JP2010165154A - Sales system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for increasing sales of products and services at discount prices to customers having no intention to pay regular prices, without decreasing the number of sales to customers having intention to pay regular prices. <P>SOLUTION: The method includes: a step of receiving an inquiry, having at least one parameter, from a user relevant to the sales of an article; a step of identifying one or more discount articles satisfying the inquiry; for each discount article, a step of dynamically identifying a similar article having a non-discount price, using a real time data; a step of presenting the user with one or more similar groups, each including one discount article and the similar articles thereto; and a step of proceeding a sales process on the basis of a received user input in response to the presented one or more similar groups. Further, the method includes: a step of receiving a request from the user in regard to a multiplicity of sub-articles related to the article; and a step of exchanging with the user so that each payment of the multiplicity of sub-articles can be made with one of a multiplicity of payment methods. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the field of sales transactions, and more particularly to systems, methods and computer-readable media for conducting semi-opaque sales transactions.

  Currently, many online systems complete sales transactions in an opaque manner for a variety of reasons. For example, the travel industry makes extensive use of opaque sales that do not give product details until after purchase. Travel service providers, such as hotel operators, airlines, and car rental companies, earn revenue by selling a well-balanced inventory at a higher price without leaving customers who want to pay a lower price for the service. Maximize. Its purpose is to encourage retailers to pay regular prices while increasing the number of customers who do not pay regular prices. Reaching this optimal balance is called yield management.

  Yield management will affect the price sensitivity of travelers, as many travelers have learned from experience that prices for the same service vary widely. According to statistics, a traveler searches a number of websites or calls a number of travel call centers when planning a trip. Travelers tend not to trust one particular source until they confirm prices across multiple sources.

  Many travel service providers have noticed this phenomenon and have introduced rate-parity requirements across multiple sales channels. Parity is the idea that a service should be the same price wherever travelers search for the service. To promote this objective, service providers have introduced a low price guarantee system that ensures that parity exists across all sales channels.

  Service providers can discount unsold inventory and excess inventory (such as Expedia (R), Travelocity (R) and Orbitz (R)) as long as they do not interfere with the regular price sales channel It may be distributed to secure third-party aggregation sites to maximize occupancy. However, the service provider does not want to devalue the current price setting, so he asks for a discount. Specifically, travelers may find that due to their loyalty and friendliness, they may be willing to pay a legitimate price for the service, but will also be able to satisfy the discounted rates offered by third parties.

  This is where opaque sales methods apply. An opaque sales method does not reveal details of a product or service until after purchase. Examples of companies that employ opaque sales methods include Priceline (registered trademark) and Hotwire (registered trademark). Priceline and Hotwire both describe what they purchase in general terms, without clearly identifying the exact details of either the product or the service provider. The customer is informed of the details only after committing to purchase or only after actually purchasing. The sale at a discounted rate is actually in very general terms, so many travelers are not confident in the quality and evaluation of the purchased goods, so even a discounted price is completely opaque I feel uneasy about buying blindly travel services. As a result, many travel service providers have limited ability to sell excess inventory.

  This method of sale is well known to those skilled in the travel industry. The travel agent shows the customer a brochure with a group of hotels and informs the customer that a particular pack contains one of the groups of hotels shown in the brochure. The travel agent may then select one from the group based on the booking status or other factors. Also, when a travel agent presents a hotel brochure, the details that can be compared between hotels do not have to be fully disclosed, and the customer has no knowledge of the hotel. The customer is not guaranteed anything about the properties and quality of the hotel shown in the brochure, other than the travel agency's warranty. Travel agencies are also unable to keep up-to-date brochures everywhere.

  While opaque market trading issues are readily apparent in the travel industry, various other industries have also adopted opaque market trading methods. In addition, other industries want to enjoy the benefits of opaque sales, ie, increased sales of excess products and services, but are hesitant because of the potential shortcomings of opaque market transactions.

  Therefore, what is needed in the technology is to increase sales at discounted prices for products and services to customers who are not willing to pay the regular price, without reducing the number of sales to customers who are willing to pay the regular price. This is a method and a method for making the customer more relieved with respect to the purchase of products and services that are not disclosed.

  Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth herein. .

  Disclosed herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for conducting sales transactions. An example embodiment of a method for performing a sale receives a query having at least one parameter from a user associated with the sale of the product, identifies a discounted product from a class of products that satisfy the query, and uses real-time data Dynamically identifying at least one product similar to a discounted product at an undiscounted price, presenting a similar group including the discounted product and at least one similar product to the user, and responding to the presented similar group A method for advancing a sales process based on user input, wherein the presented similar group does not allow the user to identify which is a discounted product and which is at least one similar product. Also disclosed herein is a method for receiving a request from a user for a number of sub-items associated with a product and interacting with the user to pay each of the number of sub-products using a number of payment methods. It is.

