Negotiation of product purchase with an electronic device

• US 8,515,824 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herring, Dean F., Johnson, Brad M., Rodriguez, Adrian X., Smith, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARE, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US13/281,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.4, 705/16, 705/20, 705/22
• US Class Current: 705/26.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, methods and systems disclosed herein provide for negotiating product purchase with an electronic device. An example method includes acquiring product data from a product. The method also includes determining purchase offer information based on the product data. Further, the method includes negotiating purchase of the product based on the purchase offer information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a mobile electronic device comprising at least a processor and memory for;

capturing product data of a product, the product data comprising information for identifying the product;

capturing condition-related information of the product, the condition-related information comprising an image of at least a damaged portion of the product;

receiving an offer price for the product from a user interface of the mobile electronic device;

communicating the product data, the captured condition-related information, and the received offer price for the product to a server;

receiving, from the server, purchase offer information, the purchase offer information comprising a counter-offer price for the product, the counter-offer price for the product determined by the server using the product data and the captured condition-related information, wherein the counter-offer price is based on a physical condition of the product; and

negotiating purchase of the product with the server based on the purchase offer information.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein capturing product data comprises acquiring at least one of an expiration date associated with the product, electronic product code (EPC) information from the product, and radio frequency identification (RFID) information from the product from the product.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining supplemental data associated with the product based on the product data, and

wherein the purchase offer information is determined by the server based on the supplemental data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining supplemental data comprises determining one of discount information associated with the product, purchase information associated with the product, and position coordinates of the product.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining customer and transaction information, and

wherein the purchase offer information is determined based on the customer and transaction information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the customer and transaction information comprises one of customer profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving another offer price for the product from the user interface of the mobile electronic device, and

wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises determining purchase of the product based on the other offer price.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile electronic device is a first electronic device, and

wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises receiving a counteroffer via user input into a user interface of a second electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises receiving, from the mobile electronic device, one of a counteroffer for purchase of the product and acceptance of the offer price.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises communicating purchase negotiation information of a customer and a retailer via a wireless communications network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting a transaction for purchase of the product based on the negotiation.

12. A method comprising:

using at least a processor and memory for;

receiving an offer price, product data, and condition-related information for a product from a mobile electronic device,

wherein the product data comprises identification data for identifying the product;

wherein the condition-related information comprises an image of at least a damaged portion of the product; and

wherein the offer price is based on a physical condition of the product;

determining a counter-offer price for the product based on the product data and the condition related information, wherein the counter-offer price is based on the physical condition of the product;

communicating the counter-offer price to the mobile electronic device;

negotiating purchase of the product via communication with the mobile electronic device; and

conducting a transaction for purchase of the product at a transaction terminal based on the negotiation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving product data comprises receiving an expiration date associated with the product, electronic product code (EPC) information from the product, and radio frequency identification (RFID) information from the product.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining one of discount information associated with the product, purchase information associated with the product, and position coordinates of the product, and

wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises negotiating purchase of the product based on the one or more of the discount information, purchase information, and the position coordinates.

15. The method of claim 12,

wherein conducting a transaction comprises conducting purchase of the product with the electronic device based on the offer price.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein negotiating purchase of the product comprises:

determining the counter-offer price for the product based on the offer price;

communicating the counter-offer price to the electronic device;

receiving acceptance of the counter-offer price, and

wherein conducting a transaction comprises conducting purchase of the product with the electronic device based on the counter-offer price.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a price for purchase of the product based on the negotiation; and

associating the price with the mobile electronic device, and

wherein conducting a transaction comprises conducting purchase of the product at the price and at a point-of-sale (POS) system via the mobile electronic device.

18. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a product interface configured to;

capture product data of a product, the product data comprising information for identifying the product; and

capture condition-related information of the product, the condition-related information comprising an image of at least a damaged portion of the product; and

a transaction manager comprising at least a processor and memory configured to;

receive an offer price for the product from a user interface of the mobile electronic device;

communicate the product data, the captured condition-related information, and the received offer price for the product to a server;

receive, from the server, purchase offer information, the purchase offer information comprising a counter-offer price for the product, the counter-offer price for the product determined by the server using the product data and the captured condition-related information, wherein the counter-offer price is based on a physical condition of the product; and

negotiate purchase of the product with the server based on the purchase offer information.

19. A system comprising:

a wireless communications interface configured to receive an offer price, product data, and condition-related information for a product from a mobile electronic device,

wherein the product data comprises identification data for identifying the product;

wherein the condition-related information comprises an image of at least a damaged portion of the product; and

wherein the offer price is based on a physical condition of the product;

a transaction manager configured to;

determine a counter-offer price for the product based on the product data and the condition related information, wherein the counter-offer price is based on the physical condition of the product;

communicate the counter-offer price to the mobile electronic device;

negotiate purchase of the product via communication with the mobile electronic device; and

a transaction terminal configured to conduct a transaction for purchase of the product based on the negotiation.

20. A computer program product for conducting a transaction, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable code configured to capture product data of a product, the product data comprising information for identifying the product;

computer readable code configured to capture condition-related information of the product, the condition-related information comprising an image of at least a damaged portion of the product;

computer readable code configured to receive an offer price for the product from a user interface of the mobile electronic device;

computer readable code configured to communicate the product data, the captured condition-related information, and the received offer price for the product to a server;

computer readable code configured to receive, from the server, purchase offer information, the purchase offer information comprising a counter-offer price for the product, the counter-offer price for the product determined by the server using the product data and the captured condition-related information, wherein the counter-offer price is based on a physical condition of the product; and

computer readable code configured to negotiate purchase of the product with the server based on the purchase offer information.