Customer identification system & method

• US 20030065595A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Best Buy Enterprise Services Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Anglum, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system are presented for identifying a customer in a commercial transaction using less than complete identifying information. A credit card purchase transaction is described wherein a name for the customer is removed from the credit card. A trade area is then determined for the point of sale utilizing historical sales at that point of sale. The trade area is then used to restrict a search of a demographic database to find a list of potential identity matches having names similar or identical to the name on the credit card. A best match generator then creates a profile of the expected purchaser of the products in the transaction. Using demographic information about each identity in the list of potential identity matches, each identity is compared to the profile and given a score. Scores can also be created by examining past purchases, or by examining the strength of the name match. The highest scoring identity is then considered the best match. The best match identity is then assumed to be the identity involved in the transaction, and the customer database is updated to reflect this determination.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a customer who purchased a product at a point of sale location, the method comprising:

a) determining a customer name for the customer;

b) creating a list of potential matches by

i) creating a trade area for the point of sale location, the trade area being determined through an analysis of past sales at the point of sale location, and

ii) searching in a database for identities having a name similar to the customer name and also having an address within the trade area; and

c) selecting a best match from the list of potential matches by comparing demographic data concerning each identity with a profile developed based upon the purchased product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a general demographic database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of creating a list of potential matches further comprises searching for potential matches in a database of prior customers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a database of prior customers for the point of sale location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the best match further comprises examining, for each identity, prior sales data found in a customer database relating to that identity and comparing such prior sales data with the purchased product.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a preliminary step of obtaining a unique account identifier and storing the unique account identifier along with the purchased product in a customer database,

wherein the profile developed based upon the purchased product is refined according to all prior sales identified in the customer database as being associated with the unique account identifier.

7. A method for identifying the customer of a credit card transaction at a point of sale location comprising:

a) extracting a credit card name from the credit card; and

b) creating a list of potential matches from a demographic database, the list of potential matches being created by

i) creating a trade area for the point of sale location, the trade area being determined by past sales at the point of sale location, and

ii) searching for identities in the demographic area having a name similar to the credit card name, the identities being associated with an address within the trade area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

c) selecting a best match from the list of potential matches.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the best match is selected by creating a historical demographic purchaser profile for an item purchased during the credit card transaction and comparing the purchaser profile to demographic information available for the identities in the list of potential matches.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the best match is selected by comparing an item purchased during the credit card transaction to previously purchased items by the identities in the list of potential matches.

11. A method for identifying the customer of a transaction at a point of sale location comprising:

a) determining a name for the customer;

b) creating a list of potential matches from a demographic database of individuals residing near the point of sale location; and

c) selecting a best match from the list of potential matches by examining demographic data concerning each of the potential matches.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting a best match further comprises examining an item purchased during the transaction and comparing a profile for purchasers of that item to the demographic data concerning each of the potential matches.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the profile comprises a series of tests that are separately scored and combined to form a total score.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each test relates to a single characteristic relating to purchases of that item, and further wherein each test contains scores for at least two values for the single characteristic.

15. A method for identifying the customer of a transaction at a point of sale location comprising:

a) determining a name for a customer;

b) creating a list of potential matches from a customer database containing names and prior purchase information;

c) selecting a best match from the list of potential matches by comparing the prior purchase information for each potential match with an item purchased during the transaction.

16. A system for identifying customers who have completed a purchase transaction at one of a plurality of point of sale locations, the system comprising:

a) a computer system at each of the point of sale locations having

i) software for extracting a customer name during the purchase transactions, and

ii) a communications ability allowing the computer system to transmit the customer name along with purchase data and a point of sale identifier;

b) a potential match generator having

i) a communications ability allowing the potential match generator to receive the customer name, purchase data, and point of sale identifier from the plurality of point of sale locations,

ii) a trade area database having data sufficient to determine a trade area for a given point of sale identifier, and

iii) a demographic database having search capability allowing it to return potential match identities in response to a query requesting identities having an address in the trade area and an identity name similar to the customer name; and

c) a best match generator having

i) profile software for generating a demographic profile based upon the purchase data, and

ii) comparison software for comparing demographic information about each potential match identity with the profile, the comparison software capable of selecting a best match identity based upon this comparison.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the potential match generator and the best match generator reside on a centrally located computer.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a record integrator for integrating the best match identity into a customer database.