U.S. patent application number 09/850328 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-07 for method and apparatus for establishing prices for a plurality of products.
Invention is credited to Bemer, Keith, Booth, Leonardo Ali, Fincham, Magdalena M., Friesen, Scott T., Nicoulin, Elizabeth, Polad, Meherzad K., Suarez, Jose A., Tulley, Stephen C., Walker, Jay S..
Application Number | 20020165771 09/850328 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25307839 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020165771 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Walker, Jay S. ; et
al. |
November 7, 2002 |
Method and apparatus for establishing prices for a plurality of
products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for enabling or allowing a merchant to
sell one or more products to different customers at different
prices and to adjust the prices of one or more products sold or
offered for sale on a customer-by-customer basis. More
specifically, the method and apparatus enables or allows a customer
to commit or agree to perform a qualifying action in return for
receiving a price adjustment for one or more products sold by or
available from a merchant. The qualifying action may be part of a
subsidy offer provided by the merchant to the customer. In exchange
for accepting the subsidy offer or completing the qualifying
action, the customer receives the price adjustment.
Inventors: |
Walker, Jay S.; (Ridgefield,
CT) ; Suarez, Jose A.; (Fairfield, CT) ;
Tulley, Stephen C.; (Stamford, CT) ; Bemer,
Keith; (New York, NY) ; Fincham, Magdalena M.;
(Norwalk, CT) ; Nicoulin, Elizabeth; (Brooklyn,
NY) ; Booth, Leonardo Ali; (New Haven, CT) ;
Polad, Meherzad K.; (Stamford, CT) ; Friesen, Scott
T.; (Stamford, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALKER DIGITAL
FIVE HIGH RIDGE PARK
STAMFORD
CT
06905
US
|
Family ID: |
25307839 |
Appl. No.: |
09/850328 |
Filed: |
May 7, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0235 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for adjusting a price of at least one of a plurality of
products, comprising: providing an indication of a plurality of
products, each of said plurality of products having an initial
price; providing an indication of an available price adjustment;
providing an indication of a subsidy offer associated with said
price adjustment, said subsidy offer including at least one
qualifying action; and determining a second price for at least one
of said plurality of products.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products includes adjusting
said initial price for at least one of said plurality of products
by said price adjustment.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products includes adjusting
said initial price for at least two of said plurality of products
by said price adjustment.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing an indication of
an initial price for each of said plurality of products and a price
adjustment occurs after said providing an indication of a subsidy
offer.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of an acceptance of said subsidy offer.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products occurs after said
receiving an indication of an acceptance of said subsidy offer.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products occurs before said
receiving of an indication of an acceptance of said subsidy
offer.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products occurs after
receiving an indication of a completion of said qualifying
action.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products occurs after
receiving an indication of a commitment to complete said qualifying
action.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second price
for at least one of said plurality of products occurs before
receiving an indication of a commitment to complete said qualifying
action.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a commitment to satisfy said qualifying action.
12 The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a completion of said qualifying action.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: verifying completion
of said qualifying action.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said verifying completion of
said qualifying action occurs prior to said determining a second
price for at least one of said plurality of products.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a second
price of at least one of said plurality of products if said
qualifying action is not completed.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a second
price of at least one of said plurality of products if an
indication of a completion of said qualifying action is not
received within a predetermined period of time.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an
indication of a record of said second price of at least one of said
plurality of products.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said record is provided to at
least one of the following: a merchant; a merchant device; a
customer; a customer device; a subsidizer; and a subsidizer
device.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: verifying accuracy
of said record.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein said record includes an
electronic signal.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein said record is in electronic
format.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein said record is provided in
tangible form.
23. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a record from a merchant regarding at least one of
said plurality of products.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: verifying accuracy
of said record.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said verifying accuracy of said
record includes comparing a price for a product identified in said
record with second price of a product from said plurality of
products.
26. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of said plurality of
products is associated with a merchant.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said determining said second
price of at least one of said plurality of products is completed by
said merchant.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein said merchant is a
restaurant.
29. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing to a
merchant an indication of an acceptance of said subsidy offer.
30. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality
of products is provided by a restaurant.
31. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a customer
identifier.
32. The method of claim 31, further comprising at least one of the
following: receiving a merchant identifier associated with said
customer identifier; and receiving a payment identifier associated
with said customer identifier.
33. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an
indication of a second price associated with at least one of said
plurality of products.
34. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an
indication of an adjustment amount.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein said providing an indication of
an adjustment amount occurs prior to said determining a second
price for at least one of said plurality of products.
36. The method of claim 34, wherein said indication of an
adjustment amount is provided to at least one of the following: a
merchant; a merchant device; a subsidizer; a subsidizer device; a
customer; a customer device; or a controller.
37. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving an
indication of an allocation of said adjustment amount to at least
one of said plurality of products.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein said receiving an indication of
an allocation of said adjustment amount occurs before said
determining a second price for at least one of said plurality of
products.
39. The method of claim 1, further comprising: allocating an
adjustment amount to at least one of said plurality of
products.
40. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining an
adjustment amount.
41. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a group of products prior to said providing an
indication of a plurality of products.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein said indication is received
from: a merchant; a merchant device; a customer; a customer device;
a subsidizer; and a subsidizer device.
43. The method of claim 41, wherein said group of products is a
subset of said plurality of products.
44. The method of claim 41, wherein said plurality of products is a
subset of said group of products.
45. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a subsidization of a lowering of an initial price for
at least one of said plurality of products.
46. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication of a plurality
of products includes an indication of an initial price for at least
one of said plurality of products.
47. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication of a plurality
of products includes an indication of an initial price for each of
said plurality of products.
48. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an
indication of an initial price for at least one of said plurality
of products.
49. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an
indication of an initial price for each of said plurality of
products.
50. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
indication of said price adjustment.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein said indication of said price
adjustment is received from at least one of the following prior to
said sending an indication of an available price adjustment: a
subsidizer; a subsidizer device; a merchant; or a merchant
device.
52. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a
subsidization amount.
53. The method of claim 52, further wherein said determining a
subsidization amount includes receiving an indication from a
subsidizer establishing said subsidization amount.
54. The method of claim 52, further comprising: determining said
price adjustment, wherein said price adjustment is less than or
equal to said subsidization amount.
55. The method of claim 52, further comprising: allocating said
subsidization amount across a plurality of price adjustments.
56. A method for adjusting a total price for a plurality of
products, comprising: providing an indication of a plurality of
products; providing an indication of an initial total price of said
plurality of products and a price adjustment; providing an
indication of a subsidy offer associated with said price
adjustment, said subsidy offer including at least one qualifying
action; and adjusting said initial total price of said plurality of
products by said price adjustment.
57. The method of claim 56, wherein said adjusting said initial
total price occurs after receiving an indication of an acceptance
of said subsidy offer.
58. The method of claim 56, wherein said adjusting said initial
total price occurs after receiving an indication of a completion of
said qualifying action.
59. The method of claim 56, wherein said adjusting said initial
total price occurs after receiving an indication of a commitment to
complete said qualifying action.
60. A method for adjusting a price for each of a plurality of
products, comprising: providing an indication of a plurality of
products; providing an indication of an initial price for each of
said plurality of products and a corresponding price adjustment for
each of said plurality of products; providing an indication of a
subsidy offer associated with said plurality of products, said
subsidy offer including at least one qualifying action; and
adjusting said initial price for at least one of said plurality of
products by its corresponding price adjustment.
61. The method of claim 60, wherein said adjusting said initial
price for at least one of said plurality of products occurs after
receiving an indication of an acceptance of said subsidy offer.
62. The method of claim 60, wherein said adjusting said initial
price for at least one of said plurality of products occurs after
receiving an indication of a completion of said qualifying
action.
63. The method of claim 60, further comprising: receiving a request
for information regarding a selection of products.
64. The method of claim 63, wherein said plurality of products is a
subset of said selection of products.
65. A method for adjusting a price for one or more items,
comprising: providing an indication of a plurality of items;
providing an indication of an initial price for each of said
plurality of items and a corresponding price adjustment for each of
said plurality of items; providing an indication of at least one
qualifying action associated with at least one of said plurality of
items; and adjusting said initial price for at least one of said
plurality of items by its corresponding price adjustment.
66. The method of claim 65, wherein said adjusting said initial
price for at least one of said plurality of items occurs after
receiving an indication of a commitment to complete a qualifying
action.
67. The method of claim 65, wherein said adjusting said initial
price for at least one of said plurality of items occurs after
receiving an indication of a completion of a qualifying action.
68. The method of claim 65, further comprising: receiving an
indication of a selection of a qualifying action.
69. A method for adjusting prices of one or more items available at
a restaurant, comprising: receiving a request for a list of items
associated with a restaurant; providing an indication of said list,
wherein said list includes a plurality of items available from said
restaurant, each of said plurality of items having an associated
initial price and an associated price adjustment available upon
completion of a qualifying action; receiving an indication of a
commitment to complete said qualifying action; and adjusting the
associated initial price of at least one of said plurality of items
by its respective price adjustment.
70. The method of claim 69, wherein said list of items comprises a
menu.
71. A method for adjusting a price of at least one item available
at a restaurant, comprising: receiving a request for a plurality of
items associated with a restaurant; providing an indication of said
plurality of items, each of said plurality of items having an
associated initial price; providing an indication of a plurality of
qualifying actions associated with said plurality of items, each of
said qualifying actions having an associated price adjustment;
receiving an indication of a selected one of said plurality of
qualifying actions; determining an adjusted price for at least one
of said plurality of items using said price adjustment associated
with said at least one of said plurality of qualifying actions; and
providing an indication of said adjusted price for at least one of
said plurality of items.
72. The method of claim 71, further comprising: receiving a
verification request.
73. The method of claim 72, wherein said verification request
includes at least one item and a price associated with said at
least one item.
74. The method of claim 73, further comprising: verifying accuracy
of said price associated with said at least one item in said
verification request.
75. A method for adjusting prices of at least one item available at
a restaurant, comprising: receiving a request for a menu of items
associated with a restaurant; providing an indication of said menu,
wherein said indication includes an item available from said
restaurant, said item having an associated initial price and an
associated price adjustment available upon completion of a
qualifying action; receiving an indication of a commitment to
complete said qualifying action; and determining a second price for
said item using said price adjustment.
76. A method for adjusting prices of one or more items available at
a merchant, comprising: receiving an indication of a plurality of
items, each of said plurality of items having an associated initial
price; receiving an indication a second price for at least one of
said plurality of items; requesting a verification of said second
price; and receiving an indication of a verification of said second
price.
77. The method of claim 76, wherein the merchant is a
restaurant.
