System to provide price adjustments based on indicated product interest

• US 8,473,341 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Bemer, Keith, Sammon, Russell P., Palmer, Timothy A., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/606,364
• Time in Patent Office: 4,744 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/400, 705/14.46, 705/14.34, 705/14.51, 705/14.1, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

A system to provide price adjustments based on indicated product interest includes reception of an indication from a customer of interest in a first product, reception of an indication from a customer of interest in a second product, determination of a price adjustment for the second product based on the indication of interest in the first product, and transmission of the price adjustment to the customer. By virtue of the foregoing features, a retailer may be willing to provide a price adjustment for the second product which would otherwise not be provided. Moreover, such a price adjustment may incent the customer to purchase the second product in a case that the second product would not otherwise be purchased, thereby potentially increasing a total profit received by the retailer.

Claims

1. A method for selling products, comprising:

receiving, by a controller and from a customer, an indication of a selection of a first webpage that is descriptive of a first product offered for sale via the controller;

receiving, by the controller and via the first webpage, an instruction from the customer to add the first product to a shopping list associated with the customer;

determining, by the controller, a price adjustment for a second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping list;

after receiving the instruction from the customer to add the first product to the shopping list and before receiving from the customer a request to purchase the second product in a transaction, transmitting the price adjustment to the customer;

receiving, after the transmitting and by the controller and from the customer, the request to purchase the second product in the transaction;

determining, by the controller, that the first product is being purchased in the transaction; and

charging, by the controller and as part of the transaction, the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

giving, as part of the transaction, possession of the first and second products to the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first product comprises an initial product for which the customer expresses interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second product is determined based on stored customer profile information.

5. Processor-executable process steps embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the process steps comprising:

a receiving step to receive an instruction from a customer to add a first product to a shopping list associated with the customer;

a receiving step to receive from the customer a request for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

a determining step to determine a price adjustment for the second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping list;

a transmitting step to transmit the price adjustment to the customer, after receiving the instruction from the customer to add the first product to the shopping list, after receiving from the customer the request for information regarding the second product, and before receiving from the customer a request to purchase the second product in a transaction;

a receiving step to receive from the customer a request to purchase the second product;

a determining step to determine that the first product is being purchased in the transaction; and

a charging step to charge the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

6. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining an instruction from a customer to add a first product to a shopping list associated with the customer;

means for obtaining from the customer a request for information regarding a second product before obtaining from the customer a request to purchase the second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

means for producing a price adjustment for the second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping list;

means for presenting the price adjustment to the customer, after obtaining the instruction from the customer to add the first product to the shopping list, after obtaining from the customer the request for information about the second product, and before obtaining from the customer a request to purchase the second product in a transaction;

means for obtaining from the customer a request to purchase the second product;

means for identifying that the first product is being purchased in the transaction; and

means for billing the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

7. A device comprising:

a memory storing processor-executable process steps; and

a processor, wherein the processor is operative with the processor-executable process steps to;

i) receive an instruction from a customer to add a first product to a shopping list associated with the customer;

ii) before receiving a request from the customer to purchase a second product, receive a request from the customer for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

iii) determine a price adjustment for the second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping list;

iv) after receiving the instruction from the customer to add the first product to the shopping list, after receiving the request from the customer for information regarding the second product, before receiving a request from the customer to purchase a second product, transmit the price adjustment to the customer;

v) receive from the customer a request to purchase the second product;

vi) determine that the first product is being purchased; and

vii) charge the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

8. A system for selling products, comprising:

a customer device comprising;

a customer device processor; and

a customer device memory storing processor-executable process steps, wherein the customer device processor is operative with the process steps to;

i) transmit an instruction from a customer to add a first product to a shopping list associated with the customer;

ii) transmit a request by a customer for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

iii) receive a price adjustment for the second product; and

iv) transmit a request to purchase the second product; and

a retailer controller comprising;

a retailer controller processor; and

a retailer controller memory storing processor-executable retailer process steps, wherein the retailer controller processor is operative with the retailer process steps to;

i) add the first product to the shopping list;

ii) determine the price adjustment for the second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping list;

