NETWORK-BASED PLATFORM FOR STORING, TRACKING, SHARING
AND SELECTION OF CONSUMER-DEFINED PREFERENCES
Cross Reference to Related Applications
This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application
Serial No. 61/ 6 1,490, filed April 7, 2012 and herein incorporated by
reference .
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a methodology for enabling a
consumer to define preferences for specific goods and services via a
mobile device, maintaining a database of these preferences and utilizing
these preferences to enhance the consumer's "bricks and mortar"
shopping experience.
Background of the Invention
The Internet has redefined how consumers and businesses interact
with each other, providing instant access for consumers to online
purchasing, and creating a unique marketing and distribution channel for
businesses to reach their audiences. Businesses have been able to
increase the effectiveness of targeting customers through the web;
however, the art and science of reaching target audiences online is still
very much in development.
Electronic commerce (e-commerce) has empowered consumers with
the ability to obtain information on anything for sale online, at any time,
from hundreds of millions of contributors around the world. Existing
recommendation systems in online e-commerce portals allow users to
research and create recommendations on items and services for sale,
restaurants, vacation destinations, and so forth. Many of these systems
allow for open access; in other words, anyone, anywhere can create
content (i .e., a "recommendation"). Systems for providing
recommendations based on relationships to an individual searching for
information online have not yet evolved to a mature state. At most,
recommendations may take into account relationships that interested
parties have with items similarly bought or browsed by other consumers.
And yet, even with the advent of online retailing, many individuals
desire to maintain the actual experience of shopping in a "bricks and
mortar" store (i.e., an actual physical retail location). The integration of
electronic information with a bricks and mortar experience is relatively
new, and remains primarily a tool used by the retailers to "push"
advertisements to all mobile-equipped shoppers in their store without any
type of target advertising.
Another type of application on the Internet that has recently grown
in popularity is the social network. Social networks allow individuals to
connect with others through a mapping of relationships, whether they are
representations of personal friendships, business relationships, common
interests, or other relationships. Social networks have attempted to
incorporate e-commerce functionality through targeted and non-targeted
advertising systems, but these technologies have not yet developed to
their full potential. Social networks are rich in relationship information,
but have yet to harness it to empower businesses to connect with
individuals, and vice versa.
Summary of the Invention
The needs remaining in the prior art are addressed by the present
invention, which relates to a methodology for enabling a consumer to
indicate preferences for types of products and services via a mobile device,
maintaining a database of these preferences and utilizing them to
enhance a "bricks and mortar" shopping experience.
In accordance with the present invention, the merging of online
shopping, target advertising and social networking is re-configured to be
directed "outward" from the user - who defines his/her own "preferences"
and then utilizes a network-connected mobile device to seek out "bricks
and mortar" establishments where these "preferred" products/ services
may be found. That is, instead of focusing on ways a merchant can reach
"targeted" consumers, the present invention empowers the enduser/
consumer (hereinafter referred to as "user") to define his/her own
preferences and make this information known to the retailers.
In at least one aspect of the present invention, a user is able to
develop a set of product/ service "preferences" that are entered, updated,
etc. to a network service platform via his/her mobile device. In another
aspect of the present invention, a user may make a recommendation
about a product or service to someone in his "retail network", where this
is defined as referral or "ref" (and may also receive "refs" from other
network members).
Indeed, one aspect of the present invention is the ability to
determine the possibility of a particular product being of interest to a
consumer based upon an analysis of the "preferences" of his/her friends,
including as a factor any prior history of the consumer's preferences
aligning with those of his/her friends.
In one aspect, the present invention discloses a network-based
platform configured to enable user-defined, preference-based retail
shopping, the platform including: a registered user database, the user
database including a separate record for each user, the record including a
listing of product/ service preferences created and maintained by the
registered user; a registered merchant database, the merchant database
including a separate record for each merchant that has subscribed to
preference-based retail shopping service, including a link for
communicating with an external database maintained by the registered
merchant; and a special-purpose computer in communication with the
user database and the merchant database, the special-purpose computer
including a microprocessor, memory and peripheral devices for analyzing,
correlating and transmitting information regarding user preferences and
merchant products and services, the special-purpose computer
configured to interact via a communication network with mobile devices
associated with each registered user, accepting modifications to the
listings of preferences as transmitted by the users to the platform.