78. A method for adjusting prices of one or more items available at
a merchant, comprising: establishing a respective initial price for
each of a plurality of items available at a merchant; providing an
indication of said plurality of items; receiving an indication of
an adjustment in price for at least one of said plurality of items;
requesting a verification of said price adjustment; and receiving
an indication of a verification of said adjustment in price.
79. The method of claim 78, further comprising: providing an
indication of an initial price for at least one of said plurality
of items.
80. A method for adjusting the price of an item, comprising:
receiving an indication of a plurality of items, each of said
plurality of items having an initial price; receiving an indication
of a price adjustment; receiving an indication of a subsidy offer
associated with said price adjustment, said subsidy offer including
at least one qualifying action; and receiving an indication of a
second price for at least one of said plurality of items.
81. A method for adjusting prices of one or more items available at
a restaurant, comprising: providing a request for a list of items
associated with a restaurant; receiving an indication of said list,
wherein said list includes a plurality of items available from said
restaurant, each of said plurality of items having an associated
initial price and an associated price adjustment available upon
completion of a qualifying action; providing an indication of a
commitment to complete said qualifying action; and receiving an
indication of an adjustment of at least one of said plurality of
items item initial price by its respective price adjustment.
82. A method for allowing a third party to subsidize a price of an
item available from a merchant, comprising: providing an indication
of a commitment to subsidize a price reduction for at least one
item available from a merchant, said commitment having an
associated qualifying action; receiving an indication of a
completion of said qualifying action; and providing a subsidization
amount.
83. The method of claim 82, further comprising: determining a price
reduction amount to subsidize for at least one item available from
said merchant.
84. The method of claim 83, further comprising: providing an
indication of said price reduction amount.
85. The method of claim 82, further comprising: receiving an
indication of an initial price for at least one item available from
a merchant.
86. The method of claim 82, wherein said subsidization amount is
based on said price reduction amount.
87. The method of claim 82, wherein said subsidization amount is
provided to at least one of the following: a merchant; and a
customer.
88. The method of claim 82, further comprising: receiving a request
to subsidize a customer purchase.
89. The method of claim 82, further comprising: providing an
indication of an allocation of said subsidization amount.
90. The method of claim 82, wherein said indication of said
commitment includes an indication of said subsidization amount.
91. The method of claim 82, further comprising: determining said
subsidization amount.
92. A system for adjusting the price of at least one product,
comprising: a memory; a communication port; and a processor
connected to said memory and said communication port, said
processor being operative to: provide an indication of a plurality
of products, each of said plurality of products having an initial
price; provide an indication of a price adjustment; provide an
indication of a subsidy offer associated with said price
adjustment, said subsidy offer including at least one qualifying
action; and determine a second price for at least one of said
plurality of products.
93. A computer readable medium for use in a pricing system, the
computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising:
computer readable means for sending an indication of a plurality of
products, each of said plurality of products having an initial
price; computer readable means for sending an indication of a price
adjustment; computer readable means for sending an indication of a
subsidy offer associated with said price adjustment, said subsidy
offer including at least one qualifying action; and computer
readable means for establishing a second price for at least one of
said plurality of products.
94. An article of manufacture, comprising: a computer usable medium
having a computer readable program means embodied therein for
operating an information system, the computer readable program
means in said article of manufacture operable to: provide an
indication of a plurality of products, each of said plurality of
products having an initial price; provide an indication of a price
adjustment; provide an indication of a subsidy offer associated
with said price adjustment, said subsidy offer including at least
one qualifying action; and determine a second price for at least
one of said plurality of products.
95. An apparatus, comprising: means for sending an indication of a
plurality of products, each of said plurality of products having an
initial price; means for sending an indication of a price
adjustment; means for sending an indication of a subsidy offer
associated with said price adjustment, said subsidy offer including
at least one qualifying action; and means for establishing a second
price for at least one of said plurality of products.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention:
[0002] This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus
for establishing prices between a merchant and a customer and, more
particularly, to a method and apparatus for adjusting prices for
goods and services offered by the merchant to the customer.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art:
[0004] For a merchant that provides products (e.g., goods and/or
services) to a wide range or number of customers, the merchant may
find it difficult to price its products or services such that each
individual customer's price sensitivity is taken into account while
maximizing the merchant's revenue. Price discounting by a merchant
often results in a reduced profit margin per sale for the merchant,
and generally must be compensated by an increase in sales volume in
order to raise overall profits for the merchant. Unfortunately,
merchants may find it difficult to predict which price for a
product will optimize profits for the merchant on sales of the
product. Price discounts are also inefficient for the merchant
since the discounts are also available to customers willing to pay
more for the product than the discounted price. Moreover, a
competitive market environment poses additional problems to a
merchant reducing a price for a product in that it may encourage
competitors to also lower their price for the product, thereby
reducing profits for all merchants selling the product.
[0005] In general, a merchant may like to be able to price
differentiate among customers such that the merchant increases
profits by selling each item to a specific customer at or near the
maximum price that the specific customer is willing to pay. Such a
strategy is difficult for the merchant to implement, however, as it
may require the merchant to price products differently for
different customers, usually without definite information regarding
the customers' price sensitivity. Thus, the merchant may price a
product too low for some customers, thereby unnecessarily reducing
profit margins on those sales, while also pricing a product too
high for other customers, thereby losing some sales altogether. In
addition, such a strategy does not necessarily achieve the goal of
lowering prices for products in a way that attracts new customers
to the merchant.
[0006] A restaurant is one example of a type of merchant that does
not traditionally discount prices. Restaurants are particularly
vulnerable to brand dilution, since a customer's perceived value of
a restaurant or of the quality of food and clientele available at
the restaurants is often based on the price range for food items
available at the restaurants, thereby making restaurants hesitant
to discount prices. However, on a nightly basis, restaurants have
perishable food that the restaurant needs to sell and seating which
the restaurant hopes to fill.
[0007] Some services, such as those available at
www.monkeyrules.com, provide auction services for restaurant
services or otherwise allow a customer to bid on dining
certificates for certain amounts. For example, a customer may bid
twenty dollars for a voucher valued at thirty dollars redeemable at
a specific restaurant. Generally, the restaurant pays for any
difference between the voucher value and the accepted bid price
paid by the winning customer. The restaurant generally hopes that
the customer will make up for any losses suffered by the restaurant
by bringing additional people to the restaurant, ordering a
sufficient amount of food, etc. While the customer obtains a
voucher for use at the restaurant, the customer does not receive a
commitment from a restaurant regarding prices of any of the food
items available at the restaurant.
[0008] Other services, such as those provided by iDine Prime
(www.idineprime.com), allow a customer to receive a retroactively
applied discount for a meal at a restaurant. Thus, the customer
must pay fall price for the meal up front and receive a discount
for the meal at a later time, often on their credit card bill.
Typically, the restaurant pays a commission to a discount program
provider operating the service. In many cases, restaurants only
join such a service when they are new and need to attract a
customer base. The restaurants usually cease to participate after
becoming established as the service erodes the restaurant's profit
margins. As with the voucher system discussed above, a customer
using the service does not receive a commitment from a restaurant
regarding prices of any of the food items available at the
restaurant.
[0009] Despite the state-of-the-art in pricing systems, there
remains a need for a method and apparatus for allowing or enabling
a merchant, such as a restaurant, to offer different prices to
different customers for the same products and to adjust prices for
products on a customer-by-customer basis. Preferably, such a method
and apparatus would not subject the merchant to brand dilution, or
at least reduce the occurrence and affect of brand dilution, and
would enable the merchant to maximize profits on the sales of its
products and to attract new customers having various levels of
price sensitivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a method and apparatus for enabling or allowing a merchant
to sell one or more products to different customers at different
prices and to adjust the prices of one or more products sold or
offered for sale on a customer-by-customer basis. More
specifically, the method and apparatus enables or allows a customer
to commit or agree to perform a qualifying action in return for
receiving a price adjustment for one or more products sold by or
available from a merchant. The qualifying action may be part of a
subsidy offer provided by the merchant to the customer. In exchange
for accepting the subsidy offer or completing the qualifying
action, the customer receives the price adjustment. The qualifying
action may include, but is not limited to, accepting a magazine
subscription, dining at a specific restaurant, enrolling in a
credit card program, purchasing a minimum number of products or
spending a minimum amount at a designated merchant, switching long
distance telephone service providers, etc.
[0011] The method of the present invention may be implemented or
operated by a merchant or by a controller or other central source
for or on behalf of one or more merchants. The method of the
present invention, as implemented by a merchant or controller,
includes a step during which an indication of a plurality of items
(e.g., cars, food items, theater tickets, etc.) available from a
merchant, each of the items having an initial price, is provided
directly or indirectly to a customer, a step during which an
indication of an available price adjustment is provided directly or
indirectly to the customer, a step during which an indication of a
subsidy offer associated with the price adjustment is provided
directly or indirectly to the customer, and a step during which the
initial price for at least one of the items in the plurality of
items is adjusted to determine a second price for the item(s).
[0012] Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the
invention shall be set forth in part in the description that
follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the
art upon examination of the following or may be learned by the
practice of the invention. The objects and the advantages may be
realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in
combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
[0013] To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance
with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, a method for adjusting a price of at least one of
a plurality of products includes providing an indication of a
plurality of products, each of the plurality of products having an
initial price, providing an indication of an available price
adjustment, providing an indication of a subsidy offer associated
with the price adjustment, the subsidy offer including at least one
qualifying action, and determining a second price for at least one
of said plurality of products.
[0014] In another embodiment of a method of the present invention,
a method for adjusting a total price for a plurality of products
includes providing an indication of a plurality of products,
providing an indication of an initial total price of the plurality
of products and a price adjustment, providing an indication of a
subsidy offer associated with the price adjustment, the subsidy
offer including at least one qualifying action, and adjusting the
initial total price of the plurality of products by the price
adjustment.
[0015] In a further embodiment of a method of the present
invention, a method for adjusting prices of one or more items
available at a restaurant includes receiving a request for a list
of items associated with a restaurant, providing an indication of
the list, wherein the list includes a plurality of items available
from the restaurant, each of the plurality of items having an
associated initial price and an associated price adjustment
available upon completion of a qualifying action, receiving an
indication of a commitment to complete the qualifying action, and
adjusting the associated initial price of at least one of the
plurality of items by its respective price adjustment.
[0016] To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance
with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, a system for adjusting the price of at least one
product includes memory, a communication port, and a processor
connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor
being operative to provide an indication of a plurality of
products, each of the plurality of products having an initial
price, provide an indication of a price adjustment, provide an
indication of a subsidy offer associated with the price adjustment,
the subsidy offer including at least one qualifying action; and
determine a second price for at least one of the plurality of
products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
form a part of the specification, illustrate the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, and together with the
descriptions serve to explain the principles of the invention.
