System and method for availability-based limited-time offerings and transactions

• US 7,599,858 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deem, Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: Rearden Commerce Inc
• Inventors: Grady, Patrick, Orttung, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNHAM, JASON B
• Application Number:
  US10/869,356
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

System and method for availability based on limited-time offerings and transactions. One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method that, based on a set of known preferences and historic transactions with customers, culls from a customer database those customers most likely to close a transaction in a short time. The selected customers are notified of the offer, and the system processes the customers responses in a timely manner, and thus allow fleeting inventories to be sold off before they expire.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, an offer that has an explicit or implicit expiration;

determining, via a set of instructions executed on a machine, a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers, the likelihood being determined by applying predetermined rules based on the characteristics of the offer and information on customers;

selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer and predetermined criteria;

ranking the selected customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer;

sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking via one of a plurality of various transmission media which is selected based on a customer interest threshold;

guaranteeing availability of the offer to the one or more selected customers by limiting the offer to a number of customers matching a number of products or services available;

providing a next customer in the sequence the offer when the offer expires for or is rejected by the at least one of the selected customers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is for a product or service concerning at least one of travel, lodging, entertainment, and dining.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing the offer into a predetermined category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on customers comprises at least one of personal information, declared preferences, calendar information, current variables, and prior history.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implicit expiration of the offer is related to an event.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the current variables comprise at least one of current locations, current financial status, current calendar status, and information gleaned from current purchases to determine current location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers comprises comparing features of the offer with at least one preference a customer has designated for receiving an offer and a customer'"'"'s previous acceptance rate for similar offers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers is based on at least one of loyalty bonus, previous dollars spent by a customer, and loyalty points accrued by a customer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking comprises providing the offer via at least one of email, short message service, instant messaging, telephonic media, a personalized television ad, and a personalized website ad.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking multiple offers for a customer based on at least one of a declared preference of the customer and prior purchasing history of the customer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing less than all the multiple offers based on the ranking of the multiple offers.

12. A tangible computer readable medium that provides instructions that when executed by a machine will cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, an offer that has an explicit or implicit expiration;

determining a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers, the likelihood being determined by applying predetermined rules based on the characteristics of the offer and information on customers;

selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer and predetermined criteria;

ranking the selected customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer;

sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking via one of a plurality of various transmission media which is selected based on a customer interest threshold;

guaranteeing availability of the offer to the one or more selected customers by limiting the offer to a number of customers matching a number of products or services available;

providing a next customer in the sequence the offer when the offer expires for or is rejected by the at least one of the selected customers.

13. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the offer is for a product or service concerning at least one of travel, lodging, entertainment, and dining.

14. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising categorizing the offer into a predetermined category.

15. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the information on customers comprises at least one of personal information, declared preferences, calendar information, current variables, and prior history.

16. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the implicit expiration of the offer is related to an event.

17. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the current variables comprise at least one of current locations, current financial status, current calendar status, and information gleaned from current purchases to determine current location.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determining a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers comprises comparing features of the offer with at least one preference a customer has designated for receiving an offer and a customer'"'"'s previous acceptance rate for similar offers.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers is based on at least one of loyalty bonus, previous dollars spent by a customer, and loyalty points accrued by a customer.

20. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking comprises providing the offer via at least one of email, short message service, instant messaging, telephonic media, a personalized television ad, and a personalized website ad.

21. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising ranking multiple offers for a customer based on at least one of a declared preference of the customer and prior purchasing history of the customer.

22. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising providing less than all the multiple offers based on the ranking of the multiple offers.

23. A computer system comprising at least one server configured for:

receiving, via a computing device, an offer that has an explicit or implicit expiration;

determining a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers, the likelihood being determined by applying predetermined rules based on the characteristics of the offer and information on customers;

selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer and predetermined criteria;

ranking the selected customers based on the likelihood of accepting the offer;

sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking via one of a plurality of various transmission media which is selected based on a customer interest threshold;

guaranteeing availability of the offer to the one or more selected customers by limiting the offer to a number of customers matching a number of products or services available;

providing a next customer in the sequence the offer when the offer expires for or is rejected by the at least one of the selected customers.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the offer is for a product or service concerning at least one of travel, lodging, entertainment, and dining.

25. The computer system of claim 23, further comprising categorizing the offer into a predetermined category.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the information on customers comprises at least one of personal information, declared preferences, calendar information, current variables, and prior history.

27. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the implicit expiration of the offer is related to an event.

28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the current variables comprise at least one of current locations, current financial status, current calendar status, and information gleaned from current purchases to determine current location.

29. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the determining a likelihood of accepting the offer for each of a plurality of customers comprises comparing features of the offer with at least one preference a customer has designated for receiving an offer and a customer'"'"'s previous acceptance rate for similar offers.

30. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the selecting a set of customers from the plurality of customers is based on at least one of loyalty bonus, previous dollars spent by a customer, and loyalty points accrued by a customer.

31. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the sequentially providing the offer to at least one or more of the selected customers in the order of the ranking comprises providing the offer via at least one of email, short message service, instant messaging, telephonic media, a personalized television ad, and a personalized website ad.

32. The computer system of claim 23, further comprising ranking multiple offers for a customer based on at least one of a declared preference of the customer and prior purchasing history of the customer.

33. The computer system of claim 32, further comprising providing less than all the multiple offers based on the ranking of the multiple offers.