  This selling method is a semi-opaque method as opposed to the opaque method described in the background art. In opaque sales, all details of the transaction were not given until after the transaction was completed. To put it simply, in opaque sales, complete a “sight unseen” purchase. In a semi-opaque sale, all details of the transaction object are disclosed in the same way as a non-opaque sale, but the user is not informed of exactly which product is the object of the transaction. In this way, the details of the transaction object are fully disclosed, but one or more important elements of information, such as which object in the object list will be the final transaction object, is not given.

  Another example embodiment is a network-based service accessible through the Internet, for example. In this embodiment, a business entity operates at least one computer device that communicates with a user at a client device in order to sell products and / or services. In this regard, the computing device presents information to the end user and receives input from the end user in the manner described herein. When completing the sale, the computing device may communicate with the manufacturer or service provider to receive the product or service purchased by the end user.

  As part of the interaction with the user, the system may allow the user to request a product (such as a hotel room, product or service) and a number of secondary products associated with the product. Examples of sub-products include a hotel room associated with a hotel, or a number of products (related to a product), or a number of sub-products of a professional service product, such as an accounting or legal service. There are different types of services. The system may interact with the user so that each secondary product can be paid with a separate credit card. This is preferred in a semi-opaque interaction with the user, after the user has accepted one of the groups of choices presented, but before the system informs the user what product has been purchased. . At this preferred point in time, the system may receive information about how a user or multiple users pay for one or more secondary items with separate credit cards.

In order to explain the manner in which the above and other advantages and features of the present invention are obtained, the present invention, briefly described above, will now be described in more detail with reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. To do. It should be understood that these drawings depict only representative embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting the scope thereof, and the invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specificity and details will be described.
1 illustrates an embodiment of a basic system or computer apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 3 illustrates an example configuration for a computer implemented semi-opaque sales method. Fig. 5 illustrates another example configuration for a computer implemented semi-opaque sales method. FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the implementation of FIGS. 2A1 and 2A2. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the method of the present invention. A screenshot of an inquiry page for the internet implementation of a semi-opaque travel site. Figure 6 shows a screenshot of the results page for an internet implementation of a semi-opaque travel site. A screenshot of a confirmation page for an internet implementation of a semi-opaque travel site. A screenshot of the inquiry page for the internet implementation of a semi-opaque home appliance site. A screenshot of the results page for a semi-opaque home appliance site implementation on the Internet is shown. A screenshot of the confirmation page for a semi-opaque home appliance site implementation on the Internet.

  Various embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. Although specific implementations are discussed, it should be noted that this is for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, exemplary systems for implementing the present invention include various systems including a processor (CPU) 120 and system memory such as read only memory (ROM) 140 and random access memory (RAM) 150. It includes a general purpose computing device 100 that includes a system bus 110 that couples components to a processor 120. Other system memory 130 may also be available. The invention may operate on a computer device having one or more CPUs 120, or on a group of computer devices or a group of computer devices to provide higher processing power. I want you to understand. The system bus 110 may be any of various types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus configurations. Basic input / output (BIOS) includes basic routines that facilitate the movement of information between elements within computer device 100, such as at startup, but is typically stored in ROM 140. The computer apparatus 100 further includes storage means such as a storage device (hard disk drive) 160, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, and a tape drive. The storage device 160 is connected to the system bus 110 by a drive interface. The drives and associated computer readable media provide non-volatile storage for computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for computer device 100. The basic components are well known to those skilled in the art, and appropriate modifications are contemplated depending on the type of device, such as whether the device is a small portable computer device, a desktop computer, or a computer server.

  The embodiment described here employs a hard disk, but includes a magnetic cassette, flash memory card, digital versatile disk, cartridge, random access memory (RAMs), read-only memory (ROM), and a bitstream cable. Alternatively, other types of computer readable media capable of storing computer accessible data, such as wireless signals, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment.

  In order to allow the user to interact with the computer device 100, the input device 190 can be any number of voice microphones, touch screens for gesture or figure input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, voice, etc. Represents input means. Using this input, the presenter may instruct the start of a voice search query. The output device 170 is also one or more output means. In some cases, various systems may allow a user to provide multiple types of inputs for communicating with computer device 100. Communication interface 180 typically controls and manages user inputs and system outputs. Since the present invention is not constrained in which specific hardware arrangement it operates, the basic features here are easily replaced by improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.

  For clarity of illustration, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is represented as having individual functional blocks (including functional blocks labeled “processors”). The functions represented by these blocks may be provided using either shared or dedicated hardware including hardware capable of executing software. However, it is not limited to these examples. For example, the functions of one or more processors shown in FIG. 1 may be provided by a single shared processor or multiple processors (the term “processor” refers only to hardware capable of executing software). And should not be understood.) Illustrative embodiments include a microprocessor and / or digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, a read-only memory (ROM) that stores software that performs the operations discussed below, and a random access memory that stores the results ( RAM). Not only custom VLSI circuits combined with general purpose DSPs, but also very large scale integration (VLSI) hardware embodiments may be provided.