IN THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a method in
accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of system components for an
embodiment of an apparatus usable with the method of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method complementary to the
method of FIG. 1 from the point of view of a customer device of
FIG. 2;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the method
of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the method of
the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the method
of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method complementary to the
method of FIG. 1 from the point of view of a merchant device of
FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a representative
controller of FIG. 2;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a tabular representation of a possible data
structure for the merchant database of FIG. 8;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a tabular representation of a possible data
structure for the customer database of FIG. 8;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a tabular representation of a possible data
structure for the subsidy database of FIG. 8; and
[0029] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a representative
customer device of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0030] A first embodiment 100 of a method in accordance with the
principles of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The
method 100 allows a merchant to sell products to different
customers at different prices and to adjust the prices of one or
more products sold or offered for sale on a customer-by-customer
basis. More specifically, the method 100 allows a customer to
commit or agree to perform a qualifying action in return for
receiving a price adjustment for one or more products sold by or
available from a merchant. The qualifying action may be part of a
subsidy offer provided by the merchant to the customer. In exchange
for accepting the subsidy offer or completing the qualifying
action, the customer may receive the price adjustment. The
qualifying action may include, but is not limited to, accepting a
magazine subscription, dining at a specific restaurant, enrolling
in a credit card program, purchasing a minimum number of products
at a designated merchant, switching long distance telephone service
providers, etc.
[0031] A price adjustment may be a fixed discount amount, a
percentage discount, etc. Thus, a price adjustment may be of a
certain type or designation. In addition, price adjustments may
often have a value associated with them, which value may comprise
both real and perceived components.
[0032] For purposes of discussion and explanation, but not
limitation, of the present invention, the term "products" and
phrase "products offered by a merchant" will be taken to include
tangible goods and intangible services that may be offered by the
merchant. The terms "product" and "item" will also be used
interchangeably herein.
[0033] For example, a merchant may allow a customer to purchase a
product at an initial price or, if the customer satisfies or agrees
to satisfy a qualifying condition, the customer may be entitled to
receive a price adjustment applicable toward the initial price of
the product, which may lower the price for the product for the
customer. In some embodiments of the method 100, the customer may
know the available price adjustment applicable toward the initial
price prior to committing to satisfying or otherwise completing the
qualifying action.
[0034] As another example of an implementation or use of the method
100, a customer interested in purchasing several different products
from a single merchant may be offered the opportunity via a subsidy
offer to complete a qualifying action, thereby entitling the
customer to receive a price adjustment for all of the products or
individual price adjustments applied to individual products. If the
customer accepts the subsidy offer, the customer may pay a lower
price for the products.
[0035] The method 100 may be implemented or operated by a merchant,
or by a controller or other central source for or on behalf of one
or more merchants. The method 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a
step 102 during which an indication of a plurality of items (e.g.,
cars, produce, food items, prescription drugs, pieces of electronic
equipment, theater tickets, etc.) available from a merchant, each
of the items having an initial price, may be provided directly or
indirectly to a customer, a step 104 during which an indication of
an available price adjustment may be provided directly or
indirectly to the customer, a step 106 during which an indication
of a subsidy offer associated with the price adjustment may be
provided directly or indirectly to the customer, and a step 108
during which the initial price for at least one of the items in the
plurality of items may be adjusted to determine a second price for
the item(s). Two or more of the indications provided during the
steps 102, 104 and/or 106 may be combined into a single indication
if desired. Similarly, any two or more of the steps 102, 104, 106
and/or 108 may be combined into a single step or performed in
alternative orders if desired. Each of the steps 102, 104, 106 and
108 will be discussed in more detail below.
[0036] As a simple example of one implementation of the method 100,
a customer may wish to ascertain or establish prices for food items
available at a restaurant. The customer may send a request for a
menu or other list of food items to a controller or other device
operated by or for the restaurant. Alternatively, the customer may
provide an indication of a selection of food items or other
products that the customer is interested in. In response to the
customer's request or selection, the controller or other device may
provide an indication of such a plurality of items during the step
102. Each of the food items described or listed in the indication
sent during the step 102 may have an associated initial price,
which may or may not be communicated to the customer.
Alternatively, a total price may be associated with all of the food
items described or listed in the indication sent during the step
102.
[0037] The controller or other device may also provide an
indication to the customer of a price adjustment during the step
104, the price adjustment being applicable to one or more of the
plurality of items indicated during the step 102. For example, the
price adjustment may be a one-dollar discount applicable to one or
more of the food items indicated during the step 102.
Alternatively, the price discount may be a ten percent (10%)
discount off the initial price of one or more of the food items
indicated during the step 102 or the total price for two or more of
the food items indicated during the step 102.
[0038] The controller or other device may provide an indication to
the customer of one or more subsidy offers during the step 106 that
is associated with the price adjustment and/or one or more of the
plurality of items indicated in the step 102. If the customer
accepts the subsidy offer, the customer is then entitled to the
price adjustment indicated during the step 104. A subsidy offer may
require that the customer agree to a switch in long distance
telephone service providers, that the customer agree to a magazine
subscription, that the customer agree to submit an application for
a new credit card, or that the customer agree to complete or
satisfy some other qualifying action.
[0039] The customer may indicate an acceptance or rejection of the
subsidy offer indicated during the step 106 by sending a message,
signal or other indication back to the controller or other device.
Alternatively, the customer's acceptance of the subsidy offer
indicated during the step 106 may be implied or assumed unless the
customer indicates otherwise.
[0040] During the step 108, a new or second price is determined for
one or more of the food items indicated during the step 102. The
new or second price may be communicated to the customer
immediately. Alternatively, in embodiments where the customer is
not at the restaurant when the method 100 is being performed, the
customer may have to wait until the customer visits the restaurant
to learn what the new or second price is.
[0041] One of the significant advantages provided by the method and
apparatus of the present invention to a merchant is that the
merchant can now allow different customers to obtain different
prices for the same products, thereby allowing the customers to
make purchasing decisions based on their own price sensitivity. In
addition, the method and apparatus of the present invention allows
a merchant to provide differential pricing among customers while
minimizing brand dilution. That is, because the prices for one or
more items available at a merchant are unchanged, unless a customer
commits to satisfying, or actually satisfies, a qualifying action,
or accepts a subsidy offer, the merchant does not provide reduced
prices to all customers. Further, the merchant may receive a
benefit from the completion of a qualifying action by the
customer.
[0042] In some embodiments, a third party entity may subsidize any
losses incurred by the merchant when the merchant adjusts a price
downward. Third party participants (e.g., long distance telephone
service providers, internet service providers) often face high
costs when acquiring a new customer. Traditional acquisition
methods, such as direct mail offers, typically have a low response
rate to the offer. Thus, it is often difficult for third party
participants to target the right offer to the right customer at the
right time. By subsidizing some or all of a merchant's price
adjustments offered to a customer, the subsidizing third party may
gain access to the merchant's customers and may obtain a marketing
opportunity to acquire new customers.
[0043] One of the significant advantages provided by the method and
apparatus of the present invention to a customer is that the
customer may receive opportunities to receive price adjustments for
products when making purchasing decisions regarding products
offered by a merchant. For example, a customer may decide to pay
the full price for an item sold by a merchant. Alternatively, the
customer may elect to accept a subsidy offer, thereby enabling the
customer to obtain a price that is lower than full price for the
item if the customer completes or otherwise satisfies a qualifying
action associated with the subsidy offer.
[0044] Each of these and other advantages of the method and
apparatus of the present invention will be disclosed in more detail
below.
[0045] Now referring to FIG. 2, an apparatus or system 200 usable
with the method 100 is illustrated. The apparatus 200 includes a
controller 202 that may communicate with one or more customer or
user devices 204, 206, one or more merchant devices 208, 210, and
one or more subsidizer devices 212, 214 directly or indirectly via
a computer, data, or other communications network 216. The
controller 202 may perform some or all of the steps 102, 104, 106
and 108 of the method 100 and receives information, indications,
etc. from users who may be using the customer devices 204, 206,
from merchants via the merchant devices 208, 210, and/or from
subsidizers via the subsidizer devices 212, 214. For example,
during the step 102, the controller 202 may send or otherwise
provide to a customer an indication of a plurality of items
available at a merchant. If the merchant is a restaurant, the
plurality of items may represent a menu or partial menu of food
items available at the restaurant. As a further example, during the
step 104, the controller 202 may provide an indication to the
customer of a price adjustment available for one or more of the
food items available at the restaurant if the customer agrees to
the subsidy offer described in the indication provided by the
controller 202 to the customer during the step 106.
[0046] The controller 202 may complete some or all of the steps of
the method 100 on behalf of a single merchant, a collection of
merchants, a service provider supporting one or more merchants,
etc. Moreover, the controller 202 may be located at a single
merchant or be operated by, for, or on behalf of one or more
merchants. In some embodiments, the controller 202 may also
function as a customer device, a merchant device, and or a
subsidizer device. The configuration, operation and use of the
controller 202 will be described in more detail below.
[0047] The customer devices 204, 206 preferably allow users to
interact and communicate with the controller 202, merchant devices
208, 210, and the remainder of the apparatus 200. The customer
devices 204, 206 may also enable a user to communicate with a
merchant or subsidizer. For example, a customer may send or
otherwise transmit a request via a customer device to a merchant
device or the controller 202 that the controller 202 or the
merchant device provide to the customer a list of one or more items
available at the merchant. More specifically, if the merchant
supported by the controller 202 is a restaurant, the customer may
send a request to the controller 202 to send a menu or list of food
items available at the restaurant.
[0048] If desired, the customer devices 204, 206 may also be
directly or indirectly connected to, or otherwise in communication
with, other devices. In some embodiments, a customer device may
also function as a merchant or subsidizer device or as the
controller 202. A customer device may include or comprise a
telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA),
computer, workstation, Web-enabled device, vending machine, kiosk,
etc. The configuration, operation and use of customer devices will
be described in more detail below.
[0049] The merchant devices 208, 210 preferably allow merchants to
interact with the controller 202, subsidizer devices, customer
devices and the remainder of the apparatus 200. The merchant
devices 208, 210 may also enable a merchant to communicate with a
customer and/or a subsidizer. A merchant device may perform some or
all of the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 of the method 100. For
example, a merchant device operated by or for a restaurant may send
or otherwise provide an indication of food items available at the
restaurant during the step 102.
[0050] If desired, the merchant devices 208, 210 may also be
connected to or otherwise in communication with other devices. In
some embodiments, a merchant device may also function as a customer
or subsidizer device or as the controller 202. Merchant devices may
be or include point-of-sale terminals or displays, cash registers,
computers, servers, kiosks, vending machines, etc. The
configuration, operation and use of merchant devices will be
described in more detail below.
