Patent Publication Number: US-2012041821-A1

Title: Electronic System for Bargaining and Promoting

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates generally to advertising. More specifically, the invention relates to distributing advertisements through an electronic system. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Advertising using traditional media, such as television, radio, newspapers and magazines, is well known. Unfortunately, even when armed with demographic studies and entirely reasonable assumptions about the typical audience of various media outlets, advertisers recognize that much of their advertisement budget is simply wasted. Moreover, it is difficult to identify and eliminate such waste. 
     Mobile communication devices have gained significant popularity in recent years. Users are using the mobile device such as, for example, iPhone from Apple Inc, Cupertino, Calif., to access the Internet services. Methods for delivering targeted advertisements to users by employing mobile communication devices have been developed. The targeted advertising messages may be delivered based upon the user&#39;s personal profile, location and history of the user&#39;s interaction with the device. It has always been a significant challenge to understand the user&#39;s real interests and to deliver the advertising messages accordingly. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to disclose an electronic system to facilitate a purchasing process of a customer in a shopping area. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method that a customer and a retailer negotiate a purchasing agreement for a displayed item through an electronic system. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to disclose a method that promotional materials of a displayed item are sent to an interested customer. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic system comprises a server and a number of client devices. The client devices are connected to the server through a local communication network. Each client device may be associated with a displayed item. A mobile communication device carried by a customer may be connected to one of the client devices through an ad hoc communication link such as, for example, a Bluetooth connection. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the customer may send an offering price for the displayed item from the mobile device to the client device through the ad hoc link. The customer may also send the identity of the mobile device to the client device. The server may send an agreement or a counter offering price to the mobile device through the communication link. The customer may walk around in the shopping area. The mobile device may be connected to the local network through a different client device. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the customer may send an offering price and his communication addresses to the client device associated with a displayed item. The server may send promotional materials related to the displayed item to the customer&#39;s communication addresses through a public communication network. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its various embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram of an electronic system for facilitating a purchasing process between a customer with a mobile communication device and a retailer operating a local network; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of the electronic system illustrating that the mobile communication device may be connected to the local network through a different client device; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of electronic system illustrating that the mobile communication device may be connected to the server operated by the retailer through a public communication network; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of functional blocks of the electronic system comprising a client device and a mobile communication device; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a customer and a retailer negotiate a purchase agreement by using the electronic system; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that promotional materials related to a displayed item are sent to an interested customer through a public communication network; 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary process that a customer and a retailer negotiate a purchase agreement by using the electronic system with additional information provided by a data manager connected through a public communication network. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present invention. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefits of this disclosure. 
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary electronic system. The system  100  comprises multiple client devices  102 , being illustrated exemplarily as the devices  102 A to  102 D, connected to a server  106  through a local communication network  104 . The system  100  is placed in a shopping area including multiple displayed items. Each client device may be associated with one displayed item. The client device may include a first communication unit connecting to the server  106  through the local communication network  104 . The local communication network  104  may be a WiFi (IEEE 802.11x) type of network according to one implementation. The local communication network  104  may also be a LAN using various network technologies as known in the art. The server  106  may be operated by a retailer  114 . A customer  108  with a mobile communication device  110  walking around in the shopping area may be connected to any one of the clients  102  through an ad hoc communication link  112 . The communication link  112  may be a Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1) type of connection according to one implementation. The communication link  112  may also be a ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), and a WiFi (IEEE 802.11x) type of communication link. The communication link  112  may even be a Near-Field-Communication (NFC) type of link conforming to ISO 18092 or ISO 21481. According to such an implementation, the mobile communication device  110  may include a RFID card and the client device  102  may include a RFID reader. 
       FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the mobile communication device  110  may be connected to a different client device  102 . When the customer  108  is walking around in the shopping area, the mobile communication device  110  may maintain its connection to the local communication network  104  through a different client device time to time. 
     If the customer  108  is attracted by a displayed item, he may send an offering price to the associated client device  102  through the ad hoc communication network  112 . The customer may also send an identity of the communication device  110  to the client device  102 . The server  106  will know where the communication device  110  and therefore the customer  108  are located after the customer  108  is walked away from the client device. 
     After receiving an offering price, the retailer  114  may send an agreement or a counter offering price through the local network  104  to the mobile device  110  carried by the customer  108 . The customer  108  and the retailer  114  may continue to negotiate as long as the customer is connected to the local network  104  through any one of the client devices  102 . It should be noted that the retailer  114  may use a program stored in the server  106  or in any one of the client devices to carry out the negotiation process. 
     The embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 1  is exemplary. There will be variations of implementations as obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art. The client devices may possess sufficient processing power to negotiate with the customer  108  directly without using a server  106 . The client devices may be connected through ad hoc communication network such as a network conforming to the ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) standard. According to such an implementation, some of the client devices may be used as gateways to a communication network including local and/or public communication networks. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the customer  108  with the mobile communication device  110  may be connected to the sever  106  through a public communication network  116 . The public communication network  116  may be a public phone network. The public communication network  116  may also be the Internet. The communication link  118  may be a wireless link as known in the art. 
