System and method for enhancing alcoholic beverage transactions and the portioning of related products between merchant and consumer

• US 10,592,945 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel P. Roycroft, Scott M. Steffan
• Original Assignee: Daniel P. Roycroft, Scott M. Steffan
• Inventors: Roycroft, Daniel P., Steffan, Scott M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casey, Alexis M
• Application Number:
  US15/489,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing alcoholic beverage transactions and the apportioning of products between a merchant and a consumer provides a platform for a merchant to offer a listing of alcoholic beverages, events, and promotions related to alcoholic beverages. A consumer also has a platform from which to view the listings, find a merchant or type of alcoholic beverage in a geographical area, transact immediate purchases, and reserve purchases of select alcoholic beverages. A reserved sale of the alcoholic beverage allows merchant to guarantee a sale of the alcoholic beverage, and also allows the alcoholic beverage to be decanted for an optimal duration before consumer consumes the alcoholic beverage. Consumer also benefits, knowing the alcoholic beverage is available, and at a known price. Consumer information, favorite selections, and historical purchases are stored in a consumer database to assist merchant with future marketing and recommendations of alcoholic beverages to consumer.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing alcoholic beverage transactions and apportioning of products between a merchant and a consumer, the method comprising:

providing a merchant platform, the merchant platform accessible by the merchant for operation of the method;

offering, by the merchant, a listing of alcoholic beverages through the merchant platform;

offering, by the merchant, a promotion for a portion of at least one of the listing of alcoholic beverages;

offering, by the merchant, a guaranteed price for a portion of at least one of the listing of alcoholic beverages, whereby the guaranteed price is dependent on reserving a portion of at least one of the listing of alcoholic beverages;

listing, by the merchant, an event related to the alcoholic beverages;

providing a consumer platform, the consumer platform accessible by the consumer for operation of the method;

inputting, by the consumer, consumer information into the consumer platform;

storing the consumer information in a consumer database;

searching, by the consumer, for the merchant, or the listing of alcoholic beverages, or both through the consumer platform;

viewing the listing of alcoholic beverages offered by the merchant;

purchasing a portion of at least one of the listing of alcoholic beverages from the merchant;

reserving, by the consumer, a portion of at least one of the listing of alcoholic beverages for the guaranteed price;

locating, by the consumer, the merchant in a geographical area using a geographical location device with an indicator shown on a screen of a computing device;

at least one mobile application and at least one website for communication between the merchant and the consumer;

wherein the merchant platform and the consumer platform interface and communicate with the consumer database that stores consumer information, collecting and transmitting data to the merchant and the consumer;

the merchant platform being operable with a software application on at least one of a mobile communication device or other computing device;

at least two independent consumers;

reserving, by a first independent consumer, on a first communication device, a first portion of the contents of a designated, unopened bottle of an alcoholic beverage, the alcoholic beverage being a perishable good, which will be disaggregated and apportioned from other alcoholic beverage in the bottle during apportionment;

reserving, by a second independent user, on second communication device, a second portion of the contents of the designated bottle of alcoholic beverage;

holding, by the merchant, the reservations until the designated bottle of alcoholic beverage is fully reserved by the at least two independent consumers;

designating, with a communication device, a geographic location and a time for distributing the contents of the designated bottle of alcoholic beverage;

opening the designated bottle of alcoholic beverage;

apportioning the first portion of the bottle of alcoholic beverage to the first user at a first controlled volume;

apportioning the second portion of the bottle of alcoholic beverage to the second user at a second controlled volume;

apportioning to any additional users, the remaining reserved portions of alcoholic beverage in the designated bottle of alcoholic beverage;

and

reviewing, by the merchant, the consumer information stored in the consumer database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alcoholic beverages include at least one of the following:

wine, beer, liquor, champagne, spirits, tequila, rum, and specialty cocktail drinks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchant comprises a restaurant or a liquor store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises wherein the indicator is operable to indicate a location of the merchant, or a type of the listing of alcoholic beverages, or both.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the guaranteed price is associated with a glass of wine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the event related to the alcoholic beverages is a wine tasting event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer information includes at least one of the following:

a name, an alcoholic beverage preference, a purchase history, and a birthdate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of updating settings for the merchant platform.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of updating settings for the consumer platform.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is operable to identify between the types of merchants and the listings of alcoholic beverages.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicator is a colored pin visible on the geographical area.