[0051] The subsidizer devices 212, 214 preferably allow subsidizers
to interact with the controller 202 and the remainder of the
apparatus 200. The subsidizer devices 212, 214 may also enable a
subsidizer to communicate with one or more merchants and/or
subsidizers. If desired, the subsidizer devices 212, 214 may also
be connected to or otherwise in communication with other devices.
In some embodiments, a subsidizer device may also function as a
customer or subsidizer device or as the controller 202. The
configuration, operation and use of subsidizer devices will be
described in more detail below.
[0052] The communications network 216 might be the Internet, the
World Wide Web, or some other public or private computer, wireless,
cable, telephone, vending, data or communications network or
intranet, as will be described in further detail below. The
communications network 216 is only meant to be generally
representative of cable, computer, telephone or other communication
networks for purposes of elaboration and explanation of the present
invention and other devices, networks, etc. may be connected to the
communications network 216 without departing from the scope of the
present invention. The communications network 216 is also intended
to be representative of, and include all or a part of, the
Internet, the World Wide Web, and other privately or publicly
operated networks. The communications network 216 can also include
other public and/or private wide area networks, telephone networks,
wireless networks, local area networks, data communication networks
or connections, intranets, routers, satellite links, microwave
links, cellular or radio links or networks, wireless networks,
fiber optic transmission lines, ISDN lines, T1 lines, telephone
lines, DSL, etc. In some embodiments, a customer device, merchant
device, and/or subsidizer device may be directly connected to the
controller 202 or each other, thereby reducing or even eliminating
the use or need for the communications network 216. The methods of
the present invention are not dependent on the type of connections
or communications between the controller 202, customer devices,
merchant devices and subsidizer devices of the system 200 or the
configuration, implementation, or use of the communications network
216.
[0053] Now referring again to FIG. 1, the method 100 and the steps
102, 104, 106 and 108 will be discussed in more detail in relation
to the system 200 illustrated in FIG. 2. For purposes of
explanation, but not limitation of the present invention, the
method 100 and the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 will be described as
being implemented primarily by the controller 202. However, some or
all of the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 can be initiated, completed
and/or implemented by one or more other devices, such as a merchant
device, subsidizer device, customer device, etc.
[0054] As previously discussed above, the method 100 may include a
step 102 during which the controller 202 provides an indication of
a plurality of items, typically to a customer, customer device or
some other entity or device. The indication may include or comprise
an e-mail message, a voice-mail message, Web page download,
facsimile transmission, etc. or some other form of communication
between the controller 202 and a customer device. The indication
provided by the controller 202 during the step 102 may be sent to a
customer, customer device or other entity or device via the
communications network 216 or via some other communication channel.
The controller 202 may store information regarding customers and
customer devices in a customer database, which may be populated,
accessed, updated, maintained and/or hosted by the controller 202
or some other device.
[0055] The indication sent by the controller 202 during the step
102 may be in response to a request by a customer sent via a
customer device for such a list or menu of products available at a
particular merchant, such as a restaurant, toy store, pharmacy,
department store, hardware store, etc. Alternatively, the
indication sent by the controller 202 during the step 102 may be in
response to an indication from a customer sent via a customer
device regarding one or more specific products or product groups
(e.g., camping equipment, dinner specials, books, clothing,
automobile tires) that the customer is interested in learning more
about. For example, in an implementation wherein the controller 202
is implementing the method 100 for a restaurant, a customer may be
interested in learning about the food selections or options
available at the restaurant. The customer may send a request via
e-mail or other electronic signal, telephone call, facsimile, etc.
for the controller 202 to send a menu or other list of some or all
of the food selections or options available at the restaurant or to
send information regarding specific food items available at the
restaurant.
[0056] In a second example, the controller 202 may operate a World
Wide Web site ("Web site") that a customer can access via a
customer device. The Web site may provide a list of products
available from one or more merchants, thereby providing the
indication of a plurality of products during the step 102 when a
customer accesses the Web site. Alternatively, the Web site may
enable or allow the customer to make a general (e.g., tennis
rackets or sports equipment) or specific (e.g., a specific tennis
racket) request for information about one or more products, to make
a selection of one or more products, etc.
[0057] In an implementation wherein the controller 202 is
implementing the method 100 via a Web site for or on behalf of a
restaurant, the customer may be able to receive a list or menu of
food items available at the restaurant via the Web site that the
customer can display on a customer device. In some embodiments,
only some of the food products available at the restaurant will be
displayed or otherwise indicated to the customer during the step
102. In other embodiments, all of the food products available at
the restaurant will be displayed or otherwise indicated to the
customer during the step 102. In still other embodiments, some or
all of the food products (e.g., a complex or expensive dessert, an
entre that is time-consuming to prepare) indicated during the step
102 may not be orderable by the customer at the restaurant and may
only be orderable by the customer via the Web site.
[0058] The indication provided by the controller 202 during the
step 102 may or may not include price or other information for one
or more of the products indicated. For example, in the previous
restaurant implementation, the indication may include price,
calorie-count, spiciness, preparation time, ingredient or other
information for some or all of the plurality of indicated products.
In some embodiments, a customer may be able to receive a price
adjustment for one or more products even though the price(s) to be
charged for the product(s) is not determined until a later time.
For example, a price for a "fish of the day" menu item for a
restaurant may change depending on the type of fish, the amount of
fish in inventory, seasonal variations, etc. A customer may be able
to obtain information regarding the "fish of the day" menu item
from information the controller 202 provides during the step 102,
even if the restaurant does not establish the price for the menu
item until the customer dines at the restaurant. The controller 202
may store information regarding the products indicated during the
step 102 in a product database, which may be populated, accessed,
updated, maintained and/or hosted by the controller 202 or some
other device. The controller 202 may also query a merchant,
merchant device, or other entity or device for such
information.
[0059] After the controller provides an indication of a plurality
of products during the step 102, during the step 104, the
controller 202 provides an indication of at least one price
adjustment during the step 104 that may be applicable to one or
more of the plurality of products indicated during the step 102.
The indication provided during the step 102 may be combined with
the indication provided during the step 104. The steps 102 and 104
may be combined into a single step, performed simultaneously,
performed in the opposite order, performed with a small or large
time delay in between them, etc.
[0060] In a similar manner to the indication sent by the controller
202 during the step 102, the indication sent during the step 104
may include or comprise an e-mail message, a voice-mail message,
Web page download, facsimile transmission, etc. or some other form
of communication between the controller 202 and a customer device.
The indication provided by the controller 202 during the step 104
may be sent to a customer, customer device or other entity or
device via the communications network 216 or via some other
communication channel. In some embodiments, the indication sent
during the step 102 may be provided in a different format or via a
different communication channel than the indication sent during the
step 104.
[0061] The price adjustment indicated by the controller 202 during
the step 104 may be a fixed price discount available for one or
more of the products indicated during the step 102, a percentage
discount available for one or more of the products indicated during
the step 102, etc. The price adjustment may also be variable or
otherwise a function of one or more factors, such as, for example,
the day of the week, the number of products indicated, the
wholesale or retail price of one or more of the products indicated,
a merchant's inventory level of one or more of the products
indicated, an expiration date for one or more of the products
indicated, the occurrence of a specific external event (e.g., rain,
a holiday, a change in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a sale,
product shortage), the demographic profile of a customer to whom
the indication is sent, the credit balance, history or rating of a
customer to whom the indication is sent, the shopping history of a
customer to whom the indication is sent (e.g., is the customer a
new or frequent customer of a particular merchant), etc.
[0062] The price adjustment indicated during the step 104 may be
applicable to one, some or all of the plurality of products
indicated during the step 102. Alternatively, the price adjustment
may be allocated for a group of the products indicated during the
step 102. For example, a price adjustment may be applicable to the
total price of group of food products available to a customer at a
restaurant, even if the individual prices of the food products are
not communicated to the customer.
[0063] In some embodiments, the indication provided during the step
104 may include more than one price adjustment. Different price
adjustments may be associated with different products indicated
during the step 102 or with different subsidy offers or qualifying
actions indicated during the step 106. For example, in the
restaurant implementation discussed above, the indication sent by
the controller 202 during the step 104 may provide a percentage or
fixed price discount for one or more of the food items indicated
during the step 102. The price adjustment indication sent during
the step 104 can be sent to a customer even if the initial prices
for the food items indicated during the step 102 is not
communicated to the customer. Thus, for example, the customer may
be in a position of learning about a ten percent or ten-dollar
discount available from a restaurant for one or more food items
without knowing the restaurant's current price of the food items.
Such an implementation may be particularly valuable to a restaurant
when the prices of food items changes daily, weekly, seasonally,
etc., when the food items offered by the restaurant change,
etc.
[0064] In some embodiments, a price adjustment might be or
represent a range of price changes. For example, a price adjustment
may provide between five percent (5%) and ten percent (10%) off a
price of a product. The price adjustment available to a customer
may be determined by a customer's completion percentage of a
qualifying action, the success of a customer's performance
regarding a subsidy offer, etc. For example, a price adjustment
might entitle a customer to receive a five percent (5%) discount
off the price of a product identified during the step 102 if the
customer completes fifty percent (50%) of a qualifying action
(e.g., delivering five hundred advertising leaflets, answering
twenty survey questions) associated with the price adjustment, a
six percent (6%) discount off the price of a product identified
during the step 102 if the customer completes sixty percent (60%)
of a qualifying action associated with the price adjustment,
etc.
[0065] After the controller provides an indication of a plurality
of products during the step 102 and indication of at least one
price adjustment during the step 104, the controller 202 provides
an indication of at least one subsidy offer during the step 106
that may be applicable to or associated with one or more of the
plurality of products indicated during the step 102 and/or the
price adjustment indicated during the step 104. The indication
provided during the step 102 and/or the indication provided during
the step 104 may be combined with the indication provided during
the step 106. Two or more of the steps 102, 104 and/or 106 may be
combined into a single step, performed simultaneously, performed in
the opposite or different order, performed with a small or large
time delay in between them, etc.
[0066] In a similar manner to the indication sent during the steps
102 and 104, the indication sent during the step 106 may include or
comprise an e-mail message, a voice-mail message, Web page
download, facsimile transmission, etc. or some other form of
communication between the controller 202 and a customer device. The
indication provided by the controller 202 during the step 106 may
be sent to a customer, customer device or other entity or device
via the communications network 216 or via some other communication
channel. In some embodiments, the indication sent during the step
106 may be provided in a different format or via a different
communication channel than the indication sent during the step 102
and/or the step 104.
