SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCENTIVIZING THE USE OF SERVICES AND PRODUCTS BASED ON REAL-TIME INVENTORY LOADING

• US 20110173059A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Todd Benson
• Original Assignee: Todd Benson
• Inventors: BENSON, TODD
• Application Number:
  US13/004,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory

Abstract

A system and method for providing incentives for products and services to consumers in real time. A retailer or service provider determines that they have unused capacity or unsold inventory and creates an incentive for consumers to optimize their use of resources. The retailer or service provider determines the level of the incentive, the time window during which it will be offered, and the quantity of consumers that can receive the incentive. The retailer or service provider updates a database with the incentive. A consumer uses an application from a portable electronic device or a web based application and chooses a set of filter parameters to locate an offer that will fill their needs. The database is queried based on the filter parameters and a set of incentives is generated which is sent to the consumer. The consumer chooses an incentive and is given a coupon or offer code to redeem for the incentive. A report of this choice is sent to the retailer or service provider who offered the incentive, creating a reservation for the consumer.

Claims

1. A method for incentivizing the use of services and products based on real-time inventory loading, the method comprising:

determining a level of an incentive;

determining a time window of the incentive;

determining a quantity of the incentive to offer based upon at least one business condition;

updating a database with the incentive;

receiving at least one filtering parameter from a user;

querying the database using the at least one filtering parameter to generate filtered incentives;

providing a report of the filtered incentives to the user;

receiving a selection of a filtered incentive from the user;

sending an indication of the selected incentive to a service provider associated with the selected incentive; and

sending a coupon associated with the selected incentive to the user.