U.S. patent application number 13/036189 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-23 for method and apparatus for product display.
This patent application is currently assigned to WALKER DIGITAL, LLC. Invention is credited to MAGDALENA M. FINCHAM, ANDREW S. VAN L CHENE, JAY S. WALKER.
Application Number | 20110153416 13/036189 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26797309 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110153416 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WALKER; JAY S. ; et
al. |
June 23, 2011 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCT DISPLAY
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for receiving a request to
display at least one product. A substitute product for the at least
one product is selected from a plurality of substitute products.
The selection may be based on, for example, expected revenue from
display of the selected substitute product, expected revenue for
purchase of the selected substitute product, or a substitution
success rate. The selected substitute product is then
displayed.
Inventors: |
WALKER; JAY S.; (Ridgefield,
CT) ; VAN L CHENE; ANDREW S.; (Santa Fe, NM) ;
FINCHAM; MAGDALENA M.; (Ridgefield, CT) |
Assignee: |
WALKER DIGITAL, LLC
Stamford
CT
|
Family ID: |
26797309 |
Appl. No.: |
13/036189 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11937743 |
Nov 9, 2007 |
7912758 |
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13036189 |
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10100563 |
Mar 15, 2002 |
7340419 |
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11937743 |
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60276193 |
Mar 15, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0242 20130101; G06Q 30/0241 20130101; G06Q 30/0601
20130101; G06Q 20/203 20130101; G06Q 30/0631 20130101; G06Q 30/0623
20130101; G06Q 30/0251 20130101; G06Q 30/0238 20130101; G06Q
30/0643 20130101; G06Q 20/20 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.49 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving an indication of a product
category; determining, by a controller, a product based on the
product category; selecting, by the controller from a plurality of
substitute products, a substitute product for the determined
product, in which each substitute product of the plurality of
substitute products is associated with a respective payment that a
respective manufacturer has agreed to pay for each time the
substitute product is purchased, in which selecting the substitute
product is based on the respective payment; and transmitting a
signal to display the selected substitute product.
2. The method of claim 1, in which selecting the substitute product
is based on a respective payment for each time the substitute
product is displayed and the respective payment for each time the
substitute product is purchased.
3. A method comprising: receiving an indication of a product
category; determining, by a controller, a product based on the
product category; selecting, by the controller from a plurality of
substitute products, a substitute product for the determined
product, in which each substitute product of the plurality of
substitute products is associated with a respective substitution
success rate, in which selecting the substitute product is based on
the respective substitution success rate; and transmitting a signal
to display the selected substitute product.
4. The method of claim 3, in which selecting the substitute product
is based on a respective payment for each time the substitute
product is displayed and the respective substitution success rate.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/937,743, filed Nov. 9, 2007, entitled
"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCT DISPLAY", which issued as U.S.
Pat. No. ______on ______, 2011;
[0002] which application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/100,563, filed Mar. 15, 2002, entitled
"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCT DISPLAY", issued as U.S. Pat. No.
7,340,419 Mar. 4, 2008; which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/276,193, filed Mar. 15, 2001,
entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFECTUATING PROXIMATE PRODUCT
PLACEMENT BASED ON PRODUCT SUBSTITUTABILITY.
[0003] Each of the above-referenced applications is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
[0004] This application is also related to the following U.S.
