WIRELESS BEACONS FOR REPORTING OF APPLICATIONS IN THE FOREGROUND OF A USER DEVICE INTERFACE

• US 20160055538A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Todasco, Michael Charles
• Application Number:
  US14/467,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacons for reporting of applications in the foreground of a user device interface. A user may bring a user device to a merchant location and utilize the user device while shopping at the merchant location, for example, to do comparative shopping and read item reviews. The merchant location may include wireless beacons at or nearby an area where items the user is viewing are sold. The beacon may provide communication services with the user devices for the user. Using the beacon, the merchant or a service provider may receive information about the applications executing in the foreground of a user device. Thus, if the user is utilizing a browser or marketplace application to perform some price matching, additional incentives may be provided to the user so the merchant retains the user as a customer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing one or more incentives for a location; and

one or more hardware processors in communication with the non-transitory memory and configured to;

receive an indication of an application operating on a user device using a connection between the user device and a wireless beacon at the location;

determine an interest of a user corresponding to the user device using the indication; and

determine an incentive to offer the user for the location using the interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection uses one of near field communication, radio communication, infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, WiFi communication, and LTE Direct communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processor are further configured to:

communicate the incentive to the user device for display to the user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:

communicate the incentive to a salesperson device for a salesperson at the location, wherein the incentive comprises at least one of a discount offer and an available sale offer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the application operates in the foreground of a display interface for the user device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein prior to the one or more hardware processors determining the interest, the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:

receive an action by the user using the application,

wherein the interest is further determined using the action.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the action comprises at least one of an image scan or input of item information, an item lookup, an item pricing lookup, and an item review lookup.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein prior to the one or more hardware processors determining the incentive to offer the user, the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:

determine an item of interest to the user using the interest and an area for the user at the location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the incentive comprises a discount offer for at least one of the item of interest and a similar item to the item of interest.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the area of the user at the location is determined using the connection between the user device and the wireless beacon, and wherein the wireless beacon is located at or nearby the area.

11. A method comprising:

access application information for an application executing in the foreground of an interface for a user device using a connection between the user device and a first wireless beacon at a merchant location;

determine a parameter for a user associated with the user device using the application information;

determine information to provide the user using the parameter; and

communicate the information to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter comprises comparative shopping actions by the user for at least one item available at the merchant location.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a price for the at least one item from a competitor based on the comparative shopping actions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises discounts and sales for the merchant location that match or are lower than the price for the at least one item from the competitor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the application comprises one of a browser application, an item pricing application, a merchant sales application, and a marketplace application.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining a location of the user at the merchant location using the connection between the user device and the wireless beacon,

wherein the parameter is further determined using the location, and wherein the parameter comprises an item of interest to the user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the information comprises sales of the item of interest with at least one other merchant nearby the merchant location.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

accessing application information for a plurality of applications each operating in the foreground of an interface for a plurality of user devices using a connection between each of the plurality of user devices and at least one wireless beacon within an item area at a merchant location;

accessing at least one item corresponding to the item area at the merchant location;

determining a likelihood of comparative shopping for users associated with the plurality of user devices using the application information and the at least one item;

determining a sale price for the at least one item using the likelihood of comparative shopping and the at least one item.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein prior to determining the sale price, the method further comprises:

accessing a competitor price for the at least one item,

wherein the sale price is further determined using the competitor price.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the sale price is decreased when the likelihood of comparative shopping is above a threshold, and wherein the sale price is increased or maintained the same when the likelihood of comparative shopping is below the threshold.