[0067] The subsidy offer indicated during the step 106 may allow or
enable a customer to obtain or be entitled to receive the price
discount indicated during the step 104 for one or more of the
products indicated during the step 102. In some embodiments, the
subsidy offer may include or be associated with a qualifying
action. If the customer receiving the indication of the subsidy
offer satisfies the qualifying action, or otherwise commits to
satisfying the qualifying action, the customer will be entitled to
receive the benefit of the price adjustment indicated during the
step 104. Qualifying actions may be just about any sort of
activity. For example, satisfying a qualifying action may require a
customer to test drive a vehicle at a automobile dealer by a
certain date, to spend a certain dollar amount of food at a
supermarket, to shop at a particular store, use or visit a
particular vending machine, use a specific credit card during the
customer's next purchase, switch long distance telephone service
providers, accept a magazine subscription, use a particular
mortgage or investment broker, meet with an insurance salesperson,
etc. Information regarding subsidy offers, associated subsidizers,
etc. may be stored in a subsidy database, which may be populated,
accessed, updated, maintained and/or hosted by the controller 202
or some other device.
[0068] In some embodiments, the level or degree of complexity of a
qualifying action for a subsidy offer may be small, or even
non-existent. For example, a customer may qualify to receive a
price adjustment simply by having or meeting a desired or
designated demographic profile. Thus, the customer does not have to
perform any additional actions to satisfy the qualifying action or
the subsidy offer associated with the price adjustment. In another
example, the controller 202 may offer a price adjustment to a
customer free of charge when the customer visits a Web site
operated by the controller 202. Thus, the customer's visit to the
Web site is assumed or considered to be a completion of qualifying
action or the subsidy offer associated with the price
adjustment.
[0069] The customer receiving the indication of the subsidy
agreement may need to provide or send an indication of an
acceptance of the subsidy offer, a compliance with the subsidy
offer, a willingness or commitment to complete a qualifying action
associated with the subsidy offer, etc. In some embodiments, such
an indication may be assumed or implied, thereby resulting in an
assumption that the customer has accepted the subsidy offer. Thus,
the customer may obtain the benefit of the price adjustment
indicated during the step 104 without the customer providing any
response or indication of any kind to the controller 202 or without
the controller 202 receiving any sort of verification or indication
that a subsidy offer has been agreed to by the customer or that a
qualifying action has been completed by the customer. For example,
a subsidy agreement offered by the controller 202 to a customer may
require that the customer test drive a particular car in order to
receive a price adjustment on the prices of products sold by an
automobile parts store. The controller 202 may assume that the
customer will accept the subsidy offer and complete the qualifying
action and, as a result, the controller 202 informs the store to
provide the price adjustment to the customer, even though the
customer never indicated to the controller 202 that the customer
would or had test driven the car.
[0070] In some embodiments of the method 100, the indication
provided by the controller 202 during the step 106 may include
information regarding more than one subsidy offers and/or
qualifying actions. Different subsidy offers may be applicable to,
or associated with, different products indicated during the step
102 or different price adjustments indicated during the step 104.
For example, in a restaurant oriented implementation of the method
100, the controller 202 may provide an indication to a customer
during the step 102 of four dinner entrees available at a
restaurant. During the step 104, the controller 202 may provide an
indication of three different price adjustments, the first of which
provides a ten percent (10%) discount off the price of any one of
the four dinner entres, the second of which provides a five-dollar
discount off the price of any one of the four dinner entres, and
the third of which provides a ten-dollar discount off the price of
the first dinner entree. During the step 106, the controller 202
may provide an indication of three different subsidy offers, the
first of which is associated with the first price adjustment and,
as a result, any of the four dinner entres, the second of which is
associated with the second price adjustment and, as a result, any
of the four dinner entres, and the third of which is associated
with the third price adjustment and, as a result, the first dinner
entree. In an alternate embodiment the customer may specify what
types of subsidy offers the customer is willing to consider and the
controller may only provide the customer with the subsidy offers
that meet the customer's specifications. For example, the customer
may indicate to the controller that he wishes to pay a maximum of
$x for an entre or meal and request that the controller only
present subsidy offers to the customers that would result, once
accepted and applied to the customer, in the customer paying no
more than $x for the entre or meal.
[0071] The first subsidy offer may require that the customer use a
designated taxi service to get to the restaurant in order to be
entitled to the first price adjustment. The second subsidy offer
may require that the customer agree to try a new type of shampoo in
order to be entitled to the second price adjustment. The third
subsidy offer may require that the customer agree to spend ten
dollars on clothes at a department store in order to be entitled to
the third price adjustment. Thus, accepting or otherwise complying
with, or committing to complete, the first subsidy offer will
entitle the customer to obtain a ten percent (10%) discount off any
one of the four dinner entres. Accepting or otherwise complying
with, or committing to complete, the second subsidy offer will
entitle the customer to obtain a five-dollar discount off any one
of the four dinner entres. Similarly, accepting or otherwise
complying with, or committing to complete, the third subsidy offer
will entitle the customer to obtain a ten-dollar discount off the
first dinner entre.
[0072] During the step 108, the controller 202 determines a new or
second price for one or more of the products indicated during the
step 102. In general, the controller 202 adjusts one or more prices
for one or more of the products indicated during the step 102 by
one or more price adjustments indicated during the step 104. The
relationship between the application of a price adjustment to a
price of a product is based on the subsidy agreement indicated
during the step 106.
[0073] For example, if the customer agrees to the third subsidy
offer described in the example immediately above, the price of the
first dinner entre would be reduced by ten dollars. A notification
or other indication of a change in the price of the first dinner
entre may or may not be sent or provided to the customer, depending
on the implementation of the method 100. Thus, the customer may
know that he or she is entitled to receive the ten-dollar discount
on the price of the first entre , but the customer may not know
what the initial price was for the first entre or what the newly
determined price is for the entre. In some embodiments, the
customer may have to show up at the restaurant before he or she is
privy to the price information. In other embodiments, the customer
may never learn what the original and/or adjusted prices are for
the first entre, particularly in situations where the customer is
not actually paying for the first entre.
[0074] In some embodiments, the controller 202 may not initiate or
complete the step 108 until after receiving a notice or other
indication of a completion of a qualifying action associated with a
subsidy offer and a price adjustment, a willingness or other
commitment to complete the qualifying action, or an acceptance or
other agreement to a subsidy agreement. The notice or indication
may come from a merchant, merchant device, customer, customer
device, or some other party or device. The controller 202 may store
information regarding merchants in a merchant database, which may
be populated, accessed, updated, maintained and/or hosted by the
controller 202 or some other device.
[0075] In some embodiments, the step 108 may encompass providing a
customer with an indication of a price adjustment that the customer
may allocate at the customer's discretion over one or more
products. For example, the step 108 may be completed by providing
an indication to a customer that the customer is entitled to
receive a ten-dollar total discount applicable to the customer's
purchase of one or more designated products. The customer may then
decide how to allocate the ten dollars in savings and which
product(s) to apply a discount to. The customer, or a customer
device, may then indicate to the controller 202 or a merchant
device what the customer's allocation is and what products are
involved. The controller 202 or the merchant device can then
determine what the second price is for at least one of the
plurality of products indicated during the step 102.
[0076] Now referring to FIG. 3, a method 300 that may be
implemented by a customer or customer device is illustrated. The
method 300 is generally complementary to the steps of the method
100 of FIG. 1. The method 300 includes a step 302 during which a
customer or customer device receives an indication of a plurality
of products. The step 302 is complementary to the step 102 during
which the controller 202 or a merchant device provides the
indication of a plurality of products. The method 300 also includes
a step 304 during which a customer or customer device receives an
indication of a price adjustment associated with one or more of the
plurality of products. The step 304 is complementary to the step
104 during which the controller 202 or a merchant device provides
the indication of the price adjustment. Similarly, the method 300
includes a step 306 during which a customer or customer device
receives an indication of a subsidy offer or qualifying action
associated with one or more of the plurality of products and/or one
or more of the price adjustments. The step 306 is complementary to
the step 106 during which the controller 202 or a merchant device
provides the indication of the subsidy offer or qualifying action.
The method 300 also includes an optional step 308 during which a
customer or customer device receives an indication of a second or
otherwise adjusted price associated with one or more of the
plurality of products. The indication received during the step 308
may come from a merchant, merchant device, the controller 202, or
some other device or entity.
[0077] As with the steps 102, 104 and 106 of the method 100, two or
more of the steps 302, 304 and 306 of the method 300 may be
combined into a single step, implemented or initiated in different
orders, etc. The steps of the method 100 and the method 300 may be
completed in a complementary fashion and in many different
sequences, such as, for example, 102, 302, 104, 304, 106, 306, 108
and 308.
[0078] In some embodiments, the method 300 may also include a step
during which a customer or customer device provides a record or
other indication of the adjusted price received during the step 308
to another entity or device. For example, in a restaurant oriented
implementation or use of the method 100 and/or the method 300, a
customer may receive an indication during the step 308 sent from
the controller 202 regarding an adjusted or second price on a food
item that the customer is entitled to receive if the customer
orders the food item at a designated restaurant. The customer may
need to provide a record or other indication or verification of
such adjusted price to the restaurant or a merchant device when the
customer orders the food item at the restaurant, pays a bill for
the food item at the restaurant, etc. In other embodiments such an
indication or verification may be sent directly to the merchant
device from the controller.
[0079] In some embodiments, the method 300 may also include a step
during which a customer or customer device provides an indication
of the adjusted price received during the step 308 to another
entity or device. For example, in a restaurant oriented
implementation or use of the method 100 and/or the method 300, a
customer may receive an indication during the step 308 sent from
the controller 202 regarding an adjusted or second price on a food
item that the customer is entitled to receive if the customer
orders the food item at a designated restaurant. The customer may
need to provide a record or other indication or verification of
such adjusted price to the restaurant or a merchant device when the
customer orders the food item at the restaurant, pays a bill for
the food item at the restaurant, etc. A record might be in tangible
format (e.g. a piece of paper) or in electronic format. A record
may include information regarding a customer, price adjustment,
products or services associated with a customer or price
adjustment, time and date of a customer completed qualifying
action, etc.
[0080] While the method 300 describes one use of a record, many
embodiments of the methods described herein may use records for
different purposes. For example, a customer may need to bring a
record to a restaurant in order to verify that the customer has
earned/accepted a specific price or price adjustment online with
the controller 202, and/or that the customer had completed whatever
qualifying action that the customer had agreed to online. The
customer may also receive a record from the restaurant that the
customer may then transmit to the controller 202, where the record
from the restaurant indicates that the customer did eat there and
is entitled to a rebate equaling the difference between the price
the customer paid at the restaurant and the price the customer had
agreed to online with the controller 202. This example highlights
the use of a record in a relationship or communication between a
customer and a restaurant (e.g., a merchant).
