Systems and methods for delivering item price notifications to a mobile device

• US 7,657,463 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etsy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin, Shaw, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US12/337,006
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/22, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

An exemplary system for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device can include a processor, an inventory database including a plurality of inventory items, and a memory that is in communication with the processor. The memory can be configured to store instructions that, when executed, perform the steps of an exemplary method. An exemplary method can include querying the inventory database to determine if an inventory item meets a price reduction threshold, generating the item price notification including a sale price for the inventory item, if the inventory item meets the price reduction threshold, and transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device. The query can be invoked by the mobile device being proximate the inventory item, such as the mobile device being located at a merchant premises.

Claims

1. A method for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device, the method comprising:

an inventory management system monitoring, in response to receiving a shopping list from the mobile device, an inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item identified in the shopping list, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining, by the inventory management system, that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response, the inventory management system;

changing a price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the inventory management system updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to temporarily reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to temporarily reflect the sale price for the inventory item until a quantity for the inventory item is sold.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to permanently reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the inventory management system;

monitor the inventory database in response to the inventory management system being notified that a customer information card has been swiped at a terminal that is in communication with the inventory management system; and

requesting the shopping list from the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory management system transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device comprises the inventory management system transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device via a messaging center of a wireless communications network using a wireless messaging protocol.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the steps of:

monitoring, in response to receiving a shopping list from a mobile device, an inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item identified in the shopping list, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response;

changing a price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to a the mobile device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further perform the step of updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:

monitoring the inventory database in response to the inventory management system being notified that a customer information card has been swiped at a terminal that is in communication with the inventory management system; and

requesting the shopping list from the mobile device.

11. An inventory management system for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory, in communication with the processor, the memory being configured with;

an inventory database comprising a price for an inventory item; and

instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the steps of;

monitoring, in response to receiving a shopping list from the mobile device the inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item identified in the shopping list, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response;

changing the price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device.

12. The inventory management system of claim 11, wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the additional step of updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

13. The inventory management system of claim 11, wherein the memory is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the additional steps of:

monitoring the inventory database in response to the inventory management system being notified that a customer information card has been swiped at a terminal that is in communication with the inventory management system; and

requesting the shopping list from the mobile device.

14. An inventory management system for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory, in communication with the processor, the memory being configured with;

an inventory database comprising a price for an inventory item; and

instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the steps of;

accessing a customer information database to retrieve a purchase history for a customer;

monitoring the inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item that was previously purchased by the customer as identified in the purchase history, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response;

changing the price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device.

15. The inventory management system of claim 14, wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the additional step of updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

16. A computer-readable medium for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device, the computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the steps of:

accessing a customer information database to retrieve a purchase history for a customer;

monitoring the inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item that was previously purchased by the customer as identified in the purchase history, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response;

changing the price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further perform the step of updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

18. A method for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device, the method comprising:

accessing, by an inventory management system, a customer information database to retrieve a purchase history for a customer;

monitoring, by the inventory management system, the inventory database to determine if a present date is within an expiration threshold assigned to an inventory item that was previously purchased by the customer as identified in the purchase history, the expiration threshold comprising an expiration date for the inventory item;

determining, by the inventory management system, that the present date is within the expiration threshold assigned to the inventory item and, in response, the inventory management system;

changing the price associated with the inventory item to a sale price for the inventory item;

generating an item price notification comprising the sale price for the inventory item within the expiration threshold; and

transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the inventory management system updating the inventory database to reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to temporarily reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to temporarily reflect the sale price for the inventory item until a quantity for the inventory item is sold.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the updating comprises the inventory management system updating the inventory database to permanently reflect the sale price for the inventory item.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the inventory management system transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device comprises the inventory management system transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device via a messaging center of a wireless communications network using a wireless messaging protocol.