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

• US 8,315,915 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tuxis Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Katz, Ronald A., West, Gary L., Barker, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US13/174,874
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• 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 to a system,

obtaining, by the system, an identity of the buyer,

determining, by the system, a coded designator from the identity of the buyer, the coded designator being indicative of data from a financial institution of the buyer, and

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

determining, by the system, from the primary transaction data and the coded designator an output including at least one item.

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

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

4. The method of claim 2, comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer in lieu of the primary transaction.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the identity of the buyer includes obtaining an electronic address.

6. 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.

7. The method of claim 1 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.

8. The method of claim 1 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.

9. A system, comprising:

at least one processor, and

memory communicably coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor, executes instructions stored in the memory that;

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

obtains an identity of the buyer,

determines a coded designator from the identity of the buyer, the coded designator being indicative of data from a financial institution of the buyer, and

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

determines from the primary transaction data and the coded designator an output including at least one item.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor executes instructions that offers the at least one item to the buyer based on the output.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor executes instructions that offers the at least one item to the buyer in real time with the primary transaction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor executes instructions that offers the item to the buyer in lieu of the primary transaction.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor executes instructions that obtains an electronic address related to the identity of the buyer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the electronic address includes at least one of:

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

an internet service provider identification.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein 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.

16. The system of claim 9 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. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions for:

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

obtaining an identity of the buyer,

determining a coded designator from the identity of the buyer, the coded designator being indicative of data from a financial institution of the buyer, and

determining from the primary transaction data and the coded designator an output including at least one item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising offering the at least one item to the buyer based on the output.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein obtaining the identity of the buyer includes obtaining an electronic address.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of 19 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.