Method and system for using customer preferences in real time to customize a commercial transaction

• US 6,879,960 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Claritas, LLC
• Original Assignee: Claritas, Inc.
• Inventors: Nascenzi, Robert A., Anderson, Grant M., van den Hout, Auke Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Application Number:
  US09/729,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 705/21, 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating a transaction between a merchant and the customer comprising a merchant computer server utilizing a memory containing a database of transaction relevant customer information including customer postal information to provide such information in the form of a customized communication at the point-of-contact between a merchant and the customer is provided. Customer identification information is used to store an anonymous identification tag on the customer computer, the tag providing an address to a segment of the database of transaction relevant customer information. The anonymous tag on the customer computer is accessed by the merchant computer when the customer computer contacts the merchant computer. An embodiment for a syndicate of merchants and a shared system server having a memory of transaction relevant customer information also is provided.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing transaction relevant customer information relating to a customer for facilitating a transaction between a merchant and the customer, comprising:

(a) obtaining, from a customer computer, customer postal identification information sufficient to identify a customer segment but insufficient to identify the customer;

(b) generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information;

(c) sending the sector code to a merchant computer;

(d) creating an anonymous customer identification tag;

(e) storing the tag on the customer computer;

(f) creating an anonymous customer identification tag based on the postal identification information to identity the customer segment but insufficient to identity the customer, and storing the tag on a customer computer, said tag providing an address to a segment of the geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information that is relevant to the group of people of which the customer is a member

(g) retrieving the anonymous identification tag from the customer computer by the merchant computer when the customer computer accesses the merchant computer for the purpose of entering into a transaction;

(h) in response to the retrieved anonymous identification tag from the customer computer, retrieving relevant customer information from a segment of a geodemographic memory database identified by the tag for the group of people of which the customer is a member, the geodemographic database including transaction relevant customer information arranged in customer segments comprising groups of people without identifying particular individuals; and

(i) using the retrieved transaction relevant customer information to customize communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer, whereby transaction relevant customer information relating to a group of people, of which the customer is a member, is provided and used between a merchant and the customer.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transaction relevant information is based solely on the postal address of the customer.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences and lifestyles of the customer.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transaction relevant information comprises buying preferences of individuals other than the customer.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said buying preferences of individuals other than the customer are linked to a geographic location.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said postal information is a unit of census or a ZIP code.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, further including deleting said postal identification information after creating the anonymous identification tag.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer is a web page.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is part of a stand alone merchant server computer.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said merchant computer is a member of a syndicate, said syndicate comprising at least two merchant sewer computers, and wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is provided by a marketing information service provider server computer that is shared by merchants of the syndicate.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said stored identification tag is accessible only by merchant computers of the syndicate.

12. A system for utilizing transaction relevant customer information relating to a customer for facilitating a transaction between a merchant computer and the customer computer, comprising:

(a) means responsive to the customer computer for obtaining customer postal identification information sufficient to identify the customer segment but insufficient to identify the customer;

(b) means for generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information;

(c) means for sending the sector code to the merchant computer;

(d) means for creating an anonymous customer identification tag;

(e) means for storing the tag on the customer computer;

(f) means for retrieving the anonymous identification tag from the customer computer by the merchant computer when the customer computer accesses the merchant computer for the purpose of entering into a transaction;

(g) means responsive to the retrieved anonymous identification tag from the customer computer, for retrieving relevant customer information from a segment of the geodemographic memory database identified by the tag for the group of people of which the customer is a member, the geodemographic database including transaction relevant customer information arranged in customer segments comprising groups of people without identifying particular individuals; and

(h) means for using the retrieved transaction relevant customer information to customize communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer, whereby transaction relevant customer information relating to a group of people, of which the customer is a member, is provided and used between a merchant and the customer.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transaction relevant information is based solely on the geographic location of the customer'"'"'s household.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences and lifestyle of the customer.

15. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences of individuals other than the customer.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said buying preferences of individuals other than the customer is linked to a geographic location.

17. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said postal information is a unit of census or a ZIP codes.

18. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer is a web page.

19. A system as set forth in claim 12, further including means for deleting said postal identification information.

20. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is part of a stand alone merchant server computer.

21. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said merchant computer is a member of a syndicate, said syndicate comprising at least two merchant server computers, and wherein said memory for storing a database of transaction relevant customer information is provided by a marketing information service provider server computer that is shared by merchants of the syndicate.

22. A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said stored identification tag is accessible only by merchant computers of the syndicate.

23. A method of utilizing transaction relevant customer information for facilitating a transaction between a merchant and the customer, comprising:

(a) using a merchant server computer;

(b) using a memory storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information;

(c) obtaining customer postal identification information from a customer computer which accesses via a network said merchant serve computer;

(d) sending the postal identification information to the memory;

(e) generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information

(f) sending the sector code to the merchant computer;

(g) creating an anonymous customer identification tag; and

(h) storing the tag on the computer.