WO2001045023A2

WO2001045023A2 - Method and apparatus for presenting price protection information to buyers of retail products

Info

Publication number: WO2001045023A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/042368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ganesan Mamta; Verma Krishna
Original assignee: Ganesan Mamta; Verma Krishna
Priority date: 1999-11-30
Filing date: 2000-11-28
Publication date: 2001-06-21

Abstract

A procedure for retail consumers to obtain price protection and price comparison information using computer communications technology. A retail consumer, using an input device such as a personal computer or wireless communication device accesses a computer data base, registers information for a product which the consumer wishes to purchase and information to identify the consumer and the request for price protection information. This request is compared with data on advertised products collected from sales circulars, advertisements and other sources. Any result from this comparison which would qualify the consumer for a price protection benefit is transmitted to the consumer in a manner selected by the consumer such as e-mail. The consumer would then use this information to obtain a refund under a sellers price protection policy or use it to obtain the advantageous price at the time of purchase.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING PRICE PROTECTION INFORMATION TO BUYERS OF RETAIL PRODUCTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of consumer controlled retail price protection methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The retail purchase of innumerable items involve retailer provided price protection guarantees. To be effective several steps must be taken by the parties. First, after a purchase is made, the buyer must become aware of the fact that another retailer is offering the item at a lower price. Second the buyer must determine if this offer qualifies the buyer for a price protection refund. Third the buyer must obtain the required proof of the lower price in a form acceptable to the retailer and fourth, the buyer must go to the retailer and present the required information and receive a refund.

There have been other techniques which have attempted to improve this process for the buyer such as those described in Bloomberg, et. al., United States Patent No. 5,642,279, which the retailer uses computerized data bases to generate a rebate check to qualifying buyers. However, this approach is in the control of the retailer, applies only for the retailer who elects to implement this technique and does not provide any independent search for qualifying offers or notice to the buyer.

Other methods for obtaining pricing information which are becoming widely available and used make use of on line searches by buyers. These buyer initiated searches require substantial time to find relevant information and often produce results which do not qualify because of geographic location, other exclusions in the retailers price protection policy (such as on line offers) or out of date information. They also must be done repetitively to obtain current information. In addition, many retailers require the buyer to produce a copy of the competitive advertising which is not available on line. The net effect of these factors is that a buyer will spend a substantial amount of time and effort which, in many cases, turn out to be useless.

Given the present circumstances there is a need for a buyer controlled price protection process which is properly focused, easy to use and which will provide timely usable information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for buyers to obtain relevant price protection information by registering their purchase and receiving a notice if a qualifying offer is available to them.

The buyer registers a purchase, including the item, date, retailer name and location, price protection terms and the buyer's contact information for notification purposes. If a qualifying offer is available during the price protection period the buyer is notified of the qualifying offer and the buyer can then obtain the refund from the retailer.

It is a further object of this invention to permit the buyer to register a purchase by electronic means such as web browsing software, e-mail, hand held personal digital assistants PDAs, internet appliances and other similar devices.

It is also an object of this invention to permit the buyer to register the purchase by fax or voice communication to either a live service person or by means of voice recognition software.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for notice to the buyer by electronic means via e-mail, pager notification or other similar methods of communication as well a fax or voice telephone notice from a live service person or computer generated voice notification. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for a unique identifier for each registration as well as unique anonymous registration for individuals who want to minimize the dissemination of information related to themselves.

It is a further object of the present invention to notify the buyer about the availability of items related to the purchased item from the seller or competitors either automatically or at the request of the buyer.

It is a further object of the present invention to notify the buyer about the availability of items similar to the purchased item such as a different model from the same manufacturer or similar models from other manufacturers which are available at comparative prices or without regard to price either automatically or at the request of the buyer.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide prospective buyers the ability to register a prospective purchase and if an acceptable product is not currently available at an acceptable price to be notified during a specified time period if an acceptable product becomes available. The buyer may also specify an acceptable geographic area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a buyer with the ability, by using a wireless device such as an internet capable PDA, to make a price comparison inquiry for a particular item while at a retailer by entering product information and obtaining comparative pricing information for immediate use.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a purchase price protection technique which the buyer can monitor by permitting the buyer to access a data base to check for any notices and the status of the buyer's registration.