In another aspect, the present invention takes the form of a method
of performing user-defined preference-based retail shopping comprising
the steps of: creating a database of user-defined product/ service
preferences, the database capable of being updated by registered users via
associated mobile devices; creating a database of registered merchants
having retail locations in various cities, the database including a link for
enabling communication with a merchant database; receiving, at a
special-purpose computer at a network platform, a request from a
registered user for finding a pre-defined preference/product service;
determining, at the special-purpose computer, the current location of the
registered user; utilizing a processor within the special-purpose computer
to search the registered merchant database based upon the requested
preference/product and current location of the registered user; and
communicating the search results to the registered user to enable the
registered user to review all results and continue with a retail purchase
for a selected merchant.
Other and further aspects and features of the present invention will
become apparent during the course of the following discussion and by
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Referring now to the drawings, where like numerals represent like
parts in several views:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication network within
which the preference-based retail activities may be controlled;
FIG. 2 is a screenshot of the website associated with the preferencebased
shopping service of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary record of user preferences ("prefs") as stored
within a registered user database of the inventive preference-based
shopping service of the present invention, the user database located at
the network-based preference service platform;
FIG. 4 is an exemplary of record of a registered merchant that
utilizes the preference-based shopping service of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a set of "prefs" as presented to a user,
where these "prefs" have been previously defined by this user and entered
into his database record at the preferences service platform;
FIG. 6 is a screen shot of various options associated with
purchasing a specific "pref;
FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a map showing locations where a specified
"pref may be purchased;
FIG. 8 is a screen shot of a particular merchant's other product
offerings, indicating other ones of the user's "prefs" (as well as "refs") that
may be found at this location;
FIG. 9 is a screen shot of a set of "refs" that have been sent to a
user; and
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a
compatibility score for a set of "refs" that have been sent to a user.
Detailed Description
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication network 10 within
which a user-defined, preference-based retail shopping experience may
occur. As shown, network 1 includes a preference service platform 20
that interacts with various registered users and registered businesses
through a communication network, represented in this instance a s
Internet 12. In order for individuals to avail themselves of the advantages
of preference based shopping in accordance with the present invention, it
is necessary to use a communication device with geo-Iocating capabilities,
such as available with various types of smartphones, tablets and the like
(hereinafter collectively referred to as "mobile devices"). For the purposes
of illustration, an exemplary user U is shown as having a mobile device 1
in his possession for performing preference-based shopping (among the
myriad other uses for a mobile device).
As shown in FIG. 1, preference service platform 20 contains a
database 22 of registered users (hereinafter referred to as "user database
22"), where the individual entries for each registered user are created,
edited, updated and the like by the user himself. Similarly, preference
service platform 20 contains a database 24 of registered merchants
(hereinafter referred to as "merchant database 24"}. As will be discussed
in detail below, each registered merchant maintains a database listing of
available products and services for each geographic location where the
merchant is doing business (that is, each "bricks and mortar" location).
Other types of associated information (e.g., sales, user-specific coupons
and "specials") may also be held within a registered merchant's database
entry.
An individual that would like to become a "user" of preferencebased
shopping initiates the process by downloading the necessary
software application onto his mobile device from a special-purpose
computer 26 at preference service platform 20 (in this case, user U
downloads a software application referred to as "myPref" onto mobile
device 14). Special-purpose computer 26, as described in detail below,
includes a processor, memory and peripheral devices that enable
preference service platform 20 to perform analysis of various user
preferences and merchant offerings, performing correlations and other
types of data analysis regarding the retail activities of various users inter
connected within their own "retail network" (as a type of social networking
function). By downloading this application, user U is establishing his
account on preference service platform 20, creating a record in user
database 22 for storing all of his product and service preferences.
