Predictive shopping notifications

• US 8,538,807 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dishneau, Darin J., Derks, Patrick Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/276,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.25
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses that enable predictive shopping notifications. In some embodiments, the techniques determine a purchase pattern for a product based on a user'"'"'s purchase history, provide this purchase pattern to potential sellers, receive discount offers for the product from those sellers, and notify the user of these offers through his or her mobile device. By so doing, the techniques enables users to pay less for a product that the techniques predict that the user will want to purchase. Also, in some embodiments, the techniques remind a user to purchase a product based on this purchase pattern, such as through a notification indicating that the user is likely running out of that product.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, using a processor, a purchase pattern for a product based on a purchase history of a user of a mobile device, the purchase history including at least one purchase made through the mobile device, the purchase pattern indicating a regular period at which the product is purchased;

providing, to third parties associated with stores at which the product or another product may be purchased, the purchase pattern for the product, the other product sharing at least one type or sub-type with the product;

receiving, from one of the third parties, a discount offer for purchasing the product or the other product; and

providing a notification at a time determined based on the regular period and prior to a subsequent purchase of the product, through the mobile device, of the discount offer.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising, prior to determining the purchase pattern, purchasing the product, through the mobile device and from a brick-and-mortar store, and wherein the purchase history includes the purchase through the mobile device and from the brick-and-mortar store.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the purchase made through the mobile device and from the brick-and-mortar store is made using near-field communications (NFCs) or scanning technology.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein purchases included within the purchase history include online purchases from remote stores.

5. A method as described in claim 4, further comprising building the purchase history at least in part by retrieving or receiving information indicating multiple products purchased through the online purchases from a third-party purchasing entity associated with a purchasing account of the user or from shopping carts associated with the online purchases.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein purchases included within the purchase history include predominantly purchases made through the mobile device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the discount offer is a first discount offer and further comprising receiving, from another of the third parties, a second discount offer for purchasing the product or the other product.

8. A method as described in claim 7, further comprising determining that the first and second discount offers are for same products or same other products, determining which of the first and second discount offers offer a lowest total cost, and wherein providing the notification either provides only the first or second discount offer having the lowest total cost or provides both the first and second discount offers but indicates the lowest total cost or difference in cost between the first and second discount offers.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the purchase pattern indicates the product, times at which the product was purchased, locations or stores at which the product was purchased, and prices at which the product was purchased.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the discount offer is for the product at a lower cost than at least one of the prices at which the product was purchased and at a new store not indicated in the purchase history as a store at which the product was purchased, and wherein the new store is proximate to at least one of the location of the stores at which the product was purchased.

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the discount offer indicates an expiration and providing the notification of the discount offer provides the notification prior to the expiration.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the discount offer is an electronic coupon usable through the mobile device and for the product.

13. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the discount offer is for the other product and includes information about the other product and providing the notification includes at least some of the information about the other product.

14. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the discount offer is to purchase the product at a same store as one of the stores at which the product was purchased.

15. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, based on the purchase pattern for the product and information about recent purchases, that the product has not been purchased within the regular period indicated in the purchase pattern and wherein the notification indicates that the product has not recently been purchased.

16. A method comprising:

determining, based on a purchase history of a user of a mobile device, the purchase history including purchases from multiple stores, for multiple products, and at least one of which is made through the mobile device, a purchase pattern for a product;

determining, based on the purchase pattern for the product and information about recent purchases made through the mobile device, that the product has not been purchased within a regular period indicated in the purchase pattern, the regular period identifying a time pattern of one or more previous purchases of the product; and

prior to a subsequent purchase of the product and at a time determined based on the regular period, providing a notification, through the mobile device, indicating that the product has not been purchased recently.

17. A method as described in claim 16, further comprising retrieving, from a third party associated with a store at which the product or another product that shares at least one type with the product may be purchased, a discount offer for purchasing the product or the other product, and wherein the notification includes the discount offer.

18. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the notification further includes a location or store at which to purchase the product.

19. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the purchases included within the purchase history predominantly include purchases made through the mobile device.

20. A method comprising:

determining, using a processor, a purchase pattern for a product based on a purchase history of a user of a mobile device, the purchase history including at least one purchase made through the mobile device, the purchase pattern indicating a regular period of time at which the product is purchased;

providing, to third parties associated with stores at which the product or a different product that shares a product type with the product may be purchased, the purchase pattern for the product;

receiving, from one of the third parties, a discount offer for purchasing the product or the different product;

determining, based on the regular period of time of the purchase pattern for the product and information about recent purchases made through the mobile device, that the product has not been purchased within one day of the regular period of time; and

providing a notification, through the mobile device, of the discount offer and indicating that the product has not been purchased within one day of the regular period of time.