Best price search engine including coupons

• US 7,818,209 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boxwood Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Campusi Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Charles, Adiga, Sadashiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre; James W
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US10/632,557
• Time in Patent Office: 2,637 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.13, 705/14.24, 705/14.29, 705/14.54
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

Finding a best price available for a selected product, computed including all relevant factors available to the search engine. Searching separately for the product by price, and concurrently, searching for any available coupons or other discounts available for that product from the seller. When obtaining price information, querying for relevant information relating to purchase decisions. Obtaining relevant information from third-party sources. When obtaining discount information, querying for relevant information relating to applicability of that discount. Matching price information with coupon information for each selected requested product, and computing an effective price to the potential buyer. Aggregating the information it obtains, and presenting that aggregated information. Filtering or sorting those results. Maintaining separate pricing information for each product, uniquely identified by a code, in a database entry. Maintaining separate information for each discount. Augmenting this information by hand. Matching pricing information with discount information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a connection parameter related to affecting time involved in searching information relating to prices by sellers using a processor;

searching in response to the connection parameter so as to reduce search time for multi-variable information relating to prices by sellers of a selected product, wherein that multi-variable information includes at least two of the following;

a stated price, a coupon, discount applicable to the selected product, a currency exchange rate, a measure of quality for an available item of that selected product, a measure of reputation for a selected seller, manufacturer of that selected product, a shipping cost and type a tax imposed on purchase of the selected product;

populating a database with that multi-variable information in response to said searching;

computing at a web server an effective price in response to that multi-variable information; and

presenting that effective price in association with that selected product.

3. The method as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

aggregating the information regarding sellers offering the selected product; and

presenting to a potential buyer that aggregated information.

4. The method as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

filtering information regarding sellers of offering the selected product in response to at least one restriction selected by a potential buyer.

5. The method as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

obtaining at least some of the multi-variable information from a source other than a potential seller of that selected product.

6. The method as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

sorting information regarding sellers of offering the selected product in response to that effective price.

7. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein a search restriction is selected by a potential buyer, that search restriction including at least one of:

a maximum effective price a minimum measure of quality, a minimum measure of reputation, a minimum shipping type and a maximum amount of product ordered.

8. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least some of that multi-variable information is entered from an offline source.

9. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the steps of searching for multi-variable information further comprising:

searching for a first element of that the multi-variable information; and

searching independently of those steps of searching for a first element, for a second element of that multi-variable information.

10. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein those discounts include at least one of a fixed reduction in price, a percentage reduction in price and a reduction in price contingent on an amount of product ordered.

11. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein those discounts include at least one of a reduction in shipping cost and an upgrade in shipping type with-out associated increase in price, and wherein those discounts are at least one of unconditional and conditional on an amount of product ordered.

12. The method as in claim 1 or 2,

wherein those steps of searching also include information relating to packages of products including the selected product;

and

wherein the computed effective price is responsive to a minimum effective price for those packages of products.

13. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein those steps of searching also include information relating to products not exactly equal to the selected product.

14. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection parameter comprises connection reliability information.

15. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection parameter comprises number of transaction information.

16. The method as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection parameter comprises a frequency of transaction with the seller.

17. The method as in claim 1 or 2, further including:

caching the multi-variable information and the connection parameter before receiving a request from a user to present the effective price.

18. The methods as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information relating to products not exactly equal to the selected product is responsive to a degree-of-match parameter.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection parameter is a dead link indication.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection parameter includes multiple connection information.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection parameter includes pre-opened connection information.

2. A method, comprising:

determining the connection parameter related to affecting time involved in searching information relating to prices by sellers, said parameter including pre-fetched information;

searching in responsive to the one connection parameter so as to reduce search time, for stated prices provided by sellers of a selected product;

applying those discounts to those stated prices, whereby an effective price can be computed; and

presenting that effective price in association with that selected product.

22. The method of claim 2 wherein the pre-fetched information includes a pre-fetched price.

23. The method of claim 2 wherein the pre-fetched information includes pre-searched products.