MXPA03000812A - Method and apparatus for providing consumers with electronic offers from a vendor. - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a computer-implemented method of transmitting vendor offer data to a consumer comprising the steps of: receiving and storing vendor offer data and data indicative of a vendor location; electronically receiving data indicative of a consumer location from a wireless communications device; and electronically transmitting to the consumer at least a portion of the vendor offer data dynamically when the consumer location substantially corresponds to the vendor location. The wireless communications device may comprise, for example, a wireless telephone, a handheld computer (such as a personal digital assistant or "PDA'D, a laptop computer, or an automobile computer. This method may further comprise the steps of: receiving consumer profile data; and selecting the portion of the vendor offer data transmitted to the consumer on the basis of the consumer profile data. In addition, at least a portion of the consumer profile data may be electronically transmitted to a vendor, and additional vendor offer data may be electronically received from the vendor and transmitted to the consumer. A system for performing this method is also provided, wherein the system comprises: a CPU; memory operatively associated with the CPU; a data store operatively associated with the CPU, the data store including vendor location data and vendor offer data for at least one vendor; and program instructions executable by the CPU for performing the method described above. Still other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ELECTRONIC DEALS FROM A SELLER TO CONSUMERS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing electronic offers from a vendor to a consumer when the consumer is in a predetermined geographic location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wireless technology is providing a new wave of technological advances. In addition, manual computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital telephones and the like, are now equipped with wireless communication systems, such that electronic communication is becoming increasingly mobile and invisible. As consumers become more mobile, they will begin to demand technologies that make time-consuming tasks automatic, such as last-minute gift purchases, liquidation purchases, last-minute reservations for events or meals, and the like. And, correspondingly, sellers will seek solutions to reach and help consumers, with the expectation that sellers will acquire consumer commerce in this increasingly ubiquitous electronic economy. At present, the immediate geographical location of an individual consumer is not used in the provision to the consumer of promotional information of the sellers. Instead, promotional information is provided to the consumer through traditional media channels that include email, regular mail, fax, television, radio, telephone, signs and face-to-face meetings. Promotional information saturates the consumer since, in a general way, most of the information is not of interest to the consumer. Accordingly, promotional information is mainly discarded by the consumer. The email alert services have alleviated the problem a bit, allowing the consumer to receive only information that is of interest to the consumer. However, these services require the consumer to enter their email account, and the services do not provide the consumer with useful information that corresponds to the current geographic location of the consumer with respect to the geographical location of a seller. Obtaining geographic information about a vendor while the consumer is on the way is still problematic and mainly a manual process. In traditional wireless telecommunications systems, the current geographic location of the consumer is unknown. However, changes dictated by the Federal Communications Commission that require improvements in the quality and reliability of wireless services 91 1 will soon give telecommunications providers the ability to determine with reasonable accuracy the position of a caller. Telecommunication providers will be required to obtain the ability to identify the latitude and longitude of a wireless communication unit that makes a call to 91 1, within a radius of no more than 125 meters. The existing technology for determining the position of a wireless communication device generally uses a calculation of "arrival time difference" (DOA). In a TDOA calculation, the arrival time of a signal of a wireless device in three is recorded. or more receiving locations (eg cell phone towers), and the location of the wireless device is calculated by comparing the arrival times, as is well known to the person skilled in the art, once the precise locations of the receiving towers are known. , the difference in distance and the projected arrival times of a signal can be used to form a hyperbola from which the location of the wireless device can be determined.For example, the formation of a hyperbola reduces the calculation required to determine the geographic location of a communications device, to a geometric formula that uses the known locations of the towers and the direction of the signal received from the communication device (indicating the direction of travel of a consumer), to form a geometric plane that cuts double straight circular cones. Once the equation is properly established, the known locations of the towers are replaced in the equation and this is restructured to resolve the location of the communications device. The "global positioning system" ("GPS") can also be used to determine the geographic location of a communications device. About 21 satellites are evenly spaced above Earth's atmosphere by continuously recording their exact geographic location with respect to the earth's surface, and transmitting that geographic location back to the earth. A GPS uses a triangulation calculation to determine the precise location of a communications device that receives the geographic location transmitted from the satellites. By way of example, a communication device receives at least 3 satellites the exact locations of the satellites above the Earth's atmosphere. Knowing the location of the three satellites a geometric triangle is formed, the location of the communication device being a single point within that triangle. The single point of the communications device within the triangle is determined by tracing a perpendicular from one side of the known triangle to form a second right triangle where the point of the communication device is the only variable vortex in the second right triangle. Once this is done, a simple equation is established to solve for the length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle using the Pythagorean theorem. Knowing the size of each side of the triangle, the vortex is easily determined, which is indicative of the location of the communication device. As is well known to the person skilled in the art, additional calculations with GPS receivers can be used to provide more information, such as altitude, speed and the like. In addition, alternatives to GPS that use the same technology include the global navigation satellite system (GLONASS). As will be apparent to the person skilled in the art, various systems and geometric equations may be combined to determine the geographical location of a communications device. For example, any defined area such as a shopping center or amusement park could install multiple transmitters and provide receivers to consumers, so the location of a consumer could be easily calculated using standard geometric equations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatuses by which the consumer can be provided with information dependent on the geographical locations of the consumer with respect to the geographical locations of a vendor. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be indicated in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent to the person skilled in the art when examining or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained by means of the conduits and combinations indicated particularly in the appended claims. To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to provide information to a consumer based on the geographic location of the consumer. One embodiment of the present invention is a computer-executed method of transmitting vendor offer data to a consumer, comprising the steps of: receiving and storing vendor offer data and data indicative of a vendor's location; electronically receiving data indicative of the location of a consumer from a wireless communications device; and electronically transmitting to the consumer at least a part of the vendor offer data, dynamically, when the location of the consumer substantially corresponds to the location of the vendor. The wireless communication device may comprise, for example, a cordless telephone, a manual computer (such as a personal digital assistant or "PDA"), a portable computer, or a car computer. This method may further comprise the steps of: receiving consumer profile data; and selecting the portion of vendor offer data transmitted to the consumer based on the consumer profile data. In addition, at least a portion of the consumer profile data may be transmitted electronically to a vendor, and additional vendor offer data may be received electronically from the vendor and transmitted to the consumer. A system is also provided to perform this method, wherein the system comprises: a CPU; memory operatively associated with the CPU; a data store operatively associated with the CPU, the data store including vendor location data and vendor offer data of at least one vendor; and program instructions executable by the CPU to perform the method described above. Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to the person skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be seen, the invention has other obvious and different aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, illustrate various aspects of the present invention and together with their descriptions serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is another schematic illustration of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 represents an embodiment of a processor system according to the present invention; Figure 4 is an alternative embodiment of a processor system according to the present invention; and Figures 5A and 5B depict a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides methods and apparatus that allow a consumer to electronically receive information of potential interest ("seller offer data") from a vendor located in the geographic proximity of the consumer. The consumer provides "consumer profile data" that are indicative, for example, of personal shopping preferences and / or specific products or services that the consumer is interested in buying. In one modality, consumer location data are received electronically and are used to identify vendors in the geographic proximity of the customer's location. In addition, the consumer profile data is compared with vendor offer data to select portions of the vendor offer data that are of possible interest to the consumer. In this way, the vendor offer data sent to the consumer are chosen based on both the profile data of the consumer and the geographical location of the consumer.

If the consumer is interested in the vendor's offer data, the consumer may request additional information (for example more specific or detailed vendor offer data), either from the processor system data store or directly from the vendor. Moreover, the seller can be notified of the match between consumer location data and consumer profile data, and portions of the consumer profile data can be transmitted electronically to the seller, so that the seller can respond to the consumer ( for example, supplying additional vendor offer data). In this way, an electronic dialogue between the seller and the consumer can take place. The methods and apparatuses of the present invention are particularly useful in the electronic provision of information to a consumer by means of a wireless communication device (for example a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or "PDA", a portable computer, or a car computer). One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically in Figure 1, wherein a consumer 2 and a vendor 4 interact with a processor system 6 of the present invention. As used herein, the term "consumer" is intended to include any person or entity interested in obtaining or using the services and / or products of sellers. The term "seller" is intended to include any person or entity that provides service and / or products to consumers. In this way, sellers can also be consumers. It will also be understood that the term "seller" includes the individual facilities of a simple entity, such as the individual restaurants of a chain of restaurants. Figure 2 is a more detailed schematic illustration of the embodiment of Figure 1. As seen in Figure 2, the consumer 2 can interact with the processor system 6 using a consumer communication device 3, while the vendor 4 can interacting with the processor system 6 using a vendor communications device 5. However, it will be understood that vendor 4 may also manually provide vendor offer data and vendor location data (which are described later herein). For example, vendor 4 can provide vendor offer data and vendor location data in written form (for example, by mailing or faxing the information to the service provider), so that a service provider will then enter the data of vendor in the processor system 6. In this manner, the methods and apparatus of the present invention do not require the vendor to have a vendor communications device 5 to interact with the processor system 6. However, one embodiment of the present invention provides dynamic interaction between the consumer 2 and the seller 4 through their respective devices 3 and 5 of communications, and other modalities allow the seller to update their vendor offer data at any time (for example on a daily basis or on a even more frequent). It will also be understood that the consumer 2 and the vendor 4 may each use more than one communication device to interact with the processor system 6. By way of example, the consumer 2 may use a stationary communications device (e.g. desk that communicates with the processor system 6 using a wired modem), as well as a mobile wireless communications device (for example a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or "PDA", a laptop, or a car computer). Even the consumer 2 can manually provide portions of his consumer profile data, as described above for the seller 4. In particular, the consumer 2 can first establish an "account" with the service provider entering the processor system from a personal computer (for example, a desktop computer or notebook computer), for example through the Internet. The consumer will initially provide consumer profile data of a general nature (for example, consumer purchase preferences, clothing sizes, etc.). The consumer can then use a wireless communication device to enter the processor system of the present invention to receive selected vendor offer data based on the consumer's profile data and also the consumer's location. The processor system 6 may comprise a single computer or a system of one or more computers (for example, networked or distributed computer systems). A computer generally includes any device capable of processing data according to one or more instructions. Therefore, the processor system 