  FIG. 2A1 shows a configuration example of a semi-opaque sales method implemented by a computer. The user communicates with the mediation system (server) 206 over the network 203 using the client device 202. The client device may be a phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone (such as iPhone® or Blackberry®), a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a call center, or other suitable device. The mediation system 206 may exchange information with one or more service providers 207. An example of the service provider 207 represents an entity that manufactures products, an entity that wholesales products, an entity that provides services, or an entity that combines any of these. For example, the service provider may be a hotel chain in which the mediation system 206 has reserved a room. The brokerage system 206 may receive the order in the role of a broker, complete the sale itself, and pass the order information to the service provider. As an intermediary, the intermediary system 206 does not complete the transaction at all and arranges interested customers for future contact with the service provider, either directly or via phone or email, You may connect. As an intermediary, the brokerage system 206 may actually complete sales and report those sales to the service provider in exchange for a fee. The conventions used by many intermediaries / service providers are known in the industry.

  The mediation system 206 of FIG. 2A1 exists beyond the network from the client device, but may exist in many other configurations, such as the configuration shown in FIG. 2A2. FIG. 2A2 shows another configuration example of a semi-opaque sales method implemented by a computer. The mediation system 206 may reside entirely within the network 203. The mediation system 206 may be implemented at one physical location, may be distributed at multiple locations, or may be implemented at multiple hardware or software. Many systems 206 are probably one for each industry (ie, one system for travel services, one system for insurance, one system for legal services, etc.) or one for each service provider (Geico (registered). (Trademark), one for Allstate (registered trademark), and one for progressive (registered trademark). If multiple systems are used for each provider in one industry, each system may share the same real-time information about similar products.

  FIG. 2B details an embodiment of the intermediary system “black box” of FIGS. 2A1 and 2A2. FIG. 2B shows an example of an intermediary system that sells hotel room reservations to users. However, the system and method apply to any product, service, or combination thereof. A user may communicate with the system using a client device such as a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA) that communicates with the server 206 over the network 203. The client device (user) 202 may first open a website operated by the server 206 and input an inquiry 204 about hotel reservations directed to the server. The web interface is one candidate in this example, but the client device 202 and the server can interact in any way, such as via a computer terminal, a telephone interface, an automated voice response (IVR) system, or a call center. Good. The server 206 may be a single computer, a part of a single computer, a group of computers, or any other configuration that can perform the necessary processing. Queries can be entered by filling out forms on web pages, clicking on links that offer set sales, calling customer service, and other forms of interaction between client devices and users. The query is accompanied by one or more parameters 208 for the query. The parameter may be explicit or implicit. One explicit parameter is whether the user 202 has checked the checkbox “Show only rooms with king-size beds”, and some implicit parameters mean that the client device is going to the Bahamas. Whether the user clicked on a link to a set sale ad. In that case, the client device 202 shows an implicit parameter of a hotel in the Bahamas. Possible parameters for hotel reservations include location, star rating, breakfast included, date range, pool availability, concierge service, valet service, room service, etc. In the example of one or more parameters in the contents of a hotel sale, the user requests a four-star hotel with a pool, a continental breakfast, or a movie theater nearby. If the product for sale is a car, possible parameters include color, fuel efficiency, leather interior, displacement, airbags, and so on. Common features that are compared to similar products may be used as parameters.

  The server selects one or more discount products that satisfy the parameters of the query 204 from the array 210 of all discount products. FIG. 2B shows three selected discount products 216 that satisfy the query. This would in the travel pack example indicate a request for a travel pack to the Caribbean, and the three discount items that would satisfy the query would be a hotel in St. Lucia, St. Thomas, or St. John. If the user requests a ski resort, Bail Four Seasons, Big Ski Ritz, or Park City Hyatt will be selected. The discount product may include a number of destinations or one destination as long as the inquiry parameters are met.

  The server then analyzes the real-time data 214 and generates an array 212 of all similar items. In our example, similar products may be Marriot®, Comfort Inn®, Embassiy Suites® and Ramada®. The real-time data 214 may be updated by a third party, may be acquired directly from a service provider or a product provider, or may be acquired by other methods. Real time may have a flexible meaning. In the context of time-sensitive products or services, where prices vary rapidly based on availability and demand, such as hotel and airline reservations, real-time means that the data has not passed more than 5 minutes It's okay. For less time-dependent products or services where the price does not fluctuate immediately, such as home appliances and furniture, real-time data may mean that the data has not passed more than 72 hours. The threshold that determines the real-time meaning may depend on the type of product or service provided. Those skilled in the art will know how to understand and implement real time as it relates to the sale of a particular product or service.

