Methods, systems, and products for demographic discounting

• US 8,005,485 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Starr, Robert J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US11/904,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for providing a discount to a device. A zone improvement plan code, associated with the device, is obtained. A demographic indicator, associated with the zone improvement plan code, is retrieved. The discount is retrieved from memory, with the discount based on the demographic indicator.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a location of a wireless device;

computing a distance from a reference location to the location of the wireless device;

querying a historical location database to determine if the wireless device has a historical location that matches the reference location, the historical location database storing occasions when the location of the wireless device is within a predetermined range of the reference location;

declining to provide the discount when the historical location matches the reference location;

obtaining a zone improvement plan code associated with the wireless device;

retrieving an income associated with the zone improvement plan code; and

retrieving the discount from memory, the discount based on the income.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry and targeting the discount to owners of a vehicle brand.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising obtaining property records and targeting the discount to home purchase prices that exceed a threshold price.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising obtaining property records and targeting the discount to owners making cash purchases of homes.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising obtaining property records and targeting the discount to owners of acreage within the zone improvement plan code.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry; and

filtering out vehicles newer than a number of years.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

informing a merchant when the location represents a competitor'"'"'s location;

receiving an authorization for the discount; and

sending the discount to the wireless device to entice a user to purchase from the merchant.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

computing distances between multiple reference locations and the location of the wireless device; and

retrieving discounts from memory, each discount based on the income and on each distance.