Patent Applications:
[0005] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/461,250, entitled METHOD
AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCT DISPLAY filed Jul. 31, 2006, issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,950 on Nov. 16, 2010;
[0006] which is a divisional patent application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/100,563 filed Mar. 15, 2002, entitled
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCT DISPLAY, which claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/276,193, filed
Mar. 15, 2001, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFECTUATING
PROXIMATE PRODUCT PLACEMENT BASED ON PRODUCT SUBSTITUTABILITY;
[0007] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/100,684, entitled METHOD
AND APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING A PRODUCT filed Mar. 15, 2002;
[0008] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/100,565 entitled PROCESS
AND PRODUCT FOR PROMOTING A PRODUCT, filed Mar. 15, 2002;
[0009] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/100,564 entitled PROCESS
AND PRODUCT FOR ENFORCING PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, filed Mar. 15, 2002
and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,290 on Oct. 19, 2004;
[0010] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/609,598, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES PRODUCTS IN A
PLURALITY OF PRODUCT CATEGORIES, filed Jun. 29, 2000 and issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,080 on Mar. 6, 2007;
[0011] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/889,503, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES A PRODUCT AT A FIRST
PRICE AND ACQUIRES THE PRODUCT FROM A MERCHANT THAT OFFERS THE
PRODUCT FOR SALE AT A SECOND PRICE, filed Jul. 8, 1997 and issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,772 on Jun. 19, 2001;
[0012] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,594, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES A PRODUCT AT A FIRST
PRICE AND PHYSICALLY ACQUIRES THE PRODUCT AT A LOCATION ASSOCIATED
WITH A MERCHANT THAT OFFERS THE PRODUCT FOR SALE AT A SECOND PRICE,
filed Jun. 29, 2000 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,228 on Sep.
12, 2006;
[0013] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/348,566, entitled
SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Jul. 7, 1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,039,603 on May 2,
2006;
[0014] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/388,723, entitled
REDEMPTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Sep. 2, 1999 and now abandoned;
[0015] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/337,906, entitled
PURCHASING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Jun. 22, 1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,754,638 on Jun.
22, 2004;
[0016] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/370,291, entitled
SUPPLEMENTAL OFFERS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT A RETAILER
OF A PRIMARY PRODUCT PURCHASED THROUGH A PURCHASING SYSTEM, filed
Aug. 9, 1999 and now abandoned;
[0017] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/412,930, entitled
METHODS AND APPARATUS WHEREIN A BUYER ARRANGES TO PURCHASE A FIRST
PRODUCT USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKES
POSSESSION OF A SUBSTITUTE PRODUCT AT A RETAILER, filed Oct. 5,
1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,837 on Nov. 29, 2005;
and
[0018] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/540,035, entitled RETAIL
SYSTEM FOR SELLING PRODUCTS BASED ON A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT
DESCRIPTION, filed Mar. 31, 2000.
[0019] The content of each of the above is incorporated by
reference herein for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Customers may be influenced to or prompted to make certain
purchases based on the viewing of a product, even if that customer
did not intend a priori to purchase that product, or did not intend
to purchase that particular brand of the product. For example,
products that are displayed at the ends of aisles in supermarkets
are typically subject to increased retail traffic. Accordingly,
such products generally receive higher sales. However, not all
products can be displayed in such a manner, due to, e.g., space
limitations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system
consistent with the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of another embodiment of a system
consistent with the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 1C is a block diagram of another embodiment of a system
consistent with the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a
controller;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a customer database;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a product database;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a product slotting database;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of an actual transaction database;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Applicants have recognized that, in some situations, it can
be advantageous to display products to customers who may be willing
to purchase those products.
[0031] Applicants have also recognized that, in some situations, it
can be advantageous to display products to customers in exchange
for money received from a seller of that product, such as a
manufacturer or wholesaler.
[0032] Methods and systems for slotting products into categories
based on substitutability of the related products and revenue
management techniques are disclosed. For example, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention, a customer may indicate to the
system that the customer is interested in purchasing in a general
category (e.g. soft drinks). Such a customer may not have a
specific brand in mind and may be willing to purchase from a number
of different brands. "Slots" in the soft drink category may be
sold, even slots for products that are not typically included in
the soft drink category. For example, bottled water may be slotted
next to typical carbonated soft drink beverages. The substitute
products could be slotted into substitution slots while the
customer is assembling their basket or in substitution slots that
appear at the time of checkout.
[0033] The system may determine which substitute products to slot
using a rules based system. One possible factor affecting selection
of the substitute product to display is how much the manufacturer
would pay to place their product in the substitute slot. The
manufacturer may pay every time their product is displayed and/or
every time a customer selects their product from the substitute
slot. It would be advantageous to place the product from the
manufacturer who is willing to pay the system the most for that
slot.