It is a further object to provide for a data base which automatically deletes the buyer registration information when the price protection period expires to protect the privacy of the user. An additional object of the present invention is to analyze price offerings by product, price, location, duration and other applicable criteria such that the buyer is provided with timely relevant competitive qualifying pricing information.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a buyer with links to competitive sites advertising goods which qualify the buyer for a price protection benefit, access to downloadable competitive advertising copy and/or the names of publications and dates which include competitive advertising copy to provide documentation for the buyer to exercise a price protection offer.

The foregoing objects, features, advantages and techniques of this invention are set forth in the following description.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the central controller.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the buyer interface.

FIG. 4 is a block flow diagram of a method in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment showing how a purchased product registration is generated.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary price protection routine.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the maintenance of advertised product records.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of the maintenance of buyer purchased product registration data.

Fig. 9 illustrates one embodiment of the input interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The method and apparatus of the present invention, which is described in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. include input interface 100, central controller 200, buyer interface 300 and data storage device 270 which is comprised of various associated databases. In Fig. 1, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, buyer purchased product registration data (BRD) 120 is received from the buyer, this data is checked in central controller 200 against advertised product records (APR) 1 10 and if a relevant comparison is found notice of available price protection detail (PPD) 130 is sent to the buyer. Thus, a buyer can get refund for a part of the price paid for a purchased product.

System Architecture

The system architecture of a first embodiment of the apparatus and method of the present invention is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention comprises input interface 100, central controller 200 and buyer interface 300. Central controller 200 and buyer interface 300 are connected via an Internet connection using a public switched phone network such as those provided by a local or regional telephone operating company. Modem 350 is shown as an example of a device for establishing said connection. Said connection between central controller 200 and buyer interface 300 may also be provided by dedicated data lines, cellular, Personal Communications Systems ("PCS"), microwave or satellite networks. Input interface 100, described below, and central controller 200 are typically connected via a local area network (LAN). Said connection between input interface 100 and central controller 200 may also be provided by any of the methods discussed above for connection between central controller 200 and buyer interface 300 or any other high speed connecting means. Input interface 100 and buyer interface 300 are the input and output means for communication with central controller 200. Using the above components, the present invention provides a method and apparatus to receive buyer purchased product registration data (BRD) from buyers, check it against advertised product records (APR) and send available price protection detail (PPD) to buyers.

As shown in FIG. 2, central controller 200 includes central processor (CPU) 210, price protection processor 215, RAM 220, ROM 230, clock 240, operating system 250, network interface 260 and data storage device 270. A conventional personal computer, computer workstation or server with sufficient memory and processing capability may be used as central controller 200 In one embodiment it operates as a web server receiving BRDs 120 from buyers and APRs 1 10 from input interface 100 Central controller 200 must be capable of high volume transaction processing, performing a significant number of mathematical calculations in processing communications and database searches A Pentium microprocessor such as the Pentium III 600 MHz commonly manufactured by Intel Inc , may be used for CPU 210 This processor employs a 32-bit architecture Equivalent processors include the Motorola 450 MHz G4 PowerPC or Sun Microsystems 480 MHz UltraSPARC Hi

Price protection processor 215 comprises one or more conventional microprocessors (such as the Intel Pentium), supporting the generation and transfer of PPDs, attendant to the method of the apparatus Price protection processor 215 may also be configured as part of CPU 210

Referring again to FIG 2, data storage device 270 may include hard disk magnetic or optical storage units, as well as CD-ROM drives, random access memory or flash memory Data storage device 270 contains databases used in processing of information in the piesent invention, including buyer database 275, BRD database 280, APR database 285, and PPD database 290 In the preferred embodiment database software such as Oracle8ι manufactured by Oracle Corporation, is used to create and manage these databases

Buyer database 275 maintains data on buyers with fields such as buyer ID number, buyer contact data, and the like Buyer contact data comprises a name, electronic mail address, telephone number, pager number, voice mail number, facsimile number, or any other way to contact the buyer This information is obtained when the buyer first registers with the system, or immediately pπor to posting his first BRD 120 Buyer database 275 may also contain default geographic location information for the buyer

BRD database 280 maintains data on purchased products with fields such as retailer name, product descπption, purchase pπce, purchase date, time period, retailer geographic location, BRD tracking number, specials like coupons/rebates, and the like. Product description data is comprised of manufacturer name and model number or any other way to describe a product. Geographic location may be defined by, but is by no means limited to, any combination of postal code, town, county, state, and the like. Purchased product database 280 also contains the buyer ID number in buyer database 275.