[0081] In a second example of a use of a record, a customer may
provide a record to a subsidizer in order to prove/verify that the
customer had agreed to perform a qualifying action in order to gain
access to perform the qualifying action or to enable the subsidizer
to forward the record back to the controller 202 once the customer
has completed the qualifying action, thereby providing proof of the
customer having completed the qualifying action. For example, if
the subsidizer is an automobile dealer and the qualifying action
comprises test-driving an automobile, the customer may need to
bring in a receipt received from the controller 202 so that the
customer can present it to the automobile dealer when the customer
visits the automobile dealer to test drive a car. The dealer can
either use the record for its own purposes, e.g., to track which
customers come in that are referred from the controller, or the
dealer may forward the record or a code from or embodied by the
record back to the controller once the customer has test driven the
car. In this example, the record may be the receipt itself or a
code printed on the receipt. This example highlights the use of a
record in a relationship or communication between a customer and a
subsidizer.
[0082] The record could also be a record that the customer receives
from the subsidizer once the customer has completed a qualifying
action. The customer may then provide the record to the controller
202 to prove that the customer has completed the qualifying action
and is now entitled to an adjusted price. Alternatively, the
customer may provide the record to the automobile dealer, either
with or without a record received from the controller 202, to show
that the customer has completed the qualifying action and is
entitled to an adjusted price.
[0083] If the place/entity where the customer completes a
qualifying action is a place other than a subsidizer's
establishment, then the customer may need to present a record of
completion of a qualifying action to the subsidizer so that the
subsidizer can authorize an adjusted price with the controller 202.
For example, if a credit card issuer is a subsidizer and a
qualifying action is to buy groceries with a particular credit card
at a particular store, the credit card bill or charge authorization
may serve as a record to the subsidizer that the qualifying action
has been completed by the customer. In this example, the customer
may not need to affirmatively transmit the record to the
subsidizer, rather the subsidizer may receive the record through an
automated process.
[0084] In an example that highlights the use of a record in a
relationship or communication between a customer and the controller
202, the customer may receive a record from the controller 202 that
the customer may then present to a restaurant to receive an
adjusted price the customer established online with the controller
202 or to allow the restaurant to access a record to verify that
the customer is entitled to an adjusted price established online.
The customer may present a record to the controller 202 to prove
that the customer has completed a qualifying action, or to prove
that the customer has made a purchase at a restaurant and is
entitled to a rebate.
[0085] In an example that highlights the use of a record in a
relationship or communication between a subsidizer and a merchant
(e.g., restaurant), the subsidizer may transmit a record to the
restaurant to indicate that the customer has completed a qualifying
action so that the restaurant may use this record, in conjunction
with a record from a controller that an adjusted price was
established online, to provide the customer with an adjusted price.
The restaurant may also transmit a record to the subsidizer to
indicate to the subsidizer that the customer has made a purchase at
the restaurant. The subsidizer may then authorize the provision of
the subsidy amount to the customer or to the controller 202 based
on receipt of the record from the restaurant.
[0086] In an example that highlights the use of a record in a
relationship or communication between a merchant and the controller
202, the controller 202 may transmit a record to the restaurant to
indicate that a particular customer may be entitled to an adjusted
price. The controller 202 may also transmit a record to the
restaurant to indicate that the customer has completed a qualifying
action. The record indicating the completion of the qualifying
action may either be part of the same record indicating that the
customer is entitled to an adjusted price or may be a separate
record.
[0087] The restaurant may transmit a record to the controller 202
indicating that a customer has made a purchase at the restaurant.
This record may trigger the controller 202 to provide a rebate to
the customer that is the difference between the price paid at the
restaurant and the adjusted price agreed to online, provide a
reimbursement to the restaurant that is the difference between the
adjusted price paid and the regular retail price, and/or request
the subsidy amount from the subsidizer in order to reimburse the
restaurant or rebate the customer.
[0088] In an example that highlights the use of a record in a
relationship or communication between a subsidizer and the
controller 202, the subsidizer may provide the controller 202 with
a record that a customer has completed a qualifying action. The
controller 202 may provide a record to the subsidizer that a
customer has agreed to complete a qualifying action in exchange for
a subsidy. The controller 202 may also provide the subsidizer with
a record indicating that a customer has redeemed an adjusted price
at a restaurant, to verify that the subsidy amount was used by the
controller 202 to reimburse the restaurant or rebate the
customer.
[0089] Now referring to FIG. 4, a second embodiment 320 of a method
in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The method
320 includes the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 previously described
above. In addition, the method 320 includes the step 322 during
which the controller 202 or other device implementing the method
320 receives an indication of an acceptance of the subsidy offer
indicated by the controller 202 or other device during the step
106. The indication may be in any form or format, such as an e-mail
message, voice-mail message, facsimile transmission, electronic
signal, etc. The step 322 may be completed or implemented in many
ways, such as, for example, by receiving an indication of a
completion of a qualifying action associated with the subsidy offer
indicated during the step 106 or by receiving an indication of a
commitment or other willingness to complete or otherwise satisfy a
qualifying action associated with the subsidy offer.
[0090] In some embodiments of the method 300 illustrated in FIG. 3,
a step may be included during which a customer, customer device or
other party or device may provide the indication received by the
controller 202 or other device during the step 322.
[0091] Now referring to FIG. 5, a third embodiment 340 of a method
in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The method
340 includes the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 previously described
above. In addition, the method 340 includes the step 342 during
which the controller 202 or other device implementing the method
340 receives an indication or other request for product
information. The indication or request received during the step 342
may be in regard to a specific product (e.g., a specific kind of
tire, paint, paper plate, etc), for one or more specific products,
a group or type of products (e.g., medical equipment, clothing,
juices), etc.
[0092] The controller 202 or other device implementing the method
340 may use the request or indication received during the step 342
to determine which products to include, describe, list, etc. in the
indication provided by the controller 202 or other device during
the step 102. For example, the indication received by the
controller 202 during the step 342 may request a list of food
products available from a restaurant at a specific date and time.
The indication provided by the controller 202 during the step 102
may include a partial or complete list of food products from the
menu of the restaurant that are or will be available on that
specific date and time.
[0093] In some embodiments, the method 320 may include the step 342
from the method 340 and the method 340 may include step 322 from
the method 320. In addition, in some embodiments of the method 300
illustrated in FIG. 3, a step may be included during which a
customer, customer device or other party or device provides the
indication or other request received by the controller 202 or other
device during the step 342.
[0094] Now referring to FIG. 6, a third embodiment 360 of a method
in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The method
360 includes the steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 previously described
above. In addition, the method 360 includes the step 362 during
which the controller 202 or other device implementing the method
360 provides an indication of the second or adjusted price
determined during the step 108 or the price adjustment indicated
during the step 104. The indication may be in any form or format,
such as an e-mail message, voice-mail message, facsimile
transmission, electronic signal, etc. The step 362 may also be
added to the methods 320 and 340 or to a combination of the methods
320 and 340.
[0095] The indication provided during the step 362 may be received
by a customer, customer device, merchant device, subsidizer or
other device or entity. For example, in some embodiments wherein
the controller is performing or implementing the method 360, the
indication provided by the controller 202 during the step 362 may
be received by a restaurant but not the customer entitled to
receive the price adjustment indicated during the step 104. The
restaurant may indicate the price adjustment when the customer
visits or dines at the restaurant, logs onto the restaurant's Web
site, etc. If the indication is sent to both the restaurant and the
customer, the restaurant may use the indication to verify the price
adjustment or an adjusted or second price when the customer pays
for food products at the restaurant or asserts that the customer is
entitled to receive a price adjustment. In other embodiments, the
indication provided by the controller 202 during the step 362 may
be received by a customer who will be dining at the restaurant
and/or by a subsidizer who is subsidizing all or part of the price
adjustment received by the customer when the customer dines at the
restaurant. The subsidizer may then remit or provide payment to the
restaurant or the controller 202 to subsidize all or part of the
price adjustment or second price indicated during the step 362.
[0096] Now referring to FIG. 7, a method 380 that may be
implemented by a merchant or merchant device is illustrated. The
method 380 includes a step 382 during which an initial price for
each of a plurality of products is established. The price for none,
some or all of the products in the plurality of products may be the
same or different.
[0097] The method 380 also includes a step 384 during which an
indication of the plurality of products is provided directly or
indirectly to a customer, customer device, the controller 202,
etc., a step 386 during which an indication of an adjustment in
price for one of the plurality of products is received directly or
indirectly from a customer, customer device, the controller 202,
etc. The price adjustment in the indication received during the
step 386 may be a percentage discount, a fixed price discount, etc.
that is applicable to or available for one product, a group of
products, etc.
[0098] The method 380 also includes a step 388 during which a
verification of the adjustment in price for which the indication
was received during the step 386. In some embodiments, the step 388
may not be necessary, such as when the indication received during
the step 386 is from the controller 202. However, if the indication
received during the step 386 is provided by a customer, such as
when a customer is at a merchant and wants to use a price discount
that the customer believes he or she is entitled to, the merchant
may want to verify with the controller 202 or some other device
that the customer is entitled to receive the price discount. During
a step 390, the merchant or merchant device may receive an
indication of a verification of the adjustment in price.
[0099] In some embodiments, a record may be used in a verification
process. For example, a record may include price adjustment
information and a code that may verify the authenticity or validity
of the record. When a customer presents the record to a merchant,
the merchant can use the code to verify that the record and price
adjustments are valid.
[0100] In other embodiments of a verification process, a customer
may have to register a credit card number online with the
controller 202. The credit card number is associated with one or
more price adjustments that the customer is entitled to receive.
The controller 202 may send the credit card number and price
information to a merchant. The customer may then have to use the
credit card at the particular merchant to verify that the customer
is entitled to receive the price adjustments.
[0101] In some embodiments, the method 380 may include another step
during which the merchant or merchant device adjusts a price of one
or more products in accordance with the indication of an adjustment
in price received during the step 386.
[0102] In all of the methods described herein, a subsidizer may
subsidize some or all of the prices paid by a customer for one or
more products or some or all of a price discount or other
adjustment offered by a merchant for one or more products. In some
embodiments, the subsidizer will provide or allot an amount of
money to the controller 202 and/or to a merchant and allow the
controller 202 and/or the merchant to subsidize costs or prices
depending on the customers they desire to interact with, the number
and type of products being purchased by the customers, the
availability of other price or cost adjustments, etc. In other
embodiments, the subsidizer or a subsidizer device may receive a
message or other indication from the controller 202 and/or a
merchant each time a subsidy offer might be offered to a customer.
