Method and apparatus for identifying potential buyers

• US 8,271,327 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Bemer, Keith, Jorasch, James A., Packes, John M. Jr., Tulley, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMPAGNE, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US12/111,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.19, 705/14.35, 705/26.35, 705/26.8
• US Class Current: 705/14.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method by which potential buyers are identified includes receiving a description of an item a potential buyer intends to purchase within a particular time, determining a reward for the potential buyer based on intent data, providing the reward to the potential buyer and applying a penalty to a financial account of the potential buyer if the potential buyer does not purchase the item within the particular time period. The system includes a controller coupled to at least one input device with the controller operable to compute a reward offer. The controller includes circuitry, or software, configured to compute and apply a penalty if the potential buyer does not purchase the item within the particular time period.

Claims

1. A method for identifying potential buyers, comprising:

receiving intent data from a potential buyer, wherein the intent data identifies a consumer hard good or a store service the potential buyer intends to purchase at a future time under at least one condition;

determining a reward for the potential buyer in response to receiving the intent data;

offering the reward to the potential buyer in exchange for the potential buyer providing the intent data;

determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition; and

in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition, applying a penalty to an account of the potential buyer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the penalty from a value of the reward.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the penalty comprises:

receiving a confirmation that the potential buyer has purchased within a particular time period a similar consumer hard good or a store service to the consumer hard good or the store service the potential buyer intended to purchase; and

applying a partial penalty to the account of the potential buyer, wherein the partial penalty is less than a total penalty charged when the potential buyer fails to purchase the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the penalty to the potential buyer comprises:

receiving a confirmation that the potential buyer has purchased within a particular time period a similar consumer hard good or a store service to the consumer hard good or the store service the potential buyer intended to purchase; and

applying a partial penalty to the account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one condition comprises a particular time period;

and

wherein determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition comprises determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service within the particular time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reward for the potential buyer is based on the intent data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the intent data identifies the consumer hard good the potential buyer intends to purchase;

and

wherein determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition comprises determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the penalty applied is dependent on the reward.

9. A method for identifying potential buyers, comprising:

receiving a description of a consumer hard good or a store service a potential buyer intends to purchase within a particular time period, the description having a degree of specificity;

receiving a degree of certainty with which the potential buyer intends to purchase the consumer hard good or the store service by within the particular time period;

determining a reward offer associated with a reward based on at least one of the degree of specificity, the degree of certainty, and a length of the particular time period;

outputting the reward offer to the potential buyer, in which the reward offer comprises an offer for the potential buyer;

receiving a confirmation signal indicating that the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service;

determining based on the confirmation signal whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service within the particular time period; and

in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the consumer hard good or the store service within the particular time period, applying a penalty to an account of the potential buyer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating the penalty based on a price of a reward associated with the reward offer.

11. A method for identifying potential buyers, comprising:

receiving intent data from a potential buyer, wherein the intent data identifies a consumer hard good the potential buyer intends to purchase under at least one condition;

determining a reward for the potential buyer in response to receiving the intent data;

offering the reward to the potential buyer in exchange for the potential buyer providing the intent data;

determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good under the at least one condition; and

in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the consumer hard good under the at least one condition, applying a penalty to an account of the potential buyer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one condition comprises a particular time period;

and

wherein determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good under the at least one condition comprises determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good within the particular time period.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the penalty applied is dependent on the reward.

14. An apparatus for identifying potential buyers, the apparatus comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive intent data from a potential buyer, wherein the intent data identifies a consumer hard good or a store service the potential buyer intends to purchase at a future time under at least one condition;

a processor in communication with the communications interface, the processor configured to;

determine a reward for the potential buyer in response to receiving the intent data;

offer the reward to the potential buyer in exchange for the potential buyer providing the intent data;

determine whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition; and

in response to determining that the potential buyer did not purchase the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition, apply a penalty to an account of the potential buyer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one condition comprises a particular time period;

and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition by determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service within the particular time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the penalty dependent on the reward.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the intent data identifies the consumer hard good the potential buyer intends to purchase;

and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good or the store service under the at least one condition comprises determining whether the potential buyer purchased the consumer hard good.