System and method for processing gasoline price data in a networked environment

• US 7,617,111 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sheppard, Adam, Death, Cameron, Graff, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jabr; Fadey S
• Application Number:
  US10/187,079
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 709/231, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method for processing gasoline price data in a networked environment are provided. A traffic data processing server obtains gasoline price data indicative of user purchases. The gasoline price data is associated with a service provider location and product identifier. A gasoline price processing server processes the incoming gasoline price data to generate geographic-based gasoline price statistical information. Upon obtain a client computer request for a geographic area, the gasoline price processing server transmits display information including the geographic-based statistical gasoline price information.

Claims

1. A method for processing gasoline price data by a computer coupled to a communication network, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

obtaining, via the communication network, gasoline purchase transaction data from at least one consumer credit agency, said gasoline purchase transaction data corresponding to a plurality of consumer credit purchases of gasoline made by a plurality of consumers, each said consumer credit purchase being from an identifiable location, each said consumer credit purchase including a price charged per volume for the gasoline;

calculating geographic-specific gasoline price statistical information from the obtained gasoline purchase transaction data as a function of the identifiable location and the price charged per volume for the gasoline in the consumer credit purchases made by the plurality of consumers;

obtaining a user request for gasoline price data for a selected geographic region, wherein said user request indicates the selected geographic region;

generating a display including calculated gasoline price statistical information specific to the selected geographic region, wherein the identifiable location of the displayed gasoline price statistical information corresponds to the selected geographic region; and

transmitting the generated display to the user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gasoline purchase transaction data includes data identifying a gasoline service station.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gasoline purchase transaction data includes data identifying a gasoline type.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gasoline purchase transaction data includes data indicative of multiple individual purchases of gasoline made by the plurality of consumers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein calculating geographic-specific gasoline price statistical information includes calculating an average gasoline price according to geographic criteria.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein calculating geographic-specific gasoline price statistical information includes identifying a lowest and a highest gasoline price according to geographic criteria.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifiable location is associated with a postal zip code, and wherein said calculating includes calculating geographic-specific gasoline price statistical information from the obtained gasoline purchase transaction data as a function of the postal zip code associated with the identifiable location and the price charred per volume for the gasoline in the consumer credit purchases made by the plurality of consumers.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifiable location is associated with a metro area, and wherein said calculating includes calculating geographic-specific gasoline price statistical information from the obtained gasoline purchase transaction data as a function of the metro area associated with the identifiable location and the price charged per volume for the gasoline in the consumer credit purchases made by the plurality of consumers.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a user request for gasoline price data includes obtaining a user identification of a postal zip code for gasoline price data.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a user request for gasoline price data includes obtaining a user identification of an identifiable metro area.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a user request for gasoline price data includes obtaining a calculated geographic position for a user.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a user request for gasoline price data includes determining a proximity radius for gasoline service stations within the selected geographic region.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein determining a proximity radius includes obtaining a user specification of a proximity radius.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a user request for gasoline price data includes obtaining a user request for gasoline price data for multiple selected geographic regions.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the multiple geographic regions are selected to correspond to a specified navigable rome.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a user request for additional gasoline price information;

generating a second display corresponding to the specified geographic region;

transmitting the second display to the user.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the second display includes a map corresponding to the specified geographic region, the map including geographic identifiers for gasoline service providers within the specified geographic region.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the second display includes information corresponding to gasoline prices for gasoline service providers with an area corresponding to the specified geographic region.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the information corresponding to gasoline prices for gasoline service providers includes average gasoline prices for a gasoline type.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the second display includes gasoline prices for a geographic region different from the specified geographic region.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said calculating includes verifying the identifiable location, and if the identifiable location cannot be verified, discarding the gasoline purchase transaction data.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein verifying the identifiable location includes obtaining latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates corresponding to the identifiable location.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the specified navigable route is specified via user input.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the specified navigable route is specified via a user request originating from a mapping application program.