[0034] The system must also take into consideration how often the
customer selects the product since the manufacturer may be willing
to pay every time the customer purchases their product when it is
in the substitution slot. For example, if an expected rate of
substitution is determinable, the expected revenue from
substitution may be determined. Consequently, the expected revenue
from slotting particular products may be determined.
[0035] The disclosed systems and methods may benefit manufacturers
by allowing them to build an expanded customer base, by drawing
customers from a broader range of comparable products. The
disclosed systems and methods may also benefit retailers and others
that partner with manufacturers to sell products as described
herein.
[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a
product may be priced by way of receiving, from a customer,
information defining one or more group(s) of comparable products
the consumer is willing to purchase from, the information further
including a price the customer is willing to pay. The buyer-defined
price may be provided in exchange for individual products from
within the group, or for the group itself.
[0037] For example, the on-line pricing system may transmit a
redemption code to the customer device, entitling the customer to
take delivery of one or more product(s) from a retailer local to
the customer.
[0038] Upon taking delivery of the previously priced product(s),
the customer device may communicate information related to the
product(s) (e.g. one or more product identifier(s)) to the
applicable retailer system. According to some embodiments of the
present invention, rather than providing information related to the
specific products having been taken delivery of, the customer or
customer device may simply provide the previously received
redemption code to the retailer system.
[0039] A detailed discussion of manners in which a redemption code
may be assigned, issued and redeemed, as well as other methods
related to the process of establishing a price for products and
then acquiring products from a retailer, is provided in the
following:
[0040] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/609,598, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES PRODUCTS IN A
PLURALITY OF PRODUCT CATEGORIES, filed Jun. 29, 2000;
[0041] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/889,503, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES A PRODUCT AT A FIRST
PRICE AND ACQUIRES THE PRODUCT FROM A MERCHANT THAT OFFERS THE
PRODUCT FOR SALE AT A SECOND PRICE, filed Jul. 8, 1997 and issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,772 on Jun. 19, 2001;
[0042] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,594, entitled
SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER PURCHASES A PRODUCT AT A FIRST
PRICE AND PHYSICALLY ACQUIRES THE PRODUCT AT A LOCATION ASSOCIATED
WITH A MERCHANT THAT OFFERS THE PRODUCT FOR SALE AT A SECOND PRICE,
filed Jun. 29, 2000 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,228 on Sep.
12, 2006;
[0043] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/348,566, entitled
SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Jul. 7, 1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,039,603 on May 2,
2006;
[0044] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/388,723, entitled
REDEMPTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Sep. 2, 1999 and now abandoned;
[0045] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/337,906, entitled
PURCHASING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT
A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
filed Jun. 22, 1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,754,636 on Jun.
22, 2004;
[0046] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/370,291, entitled
SUPPLEMENTAL OFFERS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT A RETAILER
OF A PRIMARY PRODUCT PURCHASED THROUGH A PURCHASING SYSTEM, filed
Aug. 9, 1999 and now abandoned;
[0047] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/412,930, entitled
METHODS AND APPARATUS WHEREIN A BUYER ARRANGES TO PURCHASE A FIRST
PRODUCT USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKES
POSSESSION OF A SUBSTITUTE PRODUCT AT A RETAILER, filed Oct. 5,
1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,837 on Nov. 29, 2005;
and
[0048] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/540,035, entitled RETAIL
SYSTEM FOR SELLING PRODUCTS BASED ON A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT
DESCRIPTION, filed Mar. 31, 2000.
[0049] According to another embodiment of the invention, products
may be priced by way of receiving, from a consumer, information
defining one or more types or categories of comparable products the
consumer is willing to purchase from.
[0050] These and other embodiments are described herein.
System
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 1, an apparatus 100 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 110 that
is in communication with one or more retailers 115 via a network
such as the Internet (wired and/or wirelessly), via another network
protocol, or via other means for communication as would be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Although only one
retailer 115 is depicted in FIG. 1A, any number of retailers may be
in communication with the controller 110.