The subsidizer or subsidizer device can determine whether or not to
indicate or provide a subsidy offer to the customer, what the
qualifying action is that may be associated with the subsidy offer,
what the available price adjustment or subsidization amount should
be, etc. The subsidizer might indicate such information to the
controller 202, a merchant, and/or the customer. For example, a
subsidizer may want to acquire fifteen customers in one month and
thus may be willing to provide up to twenty-five dollars in price
adjustments (i.e., the subsidization amount) for each newly
acquired customer, up to fifteen customers. The subsidizer might
indicate this information to the controller 202 so that the
controller 202 can develop or create qualifying actions that may
help the subsidizer acquire customers along with price adjustments
associated with the qualifying actions that may be usable by
customers of one or more merchants. For example, if the subsidizer
is an automobile dealer, the controller may associate a qualifying
action that comprises the customer test driving a vehicle at the
automobile dealer in exchange for a price adjustment at one or more
restaurants. As another example, a qualifying action may comprise
multiple occurrences of a qualifying action (e.g. a customer has to
agree to visit a particular website x times during the next y
days). In other words, the current invention contemplates that a
qualifying action may need to fulfilled over a plurality of
instances and/or over a period of time. Such a multiple-action
qualifying action may be beneficial to a subisidizer that is, for
example, a retailer by "training" the customer to visit the
retailer's establishment or web site. The controller 202 and/or the
subsidizer may determine which merchants to associate the
qualifying actions and available price adjustments with. In
addition, the controller 202 and/or the subsidizer may notify
potential merchants of the available subsidization amount.
[0103] Now referring to FIG. 8, a representative block diagram of a
controller, such as the controller 202, is illustrated. The
controller 202 may include a processor, microchip, central
processing unit, or computer 400 that is in communication with or
otherwise uses or includes one or more communication ports 402 for
communicating with customer devices and/or other devices. For
example, if the controller 202 is connected to the customer device
204 via an Ethernet local area network and the customer device 206
via a cellular telephone network, the controller 202 may have an
Ethernet adapter as one communication port 402 to allow the
controller 202 to communicate with the customer device 204 and a
connection to a cellular telephone network as another communication
port 402 to allow the controller 202 to communicate with the
customer device 206.
[0104] The controller 202 may also include an internal clock
element 404 to maintain an accurate time and date for the
controller 202, create time stamps for messages, data and other
indications generated or sent by the controller 202 or received by
the controller 202.
[0105] If desired, the controller 202 may include one or more
output devices 406 such as a printer, infrared or other
transmitter, antenna, audio speaker, display screen or monitor,
text to speech converter, etc., as well as one or more input
devices 408 such as a bar code reader or other optical scanner,
infrared or other receiver, antenna, magnetic stripe reader, image
scanner, roller ball, touch pad, joystick, touch screen,
microphone, computer keyboard, computer mouse, etc. In addition,
the controller 202 may include a voice recognition system or
interactive voice response unit as an input device 408 to aid in or
enable receiving and processing of indications. The controller 202
may also include a fingerprint scanner or reader, a retinal
scanner, a voice analyzer, handwriting analyzer, or other
biometrics data input device as an input device 408 to allow the
controller 202 to identify customers and people directly. If
desired, the controller 202 may also function as a customer device,
a merchant device, a subsidizer device, etc.
[0106] In addition to the above, the controller 202 may include a
memory or data storage device 410 to store software, databases,
device drivers, indications, product information, pricing
information, etc. The memory or data storage device 410 preferably
comprises an appropriate combination of magnetic, optical and/or
semiconductor memory, and may include, for example, Random Access
Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), a tape drive, flash memory, a
floppy disk drive, a ZIP.TM. disk drive, a compact disc and/or a
hard disk. The processor 400 and the data storage device 410 in the
controller 202 may each be, for example: (i) located entirely
within a single computer or other computing device; or (ii)
connected to each other by a remote communication medium, such as a
serial port cable, telephone line or radio frequency transceiver.
In one embodiment, the controller 202 may comprise one or more
computers that are connected to a remote server computer for
maintaining databases.
[0107] A conventional personal computer or workstation with
sufficient memory and processing capability may be used as the
controller 202. In one embodiment, the controller 202 operates as
or includes a Web server for an Internet environment. In such an
embodiment the controller 202 may transmit and receive data related
to indications, products, pricing, etc., and be capable of high
volume transaction processing, performing a significant number of
mathematical calculations in processing communications and database
searches. A Pentium.TM. microprocessor such as the Pentium III.TM.
microprocessor, manufactured by Intel Corporation, may be used for
the processor 400. Equivalent processors are available from
Motorola, Inc., AMD, or Sun Microsystems, Inc. The processor 400
may also comprise one or more microprocessors, computers, computer
systems, etc.
[0108] Software may be resident and operating or operational on the
controller 202. The software may be stored on the data storage
device 410 and may include some or all of the following: a control
program 412 for operating the controller 202; a merchant database
414 for storing information about merchants; a customer database
416 for storing information about customers; and a subsidy database
418 for storing information regarding available subsidy offers. The
controller 202 may also store, use, access, maintain, populate,
etc. other databases, such as product database, a transaction
database, etc.
[0109] Each of the databases 414, 416 and 418 and their use and
potential data structure will be discussed in more detail below. As
will be understood by those skilled in the art, the schematic
illustrations and accompanying descriptions of the databases
presented herein are exemplary arrangements for stored
representations of information. A number of other arrangements may
be employed besides those suggested by the tables shown. Similarly,
the illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary
information only. Thus, those skilled in the art will understand
that the number and content of the entries can be different from
those illustrated herein. Not all of the databases 414, 416 and 418
will be used or needed in every embodiment of the methods disclosed
herein or the system 200. Furthermore, some embodiments of the
methods disclosed herein or the system 200 may use none or only
some of the databases 414, 416 and 418. Of course, there may be
embodiments of the methods disclosed herein or the system 200 where
all of or more than the databases 414, 416 and 418 are used.
[0110] The control program 412 may control the processor 400. The
processor 400 preferably performs instructions of the control
program 412, and thereby operates in accordance with the present
invention, and particularly in accordance with the methods
described in detail herein. The control program 412 may be stored
in a compressed, uncompiled and/or encrypted format. The control
program 412 furthermore includes program elements that may be
necessary, such as an operating system, a database management
system and device drivers for allowing the processor 400 to
interface with peripheral devices, databases, etc. Appropriate
program elements are known to those skilled in the art, and need
not be described in detail herein. According to an embodiment of
the present invention, the instructions of the control program 412
may be read into a main memory from another computer-readable
medium, such as from a ROM to RAM. Execution of sequences of the
instructions in the control program 412 causes the processor 400 to
perform the process steps described herein. In alternative
embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of, or in
combination with, software instructions for implementation of some
or all of the methods of the present invention. Thus, embodiments
of the present invention are not limited to any specific
combination of hardware and software.
[0111] As previously discussed above, the merchant database 414 can
be used to store information and data regarding merchants
implementing the methods disclose herein or for which the
controller 202 is completing one or more of the steps of the
methods disclosed herein. The merchant database 414 may be
populated, used, accessed, and/or updated by the controller 202
during any of the methods disclosed herein. A tabular
representation of a possible implementation of, or data structure
for, the merchant database 414 is illustrated in FIG. 9.
[0112] The merchant database 414 preferably includes a merchant
identifier field 450 which may contain identifiers or other
identifying information for merchants, a name field 452 which may
contain information regarding the names of the merchants identified
in the field 450, a contact information field 454 which may contain
contact information, such as postal addresses, telephone numbers,
facsimile number, e-mail addresses, network address, etc. for the
merchants identified in the field 450, a merchant type field 456
which may contain information regarding the classification or type
designation for the merchants identified in the field 450, and an
applicable subsidy offer field 458 which may include information
regarding subsidy offers available from the merchant or other
subsidizer to subsidize the prices for items offer by, or available
at, the merchants identified in the field 450. In some embodiments,
information regarding the subsidy offers identified in the subsidy
offer field 458 may be found in the subsidy offer database 418.
[0113] As illustrated in the example merchant database 414 of FIG.
9, the merchant 460 identified by the merchant identifier
"M-981656" in the identifier field 450 and by the name "SALVADORES"
in the name field 452, is designated as a restaurant in the
merchant type field 456. Two subsidy offers. "SO-1258" and
"SO-6281," are identified in the field 458 as being available for
use by the controller 202 for the merchant M-981656. That is, at
least two different subsidy offers can be offered to a customer
trying to purchase food items or other products at the merchant
"M-981656," each of the two subsidy offers presumably enabling the
customer to receive a price discount on one or more products at the
merchant "M-981656." Information regarding the subsidy offers
"SO-1258" and "SO-6281" can be found in the subsidy offer database
418 illustrated in FIG. 11.
[0114] The merchant database 414 may also include information
regarding what products are available at the merchant, the initial
prices for the products, available or possible price adjustments
for the products, qualifying actions or subsidy offers associated
with the merchant, rules or procedures regarding which products to
offer price adjustments for or to associated subsidy offers with,
etc.
[0115] While the merchant database 414 illustrated in FIG. 9
provides information for five merchants 460, 462, 464, 466 and 468
identified by the merchant identifiers "M-981656," "M-720243,"
"M-693462," "M-212303" and "M-196707," respectively, in the
merchant identifier field 450, there is no limit to the number of
merchants for which information can be stored in the merchant
database 414 and different fields may be used in the merchant
database 414.
[0116] As previously discussed above, the customer database 416 can
be used to store information and data regarding customers. The
customer database 416 may be populated used, accessed, and/or
updated by the controller 202 during any of the steps of the
methods disclosed herein. A tabular representation of a possible
implementation of, or data structure for, the customer database 416
is illustrated in FIG. 10.
[0117] The customer database 416 preferably includes a customer
identifier field 500 which may contain identifiers or other
identifying information for users or customers, potential users or
customers, etc., a name field 502 which may contain information
regarding the names of the customers identified in the field 500, a
contact information field 504 which may contain contact
information, such as postal addresses, telephone numbers, facsimile
telephone number, e-mail addresses, etc. for the customers
identified in the field 500, and a payment identifier field 506
which may contain information regarding credit cards, debit cards,
frequent shopping cards, bank accounts, etc. associated with the
customers identified in the field 500.
[0118] While the customer database 416 illustrated in FIG. 10
provides information for seven customers 508, 510, 512, 514, 516,
518 and 520 identified by the customer identifiers
"C-12-12-123434," "C-49-12-437952," "C-47-83-971234,"
"C-92-46-982734," "C-09-23-178345," "C-03-04-196337" and
"C-05-12-100194," respectively, in the customer identifier field
500, there is no limit to the number of customer for which
information can be stored in the customer database 416 and
different fields may be used in the customer database 416.
[0119] As previously discussed above, the subsidy database 418 can
be used to store information and data regarding available subsidy
offers. The subsidy database 418 may be populated, used, accessed,
and/or updated by the controller 202 during any of the steps of the
methods disclosed herein. A tabular representation of a possible
implementation of, or data structure for, the subsidy database 418
is illustrated in FIG. 11.
