Determining a lowest price for a dynamically priced product

• US 9,881,311 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Giblin, Christopher J., Rooney, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Padot, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/265,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 705 735
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a request for a product. Two or more fingerprints are selected, where each fingerprint includes digital data describing a corresponding virtual customer. By a computer processor, a first fingerprint is loaded to emulate a first virtual customer. A first price query is submitted to a vendor'"'"'s web service for the product, where the first price query uses the loaded first fingerprint. A second fingerprint is loaded to emulate a second virtual customer. A second price query is submitted to the vendor'"'"'s web service for the product, where the second price query uses the loaded second fingerprint. Two or more prices are received from the vendor'"'"'s web service, including a first price received in response to the first price query and a second price received in response to the second price query. A lowest price is selected from among the prices received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a pricing service comprising first hardware, a request for a product;

generating, by a fingerprint generator comprising second hardware, a user fingerprint for a user that submitted the request, wherein the user fingerprint comprises digital data describing the user;

selecting a first fingerprint of a first virtual customer distinct from the user, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing the first virtual customer, wherein the first fingerprint is distinct from the user fingerprint, and wherein the first fingerprint incorporates an indication of a first operating system distinct from a user operating system from which the request was received;

loading, by a computer processor, the first fingerprint to emulate the first virtual customer;

submitting a first price query to a vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the first price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded first fingerprint describing the first virtual customer distinct from the user;

wherein the loading the first fingerprint comprises executing the submitting by way of applicable hardware on which the first operating system is installed;

loading the user fingerprint to represent the user;

submitting a second price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the second price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded user fingerprint;

receiving from the vendor'"'"'s web service two or more prices of the product, comprising a first price corresponding to the first price query and a second price corresponding to the second price query;

determining, by an analytics engine comprising third hardware, that the first price received in response to the first query is a lowest price from among the two or more prices received for the product from the vendor'"'"'s web service; and

reporting to the user the first price, corresponding to the first virtual customer distinct from the user, as the lowest price responsive to the request of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

developing a hypothesis describing how the vendor'"'"'s web service identifies price sensitive customers; and

refining the hypothesis by;

selecting a new fingerprint representing a new virtual customer;

loading the new fingerprint to emulate the new virtual customer;

submitting a new price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the new price query uses the loaded new fingerprint;

repeating the selecting the new fingerprint, loading the new fingerprint, and submitting the new price query until the hypothesis is validated; and

wherein a plurality of new price queries are submitted to the vendor'"'"'s web service for prices of the product, using a plurality of new fingerprints.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a factor analysis, based at least in part on the two or more prices of the product and on the first fingerprint and the user fingerprint, to determine a pricing model of the vendor'"'"'s web service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fingerprint is a multi-dimensional variable describing the first virtual customer with respect to at least one of brand of computer, brand of web browser, IP address, geographical location, activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, frequency of visiting the vendor'"'"'s website, and other websites visited.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises selecting a set of hardware and software to use when submitting the first price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, and wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises performing the described activity on the vendor'"'"'s website prior to submitting the first price query.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically purchasing the product on the user'"'"'s behalf at the lowest price from among the prices received for the product.

8. A system comprising:

a memory having computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions comprising;

receiving, by a pricing service comprising first hardware, a request for a product; and

generating, by a fingerprint generator comprising second hardware, a user fingerprint for a user that submitted the request, wherein the user fingerprint comprises digital data describing the user;

selecting a first fingerprint of a first virtual customer distinct from the user, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing the first virtual customer, wherein the first fingerprint is distinct from the user fingerprint, and wherein the first fingerprint incorporates an indication of a first operating system distinct from a user operating system from which the request was received;

loading the first fingerprint to emulate the first virtual customer;

submitting a first price query to a vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the first price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded first fingerprint describing the first virtual customer distinct from the user;

wherein the loading the first fingerprint comprises executing the submitting by way of applicable hardware on which the first operating system is installed;

loading the user fingerprint to represent the user; and

submitting a second price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the second price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded user fingerprint;

receiving from the vendor'"'"'s web service two or more prices of the product, comprising a first price corresponding to the first price query and a second price corresponding to the second price query;

determining, by an analytics engine comprising third hardware, that the first price received in response to the first query is a lowest price from among the two or more prices received for the product from the vendor'"'"'s web service;

reporting to the user the first price, corresponding to the first virtual customer distinct from the user, as the lowest price responsive to the request of the user; and

purchasing the product at the first price while using the first fingerprint describing the first virtual customer distinct from the user.

9. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:

developing a hypothesis describing how the vendor'"'"'s web service identifies price sensitive customers; and

refining the hypothesis by;

selecting a new fingerprint representing a new virtual customer;

loading the new fingerprint to emulate the new virtual customer;

submitting a new price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the new price query uses the loaded new fingerprint; and

repeating the selecting the new fingerprint, loading the new fingerprint, and submitting the new price query until the hypothesis is validated;

wherein a plurality of new price queries are submitted to the vendor'"'"'s web service for prices of the product, using a plurality of new fingerprints.

10. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable instructions further comprising performing a factor analysis, based at least in part on the two or more prices of the product and on the first fingerprint and the user fingerprint, to determine a pricing model of the vendor'"'"'s web service.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first fingerprint is a multi-dimensional variable describing the first virtual customer with respect to at least one of brand of computer, brand of web browser, IP address, geographical location, activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, frequency of visiting the vendor'"'"'s website, and other websites visited.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises selecting a set of hardware and software to use when submitting the first price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, and wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises performing the described activity on the vendor'"'"'s website prior to submitting the first price query.

14. A computer program product for determining a lowest price of a product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a pricing service comprising first hardware, a request for a product;

generating, by a fingerprint generator comprising second hardware, a user fingerprint for a user that submitted the request, wherein the user fingerprint comprises digital data describing the user;

selecting a first fingerprint of a first virtual customer distinct from the user, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing the first virtual customer, wherein the first fingerprint is distinct from the user fingerprint, and wherein the first fingerprint incorporates an indication of a first operating system distinct from a user operating system from which the request was received;

loading the first fingerprint to emulate the first virtual customer;

submitting a first price query to a vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the first price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded first fingerprint describing the first virtual customer distinct from the user;

wherein the loading the first fingerprint comprises executing the submitting by way of applicable hardware on which the first operating system is installed;

loading the user fingerprint to represent the user;

submitting a second price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the second price query is responsive to the request from the user and uses the loaded user fingerprint;

receiving from the vendor'"'"'s web service two or more prices of the product, comprising a first price corresponding to the first price query and a second price corresponding to the second price query;

determining, by an analytics engine comprising third hardware, that the first price received in response to the first query is a lowest price from among the two or more prices received for the product from the vendor'"'"'s web service; and

reporting to the user the first price, corresponding to the first virtual customer distinct from the user, as the lowest price responsive to the request of the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the method further comprising:

developing a hypothesis describing how the vendor'"'"'s web service identifies price sensitive customers; and

refining the hypothesis by;

selecting a new fingerprint representing a new virtual customer;

loading the new fingerprint to emulate the new virtual customer;

submitting a new price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service for a price of the product, wherein the new price query uses the loaded new fingerprint;

repeating the selecting the new fingerprint, loading the new fingerprint, and submitting the new price query until the hypothesis is validated; and

wherein a plurality of new price queries are submitted to the vendor'"'"'s web service for prices of the product, using a plurality of new fingerprints.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, the method further comprising performing a factor analysis, based at least in part on the two or more prices of the product and on the first fingerprint and the user fingerprint, to determine a pricing model of the vendor'"'"'s web service.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first fingerprint is a multi-dimensional variable describing the first virtual customer with respect to at least one of brand of computer, brand of web browser, IP address, geographical location, activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, frequency of visiting the vendor'"'"'s website, and other websites visited.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises selecting a set of hardware and software to use when submitting the first price query to the vendor'"'"'s web service.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first fingerprint comprises digital data describing activity on the vendor'"'"'s website, and wherein loading the first fingerprint comprises performing the described activity on the vendor'"'"'s website prior to submitting the first price query.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, the method further comprising automatically purchasing the product on the user'"'"'s behalf at the lowest price from among the prices received for the product.