[0052] The controller 110 also communicates with a customer 105 via
a network such as the Internet (wired and/or wirelessly), via
another network protocol, or via other means for communication as
would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Although
only one customer 105 is depicted in FIG. 1A, any number of
customers may be in communication with the controller 110.
[0053] The customer 105 and/or retailer 115 may comprise computers,
such as those based on the Intel.RTM. Pentium.RTM. processor, that
are adapted to communicate with the controller 110.
[0054] Communication with the controller 110 may be direct or
indirect. For example, communication may be via the Internet
through a Web site maintained by controller 110 on a remote server
or via an on-line data network including commercial on-line service
providers, bulletin board systems and the like. In some
embodiments, the customer 105 and retailer 115 may communicate with
controller 110 over radio frequency ("RF"), infrared ("IR"), cable
TV, satellite links and the like, including combinations
thereof.
[0055] Those skilled in the art will understand that devices in
communication with each other need not be continually transmitting
to each other. On the contrary, such devices need only transmit to
each other as necessary, and may actually refrain from exchanging
data most of the time. For example, a device in communication with
another device via the Internet may not transmit data to the other
device for weeks at a time.
[0056] The controller 110 may function as a "Web server" that
generates Web pages (documents on the Web that typically include an
HTML file and associated graphics and script files) that may be
accessed via the Web and allows communication with the controller
110 in a manner known in the art. Those of skill in the art will
understand that there are a variety of well-known ways for creating
and operating Web pages, and accordingly a detailed description of
such known processes is omitted here for clarity.
[0057] Any or all of the customer 105, the controller 110 and
retailer 115 may comprise, e.g., a conventional personal computer,
a portable type of computer, such as a laptop computer, a palm-top
computer, a hand-held computer, or a Personal Digital Assistant
(PDA), or combinations thereof.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 1B, an apparatus 130 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 140 that
is in communication with one or more customer terminals 135, one or
more manufacturers 142, one or more sponsors 145, and one or more
credit card clearing houses 152. Communication with each may be via
a network such as the Internet (wired and/or wirelessly), via
another network protocol, or via other means for communication as
would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. It is
also possible that controller 140 will receive information directly
or indirectly from a POS terminal 150, such as a cash register
(e.g., mechanical or electronic). The POS terminal may include a
bar code scanner, keypad, and/or any other input device for
receiving information related to one or more products being
acquired. The POS terminal may also comprise or include means for
receiving the previously assigned redemption code, along with
information related to the specific products having been taken
delivery of (e.g. coded information such as bar codes, SKUs or
other product descriptor(s)).
[0059] A customer 105 communicates with the customer terminal 135,
which may include a web browser or other known user interface
means. The customer 105 also communicates with the POS terminal
150. In typical situations, the customer 105 will not communicate
with the customer terminal 135 and the POS terminal 150
simultaneously.
[0060] As is known in the art, the credit card clearinghouse 152
communicates with one or more banks 155 as well as with the one or
more POS terminals 150 to effectuate the processing of transactions
made using a credit card account. For example, the credit card
clearinghouse 152 may receive from the POS terminal a request to
authorize a purchase for which a credit card account is to be
charged for payment. The credit card clearinghouse 152 in turn
responds to the request, typically to either authorize or deny the
request. Via communication with the credit card clearinghouse 152,
the controller 140 may likewise effectuate processing of credit
card transactions via its communication with the credit card
clearinghouse 152.
[0061] The manufacturers 142 can communicate with the controller
140 to, e.g., communicate desired prices, promotions and other
product and pricing information to controller. It will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that, in addition
to manufacturers, other product suppliers or sellers such as
retailers, wholesalers and the like may communicate in a like
manner with the controller 140.
