Method and apparatus for selecting a supplemental product to offer for sale during a transaction

• US 8,103,520 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Douglas, David H., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Marrazzo, George M., Wahlquist, Shane J., Mueller, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski, Jami A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahl, Sangeeta
• Application Number:
  US12/365,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/16, 705/17, 463/17
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a supplemental product or service may be offered to a user during a transaction, either in addition to products and/or services the user is purchasing, or as a replacement to one or more of the products and/or services that the user is purchasing. The functionality may be implemented, for example, in a retail embodiment where a user is purchasing products and/or services at a cash register or other point-of-sale terminal. One or more embodiments may be implemented online where a user is purchasing products and/or services using a computer, terminal, telephone or other client or user device and accessing a World Wide Web site, online catalog, interactive voice response unit or system, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, information for a transaction;

determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;

scoring, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;

selecting, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;

determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;

providing, by at least one of a controller device or a retailer device, to at least one of a point-of-sale terminal or a user device, an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; and

providing, by at least one of a controller device or a retailer device, to at least one of a point-of-sale terminal or a user device, an indication of the offer amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

establishing at least one rule; and

applying at least one rule.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

establishing at least one forced option; and

applying at least one forced option.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

maintaining a transaction database;

updating a transaction database;

accessing a transaction database;

populating a transaction database;

maintaining a product database;

updating a product database;

accessing a product database;

populating a product database;

maintaining a database of potential supplemental products;

updating a database of potential supplemental products;

accessing a database of potential supplemental products;

populating a database of potential supplemental products;

maintaining a user database;

updating a user database;

accessing a user database; and

populating a user database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of the following:

receiving an indication of an acceptance of an offer to purchase said selected at least one supplemental product; and

receiving an indication of a rejection of an offer to purchase said selected at least one supplemental product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said scoring uses at least one of the following:

a profit based scoring approach;

a popularity based scoring approach;

scoring based on preparation time of one or more products;

scoring based on inventory level of one or more products;

a discount based scoring approach; and

a composite scoring approach.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a pool of at least one possible supplemental product further comprises:

identifying at least one product category involved in said transaction;

constructing at least one product group involved in said transaction;

determining at least one complementary product category; and

selecting a pool of at least one supplemental product.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer amount is based on a round-up amount.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an offer amount includes identifying a round-up amount.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer amount is based on an amount of change due during said transaction.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a pool of at least one possible supplemental product further comprises:

determining at least one possible replacement product; and

selecting a pool of at least one supplemental product.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transaction information includes at least one of the following:

a tender amount;

an amount of change due;

a round-up amount;

a transaction subtotal amount;

a user identifier;

a user device identifier;

a payment identifier;

a destination identifier;

a location identifier;

a point-of-sale terminal location identifier;

an employee identifier;

a transaction identifier;

a product identifier;

a retailer identifier;

a point-of-sale terminal identifier;

a retailer identifier;

a time for said transaction;

a date for said transaction;

preference information for a user;

credit history of a user;

characteristics of a user;

weather information;

time of day information;

day of week information;

holiday information;

competitor information;

user demographic information;

information regarding a user'"'"'s brand loyalty;

information regarding a user'"'"'s brand indifference;

an amount of change due a user as a result of said transaction;

product quantity information;

product inventory information; and

a price for a product being purchased during said transaction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises at least one of the following:

applying at least one filter;

applying at least one rule; and

applying at least one forced option.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product that has a score higher than at least one other potential supplemental product.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product having a higher relative score than each of a plurality of potential supplemental products.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of a second supplemental product selected from said pool.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a rejection of said offer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing an indication of an offer to sell a different supplemental product.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool for an offer amount during said transaction.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, information for a transaction;

determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;

scoring, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;

selecting, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;

determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;

providing, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; and

providing, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an indication of the offer amount.

22. An apparatus for conducting a transaction, comprising:

a processor;

a communication port connected to said processor; and

a storage device connected to said process, said storage device storing instructions configured to direct the processor to;

receive information for a transaction;

determine a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;

score at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;

select at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;

determine an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;

provide an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; and

provide an indication of the offer amount.