APR database 285 maintains data on advertised products with fields such as retailer name, product description, advertised price, on sale dates, retailer geographic location, APR tracking number, specials like coupons/rebates, and the like.

PPD database 290 tracks the messages sent to buyer. Fields include buyer ID number, buyer contact data, product description, retailer name, retailer geographic location, advertised price, on sale dates, coupons/rebates, and the like.

Network interface 260 is the means to communicate with buyers through buyer interface 300. Conventional internal or external modems may serve as network interface 260. Network interface 260 supports modems at a range of baud rates from 2400 upwards, but may combine such inputs into a Tl or T3 line if more bandwidth is required or any other means to provide for such communication. In the preferred embodiment, network interface 260 is connected with the Internet and/or any of the commercial on-line services such as America Online, CompuServe, or Prodigy, allowing buyers access to central controller 200 from a wide range of on-line connections. Several commercial electronic mail servers include the above functionality. Microsoft Corporation manufactures "Exchange Server" a secure server based electronic mail software package designed to link people and information over enterprise networks and the Internet. The product is platform independent and utilizes open standards based on Internet protocols. Alternatively, network interface 260 may be configured as a voice mail interface, website, BBS, or electronic mail system.

While the above embodiment describes a single computer acting as central controller 200, those skilled in the art will realize that the functionality can be distributed over a plurality of computers. In one embodiment, central controller 200 is configured using a distributed architecture model, wherein the databases and processors are housed in separate units or locations. Some controllers perform the primary processing functions and contain at a minimum RAM, ROM, and a general processor. Each of these controllers is attached to a WAN hub which serves as the primary communication link with the other controllers, storage and interface devices. The WAN hub may have minimal processing capability itself, serving primarily as a communications router. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an almost unlimited number of controllers may be supported. This arrangement yields a more dynamic and flexible system, less prone to catastrophic hardware failures affecting the entire system.

FIG. 3 describes buyer interface 300. In the preferred embodiment buyer interface 300 is a conventional personal computer having an input device, such as a keyboard, mouse, or conventional voice recognition software package; a display device, such as a video monitor; a processing device such as a CPU; and a network interface such as a modem to communicate with central controller 200. Alternatively, buyer interface 300 may also be a personal digital assistant, internet-ready phone, voice mail system, or other electronic or voice communication systems. As will be described further in the following embodiments, devices such as fax machines or pagers are also suitable buyer interface devices.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is described buyer interface 300 which includes central processor (CPU) 305, RAM 310, ROM 320, video driver 325, video monitor 330, clock 335, communication port 340, input device 345, modem 350, and data storage device 360. A Pentium microprocessor such as the Intel Pentium III 300 MHz may be used for CPU 305. Clock 335 is a standard chip-based clock. Data storage device 360 is a conventional magnetic based hard disk storage unit such as those manufactured by Western Digital. Message database 370 may be used for archiving PPD 130.

There are many commercial software applications that can enable the communications required by buyer interface, the primary functionality being message creation and transmission. Eudora Pro manufactured by Qualcomm Incorporated, for example, provides editing tools for the creation of messages as well as the communications tools to route the message to the appropriate electronic address. When central controller 200 is configured as a web server, conventional communications software such as the Netscape Navigator web browser from Netscape Corporation may also be used. No proprietary software is required.

Online Embodiment

In one embodiment of the present invention, communications with buyers take place via electronic networks, with central controller 200 acting as a web server. The buyer logs on to central controller 200, creates BRD 120, and then disconnects from the network. Central controller 200 receives APRs 1 10 from the input interface 100 and executes price protection routine at selected times. The execution of said price protection routine can be done at specific intervals, at the command of a system operator, at the command of a buyer or when one or more new items of APR data are input to APR database 285. PPD 130 is transmitted electronically to buyer, if available. Periodic maintenance is performed by central controller 200 to ensure that BRDs 120 and APRs 1 10 have not expired.