  For each discounted product 216 that satisfies the query 204, the server 206 dynamically selects a subset 218 of similar products from the array 212 of all similar products based on at least one attribute of each discounted product. Each subset may contain a variable number of items depending on how many items are returned from an array of all similar items. The server combines each discounted product 216 with a respective subset 218 of similar products into a similar group 220. Similar groups may be processed by the filter module 222 to become filtered similar groups 224. The filter module may be a separate computer device or a plurality of computer devices, a routine that performs filtering, or others that can filter similar groups. The filter module may filter similar groups in a number of ways. If the filter module is intended to return the top five results, the filter module will subtract one from the top five products in one discounted product and similar group, or up to the top four Allow products. The filter module performs filtering based on one or more additional parameters or explicitly excludes the specified product or product attribute.

  Returning to the hotel example, if buyers and sellers specifically request that a particular attribute or product not be included, products that match Motel 6 (R) will be excluded, and if the buyer requests valet service, Only hotels with a bullet service pass through the filter module 222. Sellers or discount merchandise providers may also choose to employ filtering. Sellers may require that their products or services not be compared with certain other products. For example, if Hilton® is a service provider, Hilton may require that only 3 star or 4 star hotels be compared to Hilton. If the filter module is too restrictive and the size of the similar group is insufficient, the parameters may be expanded to allow more products to the filtered similar group.

  The filtered similar group 224 may be sent to the sorting unit 226 and sorted into the filtered and sorted similar group 228. The sorting means 226 may be configured to sort in any desired order. Similar groups of hotels may be sorted in ascending or descending order such as price, star rating, amenity, distance from desired location. Items in the similar group may be sorted according to any of their attributes or in any other order. Although it may not be intuitive, the sorting means may randomize the filtered similar groups to hide the identity of the discounted product from the user. The filtered and sorted similar groups may be presented to the user by any of a number of methods, such as, for example, a computer terminal, web interface, telephone interface, automated voice response (IVR) system, call center, etc. If desired, the actual retail price may be presented to the user along with filtered and sorted similar groups for reference to discounted prices.

  If a sorted and filtered similar group 228 is presented to the user, to ensure a semi-opaque result, do not allow any discounted product 216 to be identified as a discounted product; If so, it is preferable that the user does not know which products are just similar products 218. All products in a similar group may be displayed at regular retail prices or allow the user to select a number of products in a similar group that they like and provide an estimated price for each selected product in the similar group. You may make it receive.

  The user may be prompted with a message such as “If any hotel on the list is accepted with a discount of $ 300, click OK”. The user sends user input 230 to server 206 in response to one or more presented similar groups. The input may be a mouse click, filling in credit card information, verbal acceptance to call center employees, biometrics such as a fingerprint or retinal scan, or any other input means, and may include multiple types of input. Server 206 may proceed with the sale based on the received user input 230. Possible ways to proceed with the sale include publishing which products in the presented similar group are discounted products that the user has agreed to purchase, collecting credit card or other payment information, Transfer to the actual manufacturer or service provider, obtain size information (if clothing is sold), collect shipping information, record customer personal information, display a confirmation page , Sending confirmation emails, or other processing to gradually bring the customer closer to completing the transaction. This list of ways to drive sales is not necessarily comprehensive. Other methods are well known to those skilled in the art. Some methods of promoting sales may not apply to all types of products sold. For example, collecting the size of a customer's T-shirt may be appropriate for promoting the sale of T-shirts, but not for promoting the sale of legal services.

  In one variation, the purchased discount product may not be published until a predetermined date or time has passed since the user accepted the purchase. A given date or time may be absolute or relative. In the example of an absolute predetermined date or time, discounted products may not be released until March 10 for all sales made between March 1 and March 7. On a relative predetermined date or time, the identity of the discounted product purchased may not be revealed until 10 days after purchase. This technique may be used to prevent users from “gaming” the system. Abuse of the system means that an individual finds which products are discounted in a similar group and makes a sales contract to spread the information to others. This invalidates the semi-opaque surface.

  In another variation, the user may be presented with the option of excluding a certain number of items in the presented similar group for free or for a fee. This modification will help the user to be more satisfied with the product that they actually purchase. If you charge a fee for this service, the fee may be a flat fee, such as $ 50, or if one or more discounted products are available in a similar group, It may be based on the difference from the next lowest price or on other factors. The fee may be reserved, or all or part of the fee may be applied as a loan amount to the final purchase price. The number of products is determined by calculating the maximum number of products that can be deleted while holding at least one discounted product in a similar group and selecting any number up to the upper limit. In this way, the user feels more comfortable with the transaction because items that the user feels are potentially undesirable can be excluded from similar groups.

  In yet another variation, the user may be presented with a free or paid option to later terminate the sales process and / or any sales contract. If a fee is required, the fee may be secured or applied as a loan amount to the final purchase price. This modification allows the user to be more confident and satisfied with his purchase. This variation may be provided free of charge, but in practice, if all or part of the amount applies to the final purchase amount, the user is given money that can be buried for the purchase. There is a possibility that the service will be used. Users can “return” their confidence in sales because they can return it later if they are dissatisfied with the discounted product.

