant;

sending a recommendation to the device that recommends the lower price for the item offered by the different merchant; and

receiving an approval sent from the device to purchase the item from the different merchant offering the lower price.

18. The memory of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise replacing a name of the merchant in the electronic shopping cart with the name of the different merchant.

19. The memory of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise replacing the price offered by the merchant in the electronic shopping cart with the lower price offered by the different merchant.

20. The memory of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database for the description of the item, the database mapping different descriptions of items to different identifiers of merchants.