PROMOTIONAL ITEM DELIVERIES BASED ON PLANNED/FUTURE TRAVELING

• US 20140149218A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Do, Lydia M.
• Application Number:
  US13/686,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

An approach for managing electronic promotional item(s) is presented. A plurality of subscriptions is submitted to at least one software service on behalf of a user. The submitted subscriptions are associated with respective geographical locations within a threshold distance from a travel route of a trip to a destination. The electronic promotional item(s) associated with respective geographical location(s) within the threshold distance are received from the at least one software service. The received electronic promotional item(s) are determined to be in effect between start and end dates of the trip. Based on the received electronic promotional item(s) being in effect between the start and end dates, at least a portion of the received electronic promotional item(s) is presented.

Claims

1. A method of managing electronic promotional item(s), the method comprising the steps of:

a computer subscribing to at least one software service that delivers electronic promotional items to subscribers by submitting a plurality of subscriptions to the at least one software service on behalf of a user, the subscriptions in the plurality of subscriptions being associated with respective geographical locations within a threshold distance from a travel route of a trip to a destination;

subsequent to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the computer receiving the electronic promotional items(s) from the at least one software service, the electronic promotional item(s) associated with respective geographical location(s) included in the geographical locations within the threshold distance;

the computer determining the received electronic promotional item(s) will be in effect at respective point(s) in time between and inclusive of a start date of the trip and an end date of the trip; and

based on the received electronic promotional item(s) being in effect at the point(s) in time between and inclusive of the start and end dates, the computer generating a presentation including at least a portion of the received electronic promotional item(s).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prior to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the computer receiving a value for the threshold distance, the value representing a maximum distance the user is willing to deviate from the travel route to act upon each of the electronic promotional item(s).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

during the trip, the computer determining the user is deviating from the travel route;

based on the user deviating from the travel route, the computer determining an updated travel route; and

in response to the step of determining the updated travel route, the computer receiving other electronic promotional item(s) associated with other geographical location(s) within the threshold distance from the updated travel route.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the computer determining a conclusion of the end date of the trip; and

based on the conclusion of the end date of the trip, the computer automatically directing the software service to cancel the plurality of subscriptions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the electronic promotional item(s) is performed at one or more first points in time between and inclusive of the start date and the end date, or at one or more second points in time prior to the start date.

6. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable, tangible storage device; and

a computer-readable program code stored in the computer-readable, tangible storage device, the computer-readable program code containing instructions that are carried out by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to implement a method of managing an electronic promotional item, the method comprising the steps of;

a computer system subscribing to at least one software service that delivers electronic promotional items to respective subscribers by submitting a plurality of subscriptions to the at least one software service on behalf of a user, the subscriptions in the plurality of subscriptions being associated with respective geographical locations within a threshold distance from a travel route of a trip to a destination;

subsequent to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the computer system receiving the electronic promotional item(s) from the software service, the electronic promotional item(s) associated with respective geographical location(s) included in the geographical locations within the threshold distance;

the computer system determining the received electronic promotional item(s) will be in effect at respective point(s) in time between and inclusive of a start date of the trip and an end date of the trip; and

based on the received electronic promotional item(s) being in effect at the point(s) in time between and inclusive of the start and end dates, the computer system generating a presentation including at least a portion of the received electronic promotional item(s).

7. The program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

prior to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the computer system receiving a value for the threshold distance, the value representing a maximum distance the user is willing to deviate from the travel route to act upon each of the electronic promotional item(s).

8. The program product of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

during the trip, the computer determining the user is deviating from the travel route;

based on the user deviating from the travel route, the computer determining an updated travel route; and

in response to the step of determining the updated travel route, the computer receiving other electronic promotional item(s) associated with other geographical location(s) within the threshold distance from the updated travel route.

9. The program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the computer system determining a conclusion of the end date of the trip; and

based on the conclusion of the end date of the trip, the computer system automatically directing the software service to cancel the plurality of subscriptions.

