TARGETED INCENTIVE ACTIONS BASED ON LOCATION AND INTENT

• US 20120239483A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Yankovich, Steve, Melcher, Ryan, Veres, Robert Dean
• Application Number:
  US13/339,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239483A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and a system offer an incentive to a user of a mobile device based on a geographic location of the mobile device and the intent of the user. A processor-implemented location identification module determines the geographic location of the mobile device of the user. A processor-implemented item identification module identifies an item specified by the user at the geographic location of the mobile device. A processor-implemented incentive module offers an incentive from at least one merchant within a predefined distance based on the identified item and the geographic location of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first module configured to determine a geographic location of a mobile device;

a second module configured to identify an item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device via an optical input of the mobile device; and

a processor-implemented incentive module configured to generate a limited-time incentive offer from at least one merchant within a predefined geographic area determined using the geographic location of the mobile device, the limited-time incentive offer based on the item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-implemented incentive module further comprises:

a local merchant module configured to identify at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area having at least one limited-time incentive offer;

a first incentive match module configured to determine whether the item corresponds to an item identified in the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area; and

a first communication module configured to communicate the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the item from the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area to the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor-implemented incentive module further comprises:

an item category module configured to determine a category of the item;

a second incentive match module configured to determine whether the category of the item corresponds to a category of items identified in at least one limited-time incentive offer of the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area; and

a second communication module configured to communicate the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the category of items from the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area to the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-implemented incentive module further comprises further comprises:

a user preference module configured to request from a user of the mobile device whether to update a search radius preference of the predefined geographic area; and

a local merchant module configured to identify at least one merchant with at least one limited-time incentive offer based on the updated search radius preference.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-implemented incentive module further comprises:

an incentive code module configured to communicate a code associated with the at least one limited-time incentive offer to the mobile device, wherein the code is valid for a predetermined period of time at the corresponding merchant within the predefined geographic area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module further comprises:

a triangulation service or a global positioning service (GPS) configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a triangulation service or a GPS service;

a location input module configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a user input at the mobile device;

a location-dependent search term input module configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a location-dependent search term user input at the mobile device; and

a tag module configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a tag from the mobile device, the tag associated with a unique geographic location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second module further comprises:

a text identification module configured to identify the item based on a text input from a user at the geographic location of the mobile device;

an audio identification module configured to identify the item based on an audio input from the user at the geographic location of the mobile device;

a machine-readable symbol module configured to identify the item based on a machine-readable symbol scanned by the user at the geographic location of the mobile device;

an image identification module configured to identify the item based on an image taken by the user at the geographic location of the mobile device; and

a video identification module configured to identify the item based on a video taken by the user at the geographic location of the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-implemented incentive module further comprises:

a user preference module configured to generate a user preference setting, the user preference setting comprising a user-defined search radius preference, and a merchant preference.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an incentive receiver module configured to receive attributes of limited-time incentive offers from at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area;

a storage device configured to store the attributes of the limited-time incentive offers in a database,

wherein the attributes of the limited-time incentive offers for an item comprises at least one of a name attribute of the merchant within the predefined distance, a name attribute of the item, a brand attribute of the item, a model attribute of the item, a category tag of the item, a sub-category tag of the item, a financial promotion attribute of the item, and a financial promotion term attribute of the item.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the limited-time incentive offer comprises a coupon, a discount, or a recommendation.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a geographic location of a mobile device;

identifying an item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device via an optical input of the mobile device; and

generating, using at least one processor, a limited-time incentive offer from at least one merchant within a predefined geographic area using the geographic location of the mobile device, the limited-time incentive offer based on the item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area having at least one limited-time incentive offer;

determining whether the item corresponds to an item identified in the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area; and

communicating the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the item identified from the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area to the mobile device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a category of the item identified by the mobile device;

determining whether the category of the item identified by the user corresponds to a category of items identified in at least one limited-time incentive offer of the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area; and

communicating the at least one limited-time incentive offer of the category of items from the at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area to the mobile device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

requesting from a user of the mobile device whether to update a search radius preference of the predefined geographic area; and

identifying at least one merchant with at least one limited-time incentive offer based on the updated search radius preference.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating a code associated with the at least one limited-time incentive offer to the mobile device, wherein the code is valid for a predetermined period of time at the corresponding merchant within the predefined geographic area.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the geographic location of the mobile device based on at least one of a triangulation service or a global positioning service (GPS) of the mobile device, a location input from a user of the mobile device, a location-dependent search term input from the user of the mobile device, and a tag associated with a unique geographic location.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying the item based on at least one of a text input from a user of the mobile device, an audio input from the user of the mobile device, a machine-readable symbol input from the user of the mobile device, an image input from the user of the mobile device, and a video input from the user of the mobile device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the limited-time incentive offer is generated based on a preference setting of a user of the mobile device, the preference setting comprising a user-defined search radius preference, and a merchant preference.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving attributes of limited-time incentive offers from at least one merchant within the predefined geographic area;

storing the attributes of the limited-time incentive offers in a database,

wherein the attributes of the limited-time incentive offers for an item comprises at least one of a name attribute of the merchant within the predefined distance, a name attribute of the item, a brand attribute of the item, a model attribute of the item, a category tag of the item, a sub-category tag of the item, a financial promotion attribute of the item, and a financial promotion term attribute of the item.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the limited-time incentive offer comprises a coupon, a discount, or a recommendation.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, comprising:

determining a geographic location of a mobile device;

identifying an item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device via an optical input of the mobile device; and

generating a limited-time incentive offer from at least one merchant within a predefined geographic area using the geographic location of the mobile device, the limited-time incentive offer based on the item specified at the geographic location of the mobile device.