E-coupon service for location-aware mobile commerce which determines whether to supply requested e-coupons based on the number of requests received in a processing cycle, and a threshold number of requests required to make expected returns from redeemed coupons greater than advertising fees
First Claim
1. An e-coupon distribution method for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:
- (i) maintaining a mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory;
(ii) receiving a request for at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user;
(iii) receiving location information for the requesting mobile electronic device;
(iv) determining a seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device;
(v) determining an initial threshold number of requests for the seller based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request;
(vi) determining whether the number of pending requests during the processing cycle for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold; and
(vii) when the number of pending requests for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold, sending said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conditional e-coupon distribution method distributes e-coupons predefined by sellers to mobile users only if the number of mobile users requesting such e-coupons equals or exceeds a threshold. The method receives a request to browse e-coupons from a mobile user. The method receives the location of the mobile user and determines a plurality of sellers local to the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from the local sellers. The method receives a request for a particular e-coupon from a seller and authorizes the provision of said e-coupon to the mobile user. At the end of a processing cycle, the mobile user receives the requested e-coupon if all conditions, such as a period of time and threshold, have been met. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein allows for storage of the method.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An e-coupon distribution method for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:
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(i) maintaining a mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory; (ii) receiving a request for at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user; (iii) receiving location information for the requesting mobile electronic device; (iv) determining a seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device; (v) determining an initial threshold number of requests for the seller based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request; (vi) determining whether the number of pending requests during the processing cycle for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold; and (vii) when the number of pending requests for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold, sending said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An e-coupon distribution method for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:
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maintaining mobile user profile data and seller profile data in database memory; receiving a request from a mobile electronic device of a user to browse at least one e-coupon; receiving location information for the requesting mobile electronic device; determining at least one seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device and at least one corresponding e-coupon available from said st least one seller; sending e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device; receiving a request for at least one e-coupon of a seller from the mobile electronic device; determining whether to provide said seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by determining the number of pending mobile requests during a processing cycle; calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request; authorizing the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and sending said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device upon authorization. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An e-coupon distribution system for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:
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a memory for storing mobile user profile data and seller profile data; a profile proxy server to receive a request to browse at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user; said profile proxy server to receive a location of the requesting mobile electronic device; said profile proxy server to determine a at least one seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device and at least one corresponding e-coupon available from said sellers; said profile proxy server to send e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device; said profile proxy server to receive a request for at least one e-coupon of a seller from the mobile electronic device; a commerce server to receive said request from said profile proxy server; said commerce server to log said request in said mobile user profile and said seller profile; said commerce server to determine whether to provide said seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by determining the number of pending mobile requests during a processing cycle; calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request; at the end of the processing cycle, said commerce server to authorize the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and said commerce server to send said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device responsive to said authorizing step. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a distribution of e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, the computer-readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to maintain mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request to browse at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a location of the requesting mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine a plurality of sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from said sellers; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request for at least one e-coupon of a seller from the mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to log said request for an e-coupon of a seller in said mobile user profile and said seller profile; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine whether to provide said seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by determining the number of pending mobile requests during a processing cycle; calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request; computer-readable program code for causing a computer, at the end of the processing cycle, to authorize the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device responsive to said authorizing step.
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37. A computer program product for use with an output device, said computer program product comprising:
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a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium for causing a distribution of e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, said computer program product having; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to maintain mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request to browse at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a location of the requesting mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine a plurality of sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from said sellers; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request for at least one e-coupon of a seller from the mobile electronic device; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to log said request for an e-coupon of a seller in said mobile user profile and said seller profile; computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine whether to provide said seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by determining the number of pending mobile requests during a processing cycle; calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based on the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, and the number of additional e-coupons expected to be offered during a processing cycle by other sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device in response to the mobile user request; computer-readable program code for causing a computer, at the end of the processing cycle, to authorize the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device responsive to said authorizing step.
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Specification