A screenshot of an exemplary mi/Pre/homepage as appearing on
mobile device 14 is shown in FIG. 2. User U can then interact with this
application and begin to populate his database record 22-U within user
database 22 with his specific preferences. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary
configuration for database record 22-U associated with user U and
maintained within user database 22 at preference service platform 20. As
will be discussed in detail below, user U may update, change, etc. the
various "prefs" that he stores in his database record 22-U. It is a
significant aspect of the present invention that all of these activities are
controlled by the user himself, essentially "advertising" his preferences.
This is considered to be a significant difference from various prior art
types of targeted advertising where the merchant was in control of the
products/ services that were viewed by a user.
FIG. 4 shows an exemplary database record 24-M for a registered
merchant that is offering his products at various retail establishments
across the country. The database record for merchant Mincludes, in this
case, information that can be used by special purpose computer 26 to
launch a query to merchant M's (private) database system and retrieve the
necessary information. It is to be understood that a merchant must first
elect to participate in the "preference"-based service of the present
invention, creating a record in merchant database 24. Indeed, the burden
remains with the merchant to maintain updated and accurate information
in this database record. Additionally, there may be other configurations
that are used to retrieve merchant-specific information, the
communication between special purpose computer 26 and the merchant's
database system is considered as only one exemplary arrangement.
A social networking aspect to the user-defined preference shopping
of the present invention is that the user is able to create a "retail network"
with his friends and acquaintances - sharing his "prefs" with them (these
being defined as referrals or "refs" on his friends' mobile devices (listing
"U" as the person who sent the "ref"). For example, presume that user U
has just purchased a new pair of running shoes (AAShoes) from
AAClothes in his hometown (city A) and has found them to be
exceptionally better than all of the shoes he has previously tried. He may
now list "AAShoes" as a "pre within his database record 22-U. Since he
is a member of a running club with persons V and W (who are also
members of his user-defined preference-based retail network), he thinks
both of them would also like this type of running shoe. Thus, he sends a
"re of "AAShoes" to both V and W, where this "ref will now be contained
in their database records 2 -V and 22-W, respectively. Indeed, each
database record maintains a listing of all products/ services that a specific
user lists as his/her "prefs", as well as a separate listing of "refs" - where
the listing of "refs" also includes the identity of the person in the retail
network that sent the "ref.
With this basic understanding, an exemplary method of employing
a user-defined preference to make a purchase will now be explained
detail, based on the diagrams as shown in FIGs. 1-4.
Suppose that user U lives in city Aand has downloaded the myPref
application into his mobile device 14. Among other items, user U has
entered "chicken saag" as a "pref for foods that he enjoys. At a later
time, user U has traveled to city C and would like to find a restaurant that
serves one or more of his "pref foods. User U activates his myPref
application and retrieves a listing of his "pref foods (which is stored
within his database record 22-U at platform 20). By launching the myPref
application, user U sends a request through internet 12 to preference
service platform 20, where special purpose computer 26 functions to
verify the credentials of user U as a "registered" individual and then
retrieve the food "pref information from user record 22-U. This
information is then communicated back to mobile device 14. FIG. 5 is a
screenshot of this returned information, showing a set of "pref foods
associated with user U, as well as the "distance" to a location which
serves this food (the distance determined by geo-location information
within mobile device 14).
User U then selects a specific food on the listing, for example,
"chicken saag", where this information is then communicated through
internet 12 to special purpose computer 26 at preference service platform
20. Special purpose computer 26 sends a query to merchant database 24
to search for restaurants in city C that serve this particular dish (where
city C is selected based upon the current location of user U).
Special purpose computer 26 then creates a response in the form of
a listing of all restaurants that serve this dish, and transmits the list
through internet 12 back to mobile device 14 of user U. FIG. 6 is a
screenshot of this step in the process, with the specific "pre being
searched located in window 60, and user's current location shown in
window 62. As shown, the listing includes the name of each restaurant
that serves this particular dish in this local geographic area. As an
additional feature, this particular "page" of the preference-based shopping
application includes a set of picture links 64 (shown a s "salad", "Indian"
and "desserts") that may be used to direct user U to other choices.