6 can comprise any conventional or general-purpose computer, such as a desktop computer, a notebook-type computer, a tower computer, a microcomputer, a minicomputer, a server, a Web server, a work station, a central computer or similar. As seen in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the processor system 6 generally comprises a processor 7 (such as a CPU or a microprocessor), memory 8 (e.g. RAM, ROM and / or EPROM) operatively associated with the processor 7. , a data buffer 9 operatively associated with the processor 7, and program instructions (not explicitly shown) executable by the processor 7 to perform the methods of the present invention. As is well known to the person skilled in the art, the program instructions may reside in various types of computer-readable media, including memory 8. A computer-readable medium stores computer-readable information, such as programs, data files , etc. As a person with average knowledge of the subject will readily appreciate, a computer-readable medium can take a variety of forms, including magnetic storage (such as hard drives, floppy disks, tape, etc.), optical storage (such as discs). laser, compact discs, digital versatile discs ("DVD"), etc.), electronic storage (such as random access memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), programmable read-only memory ( "PROM"), programmable read-only and erasable memory ("EPROM"), instant memory, memory levers, etc.), and the like. Certain types of computer-readable media, which are sometimes described as non-volatile, can retain data in the absence of power, so that information is available when the power is restored. The computer readable instructions of the present invention may be provided in any of a variety of programming languages known in the art or developed subsequently (eg, C, C ++, Java, etc.). By way of example, the processor 7 can be a processor Pentium made by Intel Corporation. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any processor construction, and that the invention can be practiced using some other types of processor, such as a coprocessor or an auxiliary processor. In addition, it will be understood that multiple processors 7, memories 8 and data stores 9 may be employed, such as a networked or distributed computer system. For example, the processor system 6 may comprise multiple computers (e.g., servers, particularly Web servers) that are operatively associated with each other. In this way, and as described below in conjunction with Figure 4, a server can compare customer profile data with vendor offer data, while another server is dedicated to determining the geographic location of a consumer and comparing the location of the consumer with the location data of the seller. Figure 3 is a further schematic illustration of the processor system 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a processor module 140, a location module 130 and an optional fidelity module 120 are represented. Each of these modules, for example, may comprise a series of executable program instructions, for example in the form of software, routines, programs, algorithms, codes and the like. As described in more detail herein, the program instructions comprising these modules cause the processor system 6 to carry out the methods of the present invention. For example, processor module 140 may compare consumer profile data with vendor offer data, while location module 130 determines the location of the customer and compares that location with vendor location data. The processor module 140 is preferably provided in communication with the data store 9, the consumer communication device 3, and the vendor communications device 5, by means of a variety of well-known means. For example, the consumer communications device 3 and the vendor communications device 5 can communicate with the processor module 140 through a software interface and a suitable communications link (e.g., a wired or non-wired modem connection). ). Both the location module 130 and the fidelity module 120 may also be in communication with the data store 9. Alternatively, separate data stores can be provided for each module. The consumer communication device 3 can also communicate directly with the location module 130, so that data indicative of the location of a consumer can be received and processed by the location module 130, and compared to stored location data of the consumer. vendor, for example in the data storage 9. This comparison of location data can be performed by the location module 130 and the results can be provided to the processor module 140. Alternatively, the location module 130 can simply process the location data received from the consumer communication device 3 to determine the location of the consumer, and communicating that location to the processor module 140 where the comparison with the vendor location data will take place. As mentioned previously, the processor system of the present invention may also comprise multiple servers (particularly Web servers) to carry out the methods of the present invention. In many cases this can improve the performance of the processor system, since each server is dedicated to one or more discrete tasks. As shown schematically in Figure 4, a processor system 206 according to another embodiment of the present invention, includes a processing server 240, a location server 230, an optional fidelity server 220, and one or more data stores 209 in operational communication with the individual servers. Each server can have its own data store, or one or more common data stores can be used. In the embodiment of Figure 4 a single common data store 209 is employed. It will also be understood that each server may comprise one or more individual computers, operatively linked to each other, wherein each computer includes at least one processor, associated memory operatively with the processor, and program instructions for performing the methods of the present invention. In the embodiment shown, the three servers (220, 230 and 240) are operatively linked to one another, thus providing a computer network for performing the methods of the present invention in a more efficient manner. It will also be understood that the various components of the processor system 6 or 206 may be physically remote from each other, but in operational communication with each other (for example via the Internet). Further, in the case of the processor system 206, the data store 209 may comprise even one of the servers (e.g., the processing server 240). The methods of the present invention generally provide vendor offer data to a consumer based not only on the consumer's location, but also on the basis of consumer profile data, which are used to select vendor offer data of possible interest. for the consumer. In general, initially the consumer 2 will establish contact with the processor system 6, for example by establishing a personal account. This contact is through a software interface such as a Web client, or browser, particularly when the processor system 6 comprises one or more Web servers. However, as a person skilled in the art will appreciate, any electronic interface, such as custom software designed to provide graphical user interface (GUI) screens and the like, can be used. Once the contact is established, the consumer 2 can provide (for example, electronically enter) consumer profile data to the processor system 6, which will receive and store consumer profile data in the data store 9. The consumer profile data can include both public and private data, and the categorization of public and private data may even be a decision made by the consumer 2. Public data of consumer profile may include for example the following information about the consumer: email address, address postal, name, phone number, age, sex, clothing sizes, color