[0062] The sponsors 145 include merchants willing to provide a
benefit to the controller, manufacturer, customer, retailer and/or
other parties in exchange for, e.g., advertising to the customer,
acquisition of the customer as a client of the sponsor, other
interaction with the customer.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 1C, an apparatus 160 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 165 that
is in communication with one or more customer terminals 135, one or
more manufacturers 142, one or more sponsors 145, and one or more
credit card clearing houses 152. Communication with each may be via
a network such as the Internet (wired and/or wirelessly), via
another network protocol, or via other means for communication as
would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0064] It is also possible that controller 165 will receive
information directly or indirectly from a POS terminal 170, via a
POS peripheral 175 and a peripheral server 180. The POS terminal
170 may be a cash register (e.g., mechanical or electronic). The
POS peripheral 175 may be a device that receives information from
the POS terminal 170, such as a coupon printer of the type
manufactured by Catalina Marketing Corporation. The peripheral
server 180 may be in communication with a plurality of such POS
peripherals, thereby allowing the peripheral server 180 to receive
information regarding a plurality of transactions at a plurality of
retailers.
[0065] The POS peripheral 175 may be operable to access a database
(e.g., of peripheral server 180) to issue custom coupons, offers,
incentives and messages based upon the transaction. The peripheral
server 180 may thus monitor shopper purchase history over time by
associating purchase behavior with customer identifiers, such as
loyalty card or check cashing card numbers. Further, this
information may be analyzed, e.g., to identify those customers
which a particular retailer should find most desirable. Based upon
retailer objectives, the peripheral server 180 may direct the
appropriate POS peripheral 175 to issue customized messages to
specific shoppers that are relevant to their shopping
behaviors.
[0066] Information received by the POS peripheral 175 from the POS
terminal 170 may include transaction data such as products
purchased, prices of products purchased, coupons redeemed, and time
and date of transaction.
[0067] A customer 105 communicates with the customer terminal 135,
which may include a web browser or other known user interface
means. The customer 105 also communicates with the POS terminal
170. In typical situations, the customer 105 will not communicate
with the customer terminal 135 and the POS terminal 150
simultaneously.
[0068] As is known in the art, the credit card clearinghouse 152
communicates with one or more banks 155 as well as with the one or
more POS terminals 150 to effectuate the processing of transactions
made using a credit card account. For example, the credit card
clearinghouse 152 may receive from the POS terminal a request to
authorize a purchase for which a credit card account is to be
charged for payment. The credit card clearinghouse 152 in turn
responds to the request, typically to either authorize or deny the
request. Via communication with the credit card clearinghouse 152,
the controller 165 may likewise effectuate processing of credit
card transactions via its communication with the credit card
clearinghouse 152.
[0069] The manufacturers 142 can communicate with the controller
165 to, e.g., communicate desired prices, promotions and other
product and pricing information to controller. It will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that, in addition
to manufacturers, other product suppliers or sellers such as
retailers, wholesalers and the like may communicate in a like
manner with the controller 165.
[0070] The sponsors 145 include merchants willing to provide a
benefit to the controller, manufacturer, customer, retailer and/or
other parties in exchange for, e.g., advertising to the customer,
acquisition of the customer as a client of the sponsor, other
interaction with the customer.
[0071] In addition to the description above, other means for the
controller to receive information regarding a set of products for
which a buyer price is established online, and a corresponding set
of products picked up at the retailer.
Devices
[0072] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment 200 of a controller. The
controller may be implemented as a system controller, a dedicated
hardware circuit, an appropriately programmed general purpose
computer, or any other equivalent electronic, mechanical or
electro-mechanical device.
[0073] The controller 200 comprises a processor 205, such as one or
more Intel.RTM. Pentium.RTM. processors. As is well known in the
art, the processor 205 may be in communication with a communication
port (not shown in FIG. 2) or other means for facilitating
communication between the processor 205 and other devices.
[0074] The processor 205 is also in communication with a data
storage device 210. The data storage device 210 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 compact disc and/or a hard disk. The
processor 205 and the storage device 210 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 or other wired or wireless media. In one
embodiment, the controller may comprise one or more computers that
are connected to a remote server computer for maintaining
databases.
[0075] The data storage device 210 stores a program 215 for
controlling the processor 205. The processor 205 performs
instructions of the program 215, and thereby operates in accordance
with the embodiments of the present invention, and particularly in
accordance with the methods described in detail herein. The program
215 may be stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or encrypted
format. The program 215 furthermore includes program elements that
may be necessary, such as an operating system, a database
management system and "device drivers" for allowing the processor
205 to interface with computer peripheral devices. Appropriate
program elements are well known to those of ordinary skill in the
art, and need not be described in detail herein.
