Methods, systems, and products for demographic discounting

• US 7,277,715 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Starr, Robert J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US11/200,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for providing a discount to a device. One method obtains a location of the device and obtains a demographic indicator associated with the device. The discount is retrieved from memory, and the discount is based on the location and on the demographic indicator. The discount increases as a distance from a reference location increases. The reference location may represent any location, such as a physical location of a merchant. As the distance between the device and the merchant'"'"'s physical location increases, the merchant provides a greater discount to entice the customer to travel to the merchant.

Claims

1. A method of providing a discount to a device, comprising:

obtaining a location of the device;

determining a distance between the location and a reference location;

obtaining a characteristic of the location;

obtaining a billing address and a zone improvement plan code associated with the device;

retrieving a demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code; and

retrieving the discount from memory, the discount based on the distance and on the demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code, such that the discount increases as the distance from the reference location increases.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein when the demographic indicator indicates wealth, then declining to provide the discount to the device.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving an income associated with the zone improvement plan code;

comparing the income to a threshold value; and

targeting the discount based on the income.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry and targeting the discount to owners of a brand of vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the demographic indicator comprises retrieving a purchase price of a home from a property records database and comparing the purchase price to a threshold value.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry;

filtering out vehicles newer than a number of years; and

targeting the discount to according to the demographic indicators and the distance.

7. A system for providing a discount to a device, the system comprising:

means for obtaining a location of the device;

means for determining a distance between the location and a reference location;

means for obtaining a characteristic of the location;

means for obtaining a billing address and a zone improvement plan code associated with the device;

means for retrieving a demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code; and

means for retrieving the discount from memory, the discount based on the distance and on the demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code, such that the discount increases as the distance from the reference location increases.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein when the demographic indicator indicates wealth, then further comprising means for declining to provide the discount to the device.

9. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for retrieving an income associated with the zone improvement plan code;

means for comparing the income to a threshold value; and

means for targeting the discount based on the income.

10. A system according to claim 7, further comprising means for obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry and targeting the discount to owners of a brand of vehicle.

11. A system according to claim 7, further comprising means for retrieving a purchase price of a home from a property records database and comparing the purchase price to a threshold.

12. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry;

filtering out vehicles newer than a number of years; and

targeting the discount to according to the demographic indicators and the distance.

13. A computer program product storing computer-readable instructions for performing a method of providing a discount to a device, the method comprising:

obtaining a location of the device;

determining a distance between the location and a reference location;

obtaining a characteristic of the location;

obtaining a billing address and a zone improvement plan code associated with the device;

retrieving a demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code; and

retrieving the discount from memory, the discount based on the distance and on the demographic indicator associated with the zone improvement plan code, such that the discount increases as the distance from the reference location increases.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein when the demographic indicator indicates wealth, then declining to provide the discount to the device.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising further comprising:

retrieving an income associated with the zone improvement plan code;

comparing the income to a threshold value; and

targeting the discount based on the income.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising obtaining automotive information from a motor vehicle registry and targeting the discount to owners of a brand of vehicle.

17. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein retrieving the demographic indicator comprises retrieving a purchase price of a home from a property records database and comparing the purchase price to a threshold value.