Tracking purchases in a location-based services system

• US 7,698,228 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Gailey, Michael L., Portman, Eric A., Burgiss, Michael J., Smith, Angela King, Holmes, Chad S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin; Evens J
• Application Number:
  US10/134,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,909 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/51, 705/64, 705/67, 705/73, 705/75, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 370328-338
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 : Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 : Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 : for mobile advertising

Abstract

A system and method for tracking purchases in a location-based services system is disclosed wherein a request for information on a particular product is received from a consumer using a remote terminal. A geographically tailored response to the request is then generated with the location-based services system. At least one offer is then displayed to the consumer based on the geographically tailored response. An acceptance of a respective offer made by the consumer is then processed by the location-based services system and information is stored about the transaction in a usage data file or database.

Claims

1. A method for tracking purchases in a location-based services system, comprising the steps of:

said location-based services system receiving a remote terminal identifier and a geographic indicator from a remote terminal;

said location-based services system receiving a request, wherein said request is for information on a particular product from a consumer using said remote terminal;

said location-based services system processing said request to identify consumer specified geographic information included in said request;

said location-based services system determining that said consumer specified geographic information is not present in said request;

said location-based services system defaulting to a current geographic location of said remote terminal based on said remote terminal identifier and said geographic indicator, and identifying a business located within a geographic region that is defined by said current geographic location;

generating, with said location-based services system responsive to said request, an offer identifier;

associating said offer identifier with a respective offer from said identified business;

generating a geographically tailored response to said request with said location-based services system that includes said respective offer and said offer identifier;

displaying said respective offer and said offer identifier to said consumer with said location-based services system based on said geographically tailored response;

said location-based services system receiving an acceptance of said respective offer by said consumer; and

in response to said acceptance, said location-based services system storing said respective offer, said offer identifier, and said acceptance of said respective offer in a personal list associated with said consumer, and in a database that is associated with said business.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an electronic payment card is charged for said product.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing information about said electronic payment card, wherein said information includes a merchant code, a merchant name, a merchant address, a transaction type, a identifier of products purchased, an amount of purchase, a date of purchase and a time of purchase.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic region is based on a geographic setting made on said remote terminal by said consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of information about said offer, wherein said information includes a campaign identifier, a merchant name, a consumer identifier, a campaign code, a date, a time, a geographic location of said consumer and an offer number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging said consumer for said product based on said terms included in said offer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing transaction information related to said purchase by said consumer with said location-based services system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said offer identifier stored in said personal list to said consumer for presentation to said business.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of said consumer presenting said offer identifier at a geographic location of said business, accessing said stored offer with said location-based application server based on said presented offer identifier to determine said terms, and charging said consumer for said product in accordance with said terms.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an acceptance comprises receiving an offer number from said consumer using said remote terminal, and accessing said database to validate said offer number and determine the nature of said offer.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating analysis related to effectiveness of a location-based advertising campaign based on said geographically tailored response, said offer, and said stored acceptance.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an acceptance of said offer comprises the steps of receiving electronic payment card information, transmitting said electronic payment card information to a corresponding payment card issuer, and transmitting, with a periodic batch file process, a card data file for storage in a usage database that is accessible to generate advertising effectiveness analysis.

10. A method for tracking purchases in a location-based services system, comprising the steps of:

said location-based services system receiving from a remote terminal a remote terminal identifier and a geographic indicator;

said location-based services system receiving a tailored request for information on a product from said remote terminal;

said location-based services system processing said request to identify geographic information specified in said request;

said location-based services system determining that said geographic information is not specified in said request;

said location-based services system defaulting to a current geographic location of said remote terminal based on said remote terminal identifier and said geographic indicator, and generating an offer identifier for a respective offer from a business located within a geographic region defined by said current geographic location of said remote terminal;

generating a structured response to said tailored request for information on said product with said location-based services system, wherein said structured response includes said respective offer and said offer identifier;

transmitting said structured response to said remote terminal for display of said respective offer and said offer identifier on said remote terminal;

receiving a selection of said respective offer from said remote terminal with said location-based services system; and

with said location-based services system storing said respective offer, said offer identifier, and said selection in a datafile associated with said business, and also in a personal list associated with a user of said remote terminal so that said offer identifier is later available to confirm terms of said respective offer, and said user can initiate a purchase transaction of said product based on said terms of said respective offer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of information about said offer, wherein said information is selected from a group of information consisting of a campaign identifier, a merchant name, a consumer identifier, a campaign code, a date, a time, a geographic location of said consumer and an offer number.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is a voice signal provided by a user of said remote terminal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is transmitted using a wireless application protocol and comprises a text-based tailored request for information.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is transmitted to said location-based application server from said remote terminal using a web-based protocol.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is transmitted to said location-based application server from said remote terminal in a structured format by selections made from a menu system generated on a display of said remote terminal.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a size of said geographic region is set by a user of said remote terminal.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said structured response comprises a voice signal.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of receiving a presentation of said offer identifier to said business;