[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
instructions of the program 215 may be read into a main memory from
another computer-readable medium, such from a ROM to RAM. Execution
of sequences of the instructions in program 215 causes processor
205 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 the
processes of the present invention. Thus, embodiments of the
present invention are not limited to any specific combination of
hardware and software.
[0077] The storage device 210 also stores (i) a customer database
220, (ii) a product database 225, (iii) a product slotting database
230, and (iv) an actual transaction database 235. The databases are
described in detail below and depicted with exemplary entries in
the accompanying figures. 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. Many other arrangements may
be employed besides those suggested by the tables shown. Similarly,
the illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary
information only; those skilled in the art will understand that the
number and content of the entries can be different from those
illustrated herein.
Databases
[0078] FIG. 3 is a tabular representation of an embodiment 300 of
the customer database. The tabular representation of the customer
database includes a number of example records or entries, including
the entry 330, each of which defines a customer. Those skilled in
the art will understand that the customer database may include any
number of entries. The tabular representation of customer database
also defines fields for each of the entries or records. The fields
specify: (i) a customer identifier 305 that uniquely identifies the
customer; (ii) a customer name 310; (iii) contact information 315
of the customer; and (iv) payment information 320 of the customer,
such as credit card or debit card account information which may be
used to render payment on behalf of the customer.
[0079] The customer identifier, as well as other identifiers
described herein, may be generated or assigned by the controller,
or may be established by the customer and provided to the
controller by way of a customer terminal or other appropriate
device. For example, the customer identifier may comprise a numeric
code that is assigned to the corresponding customer by the
controller. Alternatively, the customer identifier may comprise a
user name and/or password that may be generated by a customer
terminal and subsequently provided to the controller.
[0080] The data stored in the contact information field may
comprise any of (i) an electronic mail (e-mail) address, (ii) a
postal address, (iii) telephone number, and (iv) a numeric IP
address of the customer.
[0081] FIG. 4 is a tabular representation of an embodiment 400 of
the product database. The tabular representation of the product
database includes a number of example records or entries, including
the entry 430, each of which defines a product offered for sale.
Those skilled in the art will understand that the product database
may include any number of entries, and that the information stored
thereby may be specific to particular retailers. For example, the
entry 430 may indicate a product offered for sale by, e.g., only a
certain chain of stores, but not by others. Accordingly, the
entries may optionally be associated with a retailer or set of
retailers.
[0082] The tabular representation of product database also defines
fields for each of the entries or records. The fields specify: (i)
a product identifier 405 that uniquely identifies the product, such
as an SKU or other appropriate identifier; (ii) a product
description 410; and (iii) applicable rebates 415 and 420. Although
two applicable rebates are illustrated in FIG. 4, any number of
rebates may be used, and the number of rebates may differ among
products in any manner desired.
[0083] FIG. 5 is a tabular representation of an embodiment 500 of
the product slotting database. The tabular representation of the
product slotting database includes a number of example records or
entries, including the entries 540 and 545, each of which defines a
substitute product, which may be displayed when a particular
product category is requested to be displayed. Those skilled in the
art will understand that the product slotting database may include
any number of entries.
[0084] The tabular representation of product slotting database also
defines fields for each of the entries or records. The fields
specify: (i) a requested product category 505 that identifies the
product or product category requested by the customer; (ii) an
identifier 510 that identifies a substitute product to be
displayed; (iii) a payment 515 which the manufacturer or other
seller has agreed to pay upon display of the substitute product;
(iv) a payment 520 which the manufacturer or other seller has
agreed to pay upon sale to the customer of the substitute product;
(v) a success rate 525 of such "substitution" of the substitute
product for another (e.g., requested product or category); and (vi)
an expected revenue 530 to be received per substitution, as
determined by the expected revenue from the combination of display
and substitution.
