System and method for collecting and accessing product information in a database

• US 9,105,060 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Melissa Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Glenbrook Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Benson, Amanda, Benson, Gregory P., Schmidt, Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US14/312,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A database system is disclosed. The database system includes a matching module configured to query a database for users which have data matching an interest of another user and to selectively grant to one or more of the users access to data of the other user based at least in part on a result of the query and on an access control list.

Claims

1. A networked database management system (DBMS), comprising:

a computer accessible data storage, comprising a database remotely located from a plurality of consumers and a plurality of merchants, wherein the remote database comprises;

a plurality of records including user data for the plurality of consumers, each record comprising a plurality of logically separable fields for data related to one of the plurality of consumers, the plurality of fields comprising;

user profile information of the one consumer, wherein the user profile information comprises at least an economic status code of the one consumer;

a user defined interest of the one consumer, and

access control list data, wherein the access control list is specified by the one consumer and comprises identification information for the plurality of merchants which market and sell types of products or services that are relevant to one or more user defined interests, and

a plurality of additional records, each additional record including inventory data of one of the plurality of merchants;

a communication module in data communication with the data storage and configured to receive user profile information and user defined interest from the one consumer for storage in the remote database;

a matching module in data communication with the data storage and configured to perform a search on the remote database for merchants which have inventory data matching the user defined interest of the one consumer and to selectively grant to one or more of the merchants access to the user profile information and the user defined interest of the one consumer stored in the remote database, based at least in part on the search on the remote database for merchants which have inventory data matching the user defined interest and, for only those merchants having been found by the search, on the access control list specified by the one consumer; and

wherein after granting access to the data storage by one of the merchants;

one of the merchants having been granted access to user data based on matching is determined to be a proximate distance from a mobile device of the one consumer, wherein the proximate distance is predefined;

the economic status code of the one consumer is received by the proximate merchant from the mobile device; and

a custom offer is sent from the proximate merchant relating to a match between the user defined interest and merchant inventory, wherein the communication and matching modules are executable by a processor.

2. The DBMS system of claim 1, wherein the fields of user data include historical purchase information.

3. The DBMS system of claim 1, wherein the identification information in the access control list include one or more user defined parameters and the matching module is further configured to perform a filtered search on the remote database for merchants which not only have inventory data relevant to the user defined interest of the one consumer, but also which are filtered according to the user defined parameters.

4. The DBMS system of claim 1, wherein the user profile information further comprises a membership in a buyer'"'"'s block, and the matching module is further configured to selectively grant to one or more of the merchants access to the user profile information and the user defined interest of the one consumer stored in the remote database, based at least in part on the one consumer'"'"'s membership in the buyer'"'"'s block.

5. The DBMS system of claim 1 wherein the communication module is configured to send information to the one consumer, the information being selected based at least in part on the economic status code and the user defined interest of the one consumer.

6. The DBMS system of claim 5, wherein selected information further comprises information relating to one or more products from the plurality of merchants and the selected information comprises competing offers from the plurality of merchants based at least in part on the economic status code.

7. The DBMS system of claim 6, wherein one or more of the competing offers is modified in response to another competing offer.

8. The DBMS system of claim 5, wherein the selected information comprises an alert based at least in part on at least one of a location, a price, an inventory, or an item status.

9. The DBMS system of claim 5, further comprising an evaluation module, configured to generate an evaluation for the one consumer based at least in part on the user profile information and the user defined interest of the one consumer.

10. The DBMS system of claim 9, wherein the evaluation is based at least in part on actions taken by the one consumer in response to past information received by the one consumer.

11. The DBMS system of claim 9, further comprising a charge module configured to calculate a charge to the merchant based at least in part on the evaluation.

12. A networked database access system for a provider, the system comprising:

a communication module configured to access user profile information and user defined interest for at least one consumer from a database remotely located from the at least one consumer and a plurality of merchants, the remote database comprising;

a plurality of records including user data for the at least one consumer, each record comprising a plurality of logically separable fields for data related to one consumer of the at least one consumer, the plurality of fields comprising user profile information of the one consumer, wherein the user profile information comprises at least an economic status code of the one consumer, a user defined interest of the one consumer, and access control list data, wherein the access control list is specified by the one consumer and comprises identification information for the plurality of merchants which market and sell types of products or services that are relevant to the user defined interest, and a plurality of additional records, each additional record including inventory data of one of the plurality of merchants;

wherein the communication module is further configured to receive user profile information and user defined interest from the one consumer for storage in the remote database;

a matching module configured to select information from the remote database based at least in part on a search on the remote database for merchants which have inventory data matching the user defined interest of the one consumer and to selectively grant to one or more of the merchants access to the user profile information and the user defined interest of the one consumer stored in the remote database, based at least in part on the search on the remote database for merchants which have inventory data matching the user defined interest and, for only those merchants having been found by the search, on the access control list specified by the one consumer; and

wherein one of the merchants and one of the consumers are paired by;

determining that a merchant is a proximate distance from a mobile device of the one consumer, wherein the proximate distance is predefined;

causing transmission of the economic status code of the one consumer from the mobile device to the proximate merchant; and

causing reception at the mobile device of a custom offer from the merchant relating to a match between the user defined interest and merchant inventory,

wherein the communication and matching modules are executable by a processor on a server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user defined interests comprise at least one of a general interest, a user interest classification, a desired product, and an anticipated purchase.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the matching module is further configured to select information based at least in part on at least one of a time, a location, a product, an inventory level, and an advertising venue.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the user data further comprises an order for a purchase.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected information comprises at least one of information related to a product, a query, an advertisement and offer to sell.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an equipment controller configured to modify equipment behavior based at least in part on the user data.

18. A consumer communication device, comprising:

a data upload module configured to communicate user profile information for a consumer, wherein the user profile information comprises at least an economic status code of the consumer, one or more user defined interests of the consumer, and an access control list specified by the consumer to a networked database management system (DBMS) remotely located from the consumer and a plurality of merchants, wherein the access control list comprises identification information for the plurality of merchants which market and sell types of products or services that are relevant to one or more user defined interests of the consumer, the DBMS comprising a matching module configured to selectively allow access to the user profile information and the one or more user defined interests of the consumer by at least one merchant based on a search on the networked DBMS conducted by a matching service for merchants which have inventory data matching the one or more user defined interests and, for only those merchants having been found by the search, on the access control list specified by the consumer;

a communication module configured to receive user profile information and user defined interest for storage in the networked DBMS;

an interface module configured to present the information of the at least one merchant selected by the system to the consumer; and

a pairing module configured to;

determine that a merchant is a proximate distance from a mobile device of the consumer, wherein the proximate distance is predefined;

cause transmission of the economic status code of the consumer from the mobile device to the proximate merchant; and

cause reception at the mobile device of a custom offer from the merchant relating to a match between the one or more user defined interests and merchant inventory,

wherein the data upload, communication, interface, and pairing modules are executable by a processor of the consumer communication device.

19. The consumer communication device of claim 18, wherein the user creates a shopping list for upload and storage in the networked DMBS.

20. The consumer communication device of claim 18, further comprising a bar code scanning application in the consumer communication device.