FIG. 4 is a general flow diagram of the method and technique of this invention. Referring to Fig. 4, information is stored for products advertised by retailers at step 400. While the retailers advertise all sorts of products on a regular basis, in the preferred embodiment advertising data for products that are typically covered by a price protection policy are input into the system. Advertised product data captured as APRs for purposes of this invention may be stored only for certain classes of goods, for example, televisions, computers, VCRs, various computer software, etc., or may be stored only for products having an advertised price greater than some predetermined threshold, for example one hundred dollars. Alternatively, information on all advertised products is stored in APR database 285. In another embodiment, information is stored on the lowest advertised price for each product in a geographic area. The information stored during step 400 would include, but is by no means limited to, retailer name, product description, advertised price, on sale dates, retailer geographic location, coupons/rebates, and any other way to describe advertised products. This information is updated based on availability of advertised retail product information gathered from any or all available sources including retailer print and web based advertising. The frequency of updating APR database 285 is dependent on announcements of sales events and may be many times a day, daily, weekly, monthly, and the like or at any other time selected by an administrator The data collection can be done by collecting information from all the methods used by the retailers to communicate prices and features information to the buyers The major sources of such information are the sales circulars, advertisements, and catalogs This information may be collected directly from the retailers and/or newspapers and/or the Internet in printed or electronic format

At step 410, information is collected on purchased products At step 420, said price protection routine is run In one embodiment, the frequency of running the routine is dependent on advertising and sales announcements from the retailers In another embodiment, price protection routine is run at regular intervals Examples of times at which the price protection routine might be run include once a week, biweekly and daily In another embodiment, price protection routine is run immediately after the buyer provides information on purchased product or the buyer may log on to central controller 200 and initiate the routine for his purchased product In another embodiment, running the routine may be customized for each purchased product

The buyer may also use the system to obtain competitive pricing information for a contemplated purchase by inputting BRD information as if the product were already purchased and elect to be provided with competitive or related product pricing information

Referring again to FIG 4, pπce protection records are transmitted to the buyers during step 430 In one embodiment, all PPDs 130 for a particular BRD 120 are transmitted together after all APRs 1 10 have been examined This allows a buyer to receive all PPDs where the advertised price is less than purchase price for a particular BRD In another embodiment, all PPDs 130 for a particular buyer are transmitted together This allows a buyer to receive all PPDs where an advertised price is less than purchase price for all BRDs 120 generated by the buyer In another embodiment, a specific number of price protection records PPD are transmitted that provide the lowest advertised price for a particular BRD 120 This allows a buyer to receive PPDs 130 that provide the maximum savings for a particular BRD In another embodiment, PPDs 130 are transmitted one at a time

With reference to FIG 5, there is described the process by which the buyer formulates BRD 120 At step 500, the buyer logs on to central controller 200 using buyer modem 350 of buyer interface 300, establishing a communication link. In one embodiment, central controller 200 has a page on the world wide web, allowing the buyer to provide information through the interface of a conventional Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator, manufactured by Netscape Inc. After the buyer connects to web page on the world wide web maintained by central controller 200, a form is displayed on video monitor 330 of buyer interface 300. This form has a number of blanks to be filled out by the buyer, with each blank representing a part of BRD 120. Central controller 200 may pre-fill some of the blanks by using a "cookie". If a cookie is used, the buyer may be provided an opportunity to review and change the information.

A cookie refers to a mechanism, provided by a conventional Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator, to track the buyer using a buyer interface 300 such as a conventional personal computer. A cookie uniquely identifies a buyer interface to the buyer last associated with that buyer interface by using a globally unique identifier. Buyer interface 300 contains a browser and its assigned identifier. The identifier is stored in a file, referred to as a cookie. In one embodiment, central controller 200 assigns and sends the identifier to buyer interface 300 once when buyer interface 300 first interacts with central controller 200. From then on, buyer interface 300 includes its identifier with all messages sent to central controller 200 so that central controller 200 can identify the source of the message. Central controller 200 and buyer interface 300 interact by exchanging information via network interface 260, which may include transmission over the Internet.