     The customer  108  may send his communication addresses to the client device associated with a displayed item that is interested to him. The communication addresses may include a phone number, an email address and a social network address. The customer  108  may also send an offering price to the client device  102 . The retailer  114  may collect addresses of a number of customers that are interested to the display item but have different price expectation than a displayed price. The retailer  114  may send promotional materials to the customers in a late stage using the communication addresses provided by the customers. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating functional blocks of an exemplary client device  302  and a mobile communication device  304 . The client device  302  comprises a processor  308 . The processor  308  may include a general purpose data processor such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller. The processor  308  may also include specific purpose data processing units. The client device  302  may further include a file storage system  310 . The file storage system may include mass storage unit such as magnetic storage devices and semiconductor flash memories. The file storage system  310  may also include caches such as SRAM&#39;s for reducing access time. The client device  302  may include a network communication unit  312  for connecting the client device  302  to the local network  104 . The client device  302  may also include a short range communication unit  314  for connecting the device to the mobile communication device  304  carried by the customer. The functional blocks are connected through a data bus  313 . 
     The exemplary mobile communication device  304  comprises a short range communication unit  316 . The communication units  316  and  318  conform to the same communication standard such as the Bluetooth standard (IEEE 802.15.1). The device  304  further comprises an input and output unit  318  including a display. According to one implementation, the display is a Liquid-Crystal-Display (LCD). The input and output unit  318  may further include a user interface unit for receiving the user&#39;s input. The interface unit may include keys, buttons, touch pads and touch screens. The device  304  may also comprise a processor  320 . The processor  320  may include a general purpose data processor such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller. The processor  320  may also include specific purpose data processing units. A network communication unit  322  is used to connect the mobile device  304  and a communication network such as, for example, a phone network or the Internet. The device  304  may further comprise a file storage system  324 . The file storage system  324  may include mass storage unit such as magnetic storage devices and semiconductor flash memories. The file storage system  324  may also include caches such as SRAM&#39;s for reducing access time. A bargaining manager  326  is used to manage the operation of the negotiation between the retailer  114  and the customer  108  using the system described in the present disclosure. The bargaining manager  326  may be implemented as a program according to one implementation. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a customer  108  negotiates with a retailer  114  by using the electronic system. Process  400  starts with step  402  that the mobile communication device  110  is connected to a client device  102  associated with a displayed item through the ad hoc communication link  112 . The identity of the mobile device  110  is received by the client device  102  in step  404 . An offering price for the displayed item is received by the client device  102  in step  406 . The received data may be sent to the server  106  and a counter offering price may be generated by the server  106  in step  408  if the retailer  114  does not agree with the offered price by the customer  108 . The server  106  checks if the mobile device  108  is connected to the client device  102  associated with the displayed item or the mobile device  108  is connected through another client device in step  410 . If the result is positive, a counter offering price may be sent to the customer  108  through the ad hoc communication link  112  in step  412 . In step  414 , the server  106  checks if a price agreement is reached between the customer  108  and the retailer  114  by receiving an acknowledgement message from the customer  108 . If the result is positive, the process  400  is completed. Otherwise, the customer&#39;s willingness to continue the negotiation is judged in step  416 . If the result is positive, the price negotiating steps  406  to  414  are repeated until an agreement is reached or one of the parties withdraws from the negotiation. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that promotional materials related to a displayed item are sent to an interested customer through a public communication network. Process  500  starts with step  502  that the mobile device  110  and one of the client devices  102  is connected through an ad hoc communication link  112 . The client device  102  receives the user&#39;s communication addresses in step  504 . The client device  102  receives the user&#39;s price expectation for the displayed item associated with the connected client device in step  506 . Promotional materials are sent to user&#39;s communication addresses in step  508 . It should be noted that step  506  is optional and the retailer may send promotional materials to the customer  108  even if the system does not receive the offering price from the customer. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary process that a customer  108  and a retailer  114  negotiate a purchase agreement by using the electronic system with additional information provided by a data manager connected through a public communication network. Process  600  starts with step  602  that the mobile communication device  110  is connected to one of the client devices  102  through the ad hoc communication link  112 . The identity of the communication device  110  is received by the client device  102  in step  604 . The displayed product identifier or any other information related the displayed item is sent from the client device  102  to the mobile communication device  110  in step  606 . After receiving the product identifier or other related information, the mobile communication device  110  is connected to a data manager through a public communication network in step  608 . The customer receives price comparison from different retailers by the data manager. The other product-related information such as, for example, quality, rating by customers and consumer guidelines from consumer research institutions may also be sent to the customer in step  608 . The data manager may be connected to a number of retailers, a number of manufacturers and a number of customer rating organizations. After reviewing the data from the data manager, the customer  108  sends an offering price for the displayed item to the client device  102  through the ad hoc communication link  112 . The retailer  114  reviews the offering price and may send back a counter offering price in step  612 . The message may be accompanied with an alerting signal. If the price agreement is reached between the customer  108  and the retailer  114 , the process is completed. Otherwise the willingness of the customer to continue the negotiation will be judged in step  616 . If the result is positive, the steps  610  to  614  are repeated until an agreement is reached or the customer is withdrawing from the negotiation. 
     While the invention has been disclosed with respect to a limited number of embodiments, numerous modifications and variations will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.