To assist in making a decision, user U can request a map showing
the locations of the various restaurants, shown as a screenshot in FIG. 7,
which indicates a restaurant that user U has included as a "pref in
database record 2 -U.
Beyond providing this information, the user-defined preference
shopping service of the present invention also allows for the user to view
other information that a particular merchant in this case, restaurant)
may want a potential purchaser to review. In this case, the information
takes the form of the "menu" of various dishes available at this
restaurant. Moreover, as shown in the screenshot of FIG. 8, the service of
the present invention is able to retrieve any other "pref foods associated
with user U that are also available at this restaurant. The "thumbs-up"
icon 80 on the left-hand side of a specific dish indicates U's "pref of this
dish. Also shown in the screenshot of FIG. 8 is a "thumbs-up" icon 82 on
the right-hand side of the display, associated with each dish in the listing.
These icons are referrals (or "refs") from individuals that are in the "retail
shopping" network with user U. The numerical value of icon 32 indicates
the number of U's associates that have sent him "refs" for this dish.
Various other icons that may be utilized to activate other options
associated with the myPrefservice are shown in FIG. 8 a s well. Icon 84
presents a new screen including a "listing" of all of user U's "prefs" that
may be found at this restaurant. Icon 86 presents a new screen of all
menu offerings for this restaurant, and icon 88 presents other
"information" about the restaurant. The ability to "check in" (such as for
a reservation) is provided by icon 90 and icon 92 provides a list of "deals"
currently available.
As mentioned above, one social networking aspect of the service of
the present invention is the ability for individuals that are "connected" to
each other in a self-defined "retail network" to send "refs" to others -
where these referrals identify various products or services that an
individual may think his friends would also enjoy. Unlike the random
type of "target advertising" utilized by many vendors today, the ability to
empower individual purchasers to share referrals with their friends and
acquaintances improves the likelihood that the referral is actually
considered by the recipient. FIG. 9 is a screen shot of an exemplary set of
"refs" that are stored in database record 22-U for user U. As shown,
these "refs" include foods and various other products.
Beyond merely identifying "refs", the preference shopping service
of the present invention is able to weight the importance of these
recommendations to a specific user by providing a "compatibility index"
(CI), generated by special purpose computer 26. FIG. 10 illustrates this
concept. User U has received "refs" for running shoes from 1 1 different
people in his retail network. Five of these friends have sent a "ref" for
shoe BBB, and six friends have sent a "ref for shoe CCC. Based on sheer
numbers, therefore, user U would be more likely to purchase shoe CCC
However, in accordance with the present invention, special purpose
computer 26 is configured to perform an analysis to determine the
number of instances where there have previously been preference
matches between user U and this group of 11 people, defining in this case
a "compatible" weighting factor (as well as a "not very compatible"
weighting factor). As a results of this analysis, it is shown that a
"compatible" friend has a weighting factor of 3.8, while the "not so" factor
is a lower value of 2.0
In this particular example, the smaller group associated with shoe
BBB is seen to include three friends with the higher "compatible"
weighting factor, as compared with only a single friend having the
"compatible" weighting factor that recommends shoe CCC. By determining
the total "compatibility score" for each group (i.e., for BBB, 2*2 + 3*2.8 =
15.4 vs. for CCC 5*2 + 3.8 = 13.8), it is clear that user U's preference is
more likely with the BBB shoe.
With all of this information as provided in accordance with this
aspect of the present invention, therefore, user U will now be more likely
to purchase shoe BBB and be pleased with this purchase.
While the ability to have the user /consumer be in control of the
purchasing process by defining his own preferences, there are advantages
to merchants as well. For example, one feature of the myPrefservice is
defined as "check in" (shows as icon 40 on FIG. 8). This feature can be
used in the conventional fashion as providing a message to a restaurant
that an individual with a reservation has arrived. However, in the broader
commercial context, this "check in" feature may be used (when activated
by the individual) to announce his "arrival" at a merchant location that
offers for sale one or more of his "pref products (or, indeed, that specific
retailer may be a "pref itself) . The local merchant location will receive a
message from preference shopping platform 20 that user U has entered
the store (where this message may also include information that user U
often shops there for running shoes). Merchant Mmay then create
special "deals" for user U and send them as messages to user U.
