Method And Apparatus For Pricing Items

• US 20080033831A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moraca, William Louis, Hamilton, Rick Allen, Boss, Gregory Jensen, Waters, Timothy Moffett
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code are provided for real time pricing of items by a customer located in a store. A customer sends a request to price an item using a mobile device to a Web service server. The Web service server identifies the customer'"'"'s location and queries a set of information sources for prices from several vendors within a selected distance of the customer'"'"'s location. The Web service server may include price information for items comparable to the item requested by the customer. The Web service server applies competitive rules defined by a vendor to determine pricing for the item from that vendor. The Web service server may also create special price quotes based on the verified location and identity of the customer. The Web service server sends the result to the customer and enables a real time purchase from the result displayed on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for real time pricing of items, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request to price an item from a mobile client, identifying a location of the mobile client to form an identified location;

querying a set of information sources for pricing information for the item offered by vendors within a selected distance of the identified location; and

responsive to receiving a result from querying the set of information sources, sending the result to the mobile client.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting from at least one information source, product information comprising at least one of inventory information, pricing information, competitive rules, and promotional information; and

storing the product information in the set of information sources, wherein the product information is used for producing the result from querying the set of information sources.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein collecting the product information is a secured data exchange.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the collecting step is one of pulling information from the information sources, receiving pushed information from the information sources, and sourcing and parsing available information.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the querying step comprises applying competitive rules provided by the at least one information source to the mobile client'"'"'s request.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request from the mobile client, and sending the result to the mobile client are secured data exchanges.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending information to enable real time purchase of the item by selecting a vendor from the result.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the identified location.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request to price the item contains at least one of product code, product identification, and one or more keywords describing the item.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request to price the item contains mobile client'"'"'s identification, the identified location and the mobile client'"'"'s identification together forming the mobile client'"'"'s information, and the mobile client'"'"'s information is used for providing the result.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the result comprises special quotes based on the mobile client'"'"'s information.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the querying step comprises information about items comparable to the item in the mobile client'"'"'s request.

13. A data processing system for real time pricing of items, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein responsive to a request to price an item from a mobile client, the processor executes the computer usable program code to identify a location of the mobile client to form an identified location;

query a set of information sources for pricing information for the item offered by vendors within a selected distance of the identified location; and

send the result to the mobile client in response to a result from querying the set of information sources.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processor further executes computer usable program code to collect from at least one information source, product information comprising at least one of inventory information, pricing information, competitive rules, and promotional information;

and to store the product information in the set of information sources, wherein the product information is used for producing the result from querying the set of information sources.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein in executing the computer usable program code for querying a set of information sources for price information for the item offered by vendors within a selected distance of the identified location, the processor executes the computer usable program code for applying competitive rules provided by the at least one information source to the mobile client'"'"'s request.

16. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processor further executes computer usable program code for sending information to enable a real time purchase of the item by selecting a vendor from the result.

17. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processor further executes computer usable program code for verifying the identified location.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable code for real time pricing of items, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable code for collecting from at least one information source, product information comprising at least one of inventory information, pricing information, competitive rules, and promotional information, wherein collecting is a secured data exchange;

computer usable code for storing the product information in a set of information sources, wherein the product information is used for producing the result from querying the set of information sources;

responsive to a request to price an item from a mobile client wherein the request is a secured data exchange, computer usable code for identifying a location of the mobile client to form an identified location;

computer usable code for verifying the identified location;

computer usable code for querying a set of information sources for pricing information for the item offered by vendors within a selected distance of the identified location wherein the computer usable code for querying comprises information about items comparable to the item in the mobile client'"'"'s request;

computer usable code for applying competitive rules provided by the at least one vendor to the request;

responsive to receiving a result from querying the set of information sources, computer usable code for sending the result to the mobile client, wherein sending the result to the mobile client is a secured data exchange; and

computer usable code for sending information to enable a real time purchase of the item by selecting a vendor from the result.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the request to price the item contains mobile client'"'"'s identification, the identified location and the mobile client'"'"'s identification together forming the mobile client'"'"'s information, and the mobile client'"'"'s information is used for providing the result, and wherein the result comprises special quotes based on the mobile client'"'"'s information.

20. A data processing system for real time pricing of items, the data processing system comprising:

collecting means for collecting from at least one information source, product information comprising at least one of inventory information, pricing information, competitive rules, and promotional information, wherein collecting is a secured data exchange;

storing means for storing the product information in a set of information sources, wherein the product information is used for producing the result from querying the set of information sources;

identifying means responsive to a request to price an item from a mobile client, for identifying a location of the mobile client to form an identified location, wherein the request is a secured data exchange, and wherein the request contains mobile client'"'"'s identification, the mobile client'"'"'s identification and the identified location forming the mobile client'"'"'s information, and the mobile client'"'"'s information is used for providing the result;

verifying means for verifying the identified location;

querying means for querying the set of information sources for pricing information for the item offered by vendors within a selected distance of the identified location wherein the querying means comprises information about items comparable to the item in the mobile client'"'"'s request;

applying means for applying competitive rules provided by the at least one vendor to the request;

responsive to receiving a result from querying the set of information sources, first sending means for sending the result to the mobile client, wherein sending the result to the mobile client is a secured data exchange, and wherein the result comprises special quotes based on the mobile client'"'"'s information; and

second sending means for sending information to enable a real time purchase of the item by selecting a vendor from the result.