METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR PROVIDING A SELF-SERVICE INTERFACE

• US 20190318393A1
• Filed: 04/17/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Wicha, Francisco Jose Larrain, Kaplan, Lori E., Arenas, Matias Esteban, L'Huillier, Gaston, Ramos, Ricardo Andres Zilleruelo, Fernandez, Rodrigo Alfonso Duenas, Koren, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 11,100,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation

Abstract

Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for programmatically generating and/or revising deal offers for a merchant based on one or more merchant self-service indicators. In providing such functionality, the system can be configured to, for example, facilitate registration and verification of merchant identities, monitor and analyze various deal offers for merchants with similar merchant self-service indicators, that enable the system to determine the relative successfulness of a deal offer for a merchant and/or category of merchant. In some embodiments, the system may be further configured to revise the deal offer programmatically and/or upon receiving the merchant'"'"'s approval of the programmatically generated proposed edits to the deal offer.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for providing a merchant interface, comprised of editable interface control items and a preview window, the method comprising:

providing, via a first graphical user interface (GUI), a plurality of entry fields configured for receiving merchant identification information;

receiving, via input at the GUI, the merchant identification information;

determining one or more merchant self-service indicators from the merchant identification information;

selecting, based on at least a rate of sale, from one or more deals previously offered by at least one other merchant, one or more deal parameters, wherein the one or more deal offers previously offered previously comprised the one or more deal parameters, and

wherein the at least one other merchant comprise at least one self-service indicator in common with the one or more merchant self-service indicators;

programmatically generating, using a processor, the one or more deal parameters and one or more deal content for a deal offer based on the one or more merchant self-service indicators,

wherein the one or more deal content are display factors comprising at least an image associated with the deal offer;

providing, via a second GUI, a plurality of editable interface control items and a preview window, both the plurality of editable interface control items and the preview window displayed concurrently on the second GUI, the plurality of editable interface control items configured for providing, via display, the one or more deal parameters, each of the plurality of interface control items configured for displaying a value of a respective deal parameter as indicated by a suggested deal offer, and further configured to be editable, enabling selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter, the preview window configured to (i) display a preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, and (ii) update the preview image in accordance with the selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter;

programmatically generating one or more deal content items for the deal offer; and

providing, by electronic communication, via a network, the one or more deal content items to the at least one consumer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more deal content items further comprise a quick recognition (QR) code enabling redemption at the merchant.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

verifying that a user is an authorized representative of a particular merchant using the merchant identification information,

wherein the verification that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant comprises;

identifying merchant identification information;

providing, at a number associated with the merchant, a verification code;

prompting for input of the verification code at the first interface; and

upon entry of the verification, verifying that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more deal parameters are structural properties of the deal offer, comprising a discount level offered, a quantity of deal offers to make available to consumers, a duration of the deal offer, terms and conditions associated with the deal offer, and pricing between the merchant and the promotional system.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the display factors further comprise one or more of a narrative description of the deal offer or the merchant and a display template for association with the deal offer.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing, via display at the second GUI, each of the plurality of interface control items and an associated value of the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via display at the second GUI, the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter at each of the plurality of interface control items.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, while displaying the preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, via input at the second GUI, input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via the second GUI, the updated preview image in accordance with the selection of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter.

29. A computer program product for providing a merchant interface, comprised of editable interface control items and a preview window, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

providing, via a first graphical user interface (GUI), a plurality of entry fields configured for receiving merchant identification information;

receiving, via input at the GUI, the merchant identification information;

determining one or more merchant self-service indicators from the merchant identification information;

selecting, based on at least a rate of sale, from one or more deals previously offered by at least one other merchant, one or more deal parameters, wherein the one or more deal offers previously offered previously comprised the one or more deal parameters, and

wherein the at least one other merchant comprise at least one self-service indicator in common with the one or more merchant self-service indicators;

programmatically generating, using a processor, the one or more deal parameters and one or more deal content for a deal offer based on the one or more merchant self-service indicators,

wherein the one or more deal content are display factors comprising at least an image associated with the deal offer;