Inasmuch as these various preferences, purchases, referrals and
the like are all stored and maintained in a database, a particular
merchant may use this information as a mechanism to generate "rewards"
for various individuals (for example, based on the number of "prefs"
associated with that individual, or the number of refs that become
"prefs" for other persons in that individual's network, or the like). Special
purpose computer 26 may be particularly configured to analyze all of this
data and determine different types of reward programs that are useful for
the registered merchants.
As used herein, the terms "service platform", "special purpose
computer", "databases", "processor" and the like are all considered to
assist in defining the concepts of the present invention in terms of
presenting concrete realizations of a specific method - that is, assisting an
individual in purchasing a particular product or service. The specific
hardware components as embodied at the preferences service platform are
required to store the "pref and "ref data, perform analysis of this data for
a variety of applications (i.e., correlating user "prefs" with merchant
products, analyzing the compatibility of various "refs" with a user's
preferences, and the like). And while the term "special purpose computer"
is used throughout the specification, it is to be understood that a general
purpose computer may be provided with particular specialized programs
and constructs to be transformed into a "special purpose" computer for
the purposes of providing a preference-based shopping service platform.
While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been
discussed above, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize certain
modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It
is therefore intended that the following appended claims are interpreted to
include all such variations within their true spirit and scope.
What is claimed is:
1. Anetwork-based platform configured to enable user-defined,
preference-based retail shopping, the platform including
a registered user database, the user database including a separate
record for each user, the record including a listing of product/ service
preferences created and maintained by the registered user;
a registered merchant database, the merchant database including a
separate record for each merchant that has subscribed to preferencebased
retail shopping service, including a link for communicating with an
external database maintained by the registered merchant; and
a special-purpose computer in communication with the user
database and the merchant database, the special-purpose computer
including a microprocessor, memory and peripheral devices for analyzing,
correlating and transmitting information regarding user preferences and
merchant products and services, the special-purpose computer
configured to interact via a communication network with mobile devices
associated with each registered user, accepting modifications to the
listings of preferences as transmitted by the users to the platform.
2 . The network-based platform as defined in claim 1 wherein at
least one record in the registered user database associated with a first
registered user further comprises a listing of referrals sent from other
networked users to the first registered user.
3 . The network-based platform as defined in claim 1 wherein the
special-purpose computer utilizes geo-location information from a
registered user to provide a matching between a user preference and a
registered merchant location offering the preference for sale.
4 . The network-based platform as defined in claim 1 wherein a
registered user performs an update to the associated database record by
using a mobile communication device.
5 . Amethod of performing user-defined preference-based retail
shopping, the method comprising the steps of:
creating a database of user-defined product/ service preferences, the
database capable of being updated by registered users via associated
mobile devices;
creating a database of registered merchants having retail locations
in various cities, the database including a link for enabling
communication with a merchant database;
receiving, at a special-purpose computer at a network platform, a
request from a registered user for finding a pre-defined
preference/product service;
determining, at the special-purpose computer, the current location
of the registered user;
utilizing a processor within the special-purpose computer to search
the registered merchant database based upon the requested
preference/ product and current location of the registered user; and
communicating the search results to the registered user to enable
the registered user to review all results and continue with a retail
purchase for a selected merchant.
6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the method further
comprises the step of:
transmitting a product referral from a registered user's mobile
device through the communication network to the network platform to
other users as defined by the registered user, where the special-purpose
computer recognizes the receipt of the referral, determines the identity of
the other users and forwards the referrals to the proper records in the
user database.
7. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the special-purpose
computer is further configured to generate a compatibility score between
selected ones of networked registered users, the compatibility score based
upon at least correlations between matching preferences of registered
users.
8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the compatibility
score further includes information related to determining the number of
referrals that become preferences for a registered user.