preferences, desired services, interests, desired products, prices you expect to pay for services and products, and the like. The private data may include, for example, the customer's social security number, credit card numbers, account passwords, income level and the like. Public and private data can be modified by the consumer as desired. The processor system 6 can store both public and private consumer profile data in the data store 9. In general, however, the public consumer profile data will be available to the vendors, while the private consumer profile data will be available to the vendors. they will not be After the consumer has established an account and entered at least general consumer profile data, the consumer 2 will then establish communication with the processor system 6 through a consumer wireless communication device 3. Data indicative of a location of the consumer 2 are received and processed by the processor system 6. The location data can be automatically provided to the processor system 6 (for example directly from the consumer communication device 3), or from the wireless telecommunications provider), or the location data can be provided manually by the consumer 2 through the communication device (for example so that the consumer can inform the processor system 6 of the future location of the consumer) . The processor system 6 will use the profile data and consumer location data to identify and select vendor offer data of possible interest to the consumer 2. The selected vendor offer data will then be transmitted to the consumer and displayed in the consumer. consumer communications device. The vendor offer data may include, for example, product or service descriptions, price quotes, vendor orientations, stock information, contact information, promotional data and the like. In addition, the consumer 2 and the seller 4 can be linked electronically through the processor system 6, so that an electronic dialogue is established, and this dialogue will allow personalized exchanges (for example, negotiations) between the consumer 2 and the seller 4. A For example, a consumer 2 is traveling on a road at three o'clock in the morning and wants to locate an open restaurant located near his current location serving sushi. The consumer 2 may have previously established an "account" by entering the processor system 6 through a stationary (ie wired) or wireless communications device (e.g., desktop computer, a conventional wired telephone, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or "PDA", a laptop, or a car computer). Inclusively, the consumer could have manually established the account (for example by manually filling out a written form and presenting the full form to the service provider for entry into the processor system 6). By establishing an account in advance, the consumer 2 will have previously entered consumer profile data into the processor system 6, and in this way these previously entered consumer profile data will be stored in the data store 9. Therefore, the data storage 9 already contains data indicative of the consumer's preferences (for example the type of sushi that the consumer prefers 2 and the prices that the consumer 2 is willing to pay). Regardless of whether the consumer has previously established an account with the service providing entity in accordance with the present invention (ie, the service provider), the consumer, traveling on a highway at 3 AM, will establish a connection with the processor system 6 using a wireless communication device (e.g., a cell phone, a personal digital assistant or "PDA" (such as a PalmPilot® PDA), a laptop, or a car computer). This connection can be established for example by connecting to an Internet service provider through a wireless telecommunications provider, and then entering a Web site having one or more consumer interface Web pages stored or linked to the processor system 6. For safety purposes, it is obviously preferred that the consumer is only a passenger and not the driver of the vehicle. Of course, the consumer may have access to the processor system 6 by means of a speech recognition interface (i.e., software) or other hands-free interface that allows reasonably secure communication with the processor system 6 while a car is being operated . The consumer wireless communication device will electronically transmit to the processor system 6 the consumer's interest in finding an open sushi restaurant, as consumer profile data. In addition, data indicative of the consumer's location will also be transmitted to the processor system 6. The processor system 6 receives the consumer profile data indicating an interest in an open sushi restaurant, as well as consumer location data. The processor system 6 compares the consumer profile data ("open sushi restaurant") with the vendor offer data stored in the data storage 9, and also compares the consumer location with vendor location data stored in the 9 data storage. If the processor system 6 locates a vendor serving sushi, which is not only open but also is in the geographic surroundings of the consumer 2, vendor offer data will be transmitted by the processor system 6 to the consumer's wireless communications device. This seller offer data may include, for example, the location of the selected vendor, orientation towards the vendor from the consumer's current location, a currently available sushi list, and vendor prices. Then this vendor offer data is displayed or otherwise communicated to the consumer 2 by the consumer communications device. The consumer can even communicate with the vendor through the processor system 6, for example, to order that his sushi be ready upon arrival. Figures 5A and 5B (collectively referred to as "Figure 5") illustrate a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for providing a consumer with selected vendor offer data. The modality shown in Figure 2 allows a vendor to electronically provide offer data to a consumer. The flow chart of Figure 5 assumes that one or more vendors have previously established electronic communication with the processor system 6 (for example through a vendor communications device), and that the processor system has received from the vendor (and stored in the data store 9) vendor location data and vendor offer data. As used here, vendors include nonprofits, for-profit organizations, government organizations, private organizations and the like. In addition, without intending to limit the scope of the present invention, sellers may include retail stores, restaurants, service stores (e.g. automobile repair shops) and the like. In other words, a seller can be any entity that wishes to provide vendor offer data to a consumer. Once the vendor has subscribed to the system (for example, has established an account with the service provider), the vendor establishes communication with the processor system that performs the steps shown in figure 5. For example, the vendor can establish communication using a personal computer or any other computing device. Once the seller has registered with the system, the seller can enter general information about the seller's offer, which includes, for example, the geographical locations of the seller, contact information, general information about the product or service (for example, a restaurant specializing in fish and seafood), email addresses, Web links, or similar. In addition, the seller can enter specific vendor supply information that includes more specific product information (for example sushi, lobster, tuna, etc.), price quotes, special promotions or available discounts (for example discounts for senior citizens) ), advertising, stock data, promotional data, information on special events and the like. The vendor offer data (both general and specific) are received by the processor system and stored in the data store 