  For products that are easily separated, such as hotel room packs, that can be divided into multiple rooms with multiple nights, one or more customers can combine the packs, purchase them together, and individually You may want to pay the part. Credit card numbers and other payment methods may be collected for each individual in the group. Of course, some products are not suitable for purchase by many groups. For example, as discussed below, TV purchases are not suitable. Since television is usually owned by one person, customers generally do not combine the purchase of authority to the television. However, if three TVs or other large items are sold at a discounted price as a pack, the purchase of multiple groups also applies.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the method of the present invention. The computer-implemented method is a computer terminal, the Internet, a telephone, an automatic voice response system, a call center, (iPhone (registered trademark), Palm (registered trademark), Windows Mobile (registered trademark), portable information terminal, RIM Blackberry. It may be implemented on a variety of media interfaces such as portable computer devices (such as (registered trademark), mobile phones, etc.) and various interactive devices. In this method, an inquiry having at least one parameter is first received from a user related to the sale of a product (302). For hotel sales, query parameters include date, city, specific area of the city, amenities such as pool and continental breakfast, star ratings such as 2 and 4 stars, and nearby facilities (i.e. Restaurant, theater, subway, etc.) or other parameters. Second, the method identifies one or more discounted products from a class of products that satisfy the query (304). Discounted products offer unsold inventory and excess inventory from hotels that want to increase occupancy by yield management by selling rooms at lower prices to customers who are not willing to purchase rooms at regular prices. Conceivable. If the customer consents to the transaction, one of the identified discounted products is eventually sold to the customer. Third, for each discounted product, the method dynamically identifies (306) at least one similar product at an undiscounted price using real-time data. Real-time data may be captured from various hotel websites, travel service databases, product distribution information, or other sources. Real-time data is considered to identify products that are similar to discounted products in at least one attribute. Similar products are products of the same star rating if the inquiry is based on a star rating, and similar products may be considered if the inquiry is based on a specific location. Similar products should satisfy the query and be substantially similar to individual discounted products.

  Fourth, the method presents the user with a similar group that includes a discounted product and at least one similar product (308). The user is presented with discount products and similar products as a group rather than a list for selecting desired products. In addition to the group itself, detailed information about each product in the group may be presented if possible. The detailed information may include an address, features, amenities, photos, feedback, or other information that may be helpful in making a purchase decision. These additional details will help the user to make a reliable decision to accept any of the products in the group. Thus, this sales method is semi-opaque. Users can trade without looking like the completely opaque methods used in Priceline or Hotwire, which completely hides brands and products by disclosing only general information about the product they are purchasing. Never do. A completely opaque sales method can leave users who are worried that information is not known. On the other hand, in the semi-opaque sales method, the user can see details of each product of the similar group such as name, address, photo, description, etc., but it is not known which product of the similar group is a discount product. If you wish, you can carefully inspect the product through a third party. Even if the user does not know which products of the similar group are provided, he is confident that he can be satisfied with each of the products of the similar group, so he will not be surprised by not knowing. Since each item in the similar group satisfies the query, the user will generally already expect products that have the attribute of the similar group.

  Fifth, the method advances the sales process based on user input in response to the presented similar group (310). Proceeding with the sales process means actually selling the hotel room, charging the advance payment for the hotel room, charging the remaining amount at a later date, and acting as an intermediary to the user at the discounted hotel web It could be a site visit or other similar action that would bring the user closer to the completion of the sale. The user's input is by clicking on a button on a web page that says "Any of these products are accepted. I agree to purchase one of these products at a discounted price", a person working in a call center It may be possible to give a verbal agreement to or convey credit card information. User input may be any of a variety of methods for accepting an application for sale. Discounted products may be identified to the user for sale at any time, but in a semi-opaque system, the user agrees that any product in a similar group will be accepted and discounts one of the products in the similar group The greatest effect is maintained by not revealing the identity until after making a commitment to purchase.

  The semi-opaque method ensures that travelers do not know anything about a particular product or service provider, so discounted product providers are willing to increase sales and pay regular prices. Guaranteed not to reduce the number of customers. In addition, travel service providers can continue to sell regular priced products directly and can employ a price guarantee if the traveler needs a particular service.

  This semi-opaque sales method quantifies to specific attributes that can generate similar groups for hotels, airfares, travel packs, appliances, computers, insurance, loans, legal services, medical services, furniture, or discounted products Can be used to sell other products or services that can be