[0120] The subsidy offer database 418 preferably includes a subsidy
offer identifier field 550 which may contain identifiers or other
identifying information for subsidy offers available to customers
or merchants, a name field 552 which may contain information
regarding the names of the subsidizers associated with the subsidy
offers identified in the field 550, a contact information field 554
which may contain contact information, such as postal addresses,
telephone numbers, facsimile telephone number, e-mail addresses,
etc. for the subsidizers identified in the field 552, an applicable
merchants field 556 which may contain merchant identifiers or other
identifying information regarding which merchants the subsidy
offers identified in the field 550 can be used for, an available
subsidy amount field 558 which may indicate the balances of money
left for the subsidy offers identified in the field 550, and a
description field 560 which may contain descriptive or other
information regarding the subsidy offers identified in the field
550.
[0121] In some embodiments, the subsidy offer database 418 may also
include rules or procedures regarding when to make a subsidy offer,
which subsidy offer to make or present to a customer if more than
one subsidy offer is available for a given merchant, etc. For
example, a subsidy offer offered to a customer may be based on the
geographic location of the customer or the relative location of the
customer with regard to one or more merchants or subsidizers. As
another example, certain subsidy offers may only be available when
a customer is looking for a particular merchant or a particular
type of merchant, indicating an interest in a particular product,
indicating a willingness to spend over a certain amount, etc. In
some embodiments, an available price adjustment and its associated
subsidy offer may be dependent on the time of year, the occurrence
of a holiday, the occurrence of some external event (e.g., a
designated rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average), etc. In other
embodiments, merchants may designate acceptable subsidizers of
price adjustments associated with the merchant. Similarly,
subsidizers may designate acceptable merchants for which the
subsidizer is willing to subsidize price adjustments.
[0122] As illustrated in the example subsidy offer database 418 of
FIG. 11, the subsidy offer 562 identified by the subsidy offer
identifier "SO-6281" in the identifier field 550 is provided by
"BOB'S INSURANCE COMPANY" and is applicable to the merchants
identified as "M-981656" ("SALVADORES"), "M-720243" ("ACME
HARDWARE"), and "M-196707" ("BONSAI"). The subsidizer, "BOB'S
INSURANCE COMPANY," has a balance of ten thousand dollars, as shown
in the field 458, that can be used to subsidize a customer's
purchase(s) at the merchants identified as "M-981656"
("SALVADORES"), "M-720243" ("ACME HARDWARE"), and "M-196707"
("BONSAI"). As shown in the field 560, in order to receive, or be
entitled to receive, a price adjustment or discount for one or more
products, the customer is required to meet or talk with an
insurance agent from "BOB'S INSURANCE COMPANY."
[0123] While the subsidy database 418 illustrated in FIG. 11
provides information for four subsidy offers 562, 564, 566 and 568
identified by the subsidy offer identifiers "SO-6281," "SO-1258,"
"SO-5316" and "SO-0304" respectively, in the subsidy offer
identifier field 550, there is no limit to the number of subsidy
offers for which information can be stored in the subsidy database
418 and different fields may be used in the subsidy database
418.
[0124] Now referring to FIG. 12, a representative block diagram of
a customer device, such as the customer device 204, is illustrated.
The customer device 204 may include a processor, central processing
unit, microchip, or computer 700 that is in communication with or
otherwise uses or includes one or more communication ports 702 for
communicating with the controller 202, merchant devices, subsidizer
devices and/or other devices. For example, the customer device 204
may have an infrared or other transmitter as one communication port
702 to allow the customer device 204 to communicate with the
controller 202. In addition, if the customer device 202 is
connected to the controller 202 via an Ethernet local area network,
the customer device 204 will preferably include an Ethernet adapter
as a communication port 702 to allow the customer device 204 to
communicate with the controller 202.
[0125] The customer device 204 may include one or more output
devices 704 to allow a customer to provide or output information,
messages or other indications to a customer, such as a printer,
audio speaker, infrared or other transmitter, antenna, display
screen or monitor, text to speech converter, etc., as well as one
or more input devices 706 for receiving information, messages and
other indications from a customer, such as a bar code reader or
other optical scanner, infrared or other receiver, antenna,
magnetic stripe reader, image scanner, roller ball, touch pad,
joystick, touch screen, microphone, computer keyboard, signature
capture device, computer mouse, etc. The customer device 204 may
include a voice recognition system or interactive voice response
unit as an input device 706 to aid in receiving and processing
messages and other indications from a customer. The customer device
204 may also include a fingerprint scanner or reader, retinal
scanner, handwriting analyzer, voice analyzer, or other biometrics
data input device as an input device 706 to allow the customer
device 204 to identify a customer of verify the identify of a
customer.
[0126] In addition to the above, the customer device 204 may
include a memory or data storage device 708 to store information,
software, databases, device drivers, customer information, customer
identifications, indications, product information, pricing
information, etc. The memory or data storage device 708 preferably
comprises an appropriate combination of magnetic, optical and/or
semiconductor memory, and may include, for example, Random Access
Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), a tape drive, flash memory, a
floppy disk drive, a Zip.TM. disk drive, a compact disc and/or a
hard disk.
[0127] The customer device 204 may also include an internal clock
element 710 to maintain an accurate time and date for the customer
device 204, create time stamps for information, indications, etc.
generated at or received by the customer device 204, etc.
[0128] As previously discussed above, possible customer devices
include a personal computer, portable computer, mobile or fixed
user station, workstation, network terminal or server, telephone,
radio, beeper or pager, kiosk, dumb terminal, personal digital
assistant, facsimile machine, etc. If desired, the customer device
204 may also function as the controller 202, as a merchant device,
as a subsidizer device, or some other device.
[0129] In one embodiment, the customer device is a wireless
computing device that allows the customer to communicate with the
controller while the customer is in a restaurant. For example, a
customer may wish to query the controller about subsidy offers that
are available to subsidize the customer's order which the customer
has just ordered or is about to order. The customer may, in such an
embodiment, input the items on the menu that he has ordered or is
contemplating ordering, and input the name and/or location of the
restaurant he is currently present in. Alternatively this location
information could be transmitted to the controller via Global
Positioning System (GPS) means. The controller could then transmit
to the customer any available subsidy offers and the customer may
accept. Any discount due to the customer as a result of accepting a
subsidy offer could be communicated by the controller to the
merchant device directly. Alternatively, a record indicating the
adjusted price the customer is entitled to may be downloaded to the
customer device. The customer may then, in turn, provide this
record to the merchant device (e.g. by printing it out, or
transmitting it via IR).
[0130] The foregoing description is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and process shown and described above. Accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to
falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims
that follow. Further, even though only certain embodiments have
been described in detail, those having ordinary skill in the art
will certainly understand that many modifications are possible
without departing from the teachings thereof. All such
modifications are intended to be encompassed within the following
claims.
[0131] The present invention may be embodied as a computer program
developed using an object oriented language that allows the
modeling of complex systems with modular objects to create
abstractions that are representative of real world, physical
objects and their interrelationships. However, it would be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention
as described herein can be implemented in many different ways using
a wide range of programming techniques as well as general purpose
hardware systems or dedicated controllers. In addition, many, if
not all, of the steps for the methods described above are optional
or can be combined or performed in one or more alternative orders
or sequences without departing from the scope of the present
invention and the claims should not be construed as being limited
to any particular order or sequence, unless specifically
indicated.
[0132] While specific implementations and hardware configurations
for the controller 202 and the customer device 204 have been
illustrated, it should be noted that other implementations and
hardware configurations are possible and that no specific
implementation or hardware configuration is needed. Therefore, many
different types of implementations or hardware configurations can
be used in the systems, devices, and with the methods disclosed
herein and the methods and devices disclosed herein are not limited
to any specific hardware configuration. Merchant and/or subsidizer
devices may have the same configuration and components as either
the controller 202 or the customer device 204.
[0133] Each of the methods described above can be performed on a
single computer, computer system, microprocessor, etc. In addition,
two or more of the steps in each of the methods described above
could be performed on two or more different computers, computer
systems, microprocessors, etc., some or all of which may be locally
or remotely configured. The methods can be implemented in any sort
or implementation of computer software, program, sets of
instructions, code, ASIC, or specially designed chips, logic gates,
or other hardware structured to directly effect or implement such
software, programs, sets of instructions or code. The computer
software, program, sets of instructions or code can be storable,
writeable, or savable on any computer usable or readable media or
other program storage device or media such as a floppy or other
magnetic or optical disk, magnetic or optical tape, CD-ROM, DVD,
punch cards, paper tape, hard disk drive, Zip.TM. disk, flash or
optical memory card, microprocessor, solid state memory device,
RAM, EPROM, or ROM.
[0134] The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to
any medium that directly or indirectly participates in providing
instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take
many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media,
volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include,
for example, optical or magnetic disks. Volatile media include
dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes
the main memory. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper
wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system
bus coupled to a processor. Transmission media can also take the
form of acoustic, electrical or electromagnetic waves, such as
those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data
communications.
[0135] The connections or communications between customer devices,
the controller 202, merchant devices, subsidizer devices, etc.
discussed herein are only meant to be generally representative of
cable, computer, telephone, vending or other communication or data
networks and methods for purposes of elaboration and explanation of
the present. The connections are also intended to be representative
of, and include all or a part of, the Internet, the World Wide Web,
and other privately or publicly operated networks, including wide
area networks, local area networks, data communication networks or
connections, intranets, routers, satellite links or networks,
microwave links or networks, cellular telephone or radio links,
fiber optic transmission lines, ISDN lines, T1 lines, etc. In
addition, as used herein, the terms "computer," "customer device,"
"terminal," "client," "device" and "user device" are generally
interchangeable and are meant to be construed broadly and to
include, but not be limited to, all clients, client devices or
machines, personal digital assistants and palm top computers, cash
registers, terminals, computers, point-of-sale devices, processors,
servers, etc. connected or connectable to a computer or data
communications network and all devices on which Internet-enabled
software, such as the NETSCAPE COMMUNICATOR.TM. or NAVIGATOR.TM.
browsers, MOSAIC.TM. browser, or MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER.TM.
browsers, can operate or be run. The term "browser" should also be
interpreted as including Internet-enabled software and computer or
client software that enables or allows communication over a
computer network and Internet-enabled or World Wide Web enabled,
monitored, or controlled devices such as WebTV.TM. devices,
household appliances, phones, etc.
[0136] The words "comprise," "comprises," "comprising," "include,"
"including," and "includes" when used in this specification and in
the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated
features, elements, integers, components, or steps, but they do not
preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
elements, integers, components, steps, or groups thereof.
* * * * *
References