9. The seller can modify, delete or add vendor offer data as necessary by entering the processor system 6 in the same way. For example, the seller can update their existing stocks, prices and special promotions on a daily basis (or more frequently), at will. For example, each morning a seafood restaurant can enter additional vendor supply information that indicates its current stock (for example the types of sushi currently available) and their daily specials. In the case of a retailer, the seller may enter vendor offer data that reflects a current specialty (for example, a sale on a cluttered item) that may be available only for a short period (for example, a few days or less). Frequently, in such cases, the retailer does not have other effective means to alert consumers of the special offer due to the short duration of the offer. The processor system of the present invention will allow the vendor to transmit the special offer to consumers possibly interested in the article (for example based on their consumer profile data). For example, a consumer can enter consumer profile data that indicates their interest in golf. If a vendor has a special offer on a crowded golf club, the processor system will identify a "match" between the consumer profile data (ie, the consumer is a golfer) and the vendor offer data (ie, the special offer in the crowded golf club). In this way, the special offer will be transmitted to the consumer in question if the consumer is (or plans to be) in a predetermined geographical proximity of the seller. The flow chart in Figure 5 also assumes that the consumer has previously registered with the service provider, although this is not necessary. Consumers include any person or entity interested in a service or product of a vendor. Upon entering (upon "registering") prior to the processor system of the present invention, the consumer will have entered at least general consumer profile data which is then stored in the data store 9. When the consumer first enters the processor system, he will typically transmit to the processor system 6 general consumer profile data, such as e-mail address, postal address, name, telephone number, age, sex, social security number, card numbers. credit, account passwords, income level, clothing sizes, color preferences, desired services, interests, hobbies, desired products, prices you expect to pay for certain services and products, and the like. It will be understood that these general consumer profile data may be input from a stationary communications device (e.g., a desktop home computer or a conventional wired telephone) via a wired connection. These general consumer profile data will be stored by the processor system 6 in the data store 9. The consumer can modify the general data of consumer profile at any time, as desired. In addition, the consumer may also enter specific consumer profile data (also referred to as "consumer request data") by registering in the processor system of the present invention. These specific consumer profile data (ie, application data) may include, for example, specific products or services in which the consumer is currently interested (for example sushi at 3 AM). Referring now in detail to FIG. 5, the consumer will connect to the processor system (step 10) with a wireless communication device such as a manual computing device (e.g., a PDA), a digital telephone, or a car computer , although any wireless communication device will suffice. As mentioned above, however, by way of example, the consumer can connect directly to the system with a wireless communications device and interact with the system through a Web browser, entering Web pages designed to provide a software interface that allows bidirectional communication between the consumer and the processor system. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, other suitable software interface programs may be used. Alternatively, the consumer can be connected to the Internet (for example using an existing Internet access account) and then registered in the processor system of the present invention (for example by means of the World Wide Web, using a conventional Web browser). as an interface). Once the communication has been established, the consumer can enter consumer profile data, particularly consumer request data, as desired (step 20). Of course, the consumer can also proceed to enter additional consumer profile data, so that the processor system of the present will determine "coincidences" based on the consumer profile data previously entered by the consumer. In this way, the consumer can essentially use the system and the processing methods of the present invention to "navigate" between the current offers of sellers in the geographical proximity of the consumer, looking for the processor system, vendor offers that are considered of possible interest. for the consumer. For example, a consumer golfer driving on an interstate highway may use the processor system of the present invention to alert him to any vendor located along the interstate, which has special offers of golf club (ie offer data of vendors related to golf). The processor system of the present invention will also determine and / or track the consumer's location. In this manner, the processor system will receive consumer location data (i.e., data indicative of a consumer's location) in step 30. For example, when a mobile consumer registers with the processor system of the present invention using its wireless communications device, the processor system will dynamically determine and track the geographic position of the consumer. The geographical position of the consumer can be determined using a TDOA calculation, although other calculations are available to determine the geographic location of the consumer, such as GPS, GLONASS, and the like. The consumer communications device 3 may transmit general data indicative of the location of the consumer to the processor system 6 for further processing. Alternatively, the consumer communications device 3 can by itself determine the location of the consumer and transmit processed data indicative of the consumer's location to the processor system 6. In other words, the processor system 6 (particularly the location module 130 or the location server 230) can receive location data that must be further processed to determine the current location of the consumer. Alternatively, the location data transmitted from the consumer communications device 3 may be the precise coordinates (eg, latitude, longitude and altitude) of the consumer's location, such as for example when the consumer's communications device includes its own GPS system. It is also contemplated that, if for example, the consumer is entering the processor system through a wireless telecommunications service provider (e.g., a wireless telephone service provider), the processor system of the present invention (particularly the module of location 130 or location server 220) may consult the wireless provider to obtain location data. The location server or module can be connected to a Web server or another computer operated by the wireless provider (for example through the Internet), and transmitting an identifier (e.g., an account number) associated with the consumer's wireless communications device. The wireless provider will then respond by transmitting location data to the module 130 or location server 230 of the present invention. The location data received from the wireless service provider may comprise general, unprocessed location data (eg, TDOA data indicating the arrival time of a signal from the consumer's communications device to three or more receivers). In this way, the consumer location data received by the processor system of the present invention does not need to be transmitted directly from the consumer's communications device.