[0085] An expected revenue per substitution may be calculated
according to the following equation:
ERS=Manufacturer Payment per Display of Product+(Manufacturer
Payment per Customer Substitute of Product) * (Substitution Success
Rate)
[0086] FIG. 6 is a tabular representation of a record 600 of an
embodiment of the actual transaction database. The actual
transaction database would typically contain a plurality of such
records, each such record defining an actual transaction of a
customer with a retailer. The tabular representation of the record
600 includes a number of example records or entries, including the
entries 625 and 630, each of which defines a product and
corresponding quantity acquired during the transaction. Those
skilled in the art will understand that the record may include any
number of entries. The tabular representation of customer database
also defines fields for each of the entries or records.
[0087] The record further specifies: (i) an acquisition session
identifier 605 that uniquely identifies the actual transaction;
(ii) a date and time 610 of the transaction; (iii) a retailer 615
with which the transaction occurred; and (iv) a pricing session 620
which indicates the proposed transaction that the actual
transaction was purported to correspond to.
Process Description
[0088] Referring to FIG. 7, a flow chart 700 represents an
embodiment of the present invention that may be performed by the
controller. The particular arrangement of elements in the flow
chart of FIG. 7, as well as the other flow charts discussed herein,
is not meant to imply a fixed order to the steps; embodiments of
the present invention can be practiced in any order that is
practicable.
[0089] At step 705, the controller receives a product category
selection from a customer, typically via a Web browser at a
customer terminal. For example, a customer may log on to the
controller's Web Site and request to see products in the
"Beverage/Soft Drink" category.
[0090] At step 710, the controller determines a substitute product
based on (i) the selected product category and optionally (ii) the
greatest expected revenue per substitution. For example, the
controller may access the product database and product slotting
database to determine, based on the requested product category and
optionally the expected revenue per substitution, which product to
display in the substitute product category. In the example above,
the customer had requested the "Beverage/Soft Drink" category, so
the controller system would determine from the product slotting
database which products are appropriate substitutes for the
"Beverage/Soft Drink" Category. The controller system would then
determine the ERS for each of the products. The product with the
greatest ERS may be the appropriate substitute product.
[0091] At step 715, the controller retrieves information associated
with the determined substitute product. For example, the controller
may access information including a product description, product
identifier, product graphic, etc.
[0092] At step 720, the controller displays the determined
substitute product in proximity of products within the selected
product category. In one embodiment, the substitute product is
displayed in a constant or substantially constant portion of a web
page, such as in a particular frame, always to the left of a
requested product category, etc.
[0093] At step 725, the controller determines whether the customer
has selected the substitute product for purchase. If so, then at
step 730 the controller charges, or registers an entry to later
charge, the manufacturer for the appropriate fee per display of
product plus the fee per customer substitute of product. Then, the
controller at step 745 updates the substitution success rate for
the substitute product. The substitution success rate is typically
calculated as the number of times the substitute product is
displayed in a product category divided by the number of times the
substitute product is purchased in a product category. Other
calculations of success rate may be used as desired.
[0094] If at step 725 the controller determines that the customer
has not selected the substitute product for purchase, then at step
735 the controller registers the substitute product as having not
been selected. At step 740 the controller charges the manufacturer
the appropriate fee per display of product, and at step 745 updates
the substitution success rate for the substitute product.
[0095] Although the present invention has been described with
respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art
will note that various substitutions may be made to those
embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
[0096] For example, the controller may dynamically determine which
products are substitutes for one another based on customer
preferences, manufacturer input, retailer input, retail prices,
historical purchases, and other criteria.
[0097] In another embodiment, the substitution slots may appear
while the customer is checking out (e.g. after the customer has
assembled their shopping cart.) After the customer has assembled
their shopping cart, the customer may be presented with an
opportunity to switch an "original product" (in the shopping cart)
for a substitute product. The customer may optionally receive a
benefit for switching to the substitute product. Further, the
customer may receive an offer (e.g., during checkout) prompting him
to switch in exchange for a benefit.
[0098] The controller may determine which substitute products to
offer the customer at check-out based on, e.g., the expected
revenue described above.
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