Mobile commerce framework

• US 9,436,956 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apptech Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hothand Incorporated
• Inventors: Jaramillo, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US14/884,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A subscription-based system for providing commerce information for one or more mobile devices for one or more merchants. Some techniques employed feature a subscription-based method for presenting commercial resources to a mobile device. The method involves receiving mobile device user information relating to a geographic location to locate one or more merchants within a subscription-based shopping network, and receiving mobile device user information relating to a merchant type within the subscription-based shopping network. The method also involves receiving, from a database over a communication network, information for one or more merchants associated with the mobile device user information for the geographic location and the merchant type, and presenting the associated merchant information on the mobile device. The associated merchant information can include a merchant name and address, a merchant telephone number, a merchant advertisement, a merchant coupon, or a merchant product or service offering to subscribers of the shopping network.

Claims

1. A method executed on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device from a member service intermediary computer of a subscription-based shopping network, an application program over a communication network, the application program being executable on the mobile device and configured receiving subscriber preferences for merchants from the subscriber to the subscription-based shopping network, the mobile device storing membership information including debit card or credit card information to represent a membership by the subscriber in the subscription-based shopping network;

verifying, by the application program, the membership of the subscriber in the shopping-based shopping network based on the stored membership information;

interacting, by the application program over the communication network, with a server that is connected with a database, the database storing merchant information for one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network, the interacting including matching at least some merchant information in the database with the subscriber preferences received by the application program on the mobile device;

receiving, from the server via the communications network, merchant information that matches the subscriber preferences, the merchant information including commercial resources relating to goods and services provided by the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network, the merchant information further including a location for the one or more merchants;

determining, by the application program, a geographic position of the mobile device based on a global positioning system associated with the mobile device;

defining, by the application program, a geographic area to search for the commercial resources based on the geographic position of the mobile device and the subscriber preferences;

locating, via the application program, one or more of the commercial resources of the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network that have a location within the geographic area; and

presenting, by the application program, information relating to the located commercial resources on a display device of the mobile device.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the member service intermediary over the communication network, the commercial resources.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mobile device further includes encryption and decryption tools for identification information related to the subscriber of the subscription-based shopping network.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the commercial resources includes one or more of:

a merchant name, a merchant address, a merchant advertisement, a merchant telephone number, a merchant coupon, a merchant product offering, and a merchant service offering.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the merchant service offering includes a payment for goods or services offered by a merchant of the one or more merchants.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the payment for the goods or services offered by the merchant of the one or more merchants is executed by the application program via the debit card or credit card information.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the merchant information includes one or more of:

a category or type of service or product provided by the merchant, address information of the merchant, and advertising and pricing information related to the merchant.

8. A method executed by a mobile device according to an application program running on the mobile device, the method comprising:

storing debit card or credit card information of a subscriber to a subscription-based shopping network on the mobile device;

verifying the membership of the subscriber in the shopping-based shopping network based on the stored debit card or credit card information;

receiving subscriber preferences for merchants from the subscriber to the subscription-based shopping network;

interacting, over a communication network, with a server that is connected with a database, the database storing merchant information for one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network, the interacting including matching at least some merchant information on the database with the subscriber preferences received by the application program running on the mobile device;

receiving, from the server via the communications network, merchant information that matches the subscriber preferences, the merchant information including commercial resources relating to goods and services provided by the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network, the merchant information further including a location for the one or more merchants;

determining a geographic position of the mobile device based on a global positioning system associated with the mobile device;

defining a geographic area to search for the commercial resources based on the geographic position of the mobile device and the subscriber preferences;

locating one or more of the commercial resources of the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network that have a location within the geographic area; and

presenting information relating to the located commercial resources to a display device of the mobile device for display by the display device.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising receiving, from the member service intermediary over the communication network, the commercial resources.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the mobile device further includes encryption and decryption tools for identification information related to the subscriber of the subscription-based shopping network.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the commercial resources includes one or more of:

a merchant name, a merchant address, a merchant advertisement, a merchant telephone number, a merchant coupon, a merchant product offering, and a merchant service offering.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the merchant service offering includes a payment for goods or services offered by a merchant of the one or more merchants.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the payment for the goods or services offered by the merchant of the one or more merchants is executed by the application program via the debit card or credit card information.

14. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the merchant information includes one or more of:

a category or type of service or product provided by the merchant, address information of the merchant, and advertising and pricing information related to the merchant.

15. A commercial gateway system for a subscription-based shopping network, the system comprising:

a server that is connected with a database, the database storing information for one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network, the information further including a location for the one or more merchants;

a member service intermediary computer connected with the server via a communication network, the member service intermediary providing commercial resources to one or more mobile devices connected to the communication network, the commercial resources relating to goods and services provided by the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network; and

an application program executing on at least one of the one or more mobile devices, the application program configured for storing debit card or credit card information of a subscriber to the subscription-based shopping network to represent a membership by the subscriber in the subscription-based shopping network, the application program further configured for;

receiving subscriber preferences for merchants from the subscriber to the subscription-based shopping network;

interacting with the server over the communication network to match merchant information with the subscriber preferences;

receiving, from the server via the communications network, merchant information that matches the subscriber preferences, the merchant information including at least some of the commercial resources;

determining a geographic position of the mobile device based on a global positioning system associated with the mobile device;

defining a geographic area to search for the commercial resources based on the geographic position of the mobile device and the subscriber preferences;

locating one or more of the commercial resources of the one or more merchants associated with the subscription-based shopping network that have a location within the geographic area; and

presenting information relating to the located commercial resources to a display device of the mobile device for display by the display device.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the application program is further configured for receiving, from the member service intermediary over the communication network, the commercial resources.

17. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the mobile device further includes encryption and decryption tools for identification information related to the sub scriber of the subscription-based shopping network.

18. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the commercial resources includes one or more of:

a merchant name, a merchant address, a merchant advertisement, a merchant telephone number, a merchant coupon, a merchant product offering, and a merchant service offering.

19. The system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the merchant service offering includes a payment for goods or services offered by a merchant of the one or more merchants.

20. The system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the payment for the goods or services offered by the merchant of the one or more merchants is executed by the application program via the debit card or credit card information.

21. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the merchant information includes one or more of:

a category or type of service or product provided by the merchant, address information of the merchant, and advertising and pricing information related to the merchant.