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a screenshot showing how a user makes an inquiry about a product. Although FIG. 4 shows a web browser, as described above, the present invention may be implemented in many ways, including a computer terminal, the Internet, a telephone, an automated voice response system, a call center, and the like. However, it is not limited to these examples. Web page 402 may include one or more methods of selecting one or more parameters 404, 406, and 408 for a group of products. Other means of indicating parameters include a text search field that allows the user to search through the product, a touchtone or verbal response to the voice response system, or other parameters indicating parameters known in the art. There are methods. The user may click the search button 410 after entering sufficient parameters for the query. The search button is shown for illustrative purposes only and is not considered limiting. The search button may be replaced by other labels, buttons, or other means for making an inquiry, or may not be entirely.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a screenshot showing a page returned to a user who has indicated a Caribbean Beach pack as a query parameter. The web page 502 may include a title 504, a brief description 506 of the overall parameters, a display price 508 for unspecified discounted products, and / or a display 510 of a discount rate for a regular retail price. The details of these fields may change dynamically from pack to pack based on available discounts and similar products or based on query parameters. The exact text of these fields is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit how the invention can be implemented. The discount rate display may be, for example, percentage, exact dollar amount, both, or neither. For example, the discount rate display in FIG. 5 may be “up to 36 percent off” or “up to $ 489 off”.

  Table 512 or other comparison means may be used to present a list of similar groups of products to the user in web page settings. In this example, three packs that satisfy the query parameters are returned. Each detail may be shown in a predetermined location or accessible via a link.

  When the user decides to purchase based on the presented information, the purchase button 514 may be clicked now. Other means for instructing purchase may be used. Small strings may be displayed on the button itself, elsewhere on the page, or not at all. As described above, the delete button 516 gives the user the opportunity to select and delete one or more products from the presented similar group. In this example, this selection is provided at $ 40, which is the difference between the lowest authorized retail price and the next lowest authorized retail price, but the price may be determined in another manner. The price for deleting one of the options may be free.

  If the user decides to purchase but wants to retain the right to cancel the purchase, the user may click the hedge button 518. In this example, the hedge button gives the user the option of canceling the transaction at a later date for a flat fee of $ 50, but this fee may be free, either a regular retail price or a discounted fee. Percentage of This feature can be in any part of the web page, but may be presented in ways other than simple buttons. For example, it may be presented in a pop-up window, such as when the user starts entering credit card information, or may be presented via other presentation means well known in the art.

  FIG. 6 shows an example confirmation web page 602 that the user sees after committing to purchase. Confirmation numbers or other confirmation means 604 are well known in the art. The web page may present and / or repeatedly display 606 a discount rate for the regular retail price to the customer. The semi-opaque sales method is purchased at this point or later by displaying additional detailed description 610 as well as product information 608 as shown in FIG. 5 for the purchased discount product. Discounted products may be specified. A purchase itemized statement 612 may also be provided so that the customer can print a web page as a confirmation or for transaction recording.

  FIGS. 7-9 are similar to FIGS. 4-6, but show how a user interacts with a semi-opaque system that sells televisions. FIG. 7 shows an example of a screenshot showing how a user makes an inquiry about a television, but this is merely an example and does not limit the invention. Although a web browser is shown in FIG. 7, as described, the present invention may be implemented in many ways, including a computer terminal, the Internet, a telephone, an automated voice response system, a call center, and the like. However, it is not limited to these examples. Web page 702 may include one or more methods of selecting one or more parameters 704 and 706 for a group of products. In this example, the first parameter 704 is a radio button group, and each radio button group indicates that a single selection of each group is possible. The second parameter 706 is a check box, indicating that any or all of them may be selected or none may be selected. Other means of indicating parameters include a text search field that allows the user to search through the product, a touchtone or verbal response to the voice response system, or other parameters that are well known in the art. There are methods. The search button 708 may be clicked after the user has entered sufficient parameters for the inquiry. The search button is shown for illustrative purposes only and is not considered limiting. The search button may be replaced by other labels, buttons, or other means for making an inquiry, or may not be entirely.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of a screenshot showing a page returned to the user who directed the 42-inch LCD 1080pHDTV with the query parameters. The web page 802 may include a title 804, a brief description 806 of the entire parameter, a display price 808 for unspecified discounted products, and / or a display 810 for a discount rate for a regular retail price. The details of these fields may change dynamically from pack to pack based on available discounts and similar products or based on query parameters. The exact text of these fields is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit how the invention can be implemented. The discount rate display may be, for example, percentage, exact dollar amount, both, or neither. For example, the discount rate display in FIG. 8 may be “up to 44% off” or “up to $ 930 off”.

  Table 812 or other comparison means may be used to present a list of similar groups of products to the user in web page settings. In this example, three televisions that satisfy the query parameters are returned. Each detail may be shown in a predetermined location or accessible via a link.

  If the user decides to purchase based on the presented information, the purchase button 814 may be clicked now. Other means for instructing purchase may be used. Small strings may be displayed on the button itself, elsewhere on the page, or not at all. As described above, the delete button 816 gives the user the opportunity to select and delete one or more products from the presented similar group. In this example, this selection is provided at $ 200, which is the difference between the lowest authorized retail price and the next lowest authorized retail price, but the price may be determined in other ways. The price for deleting one of the options may be free.