10. The program product of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the electronic promotional item(s) is performed at one or more first points in time between and inclusive of the start date and the end date, or at one or more second points in time prior to the start date.

11. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, the process comprising:

a first computer system providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a second computer system, the computer-readable code containing instructions, wherein the instructions, when carried out by a processor of the second computer system, implement a method of managing an electronic promotional item, the method comprising the steps of;

the second computer system subscribing to at least one software service that delivers electronic promotional items to subscribers by submitting a plurality of subscriptions to the at least one software service on behalf of a user, the subscriptions in the plurality of subscriptions being associated with respective geographical locations within a threshold distance from a travel route of a trip to a destination;

subsequent to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the second computer system receiving the electronic promotional item(s) from the at least one software service, the electronic promotional item(s) associated with respective geographical location(s) included in the geographical locations within the threshold distance;

the second computer system determining the received electronic promotional item(s) will be in effect at respective point(s) in time between and inclusive of a start date of the trip and an end date of the trip; and

based on the received electronic promotional item(s) being in effect at the point(s) in time between and inclusive of the start and end dates, the second computer system generating a presentation including at least a portion of the received electronic promotional item(s).

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

prior to the step of subscribing to the at least one software service, the second computer system receiving a value for the threshold distance, the value representing a maximum distance the user is willing to deviate from the travel route to act upon each of the electronic promotional item(s).

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

during the trip, the second computer system determining the user is deviating from the travel route;

based on the user deviating from the travel route, the second computer system determining an updated travel route; and

in response to the step of determining the updated travel route, the second computer system receiving other electronic promotional item(s) associated with other geographical location(s) within the threshold distance from the updated travel route.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the second computer system determining a conclusion of the end date of the trip; and

based on the conclusion of the end date of the trip, the second computer system automatically directing the software service to cancel the plurality of subscriptions.

15. The process of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving the electronic promotional item(s) is performed at one or more first points in time between and inclusive of the start date and the end date, or at one or more second points in time prior to the start date.

16. A method of managing electronic promotional item(s), the method comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving a plurality of electronic promotional items from software service(s) that deliver electronic promotional items to subscribers;

the computer identifying the electronic promotional item(s) within the plurality of electronic promotional items that satisfy a first condition that the identified electronic promotional item(s) are associated with respective geographical location(s) within a threshold distance from a travel route of a trip to a destination, and a second condition that the identified electronic promotional item(s) are in effect at respective point(s) in time between and inclusive of a start date of the trip and an end date of the trip; and

based on the identified electronic promotional item(s) satisfying the first and second conditions, the computer directing a display device to display at least respective portions of the identified electronic promotional item(s).

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

the computer receiving one or more preferences of a user who is planning to take the trip, the one or more preferences including a specification of a category of goods or services in which the user has an interest; and

the computer determining the identified electronic promotional item(s) are included in the category,

wherein the step of directing the display device to display at least the respective portions of the identified electronic promotional item(s) is further based on the identified electronic promotional item(s) being included in the category.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

the computer determining a first user and a second user are planning to take the trip together;

the computer receiving one or more preferences of the first user and one or more preferences of the second user, the one or more preferences of the first user being different from the one or more preferences of the second user; and

the computer determining the identified electronic promotional item(s) satisfy the one or more preferences of the first user and the one or more preferences of the second user,

wherein the step of directing the display device to display at least the respective portions of the identified electronic promotional items is further based on the identified electronic promotional item(s) satisfying the one or more preferences of the first user and the one or more preferences of the second user.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

prior to the step of identifying electronic promotional item(s) that satisfy the first and second conditions, the computer receiving a value for the threshold distance, the value representing a maximum distance the user is willing to deviate from the travel route to act upon each of the electronic promotional item(s).

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

during the trip, the computer determining the user is deviating from the travel route;

based on the user deviating from the travel route, the computer determining an updated travel route; and

in response to the step of determining the updated travel route, the computer receiving other electronic promotional item(s) associated with other geographical location(s) within the threshold distance from the updated travel route.