Bounce back method, system and apparatus

• US 8,095,401 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Priceline.com LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Priceline Com Incorporated (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Harniman, Brian, Sparico, Thomas M., Crean, Hugh J., Lenz, Christopher R., Vallabhajoyusulu, Rambabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, FREDA ANN
• Application Number:
  US12/912,627
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/14.13, 705/14.33, 705/26.1, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A customer whose conditional purchase offer (CPO) has been accepted may receive a bounce back offer from a vendor (supplier-partner) of other services or products. The bounce back process determines whether a supplier-partner can participate in a bounce back transaction. If a bounce back transaction is effectuated between the customer and supplier-partner, the partner notifies the principal of the transaction. In the case of automobile rentals, the bounce back process permits a traveler to recognize reduced automobile rental rates while enabling a rental agency to more effectively manage its excess capacity. The CPO management system employing bounce back capability can be utilized to acquire any underlying product and/or service and bounce back product and/or service.

Claims

1. A method using a computer for facilitating an on-line bounce back transaction, comprising:

receiving a conditional purchase offer to acquire a first product or service from a customer, said conditional purchase offer including a customer-specified price;

after receiving said conditional purchase offer, determining whether said conditional purchase offer is to be accepted;

when said conditional purchase offer is accepted, determining by said computer whether a bounce back opportunity can be offered to said customer, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

determining, by said computer an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction where there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share);

transmitting an acceptance of said conditional purchase offer to said customer and a bounce back offer to acquire a second product or service;

receiving an inquiry from said customer regarding said second product or service; and

generating a bounce back web page with a hyperlink to access a cobranded web site to effectuate a bounce back transaction between said customer and a supplier-partner.

2. A method using a computer to facilitate a transaction for a second product or service, comprising:

receiving, by said computer, a conditional purchase offer to acquire a first product or service from a customer, said conditional purchase offer including a customer-specified price;

after receiving said conditional purchase offer, determining whether said conditional purchase offer is to be accepted;

determining, by said computer, whether said customer can be offered an opportunity to acquire a second product or service, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

determining, by said computer, an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction when there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share);

transmitting an acceptance of said conditional purchase offer to said customer and an offer to acquire a second product or service;

receiving an inquiry from said customer regarding said second product or service; and

transmitting information to said customer to effectuate said transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said second product or service is an automobile rental, hotel reservation or airline ticket.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first product or service is an airline ticket or hotel reservation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said offer for said second product or service is transmitted via e-mail containing a hyperlink to a cobranded web site or a bounce back web page.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said offer for said second product or service is transmitted via a jump page containing a hyperlink to a cobranded web site or a bounce back web page.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said inquiry is received by accessing said hyperlink.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting said offer for said second product or service with a checkbox to defer the offer until a subsequent time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting an e-mail alert containing said hyperlink to access said cobranded web site or said bounce back web page at said subsequent time.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising terminating said offer for said second product or service when said customer does not to access said hyperlink.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said information includes an electronic contract form for said second product or service.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising allocating a bounce back look to said supplier-partner.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said transaction is effectuated with said supplier-partner allocated said bounce back look.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein said order is determined using a formula after the first 3-6 months as follows:

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share)+Performance Factor.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein a random number generator is used to determine said order if two or more supplier-partners receive an equal score based on said formula.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a standard success acceptance if no supplier-partners can participate in said transaction.

17. A method using a computer to facilitate a bounce back transaction, comprising:

receiving, by said computer, an inquiry from a customer regarding a bounce back product or service, after said customer receives an acceptance of a conditional purchase offer to acquire an underlying product or service;

determining, by said computer, whether said customer can be offered an offer for said bounce back product or service, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

determining, by said computer, an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction when there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium″

Unused Share);

communicating the offer to said customer to acquire said bounce back product or service; and

receiving an acceptance, rejection or counteroffer from said customer for said bounce back product or service.

18. A method using a computer to facilitate a bounce back transaction, comprising:

determining, by said computer, whether a customer can be offered an opportunity to acquire a bounce back product or service, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

determining, by said computer, an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction when there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share);

transmitting to said customer an offer to acquire said bounce back product or service;

receiving, by said computer, an offer from a customer to acquire said bounce back product or service, after said customer receives an acceptance of a conditional purchase offer to acquire an underlying product or service; and

communicating an acceptance, rejection or counteroffer to said customer for said bounce back product or service.

19. A computer device for facilitating a transaction for a second product or service, comprising:

a storage device and a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing at least one group membership identification and a program for controlling the processor,

the processor operative with the program to,

(i) receive a conditional purchase offer to acquire a first product or service from a customer, said conditional purchase offer including a customer-specified price;

(ii) after receiving said conditional purchase offer, determine whether said conditional purchase offer is to be accepted;

(iii) determine whether said customer can be offered an opportunity to acquire a second product or service, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

(iv) determine an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction when there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share);

(v) transmit an acceptance of said conditional purchase offer to said customer and an offer to acquire a second product or service;

(vi) receive an inquiry from said customer regarding said second product or service; and

(vii) transmit information to said customer to effectuate said transaction.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium for facilitating a transaction for a second product or service, comprising:

code for receiving a conditional purchase offer to acquire a first product or service from a customer, said conditional purchase offer including a customer-specified price;

code for, after receiving said conditional purchase offer, determining whether said conditional purchase offer is to be accepted;

code for determining whether said customer can be offered an opportunity to acquire a second product or service, including identifying at least one supplier-partner that can participate in said transaction;

code for determining an order that each supplier-partner can participate in said transaction when there is more than one supplier-partner, wherein said order is determined using a formula for the first 3-6 months as follows;

Base City Share+(Premium*Unused Share);

code for transmitting an acceptance of said conditional purchase offer to said customer and an offer to acquire a second product or service;

code for receiving an inquiry from said customer regarding said second product or service; and

code for transmitting information to said customer to effectuate said transaction.