iii) after adding the first product to the shopping list, after receiving a request by the customer for information regarding the second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product, and before receiving a request from the customer to purchase the second product, transmit the price adjustment to the customer;

iv) receive from the customer a request to purchase the second product;

v) determine that the first product is being purchased; and

vi) charge the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

9. A method for selling products, comprising:

receiving an indication of interest of a customer in a first product;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

determining a price adjustment for the second product based on the indication of interest of the customer in the first product;

after receiving the indication of interest of the customer in the first product, after receiving the indication of the request by the customer for information regarding the second product, and before receiving from the customer a request to purchase the second product, transmitting the price adjustment to the customer;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer to purchase the second product;

determining that the first product is being purchased; and

charging the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises an indication that the customer is located near to the first product.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises an indication that the customer has viewed a representation of the first product for a period of time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises a registration to receive price adjustments.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises a request for information regarding the first product.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises a selection of the first product.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises an instruction to add the first product to a shopping cart of the customer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the shopping cart is a virtual shopping cart.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of interest in the first product comprises a commitment to purchase the first product.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the commitment is binding on the customer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the commitment is not binding on the customer.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an indication of interest of the customer in a third product, and wherein the determining step further comprises;

determining the price adjustment based on the indication of interest in the third product.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether the customer is purchasing the first product and the third product; and

providing the second product to the customer according to the price adjustment if it is determined that the customer is purchasing the first product and the third product.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether the customer is purchasing the first product and the third product; and

providing the second product to the customer for a retail price if it is determined that the customer is not purchasing the first product and the third product.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining the price adjustment based on revenue management information of the first product and on revenue management information of the third product.

24. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to determining that the first product is being purchased:

determining that the customer is not purchasing the first product; and

providing the second product to the customer for a retail price.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein a sale price of the second product reflected by the price adjustment is different from a retail price of the second product.

26. The method of claim 9, wherein a sale price of the second product reflected by the price adjustment is different from a price of the second product transmitted to a second customer.

27. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting comprises:

displaying the price adjustment.

28. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the price adjustment based on revenue management information of the first product.

29. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the price adjustment based on revenue management information of the second product.

30. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the price adjustment based on a retail price of the second product.

31. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing an association between the first product, the second product, and the price adjustment.

32. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting a retail price of the second product to the customer.

33. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting an indication that the second product will be sold in accordance with the price adjustment if the first product is purchased.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processing device result in:

receiving an indication of interest of a customer in a first product;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

determining a price adjustment for the second product based on the indication of interest of the customer in the first product;

after receiving the indication of interest of the customer in the first product, after receiving the indication of the request by the customer for information regarding the second product, and before receiving from the customer a request to purchase the second product, transmitting the price adjustment to the customer;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer to purchase the second product;

determining that the first product is being purchased; and

charging the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

35. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor result in;

receiving an indication of interest of a customer in a first product;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer for information regarding a second product, in which the request for information identifies the second product;

determining a price adjustment for the second product based on the indication of interest of the customer in the first product;

after receiving the indication of interest of the customer in the first product, after receiving the indication of the request by the customer for information regarding the second product, and before receiving from the customer a request to purchase the second product, transmitting the price adiustment to the customer;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer to purchase the second product;

determining that the first product is being purchased; and

charging the customer a first price for the second product according to the price adjustment.

36. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection by a customer of a first hyperlink that is associated with a first product;

transmitting a first web page to the customer, the first web page including a view of the first product, a description of the first product, and a retail price of the first product;

receiving an instruction from the customer to add the first product to a shopping cart;

adding the first product to the shopping cart;

after adding the first product to the shopping cart, receiving an indication of a selection of a second hyperlink that is associated with a second product;

determining a price adjustment for the second product based on the addition of the first product to the shopping cart;

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the second hyperlink, and before receiving an instruction to add the second product to the shopping cart, transmitting a second web page to the customer, the second web page including an indication of the price adjustment, a view of the second product, a description of the second product, and a retail price of the second product;

receiving an instruction from the customer to add the second product to the shopping cart containing the first product;

receiving an indication of a request by the customer to purchase the first product and the second product; and

charging the customer for the second product based on the price adjustment.