Method and apparatus for identifying potential buyers
First Claim
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 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
-
Citations
17 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification