Methods systems and computer program products for generating electronic shopping lists with item and price data

• US 8,600,835 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Lueck, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US13/008,808
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Systems, computer-implemented methods and computer program products for generating electronic shopping lists for recurring item purchase that identify items and their respective prices. Item-level electronic transaction data is analyzed to determine purchase intervals of items and estimate when the consumer will purchase the items again. A source of price data is accessed to determine prices of respective items, and an electronic shopping list is generated based on prior consumer purchase and lists items that when it is determined that consumer will need to purchase those items again and their respective prices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating customized shopping lists for a consumer, the method comprising:

an intermediate computer, in communication with a computing device of the consumer and respective electronic sources of item-level transaction data, aggregating respective item-level electronic transaction data of respective electronic sources for respective prior purchases made by the consumer;

the intermediate computer analyzing aggregated item-level electronic transaction data;

the intermediate computer determining respective purchase intervals of a plurality of respective items purchased by the consumer from respective merchants based at least in part upon analysis of aggregated item-level electronic transaction data;

the intermediate computer determining respective estimated dates when the consumer will purchase respective items again based at least in part upon respective purchase intervals;

the intermediate computer generating an electronic shopping list for an estimated date, the electronic shopping list comprising an item identified by the intermediate computer for the estimated date, different merchants offering the identified item, and respective prices charged by the different merchants for the identified item; and

the intermediate computer transmitting the electronic shopping list to the computing device of the consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, the electronic shopping list being transmitted as an electronic mail or SMS message to the computing device comprising a mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer receiving at least one of the prices from a merchant from whom the consumer previously purchased the identified item, the at least one price being determined based at least in part upon item-level electronic transaction data.

4. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer receiving at least one of the prices from a merchant from whom the consumer has not previously purchased the identified item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the intermediate computer:

receiving respective prices of the identified item through respective networks from respective computers of or associated with respective merchants; and

storing respective prices of the identified item in a data store of or accessible by the intermediate computer,

the intermediate computer accessing the data store, selecting at least two prices charged by at least two respective merchants for the identified item and incorporating the at least two selected prices and identities of the at least two respective merchants into the electronic shopping list.

6. The method of claim 5, the intermediate computer selecting a lowest price of respective prices of the identified item and incorporating the lowest price and the identity of the merchant that charges the lowest price into the electronic shopping list.

7. The method of claim 1, the electronic shopping list indicating that a coupon for the identified item is available or discounting the price to reflect redemption of the coupon.

8. The method of claim 1, the electronic shopping list comprising a plurality of identified items and respective prices of respective identified items offered by respective merchants.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the intermediate computer:

receiving respective prices of respective identified items from respective computing devices of respective merchants through respective networks; and

storing respective prices to a data store of or accessible by the intermediate computer,

the intermediate computer accessing the data store, and for each of the identified items, selecting at least two prices charged by at least two merchants for respective identified items, and incorporating the at least two selected prices and identities of the at least two respective merchants into the electronic shopping list.

10. The method of claim 9, the intermediate computer selecting a lowest price of each identified item, the electronic shopping list comprising:

a plurality of items identified by the intermediate computer for the estimated date, respective lowest prices of respective identified items, and identities of respective merchants offering respective identified items at respective lowest prices.

11. The method of claim 9, the intermediate computer generating at least two electronic shopping lists, at least one of the electronic shopping lists comprising:

an identity of a merchant;

one or more items identified by the intermediate computer for the estimated date;

respective prices of the one more identified items charged by the merchant.

12. The method of claim 11, the intermediate computer selecting a lowest price of respective prices and incorporating the lowest price and the identity of the merchant that offers an identified item at the lowest price into the at least one of the electronic shopping lists.

13. The method of claim 1, the item-level electronic transaction data comprising Level III data that specifically identifies the item by at least one identifier selected from the group consisting of name, description, code and symbol.

14. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer executing a purchase interval program for determining respective purchase intervals of the plurality of respective identified items and determining respective estimated dates when the consumer will purchase respective identified items again, and executing a shopping list program for generating the electronic shopping list for the estimated date.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the intermediate computer receiving the price of the identified item, the item-level electronic transaction data and the price of the identified item being received from the same source.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the intermediate computer receiving the price of the identified item, the item-level electronic transaction data and the price of the identified item being received from different sources.

17. The method of claim 1, at least one electronic source comprising an electronic payment device of a merchant utilized to process respective purchases made by the consumer.

18. The method of claim 1, at least one electronic source comprising a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

19. The method of claim 1, at least one electronic source comprising an electronic payment device of a merchant utilized to process respective purchases made by the consumer, and at least one electronic source comprising a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

20. The method of claim 1, the intermediate computer selecting a lowest price for the identified item and identifying a merchant that offers the identified item at the lowest price, at least one of the merchants in the electronic shopping list comprising the merchant that offers the identified item at the lowest price.