  If the user decides to purchase but wants to retain the right to cancel the purchase, the user may click the hedge button 818. In this example, the hedge button gives the user the option of canceling the transaction at a later date for a flat fee of $ 100, but this fee may be free, either a regular selling price or a discounted fee. Percentage of This feature can be in any part of the web page, but may be presented in ways other than simple buttons. For example, it may be presented in a pop-up window, such as when the user starts entering credit card information, or may be presented via other presentation means well known in the art.

  FIG. 9 shows an example confirmation web page 902 that the user sees after committing to purchase. Confirmation numbers or other confirmation means 904 are well known in the art. Here, since it is not a service but a physical product that is provided, the web page may display a tracking number along with a confirmation number. The web page may, at 906, present and / or repeatedly display to the customer a discount rate for the regular retail price, either in terms of a discounted dollar amount or a discounted percentage. A semi-opaque sales method is purchased at this time or later by displaying additional detailed description 910 as well as product information 908 as shown in FIG. 8 for the purchased discount product. Discounted products may be specified. Also, purchase itemized details 912 may be provided so that the customer can print a web page as a confirmation or for transaction records.

  The known methods used by travel agencies to present pamphlets to customers can be distinguished from the present invention in at least two ways. First, hotel brochure groups are not dynamically computer generated in real time. Hotel brochure groups are relatively static groups that do not change frequently and are difficult to update in real time. The group of hotel brochures is not dynamic because all customers who want to go to the same destination are usually shown the same brochure. Second, each group of hotel brochures is an option that is actually available. In a semi-opaque embodiment, not all of the similar group of products may actually be offered. Other differences between the face-to-face brochure presentation and the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to managing multiple credit cards for at least one user in a semi-opaque sale. In this aspect, it is assumed that the user wants to reserve a hotel and three rooms at a certain point in time with one or more users. In many cases, one person will make a reservation, but many people plan to stay at the hotel and may want to stay in rooms close to each other and pay separately. Thus, to name an example, perhaps as part of the initial description of the desired service, the user requests a number of hotel rooms or a number of adjacent hotel rooms. At some point in the interaction, the user may be given the opportunity to use a different credit card for each room, perhaps after the user has committed to purchase one of the offered hotel options. At that point, a dialog window or interactive window allows the user to enter separate information for each room. In some cases, one of the other people who will be staying in another room may not have given a credit card to the user making the reservation. In that case, the system reserves the room with the user's credit card, but the booking user provides another user's email address so that an automatic email can be sent, and the second user The credit card information may be input to the second user's room.

  Following entry of the necessary information for reserving the room, the system may present confirmation information. Further, the notification of which hotel of the presented hotel options may be extended until after all credit card information has been entered. For example, if the booking user has all of the many credit card information available, the notification that informs the user where to stay will be delayed until after the offer is accepted and credit card information is received . The system may then present the hotel and confirmation information to the booking user.

  The system may interact with the user and allow payment for each secondary item with a separate credit card. This is, as mentioned above, in a semi-opaque user interaction, after the user accepts one of the group of options presented, and the system presents the user with a notification of which product was purchased The point before is preferred. At this preferred point in time, the system may receive information about how a user or multiple users pay with different credit cards for one or more secondary items.

  Of course, the above approach may also be applied to product purchases where the user wants to purchase three products, but wants to pay with separate credit cards, etc. Further, the payment type may be a credit card, debit card, paypal, or other type of payment that currently exists or that will be developed in the future. For example, one secondary product may be purchased with a credit card, and the other secondary product may be purchased with a Paypal or debit card.

  Embodiments within the scope of the present invention may include computer-readable media that convey or have stored computer-executable instructions or data structures. Such computer-readable media can be any media that can be accessed and used by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage device, magnetic disk storage device, or other magnetic storage device, or a computer. There are other media used to convey or store the desired program code means in the form of executable instructions or data structures. If information is transferred or provided to a computer by a network or another communication connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination thereof), the computer will accurately identify the connection as a computer-readable medium. Capture. As such, any such connection is accurately termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

  Computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. In addition, the computer-executable instructions include program modules executed by a computer in a stand-alone or network environment. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular theoretical data types. Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code means for performing steps of the methods disclosed herein. Such a specific array of executable instructions or associated data structures provides examples of corresponding actions for implementing the functions described in such a process.

  Those skilled in the art will recognize that many embodiments of the present invention include many types of computer systems, including personal computers, mobile terminals, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. It will be understood that it may be executed in a networked computer environment having a configuration. Embodiments may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by local and remote processing devices that are connected through a communications network (either through hardwired drinks, wireless links, or a combination thereof). May be. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be in both local and remote storage devices.

  Although the above description may contain specific details, they should not be construed as limiting the claims in any way. Other configurations of the described embodiments of the invention are part of the scope of the invention. For example, this semi-opaque way of selling may be applied to home appliances such as flat-screen TVs and digital cameras. Accordingly, the appended claims and their legal equivalents merely define the invention rather than the given specific examples.

