Discount estimating and purchase system and method

• US 7,236,944 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott H. Schwartz, Terry V. Delong
• Original Assignee: Scott H. Schwartz, Terry V. Delong
• Inventors: DeLong, Terry V., Schwartz, Scott H.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/718,961
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a discount estimating and purchase system and method and, more particularly, to a discount quoting and purchasing system and method that allows quotes/purchases to be evaluated for discounts using various organizational units to maximize efficient order volumes and minimize total price.

Claims

1. A system for calculating discounts on items, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, including a program executable by the processor, the program including;

an estimator configured to allow user selection of at least one item for creating a cost quote of total price for a purchase order, each item being a member of an item unit with items of a particular kind, the item unit having associated therewith a volume;

a unit setting module configured to allow setting membership of a plurality of item units with related item units in at least one first group unit in the purchase order, each item unit in a first group unit having a type of volume that is the same, each first group unit having associated therewith a cumulative volume of the at least one item unit therein;

a discount rule module configured to allow setting at least one discount threshold for each first group unit in the purchase order, each discount threshold of a first group unit having an associated discounted price given to a user when the discount threshold is met; and

a calculator configured to recommend selection of additional volume to attain a next discount threshold,

wherein the discount rule module is further configured to selectively assign a rank to each discount threshold of each first group unit, wherein the rank indicates a reference level of each discount threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, when an item unit is a member of more than one first group unit, the calculator is further configured to determine an allocation of volume of an item unit amongst the first group units to achieve a minimized total price.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculator is further configured to determine award of an additional discounted price based on achieving a discount threshold in more than one first group unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculator is configured to recommend selection of additional volume when a volume selected is within a discount variance of the next discount threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the type of volume is determined by the type of item and is chosen from the group comprising:

a monetary amount, weight and quantity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each first group unit includes more than one discount threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the discount rule module is further configured to allow setting at least one discount threshold for each item unit, each discount threshold for an item unit having an associated discounted price.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the calculator is further configured to recommend selection of additional volume to attain a next discount threshold for an item unit.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the calculator is configured to recommend selection of additional volume when a volume selected is within a discount variance of the next discount threshold for the item unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit setting module is further configured to allow setting membership of at least one first group unit into at least one master group unit, and the discount rule module is further configured to allow setting one of a discount formula and a discount table for each master group unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the calculator is further configured to determine a discounted price using one of the discount formula and discount table and an achieved rank of at least one first group unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one of the discount formula and discount table provide a discounted price based on a highest achieved rank for each first group unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a discounted price provided by the one of the discount formula and discount table is provided by assigning a discounted price associated with a rank higher than any achieved rank to each first group unit.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a coop module configured to allow creation of a coop of a plurality of users to pool purchases and cumulatively attain a discounted price.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the discount rule module is further configured to set at least one coop discount threshold for each first group unit and each item unit.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the calculator is configured to recommend selection of at least one additional item or additional volume to attain a next discount threshold with preference for minimizing the total price of an individual user rather than the coop.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the coop module is configured to allow an administrator to set at least one of:

purchase closing time, pricing structure, maximum discount threshold available and coop membership rules.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the unit setting module is further configured to allow setting membership of at least one first group unit into at least one master group unit, and the discount rule module is further configured to allow setting one of a discount formula and a discount table for each master group unit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the discount rule module is further configured to selectively assign a rank to each discount threshold of each first group unit.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the calculator is further configured to determine a discounted price using one of the discount formula and discount table and an achieved rank of at least one first group unit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one of the discount formula and discount table provide a discounted price based on a highest achieved rank for each first group unit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein a discounted price provided by the one of the discount formula and discount table is provided by assigning a discounted price associated with a rank higher than any achieved rank to each first group unit.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a purchasing module configured to permit a user to make a purchase of the selected at least one item.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit setting module is further configured to allow setting membership of at least one item unit in at least one second group unit, each second group unit having associated therewith a cumulative volume of the at least one item unit therein;

the discount rule module is further configured to allow setting at least one discount threshold for each second group unit, each discount threshold of a second group unit having an associated discounted price given to a user when the discount threshold is met; and

the calculator is further configured to recommend selection of additional volume to attain a next discount threshold in each second group unit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein, when an item unit is a member of more than one second group unit, the calculator is further configured to determine an allocation of volume of an item amongst the second group units to achieve a minimized total price.

26. A computer implemented method for calculating discounts for quotes or purchases of items, the method comprising the steps of:

allowing selection of an item by a user to attain a quote for a purchase order;

organizing an item available for purchase into an item unit with other items of a particular kind and at least one first group unit in the purchase order, the first group including a plurality of item units where the item units are related and have a type of volume that is the same, each item unit and each group unit having associated therewith a volume;

setting at least one discount threshold for each item unit and each first group unit in the purchase order, each discount threshold having an associated discounted price;

calculating when a volume of an item unit is within a discount variance of a next discount threshold for the item unit;

recommending selection of additional volume to attain the next discount threshold for the item unit;

calculating when a volume of a first group unit is within a discount variance of a next discount threshold for the first group unit;

recommending selection of additional volume to attain the next discount threshold for the first group unit; and

assigning at least one discount threshold in each first group unit a rank, and, in the case that the achieved ranks of the first group units of the master group unit meet a standard, providing a discounted price associated with a rank higher than any achieved rank to each first group unit, wherein the rank indicates a preference level of each discount threshold.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of organizing further includes organizing at least one first group unit into at least one master group unit that includes one or more group units.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of setting at least one discount threshold for each item unit and each first group unit includes setting a discount threshold based on one of:

a monetary amount, weight and quantity.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of allocating a volume of an item unit between more than one first group unit to maximize the discounted price.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of pooling user purchases into a coop to cumulatively attain a discount threshold.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein steps of recommending includes recommending a selection with preference for an individual user rather than the coop.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising allowing a user to make a purchase of the selected item.

33. A system for estimating purchase cost of items and making a recommendation to attain a discounted price, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, including a program executable by the processor, the program including;

a) an estimator configured to allow a user to select multiple items of different types to attain a total price quote for a purchase order;

b) an administration module configured to allow organization of each item into at least one group unit having a plurality of item types with related items in the purchase order, each item in a group unit having a type of volume that is the same, each group unit including at least one discount threshold that may be attained by selection of a volume of an item organized therein;

c) a discounter including a calculator configured to;

i) determine a next discount threshold for each group unit in the purchase order; and

ii) recommend selection of additional volume to attain a next discount threshold in at least one unit; and

d) a purchasing module configured to permit a user to make a purchase,

wherein the discounter is further configured to selectively assign a rank to each discount threshold of each group unit, wherein the rank indicates a preference level of each discount threshold.