and accessing said datafile, in response to presentation of said offer identifier, to validate said offer, to identify a nature of said offer, and to determine what product or service is to be provided based on said offer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing payment information related to a transaction to purchase said product described in said offer.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising charging said user for said product based on said terms of said offer to complete said purchase transaction.

21. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving payment information of an electronic payment card to complete said purchase transaction of said product in accordance with said confirmed terms of said offer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of said location-based application server transmitting said payment information to a corresponding electronic payment card issuer;

and said location-based application server transmitting, with a periodic batch process, a card data file to be stored in a card database and a usage database, wherein said card data file includes a name of said product, an amount of a purchase price of said product, a date of said purchase of said product, and a time of said purchase of said product.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting a card data file comprises said location-based application server downloading said card data file from said card database to said usage database for analysis of advertising effectiveness from information in said usage database.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said card data file also includes a merchant code, a merchant name, a merchant address, and a transaction type.

25. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, with said location-based services system, a tailored request for information comprises receiving a user selected geographic radius so that only businesses geographically located within said user selected geographic radius are located in said geographic region and are eligible to have offers be included in said structured response to said tailored request.

26. The method of claim 10, further comprising accessing said offer, said offer identifier, and said selection stored in said personal list with said remote terminal so that said offer identifier can be presented to said business to initiate said purchase transaction.

27. The method of claim 10, wherein generating a structured response comprises assigning a campaign identifier of an advertising campaign to which said offer belongs to said offer.

28. A location-based services system with purchase tracking, comprising:

a remote terminal configured to generate a tailored request for information on a product, a remote terminal identifier, and a geographic indicator;

a location-based application server, in communication with said remote terminal, configured to receive said tailored request for information, said remote terminal identifier, and said geographic indicator;

said location-based application server configured to process said tailored request for information to identify geographic location information specified with said tailored request for information;

said location-based application server further configured to determine that said geographic location information is absent from said tailored request for information, and to default to a current geographic location of said remote terminal based on said remote terminal identifier and said geographic indicator from said remote terminal; and

said location-based application server further configured to generate an offer identifier to associate with an offer included in a structured response that is responsive to said tailored request for information on said product, said offer from a business identified with said location-based application server as being located in a geographic region that is defined by said current geographic location, wherein said structured response is transmittable to said remote terminal, and said offer and said offer identifier are displayable on said remote terminal;

in response to a user command, said remote terminal further configured to transmit to said location-based application server an acceptance of said offer; and

said location-based application server further configured to store said offer, said offer identifier, and said acceptance of said offer in a database that is associated with said business that will provide said product and in a personal list associated with a user of said remote terminal.

29. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said product described in said offer is purchased in accordance with terms of said offer with an electronic payment card.

30. The location-based services system of claim 29, wherein said location-based application server is configured, to store a plurality of information related to said electronic payment card in a usage data file included in said database after said acceptance, wherein said information about said electronic payment card includes a merchant code, a merchant name, a merchant address, a transaction type, a identifier of products purchased, an amount of purchase, a date of purchase and a time of purchase.

31. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein a campaign offer identifier is assigned to each offer.

32. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said location-based application server is configured to store a plurality of information related to said offer in a usage data file included in said database, wherein said information comprises a campaign identifier, a merchant name, a consumer identifier, a campaign code, a date, a time, a geographic location of said consumer and an offer number.

33. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said tailored request for information on said product comprises a voice signal provided by a user of said remote terminal.

34. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is transmitted to said location-based application server using a wireless application protocol and comprises a text-based tailored request for information.

35. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said tailored request for information on said product is transmitted to said location-based application server using a web-based protocol.

36. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein a size of said geographic region is set by a user of said remote terminal.

37. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said structured response comprises a voice signal generated by a voice synthesis server.

41. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said database comprises a plurality of files associated with said user, and a plurality of files associated with said business.

42. The location-based services system of claim 28, wherein said location-based application server is further configured to retrieve a purchase price for said product from said stored offer based on said respective offer identifier in response to a subsequent request to purchase said product that includes said previously stored respective offer identifier.