providing, via a second GUI, a plurality of editable interface control items and a preview window, both the plurality of editable interface control items and the preview window displayed concurrently on the second GUI, the plurality of editable interface control items configured for providing, via display, the one or more deal parameters, each of the plurality of interface control items configured for displaying a value of a respective deal parameter as indicated by a suggested deal offer, and further configured to be editable, enabling selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter, the preview window configured to (i) display a preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, and (ii) update the preview image in accordance with the selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter;

programmatically generating one or more deal content items for the deal offer; and

providing, by electronic communication, via a network, the one or more deal content items to the at least one consumer.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the one or more deal content items further comprise a quick recognition (QR) code enabling redemption at the merchant.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

verifying that a user is an authorized representative of a particular merchant using the merchant identification information,

wherein the verification that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant comprises;

identifying merchant identification information;

providing, at a number associated with the merchant, a verification code;

prompting for input of the verification code at the first interface; and

upon entry of the verification, verifying that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the one or more deal parameters are structural properties of the deal offer, comprising a discount level offered, a quantity of deal offers to make available to consumers, a duration of the deal offer, terms and conditions associated with the deal offer, and pricing between the merchant and the promotional system.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the display factors further comprise one or more of a narrative description of the deal offer or the merchant and a display template for association with the deal offer.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

providing, via display at the second GUI, each of the plurality of interface control items and an associated value of the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via display at the second GUI, the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter at each of the plurality of interface control items.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

receiving, while displaying the preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, via input at the second GUI, input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via the second GUI, the updated preview image in accordance with the selection of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter.

36. An apparatus for providing a merchant interface, comprised of editable interface control items and a preview window, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

provide, via a first graphical user interface (GUI), a plurality of entry fields configured for receiving merchant identification information;

receive, via input at the GUI, the merchant identification information;

determine one or more merchant self-service indicators from the merchant identification information;

select, based on at least a rate of sale, from one or more deals previously offered by at least one other merchant, one or more deal parameters, wherein the one or more deal offers previously offered previously comprised the one or more deal parameters, and wherein the at least one other merchant comprise at least one self-service indicator in common with the one or more merchant self-service indicators;

programmatically generate, using a processor, the one or more deal parameters and one or more deal content for a deal offer based on the one or more merchant self-service indicators, wherein the one or more deal content are display factors comprising at least an image associated with the deal offer;

provide, via a second GUI, a plurality of editable interface control items and a preview window, both the plurality of editable interface control items and the preview window displayed concurrently on the second GUI, the plurality of editable interface control items configured for providing, via display, the one or more deal parameters, each of the plurality of interface control items configured for displaying a value of a respective deal parameter as indicated by a suggested deal offer, and further configured to be editable, enabling selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter, the preview window configured to (i) display a preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, and (ii) update the preview image in accordance with the selection of one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter;

programmatically generate one or more deal content items for the deal offer; and

providing, by electronic communication, via a network, the one or more deal content items to the at least one consumer.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the one or more deal content items further comprise a quick recognition (QR) code enabling redemption at the merchant.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

verifying that a user is an authorized representative of a particular merchant using the merchant identification information, wherein the verification that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant comprises;

identifying merchant identification information;

providing, at a number associated with the merchant, a verification code;

prompting for input of the verification code at the first interface; and

upon entry of the verification, verifying that the user is an authorized representative of the particular merchant.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the one or more deal parameters are structural properties of the deal offer, comprising a discount level offered, a quantity of deal offers to make available to consumers, a duration of the deal offer, terms and conditions associated with the deal offer, and pricing between the merchant and the promotional system.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the display factors further comprise one or more of a narrative description of the deal offer or the merchant and a display template for association with the deal offer.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

providing, via display at the second GUI, each of the plurality of interface control items and an associated value of the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via display at the second GUI, the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter at each of the plurality of interface control items.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receiving, while displaying the preview image of the deal offer in accordance with the first displayed value of the respective deal parameter as indicated by the suggested deal offer, via input at the second GUI, input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter; and

providing, via the second GUI, the updated preview image in accordance with the selection of the one or more alternative values for the respective deal parameter.