Method and system for providing a distributed adaptive rules based dynamic pricing system

• US 8,005,763 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Loc, Hammad, Ayman, Gauthier, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, AKIBA KANELLE
• Application Number:
  US10/678,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,884 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/1, 705/400, 705/14.65, 705/14.38, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 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

A system for providing distributed control to process transactions is disclosed. The system includes a service provider system having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules, a point of service device having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules, and a portable device having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules. The portable device uses its associated rules to determine an outcome for a transaction. If the portable device is unable to determine the outcome for the transaction, the portable device uses its associated meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of its associated rules can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the point of service device to help determine the outcome using the rules and meta-rules associated with the point of service device. If the point of service device is unable to determine the outcome using its associated rules, the point of service device uses its associated meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of its associated rules can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the service provider system to help determine the outcome using the rules and meta-rules associated with the service provider system.

Claims

1. A system for providing distributed control to process purchase transactions, comprising:

a point of service device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules; and

a portable device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules;

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are configured to use their plurality of rules and plurality of meta-rules to determine an outcome for a purchase transaction; and

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are further configured so that when the portable device and the point of service device are unable to determine the outcome for the purchase transaction, the point of service device uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request a service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the service provider system,

wherein the plurality of meta-rules in the point of service device includes a meta-rule for replacing at least one rule in the plurality of rules in the point of service device with another rule,

wherein the outcome is a reward,

wherein the point of service device and the portable device are configured to mutually authenticate each other prior to information exchange.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a network gateway having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules;

wherein if the portable device and the point of service device are unable to determine the outcome, the point of service device uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the network gateway to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the network gateway.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein if the network gateway is unable to determine the outcome using its plurality of rules, the network gateway uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of its plurality of rules can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the service provider system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of service device uses historical purchase transaction information to update the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the portable device in order to render processing of purchase transactions more efficient.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the service provider system uses historical purchase transaction information to update the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the portable device and the point of service device in order to render processing of purchase transactions more efficient.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is implemented using software, hardware or a combination of both.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device includes at least one of a smart card, a memory stick, a dongle, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone and a pager.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of service device includes at least one of a personal computer, a point of sale device, a kiosk, an automatic teller machine and a cellular phone.

9. The system of claim 1

wherein the outcome is determined using a price computation process.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device and the point of service device are configured to conduct the purchase transaction using a contactless mode of operation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the point of service device is a vending machine.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of service device is a phone.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of service device is further configured to determine geographical location.

12. A system for providing distributed control to process purchase transactions, comprising:

a point of service device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules; and

a portable device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules;

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are configured to use their plurality of rules and plurality of meta-rules to determine an outcome for a purchase transaction; and

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are further configured so that when the portable device and the point of service device are unable to determine the outcome for the purchase transaction, the point of service device uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request a service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the service provider system, wherein the plurality of rules includes at least one price computation rule, and

wherein the point of service device is further configured to determine information including the time, temperature, weather, or geographical location,

wherein the point of service device and the portable device are configured to mutually authenticate each other prior to information exchange,

wherein the at least one price computation rule uses service provider and data logs to determine the outcome of the transaction. Zone Name;

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21. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one price computation rule uses value setting data to determine the outcome of the transaction.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the point of sale device is configured to acquire time of day and temperature data during the transaction.

15. A method for providing distributed control to process purchase transactions, comprising:

conducting a purchase transaction between a portable device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules and a point of service device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules,

wherein the portable device and the point of service device use their plurality of rules and plurality of meta-rules to determine an outcome for the purchase transaction; and

wherein when the portable device and the point of service device are unable to determine the outcome for the purchase transaction, the point of service device uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request a network gateway or a service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the network gateway or the service provider system, and wherein the method further comprises;

requesting, by the point of service device, the network gateway or the service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the network gateway or the service provider system, and wherein the method further comprises mutually authenticating the portable device and the point of service device,

wherein one or more of the rules in the portable device and the point of service device represent a consumer behavior model,

wherein the point of service device is a vending machine,

wherein the vending machine uses inventory control and pricing methods to maximize the number of sales between service visits.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the outcome is a reward.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the outcome is determined using a price computation process.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the point of service device is further configured to determine information including the time, temperature, weather, or geographical location.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the point of service device is a phone.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

altering one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device after the point of service device is unable to determine the outcome.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the point of sale device is configured to acquire time of day and temperature data during the transaction.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing an offer to a user of the portable device.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the information includes a transaction number.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the information further includes a transaction cryptogram.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein the point of service device comprises a service log.

28. A system for providing distributed control to process purchase transactions, comprising:

point of service device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules; and

a portable device having a plurality of rules and a plurality of meta-rules;

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are configured to use their plurality of rules and plurality of meta-rules to determine an outcome for a purchase transaction; and

wherein the portable device and the point of service device are further configured so that when the portable device and the point of service device are unable to determine the outcome for the purchase transaction, the point of service device uses its plurality of meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of the plurality of rules in either the portable device or the point of service device can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request a service provider system to help determine the outcome using the plurality of rules and the plurality of meta-rules in the service provider system, wherein the plurality of rules includes at least one price computation rule, and

wherein the point of service device is further configured to determine information including the time, temperature, weather, or geographical location,

wherein the point of service device and the portable device are configured to mutually authenticate each other prior to information exchange, and

wherein the at least one price computation rule uses desired system performance to determine the outcome of the transaction.