21. A system for generating customized shopping lists for a consumer, comprising:

an intermediate computer in communication through respective networks with a computing device of a consumer and respective electronic sources of item-level transaction data;

a purchase interval program executing on the intermediate computer, the purchase interval program being configured to

analyze aggregated item-level electronic transaction data,

determine respective purchase intervals of a plurality of respective items purchased by the consumer from respective merchants based at least in part upon analysis of aggregated item-level electronic transaction, and

determine respective estimated dates when the consumer will purchase respective items again based at least in part upon respective purchase intervals; and

a shopping list program executing on the intermediate computer and in communication with the purchase interval program and configured to generate an electronic shopping list for an estimated date, the electronic shopping list comprising an item identified by the purchase interval program for the estimated date, different merchants offering the identified item, and respective prices charged by the different merchants for the identified item, and configured to transmit the electronic shopping list to the computing device of the consumer.

22. The system of claim 21, the shopping list program being configured to transmit the electronic shopping list in an electronic mail or SMS message, the computing device comprising a mobile communication device.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data store, the shopping list program being configured to receive respective prices of the identified item at the intermediate computer through a network and from a computing device of or associated with a merchant, store the received prices in the data store, and incorporate the received prices into the electronic shopping list.

24. The system of claim 23, the merchant comprising a merchant from whom the consumer previously purchased the identified item as determined from the item-level electronic transaction data.

25. The system of claim 23, the merchant comprising a merchant from whom the consumer has not previously purchased the identified item.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data store, the shopping list program being configured to receive respective prices from respective computers of or associated with respective merchants, store respective prices of the identified item in the data store, select at least two prices charged by at least two respective merchants for the identified item, and incorporate the at least two selected prices and identities of the at least two respective merchants into the electronic shopping list.

27. The system of claim 26, the shopping list program being configured to select a lowest price of respective prices of the identified item and incorporate the lowest price and the identity of the merchant that charges the lowest price into the electronic shopping list.

28. The system of claim 21, the shopping list program being configured to receive coupon data from a coupon source, and to incorporate received coupon data into the electronic shopping list, the electronic shopping list indicating that a coupon for the identified item is available or discounting the price to reflect redemption of the coupon.

29. The system of claim 21, the electronic shopping list comprising a plurality of identified items and respective prices of respective identified items offered by respective merchants.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data store, the shopping list program being configured to receive respective prices of respective identified items from respective computing devices of respective merchants, store respective prices to the data store, and incorporate respective prices of respective identified items into the electronic shopping list, the electronic shopping list comprising a plurality of identified items, respective prices of respective identified items, and respective merchants offering respective identified items at respective prices.

31. The system of claim 30, the shopping list program being configured to select a lowest price of each identified item, the electronic shopping list comprising:

a plurality of items identified by the purchase interval program for the estimated date, respective lowest prices of respective identified items, and respective merchants offering respective identified items at respective lowest prices.

32. The system of claim 30, the shopping list program being configured to generate at least two electronic shopping lists, at least one of the electronic shopping lists comprising:

an identity of a merchant;

one or more items identified by the purchase interval program for the estimated date; and

respective prices of the one more identified items charged by the merchant.

33. The system of claim 32, the shopping list program being configured to select a lowest price of the plurality of prices and incorporate the lowest price and the identity of the merchant that offers an identified item at the lowest price into the at least one of the electronic shopping lists.

34. The system of claim 21, the item-level electronic transaction data comprising Level III data that specifically identifies the item by at least one identifier selected from the group consisting of name, description, code and symbol.

35. The system of claim 21, the purchase interval program and the shopping list program residing on the same computer managed by the same host.

36. The system of claim 21, the shopping list program being configured to receive the item-level electronic transaction data and the price of the identified item at the first computing device from the same source.

37. The system of claim 21, the shopping list program being configured to receive the item-level electronic transaction data and the price of the identified item at the first computing device from the different sources.

38. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying one or more instructions executable by an intermediate computer, in communication with a computing device of the consumer and respective electronic sources of item-level transaction data, to perform a process for notifying a consumer about recurring purchases of the same item, the process comprising:

the intermediate computer aggregating respective item-level electronic transaction data of respective electronic sources for respective prior purchases made by the consumer;

the intermediate computer analyzing aggregated item-level electronic transaction data;

the intermediate computer determining respective purchase intervals of a plurality of respective items purchased by the consumer from respective merchants based at least in part upon analysis of aggregated item-level electronic transaction data;

the intermediate computer determining respective estimated dates when the consumer will purchase respective items again based at least in part upon respective purchase intervals;

the intermediate computer generating an electronic shopping list for an estimated date, the electronic shopping list comprising an item identified by the intermediate computer for the estimated date, different merchants offering the identified item, and respective prices charged by the different merchants for the identified item; and

the intermediate computer transmitting the electronic shopping list to the computing device of the consumer.