Subsequently, the consumer profile data are compared with vendor offer data in the data store 9, and the consumer location is compared with the vendor location data in the data store 9 (step 40). If any portion of the consumer profile data substantially corresponds to a portion of the vendor offer data, and the consumer location (defined or determined from the consumer location data) substantially corresponds to that vendor location, the system The processor will confirm the "match" (step 50) by notifying the consumer (through the consumer's wireless communications device 3) of the corresponding vendor offer data (step 70). In other words, substantial correspondence between the consumer profile data and the seller offer data will indicate that the corresponding offer data is of possible interest to the consumer, and substantial correspondence between the consumer and seller locations will indicate that the Seller is located at an appropriate distance from the consumer. In this way, the processor system of the present invention will essentially select the portions of vendor offer data that must be transmitted to the consumer based not only on the location of the consumer, but also on the basis of possible consumer interest. Substantial correspondence between data can be determined in a variety of ways that will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art. For example, "substantial correspondence" between consumer and seller locations may simply mean that the consumer's location is within a predetermined geographic region of the seller's location (eg, at a predetermined radial distance from the vendor, to a predetermined number). of blocks from the seller, in the same street as the seller, in the same zip code as the seller, in a region of a plaza or shopping center near the vendor, a corridor in a store, etc.). Even, the predetermined geographical proximity can be defined by the seller and / or the consumer as part of their seller offer data or their consumer profile data, respectively. For example, the consumer may limit "substantial correspondence" to a maximum distance (for example in miles) from a seller. In one embodiment of the present invention, the location module 130 (or location server 230) will only make a comparison of the location of the consumer with the location data of the seller stored in the data store 9 and, if the location module or the location server determines that there is a substantial correspondence between the location of the consumer and the location of one or more vendors, the identity of such vendors is communicated to the processor module 140 (or to the processor server 240). It should be noted that the "seller location" is not necessarily a store or other seller's retail establishment. Rather, the term "vendor location" includes a location chosen by the vendor such as an access point. For example, a "vendor location" may include an access point such as a bus stop from which the consumer may travel to another location designated by the vendor (for example, a bus stop that will take the consumer to the vendor's site). an event such as a concert or sporting event). Substantial correspondence between consumer profile data and vendor offer data may also be determined by the processor module 140 (or processor server 240) in a variety of ways. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the data store 9 comprises a relationship database that uses relationship techniques to store and retrieve data in an efficient manner. Both seller offer data and consumer profile data can be stored in a relational database and be compared with each other to determine "substantial correspondence" (or a "match") between portions of vendor offer data and data of consumer profile (particularly consumer request data). For example, consumer profile data, and in particular consumer request data, can be used to formulate a database query designed to identify match of vendor offer data. A numerical value can be associated to each database record (vendor offer data) contained in the response string of the database query. A predetermined threshold value (for example 90 out of 100 possible) can be used to define the vendor offer data in the response series that are transmitted to the consumer. In other words, if any particular search match (ie, vendor offer data) within the response series receives a value above the predetermined threshold, that particular vendor offer data will be considered of possible interest to the consumer. . The threshold value can be configured by the user, or it can vary depending on the topic of interest. As another alternative, since the interface used by the consumer and the seller to enter profile data and offer data, respectively, is defined by predetermined Web interface pages, categories of interest can be electronically normalized by eliminating errors associated with the permutations multiple used by individuals to identify the same concept. In addition, items stored in the database records can be stopped for search, so that the morphological roots associated with words do not prevent valid search hits during a database query. Additionally, hierarchy of interest can be provided through the Web pages for selection by the consumer; this would provide a controlled manner in which vendor offer data is recorded and stored in the data warehouse, and the way in which consumers identify their consumer profile data. For example, a hierarchy of 4 levels established for the topic "garments" could include garments-red-size 9. Forcing a consumer to use this hierarchy, as well as the seller, before entering variable information such as prices and number of stocks, software can easily be built to find matches. The vendor and / or the consumer can also set parameters, such that a "substantial correspondence" does not require an exact match at each level of hierarchy (for example, vendor offer data regarding clothes of size 9 in different colors). of red, are considered as "coincidence" due to a substantial correspondence with the consumer profile data). Any of a variety of other techniques carried out in software can be used to match (ie, substantial correspondence) between consumer profile data and vendor offer data, such as various algorithms or decision trees. If no matches are found, the consumer can be notified of this through his consumer communications device (step 60). The processor system may continue to receive consumer location data (step 30) in an attempt to identify matches as the consumer moves from one location to another. In this way, provided that the consumer remains in communication with the processor system, the processor system of the present invention will continue to compare consumer profile and location data with vendor offer and location data, respectively. This process will continue until a match is found and transmitted to the consumer, or the consumer completes communication with the processor system.