Claims (27)

A computer-implemented method for selling,
Receiving a query having at least one parameter from a user associated with the sale of the product;
Identifying one or more discount items that satisfy the inquiry;
For each discounted product, using real-time data, dynamically identifying similar products with undiscounted prices;
Presenting one or more similar groups to the user, each similar group including a discount product and a respective similar product;
Proceeding with a sales process based on received user input in response to the presented one or more similar groups.   The method of claim 1, wherein the similar group is presented via at least one of a computer terminal, a web interface, a telephone interface, an automated voice response device (IVR) system, a portable computing device, or a call center. The way.   The method of claim 1, wherein the step of proceeding with the sales process further comprises publishing to the user that the user has committed to purchase the discounted product.   The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is a purchase commitment based on the user's acceptance to accept any item in the presented similar group.   The method of claim 1, wherein the discounted product and each similar product includes at least one of a product, a service, or a combination thereof. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
Allowing the user to select the number of products in the similar group;
Presenting an undiscounted price for the user for each number of the items in the similar group.   The method of claim 1, wherein each product in the similar group is presented at an undiscounted price.   The method of claim 1, wherein an item in the similar group is not identified to the user as one of the discounted item or each of the similar items until after the sale.   The method according to claim 8, wherein the product in the similar group is not specified to the user as one of the discounted product or each of the similar products until a predetermined time has elapsed after the sale. Method. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
Determining the number of products, if any, that may be removed from the similar group, ensuring that at least one discount product remains;
Presenting the user with an option to delete any number equal to or less than the determined number of items from the similar group.   9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the user with an option to terminate the sales process later, free of charge, before receiving user input. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more similar groups are:
Generating an array of all discount products and an array of all similar products;
Identifying each discount product in the array of all discount products that satisfies the at least one parameter of the query from the user;
Generating a subset of similar products for each identified discount product, each subset being based on at least one attribute of each discount product;
Generating each discounted product in combination with a respective similar product into the similar group.   13. The method of claim 12, further comprising filtering each subset of similar products using at least one filter parameter to include or exclude certain attributes.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein after the subset has been filtered, if at least insufficient similar products are returned, the at least one filter parameter can be expanded.   13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one subset is sorted based on at least one attribute value associated with the subset content. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
Receiving a request for a number of sub-items associated with the product from the user;
Interacting with the user such that payment of each of the multiple sub-items can be made with one of multiple payment methods.   17. The method of claim 16, wherein the product is a hotel and the subsidiary product is a hotel room. A computer-implemented system for selling,
A module configured to receive a query having at least one parameter from a user associated with the sale of the product;
A module configured to identify one or more discount items that satisfy the query;
A module configured to dynamically identify similar products at undiscounted prices for each discounted product using real-time data;
A module configured to present one or more similar groups to the user, each similar group including a discount product and a respective similar product;
A module configured to proceed with a sales process based on received user input in response to the presented one or more similar groups. The system of claim 18, wherein
The user input relates to a purchase commitment based on one of the presented similar groups;
The module configured to proceed with the sales process further includes a module configured to publish to the user that the user has committed to purchase the discounted product.   19. The system of claim 18, wherein the similar group of products is not identified to the user as one of the discounted products or one of the respective similar products until after the sale. The system of claim 20, further comprising:
A module configured to determine, if any, the number of items that may be removed from the similar group, ensuring that at least one discount item remains;
A module configured to present the user with an option to delete any number equal to or less than the determined number of items from the similar group. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more similar groups are:
Generating an array of all discount products and an array of all similar products;
Identifying each discount product in the array of all discount products that satisfies the at least one parameter of the query from the user;
Generating a subset of similar products for each identified discount product, each subset being based on at least one attribute of each discount product;
A system generated by combining each discount product with the respective similar product into the similar group. A computer readable medium storing a computer program having instructions for performing sales, the instructions comprising:
Receiving a query having at least one parameter from a user associated with the sale of the product;
Identify one or more discounted products that satisfy the inquiry,
Use real-time data to dynamically identify similar products at undiscounted prices for each discounted product,
Presenting one or more similar groups to the user, each similar group comprising a discount product and a respective similar product;
A computer readable medium comprising proceeding a sales process based on received user input in response to the presented one or more similar groups.   The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user input is a purchase commitment based on the user's acceptance of accepting any item in the presented similar group.   23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein a product in the similar group is not specified by the user to be the discount product or one of the respective similar products until after the sale. . 24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions further include:
Determining the number of products that may be removed from the similar group, if any, ensuring that at least one discount product remains;
Presenting the user with an option to delete any number less than or equal to the determined number of items from the similar group. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more similar groups are:
Generating an array of all discount products and an array of all similar products;
Identifying each discount product in the array of all discount products that satisfies the at least one parameter of the query from the user;
Generating a subset of similar products for each identified discount product, each subset being based on at least one attribute of each discount product;
A computer readable medium generated by combining each discounted product with a respective similar product into a similar group.

Images