Systems and methods to enhance search data with transaction based data

• US 8,738,418 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Winters, Michelle Eng
• Primary Examiner(s): DIXON, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US13/050,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store data recording the transactions, a portal configured to communicate with a search engine and to provide a user interface to receive a request from a merchant, and at least one processor coupled with the data warehouse and the portal. In response to the request received from the merchant via the portal, the at least one processor identifies a set of first statistics based on search activities of the search engine, identifies a set of second statistics based on the transactions relevant to the search activities, and uses the portal to juxtapose the set of first statistics and the set of second statistics.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a request from a user;

identifying, by the computing device, a set of search statistics according to the request from the user, the set of search statistics related to search activities comprising one or more search terms;

identifying, by the computing device, a set of financial transaction based statistics corresponding to the set of search statistics, the set of financial transaction based statistics relating the search activities and their impact on purchases; and

juxtaposing, by the computing device, the set of search statistics with the set of financial transaction based statistics to generate a response to the request from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the juxtaposing the set of search statistics with the set of financial transaction based statistics comprises:

presenting a list showing statistics about a plurality of search terms, the statistics for each of the search terms including data representing statistics of financial transactions related to a corresponding search term.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying the financial transactions related to the corresponding search term.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the financial transactions are results of searches performed using the corresponding search term.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the list is sorted according to a statistical parameter indicating a level of search activities associated with the corresponding search term.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the statistics for each of the search terms further include data indicating a level of search activities associated with the corresponding search term.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the data representing the statistics of financial transactions related to the corresponding search term includes a parameter of an aggregated spending profile of searchers who have submitted the search term.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the parameter is a factor value defined based on a factor analysis of financial transaction data and financial transactions of searchers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the search statistics are based on a set of searches;

and the set of financial transaction based statistics comprises indicators of spending volume resulting from the set of searches.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

correlating financial transactions processed by a transaction handler with the set of searches, wherein at least a portion of the financial transactions are performed offline in retail stores.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the financial transactions is processed to make a payment from an issuer to an acquirer via the transaction handler in response to an account identifier of a customer, as issued by the issuer, being submitted by a merchant to the acquirer, the issuer to make the payment on behalf of the customer, the acquirer to receive the payment on behalf of the merchant.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the correlating comprises:

providing offers together with search results of the set of searches, each of the offers having an identifier to identify a respective search;

processing redemption of the offers in connection with the financial transactions processed by the transaction handler; and

associating the financial transactions with the searches based on identifiers of the offers redeemed in connection with the financial transactions processed by the transaction handler.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the user is a merchant;

and the set of financial transaction based statistics includes a first set of statistics of purchases from peers of the merchant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of financial transaction based statistics further includes a second set of statistics of purchases from the merchant presented in relation to the first set of statistics of purchases from peers of the merchant.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search statistics identifies a list of search terms ranked according to a search level indicator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the search level indicator is one of:

search frequency, and number of searches performed within a period of time.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search statistics indicates levels of search activities of a plurality of search terms.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the juxtaposing the set of search statistics with the set of financial transaction based statistics comprises:

presenting a pair of data items having a first data item showing search statistics about a search term and a second data item showing purchase statistics about purchases resulting from searches using the search term.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a request from a user;

identifying, by the computer, a set of search statistics according to the request from the user, the set of search statistics related to search activities comprising

one or more search terms;

identifying, by the computer, a set of financial transaction based statistics corresponding to the set of search statistics, the set of financial transaction based statistics relating the search activities and their impact on purchases; and

juxtaposing, by the computer, the set of search statistics with the set of financial transaction based statistics to generate a response to the request from the user.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a transaction handler to process financial transactions, each of the financial transactions being processed to make a payment from an issuer to an acquirer via the transaction handler in response to an account identifier of a customer, as issued by the issuer, being submitted by a merchant to the acquirer, the issuer to make the payment on behalf of the customer, the acquirer to receive the payment on behalf of the merchant;

a data warehouse to store data recording the financial transactions;

a portal configured to communicate with a search engine and to provide a user interface to receive a request from a merchant; and

at least one processor coupled with the data warehouse and the portal;

wherein in response to the request received from the merchant via the portal, the at least one processor identifies a set of first statistics based on search activities of the search engine comprising one or more search terms, identifies a set of second financial transaction statistics based on the financial transactions relevant to the search activities, the set of second financial transaction statistics relating the search activities and their impact on purchases, and uses the portal to juxtapose the set of first statistics and the set of second statistics.