If a match is found and the seller offer data is transmitted to the consumer (step 70), the seller can also be notified of the seller offer data transmitted to the consumer (step 80), In this way, the seller can choose transmit additional vendor offer data to the processor system (step 90). The additional vendor data received by the processor system can then be transmitted to the consumer (step 100). Additional vendor offer data may include, for example, updates, modifications or corrections to vendor offer data previously transmitted to the consumer (for example, if the vendor has sold a particular product, or if the seller's price has decreased). Similarly, the consumer may choose to transmit additional consumer profile data to the processor system (step 1 10). The additional consumer profile data received by the processor system can then be transmitted to the vendor (step 120). The additional consumer profile data may include, for example, a consumer order form (for example placing an order for the items or services that were the subject of the seller offer data transmitted in step 70), payment (for example, credit card numbers), requests for additional vendor offer information (for example stock, size or color information), or even a consumer counter-offer by means of which the consumer may attempt to negotiate with the seller (for example, a lower price). In fact, the steps 90, 100, 1 10, and 120 can be repeated as many times as desired, so that the consumer and the seller can even have an electronic dialogue (through the processor system of the present). For example, the consumer and the seller can even negotiate the price of particular items or services included in the original seller offer data transmitted to the consumer in step 70. Once the consumer has reached the seller (step 130), the process can be finished. The consumer may request additional information about the vendor (such as directions to the vendor, ie, "vendor address data") or additional details about vendor offer data. In this manner, the vendor offer data transmitted to the consumer in step 70 may include only brief information describing one or more vendor offers. If the consumer is interested in a particular seller's offer, he may request from the processor system additional information about the seller's offer. Alternatively, such additional information may be transmitted initially to the consumer together with the other vendor offer data. It is also contemplated that the consumer may designate which portions of his profile data should be used in performing the comparison analysis (step 90). For example, the consumer may specify that only the specific request data should be used, instead of the general consumer profile data (thereby reducing the amount of vendor offer comparison data transmitted to the consumer). As another alternative, a consumer may even request all seller offer data from sellers located within a certain geographic proximity to the consumer, thereby eliminating the requirement of substantial correspondence between consumer profile data and consumer offer data. seller before the seller's offer data is transmitted to the consumer. A consumer may also specifically request vendor offer data for a specific geographic location different from the consumer's current location. For example, the consumer may identify a geographic location in which he plans to be in the future, and provide such information to the processor system of the present invention (such as "consumer location data"). In the consumer's request, the system will use the geographic location issued by the consumer, instead of the indicative data of the real current location of the consumer. This allows the consumer to acquire vendor offer data such as events, sales or current activities at a geographic location at a specific point in time in the future, allowing the consumer to acquire valuable information before their physical arrival at the geographic location in question. For example, a consumer residing in Cincinnati wants to make a weekend trip to Cleveland. The night before their trip departure, the consumer asks the processor system of the present invention for vendor offer data that substantially corresponds to their consumer profile data, from vendors located in Cleveland. The consumer may even limit the query to specific future dates, and / or request vendor offer information from sellers located along their scheduled travel route. The consumer Web interface page, while connecting to the processor system of the present invention, may also display vendor advertising data transmitted by the processor system. Advertising data can change dynamically as the consumer's geographic location changes (not shown in Figure 2). This could be achieved by using electronic flags that are displayed on a consumer's Web interface pages. Electronic banderillas change as the location of the consumer varies. As mentioned previously, the processor system of the present invention can also include a fidelity module 120 (mode of Figure 3) or a fidelity server 220 (modality of Figure 4). In this manner, the methods of the present invention can include a marketing component whereby a consumer can win prizes based on consumer transactions with sellers participating in the loyalty marketing program. In this way, the fidelity marketing component of the present invention will monitor the transactions of a consumer using the processor system of the present invention and will reward the consumer based on such transactions. The fidelity marketing component of the present invention will include program instructions that record consumer transactions and provide prizes to consumers according to a series of predetermined rules. As the consumer 2 responds to the offer data of the seller 4, the processor system 6 communicates pertinent information relating to the consumer / seller interaction to the module or loyalty server. A data store (such as the data store 9 or a dedicated loyalty marketing data store) will be used to track a program value for a customer (e.g. in terms of "points"), and charge the Seller program value in accordance with the program rules of loyalty marketing. The consumer may also use the dynamic interaction capabilities of the processor system of the present invention to enter his fidelity marketing program account maintained by the loyalty module or server. During such access, the consumer 2 can perform one or more tasks, such as reviewing the value of his account, asking questions related to his account and converting the accumulated value into specific prizes (as is well known to experts in the field). The above description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is considered that it is not exhaustive and that it does not limit the invention to the precise form in which it was described. In the light of the previous teaching many alternatives, modifications and variations for the experts in the field will be evident. For example, although a Web browser was used to describe the primary interface for a vendor and a consumer, any communication interface will suffice and would be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is considered that this invention encompasses all alternatives, modifications and variations that are within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1 .- A computer-executed method for transmitting vendor offer data to a consumer, comprising the steps of: receiving and storing vendor offer data and data indicative of a vendor's location; electronically receive data indicative of the location of a consumer from a location specification device; and electronically transmitting to the consumer at least a portion of the vendor offer data, dynamically, when the location of the consumer substantially corresponds to the seller's location.

2. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises the steps of: receiving consumer profile data; and selecting said portion of the seller offer data transmitted to the consumer based on said consumer profile data.

3. The method according to claim 2, further characterized in that it comprises the steps of: transmitting electronically at least a portion of the consumer profile data to a vendor; electronically receive additional information of seller's offer from said seller; and electronically transmitting said additional vendor offer data to said consumer.

4. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises the step of dynamically determining the location of the consumer based on said consumer location data.

5. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the step of electronically receiving data indicative of a consumer location, is performed at least periodically.

6. - A method executed on a computer to provide vendor offer data to a consumer, comprising the steps of: storing at least one data warehouse, vendor offer data and vendor location data of a plurality of sellers; electronically receiving data indicative of the location of a consumer from a mobile communications device, and electronically receiving consumer profile data; comparing said consumer profile data with said vendor offer data to determine if any portion of said seller offer data is of possible interest to said consumer; comparing said consumer location data with said vendor location data to determine whether said consumer location is within a predetermined proximity of a vendor; and if said consumer location is within a predetermined proximity of a vendor, and if at least a portion of said vendor offer data is of possible interest to said consumer, electronically transmit to the consumer the portion of said vendor's supply information. seller that is of possible interest.

7. - The method according to claim 6, further characterized in that said step of electronically transmitting to the consumer the portion of said vendor offer data that is of possible interest, comprises transmitting the data to a wireless communications device.

8. - The method according to claim 7, further characterized by comprising the step of notifying the seller that portion of said vendor offer data that has been transmitted to a consumer.

9. - The method according to claim 8, further characterized in that said step of notifying said vendor comprises electronically transmitting to said vendor at least a portion of the consumer profile data.

10. The method according to claim 8, further characterized in that it comprises the steps of: electronically receiving additional information of vendor offer from said vendor; and electronically transmitting said additional vendor offer data to said consumer. 1 - The method according to claim 10, further characterized in that it comprises the steps of: electronically receiving additional data of consumer profile of said consumer; and electronically transmitting said additional consumer profile data to said vendor. 12. A system for providing supply information to a consumer, comprising: a CPU; memory operatively associated with said CPU; a data store operatively associated with said CPU, said data store includes vendor location data and vendor offer data of at least one vendor; and program instructions executable by said CPU; wherein said system is operable to electronically receive data indicative of a consumer's location from a location specification device, and to electronically receive consumer profile data; and further wherein said program instructions are operable to: compare said consumer profile data with said vendor offer data, and determine whether any portion of said vendor offer data is of possible interest to said consumer; comparing said consumer location data with said vendor location data, and determining whether said consumer location is within a predetermined vicinity of said vendor; and if said consumer location is within a predetermined proximity of said vendor, and if at least a portion of said vendor offer data is of possible interest to said consumer, dynamically supplying to the consumer the portion of said vendor's supply information. seller that is of possible interest to the consumer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method executed on a computer for transmitting vendor offer data to a consumer, comprising the steps of: receiving and storing vendor offer data and data indicative of a vendor's location; electronically receive data indicative of the location of a consumer from a location specification device; and electronically transmitting to the consumer at least a portion of the vendor offer data, dynamically, when the location of the consumer substantially corresponds to the location of the vendor; The invention also has a system for providing supply information to a consumer, comprising: a CPU; memory operatively associated with said CPU; a data store operatively associated with said CPU, said data store includes vendor location data and vendor offer data of at least one vendor; and program instructions executable by said CPU; wherein said system is operable to electronically receive data indicative of a consumer's location from a location specification device, and to electronically receive consumer profile data; and further wherein said program instructions are operable to: compare said consumer profile data with said vendor offer data, and determine whether any portion of said vendor offer data is of possible interest to said consumer; comparing said consumer location data with said vendor location data, and determining whether said consumer location is within a predetermined vicinity of said vendor; and if said consumer location is within a predetermined proximity of said vendor, and if at least a portion of said vendor offer data is of possible interest to said consumer, dynamically supplying to the consumer the portion of said vendor's supply information. seller that is of possible interest to the consumer. 5B / mmf * P03 / 28F