Product discount system, apparatus and method

• US 9,159,079 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lambert, Daniel Thomas, Gurwin, Jason Daniel, Michailidis, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US12/662,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.13, 705/14.24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A product discount system, apparatus, and method are herein disclosed. A discount server may receive one or more product discounts from a use. A wireless device may retrieve product identification information from a product and generate a discount request message that is transmitted to a discount server. The discount server may identify potential discounts associated with the product identification information and transmit product availability data to the wireless device. The wireless device may notify a user of available product discounts based on the product availability data. Once notified, the user may proceed by redeeming one or more of the available product discounts.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving product identification information from at least one product using a wireless device operated by a user;

generating a discount request message using the wireless device, based on the product identification information and user-specific information;

transmitting the discount request message from the wireless device to a discount server via a wireless network;

receiving at the wireless device discount availability data from the discount server, wherein the discount availability data comprises one or more product discounts and at least one of geographic location data and discount duration information for at least one product discount, wherein at least one product discount is for a competing product to the product with the retrieved product identification information, and wherein the discount availability data is determined at least in part by disqualifying potential discounts based on user-specific information;

notifying the user of at least one available discount based on the discount availability data;

receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

generating discount redemption data and user-driven competition data using the wireless device in response to receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

transmitting the discount redemption data and the user-driven competition data from the wireless device to the discount server; and

estimating on the discount server a potential customer base for the at least one available discount, wherein estimating the potential customer base for the at least one available discount comprises determining the total number of potential customers based on discount request messages, discount redemption data, and user-driven competition data for similar product discounts to the at least one available discount and reducing the total number of potential customers based on market conditions associated with the at least one available discount being offered.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing discount data corresponding to the accepted discount.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an association between the at least one available discount and a customer loyalty device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a data reception confirmation interval;

notifying the user of a data reception success when a data reception confirmation is received prior to expiration of the data reception confirmation interval; and

notifying the user of a data reception failure when the data reception confirmation is not received prior to expiration of the data confirmation interval.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the product identification information comprises activating at least one of a camera, a video camera, a barcode scanner, a radio frequency identification detector, a Bluetooth receiver, a light reflection detector, and a microphone.

6. A computer program embodied on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and comprising code that when executed by a computer system, enables the computer system to perform the following method comprising:

retrieving product identification information from at least one product using a wireless device operated by a user;

generating a discount request message using the wireless device, based on the product identification information and user-specific information;

transmitting the discount request message from the wireless device to a discount server via a wireless network;

receiving at the wireless device discount availability data from the discount server, wherein the discount availability data comprises one or more product discounts and at least one of geographic location data and discount duration information for at least one product discount, wherein at least one product discount is for a competing product to the product with the retrieved product identification information, and wherein the discount availability data is determined at least in part by disqualifying potential discounts based on user-specific information;

notifying the user of at least one available discount based on the discount availability data;

receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

generating discount redemption data and user-driven competition data using the wireless device in response to receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

transmitting the discount redemption data and the user-driven competition data from the wireless device to the discount server; and

estimating on the discount server a potential customer base for the at least one available discount, wherein estimating the potential customer base for the at least one available discount comprises determining the total number of potential customers based on discount request messages, discount redemption data, and user-driven competition data for similar product discounts to the at least one available discount and reducing the total number of potential customers based on market conditions associated with the at least one available discount being offered.

7. A system, comprising:

a central discount server; and

a wireless device, wherein

the wireless device is configured to retrieve product identification information from at least one product, generate a discount request message based at least in part on the product identification information and user-specific information, and transmit the discount request message to the central discount server,

the central discount server is configured to receive the discount request message, identify at least one potential discount based on product identification information, generate discount availability data corresponding to the at least one potential discount, wherein the discount availability data is determined at least in part by disqualifying potential discounts based on user-specific information, and transmit the discount availability data to the wireless device,

the wireless device is further configured to receive the discount availability data from the central discount server, notify a user of the at least one available discount based on the discount availability data, receive acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount, generate discount redemption data and user-driven competition data in response to receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount, and transmit the discount redemption data and the user-driven competition data to the central discount server, and

the central discount server is further configured to estimate a potential customer base for the at least one available discount, wherein estimating the potential customer base for the at least one available discount comprises determining the total number of potential customers based on discount request messages, discount redemption data, and user-driven competition data for similar product discounts to the at least one available discount and reducing the total number of potential customers based on market conditions associated with the at least one available discount being offered.

8. A method, comprising:

retrieving product identification information from at least one product using a wireless device operated by a user;

generating a discount request message using the wireless device, based on the product identification information;

transmitting the discount request message from the wireless device to a discount server via a wireless network;

receiving at the wireless device discount availability data from the discount server, wherein the discount availability data is determined at least in part by comparing one or more potential discounts with one or more potential discount constraints and user-specific information, wherein comparing the one or more potential discounts with the one or more potential discount constraints and user-specific information comprises identifying one or more requisite conditions that must be satisfied for the one or more potential discounts to be made available to the user and wherein in response to the one or more requisite conditions not being satisfied, disqualifying the one or more potential discounts from the discount availability data, and wherein the potential discount constraints are determined at least in part by discount redemption data;

notifying the user of at least one available discount based on the discount availability data;

receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

generating discount redemption data and user-driven competition data using the wireless device in response to receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

transmitting the discount redemption data and the user-driven competition data from the wireless device to the discount server; and

estimating on the discount server a potential customer base for the at least one available discount, wherein estimating the potential customer base for the at least one available discount comprises determining the total number of potential customers based on discount request messages, discount redemption data, and user-driven competition data for similar product discounts to the at least one available discount and reducing the total number of potential customers based on market conditions associated with the at least one available discount being offered.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing discount data corresponding to the accepted discount.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating an association between the at least one available discount and a customer loyalty device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

initiating a data reception confirmation interval;

notifying the user of a data reception success when a data reception confirmation is received prior to expiration of the data reception confirmation interval; and

notifying the user of a data reception failure when the data reception confirmation is not received prior to expiration of the data confirmation interval.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the retrieving of the product identification information comprises activating at least one of a camera, a video camera, a barcode scanner, a radio frequency identification detector, a Bluetooth receiver, a light reflection detector, and a microphone.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the discount request message is also based on user-specific information.

14. A computer program embodied on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and comprising code that when executed by a computer system, enables the computer system to perform the following method comprising:

retrieving product identification information from at least one product using a wireless device operated by a user;

generating a discount request message using the wireless device, based on the product identification information;

transmitting the discount request message from the wireless device to a discount server via a wireless network;

receiving at the wireless device discount availability data from the discount server, wherein the discount availability data is determined at least in part by comparing one or more potential discounts with one or more potential discount constraints and user-specific information, wherein comparing the one or more potential discounts with the one or more potential discount constraints and user-specific information comprises identifying one or more requisite conditions that must be satisfied for the one or more potential discounts to be made available to the user and wherein in response to the one or more requisite conditions not being satisfied, disqualifying the one or more potential discounts from the discount availability data, and wherein the potential discount constraints are determined at least in part by discount redemption data;

notifying the user of at least one available discount based on the discount availability data;

receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

generating discount redemption data and user-driven competition data using the wireless device in response to receiving acceptance by the user of the at least one available discount;

transmitting the discount redemption data and the user-driven competition data from the wireless device to the discount server; and

estimating on the discount server a potential customer base for the at least one available discount, wherein estimating the potential customer base for the at least one available discount comprises determining the total number of potential customers based on discount request messages, discount redemption data, and user-driven competition data for similar product discounts to the at least one available discount and reducing the total number of potential customers based on market conditions associated with the at least one available discount being offered.