Dynamic pricing system with graphical user interface

• US 7,213,754 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digonex Technologies Incorporated (Emmis Communications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Digonex Technologies Incorporated (Emmis Communications Corporation)
• Inventors: Eglen, Jeremy, Bakke, Justin, Switzer, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/066,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20050139661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/381, 235/380, 235/375, 235/462.01, 705/1, 705/400, 705/14, 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system for dynamically pricing products available from one or more merchants. The system sends a first price for a product from a processor to a customer device, and receives a report of sale for the product at the first price from a merchant computer. The system then determines a second price for the product based at least on the report of sale for the product at the first price, and sends the second price to the client customer device.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically adjusting a price, comprising:

sending a first price of a product from a processor to a client computer comprising a graphical user interface;

displaying the first price via the graphical user interface;

receiving a report of sale for the product at the first price from a merchant computer comprising a network server configured to process orders for the product;

determining with the processor, based at least on the report of sale, a first profit at the first price;

determining with the processor that the first profit is less than a previous profit at a previous price;

pricing the product at a second price with the processor;

sending the second price from the processor to the merchant computer;

sending the second price from the processor to the client computer; and

displaying the second price in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pricing the product at a second price comprises setting the second price to a lower price than the first price.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pricing the product at a second price comprises setting the second price to a higher price than the first price.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein pricing the product at a second price comprises setting the second price to a price halfway between the first price and a best price at which a best profit was previously obtained.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second report of sate for the product at the second price from the merchant computer; and

pricing the product at a third price with the processor based at least on the second report of sale.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first price via the graphical user interface comprises associating the first price with a link to the merchant computer and displaying product ordering information in response to an activation of the link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying product ordering information in response to an activation of the link includes displaying the product ordering information in a second graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first plurality of prices via the graphical user interface comprises associating a link to a respective merchant computer with each price of the plurality of prices and displaying product ordering information from the respective merchant computer in response to an activation of the link of the plurality of links.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying product ordering includes displaying the product ordering information in a second graphical user interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor formats the a plurality of prices, and communicates the a plurality of prices to the first interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor formats the second price, and communicates the second price to the third interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the report of sale comprises a plurality of reports of sale, and the memory comprises software that causes the processor to determine the second price based on a quantity of reports of sale received by the second interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a database that associates the plurality of prices to a plurality of addresses for merchant computers.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a database that associates the plurality of prices to a plurality of addresses for merchant computers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first interface is further operable to send the plurality of addresses for merchant computers to the client computer.

16. A method for dynamically adjusting a plurality of prices, comprising:

sending a plurality of prices for a product from a processor to a client computer comprising a graphical user interface;

displaying the first plurality of prices via the graphical user interface;

receiving a first report of sale for the product at a first price of the plurality of prices from a first merchant computer;

determining a second price for the product with the processor based at least on the first report of sale;

sending the second price from the processor to the first merchant computer;

sending the second price from the processor to the client computer; and

replacing the first price of the plurality of prices in the graphical user interface with the second price.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a second price for the product comprises setting the second price to a lower price than the first price.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a second price for the product comprises setting the second price to a higher price than the first price.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a second price for the product comprises setting the second price to a price halfway between the first price and a best price at which a best profit was previously obtained.

20. A method for dynamically adjusting a plurality of prices, comprising:

sending a plurality of prices for a product from a processor to a client computer comprising a graphical user interface;

displaying the first plurality of prices via the graphical user interface;

receiving a first report of sale for the product at a first price of the plurality of prices from a first merchant computer;

receiving a second report of sale for the product at a second price of the plurality of prices from a second merchant computer;

determining a third price for the product with the processor based at least on the first report of sale;

determining a fourth price for the product with the processor based at least on the second report of sale,

sending the third price from the processor to the first merchant computer;

sending the third price from the processor to the client computer;

sending the fourth price from the processor to the first merchant computer;

sending the fourth price from the processor to the client computer;

replacing the first price of the plurality of prices in the graphical user interface with the third price,

replacing the second price of the plurality of prices in the graphical user interface with the fourth price.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the second price to a lower price than the first price.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the second price to a higher price than the first price.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the second price to a price halfway between the first price and a best price at which a best profit was previously obtained.

24. A method for dynamically adjusting a plurality of prices, comprising:

sending a plurality of prices for a product from a processor to a client computer comprising a graphical user interface;

displaying the first plurality of prices via the graphical user interface;

receiving a first report of sale for the product at a first price of the plurality of prices from a first merchant computer;

receiving a second report of sale for the product at a second price of the plurality of prices from a second merchant computer;

determining a third price for the product with the processor based at least on the first report of sale and on the second report of sale;

sending the third price from the processor to the first merchant computer;

sending the third price from the processor to the client computer; and

replacing the first price of the plurality of prices in the graphical user interface with the third price.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a fourth price for the product with the processor based at least on the first report of sale and on the second report of sale;

sending the fourth price from the processor to the second merchant computer;

replacing the second price of the plurality of prices in the graphical user interface with the fourth price.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the third price to a lower price than the first price.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the third price to a higher price than the first price.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a third price for the product comprises setting the third price to a price halfway between the first price and a best price at which a best profit was previously obtained.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface, the first interface operable to send a plurality of prices for a product to a client computer;

a second interface, the second interface operable to receive a report of sale for the product at a fast price of the plurality of prices from a merchant computer;

a processor coupled to the first interface and the second interface, the processor operable to determine, based on the report of sale, a difference between a first profit at the first price of the plurality of prices and a previous profit at a previous price, and to price the product at a second price; and

a third interface coupled to the processor, the third interface operable to send the second price to the client computer.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface are each a network interface.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface are a single interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface are a single interface.