Methods and apparatus for intelligent selection of goods and services in telephonic and electronic commerce

• US 8,290,829 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: West Corporation
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: West, Gary L., Barker, Thomas B., Katz, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US13/174,979
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.7
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

Providing offers of an item constituting a good or a service to users of a system, utilizing an electronic communications device, comprises at least the following: establishing a communication via the electronic communications device between a given user and the system for purpose of a primary transaction for a first good or service, obtaining primary transaction data with respect to the primary transaction, including the purpose of the primary transaction, obtaining the identity of the given user, utilizing at least in part the primary transaction data including the purpose of the primary transaction and the identity of the user, and determining at least one item for offer to the given user, and offering the item to the given user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving primary transaction data with respect to a primary transaction for a good or service as at least one input into a system,

obtaining geographic information,

determining, via at least one of the computing devices in the system, a coded designator based on data from a financial institution of an identity of a buyer,

processing in at least one of the computing devices in the system at least in part the primary transaction data including a purpose of the primary transaction, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator, and

determining, via at least one of the computing devices in the system, from the primary transaction data, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator an output including at least one item for offer to the buyer.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer based on the output.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising obtaining an identity of the buyer, wherein the obtaining includes obtaining an electronic address.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein obtaining the electronic address includes obtaining at least one of:

an electronic mail (e-mail) address of the buyer, and

an internet service provider identification.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein obtaining the identity of the buyer includes at least one of:

a customer number of the buyer,

an electronic signature of the buyer, and

billing data of the buyer.

6. The method of claim 2 comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer in real time with the primary transaction.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a purpose of the primary transaction is at least one of:

a purchase transaction,

an informational inquiry,

a service transaction,

a sale transaction,

an inventory check,

a status inquiry,

an order fulfillment inquiry,

a comparison shopping inquiry, and

a credit check.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic information is at least one of:

provided automatically,

provided by a carrier associated with an electronic communications device of the buyer, and

entered by the buyer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein offering the item includes offering the item to the given user in real time with the primary transaction.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed by a processor implement the following steps:

receiving primary transaction data with respect to a primary transaction for a good or service as at least one input into a system,

obtaining geographic information,

determining a coded designator based on data from a financial institution of an identity of a buyer,

processing at least in part the primary transaction data including a purpose of the primary transaction, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator, and

determining from the primary transaction data, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator an output including at least one item for offer to the buyer.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer based on the output.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising obtaining an identity of the buyer, wherein the obtaining includes obtaining an electronic address.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein obtaining the electronic address includes obtaining at least one of:

an electronic mail (e-mail) address of the buyer, and

an internet service provider identification.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein obtaining the identity of the buyer includes at least one of:

a customer number of the buyer,

an electronic signature of the buyer, and

billing data of the buyer.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer in real time with the primary transaction.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the purpose of the primary transaction is at least one of:

a purchase transaction,

an informational inquiry,

a service transaction,

a sale transaction,

an inventory check,

a status inquiry,

an order fulfillment inquiry,

a comparison shopping inquiry, and

a credit check.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the geographic information is at least one of:

provided automatically,

provided by a carrier associated with an electronic communications device of the buyer, and

entered by the buyer.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein offering the item includes offering the item to the given user in real time with the primary transaction.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one processor, and

memory,

wherein the at least one processor;

receives primary transaction data with respect to a primary transaction for a good or service,

obtains geographic information,

determines a coded designator based on data from a financial institution of an identity of a buyer,

processes at least in part the primary transaction data including a purpose of the primary transaction, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator, and

determines from the primary transaction data, the geographic information of the buyer and the coded designator an output including at least one item for offer to the buyer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor offers the at least one item to the buyer based on the output.