At step 510, the buyer provides contact data. Central controller 200 may use a cookie, as described earlier, to pre-fill the contact data.

At step 520, the buyer enters product description for purchased product. Product description may comprise of manufacturer name and model number. The buyer simply fills in the blanks. Central controller 200 may pre-fill the manufacturer name based on model number. For example, when the buyer enters KV32XBR200 as the model number, central controller 200 pre-fills Sony as the manufacturer name. This is based on central controller 200 having the knowledge that TV KV32XBR200 is manufactured by Sony Corporation. In another embodiment, the product description is derived when the buyer selects the product from a list that shows multiple options.

At step 530, the buyer provides purchase data. This data includes purchase price, date of purchase, retailer name, retailer geographic location, and the like. Central controller 200 may use a cookie, as described earlier, to pre-fill the geographic location.

At step 540, the buyer adds time period. APRs will be searched for the time period from the date of purchase as described in FIG. 6. The retailers have different policies for the time period they provide price protection. The time period for price protection may also vary based on type of product. For example, 30 day price protection for televisions vs. 10 day price protection for leather jackets. In one embodiment, central controller 200 may fill-in the time period based on a retailer name in step 530. Buyer purchased product registration data BRD in step 520 may also be used to decide time period. If the time period is filled-in by central controller 200, the buyer may be given the option to change the time period. In another alternative embodiment, the time period over which APRs are searched may be derived based on time periods for applicable price protection policy offered by a specific stores which is included in APR database 285. In such a case, the buyer will not need to specify the time period thus eliminating step 540.

Once the above elements have been input or retrieved, the buyer transmits them to central controller 200 at step 550. The buyer does this by clicking on a "send" button located on the screen in which he entered the details of BRD 120.

Instead of a world wide web based interface, buyers may also transmit BRD 120 data via electronic mail, voice mail, facsimile, or postal mail transmissions. With voice mail, the buyer calls central controller 200 and leaves BRD 120 in audio form. These BRDs 120 may be transcribed into digital text at central controller 200. Central controller 200 supports a plurality of transmission methods allowing for a wide variety of formats of BRDs 120 and PPDs 130. Some formats may be changed, however, before further processing by central controller 200. BRDs 120 transmitted by mail in paper form, for example, may be scanned-in and digitized, using optical character recognition software to create digital text. These embodiments are more fully described in the offline embodiment described later.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a procedure for running price protection routine. At step 600, price protection processor 215 makes periodic search through BRD database 280. Steps 610 through 670 are performed for each database record of BRD 120. At step 610, price protection processor 215 selects database record of APR 1 10 in APR database 285. At step 620, the product description of database record of BRD 120 is compared to the product description of a selected database record of APR 1 10. If the BRD 120 and selected APR 1 10 have the same product description, the operation proceeds to step 630. If not, it moves to step 650.

At step 630, the purchase price of database record of BRD 120 is compared to advertised price of selected database record of APR 110. If the selected APR 1 10 costs less than BRD 120, the operation proceeds to step 640. If not, it moves to step 650.

At step 640, information to be sent to buyer is stored as database record of PPD 130 in PPD database 290. This information includes buyer ID number, buyer contact data, product description, retailer name, retailer geographic location, advertised price, sales dates, coupons/rebates, and the like.

At step 650, a determination is made by checking APR database 285 to determine whether there is any more APRs to check. If there are more APRs to check the operation proceeds to step 660. If there are no more APRs to check the operation proceeds to step 670.

During step 660 the APR to check is incremented by one and the operation proceeds again to step 610. The price protection routine is completed once all database records of BRD 120 have been examined.

An alternative way to running the price protection routine is to select database records of APR 110 in APR database 285 one at a time and check if any such product is found in database records of BRD 120 in BRD database 280. One skilled in the art would appreciate that these steps can be omitted or rearranged or adapted in various ways. For example, the operations in steps 620 and 630 may be combined together in one single step.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is illustrated a procedure for the maintenance of APRs 1 10. At step 700, central controller 200 searches APR database 285. At step 710, on sale dates field of each database record of APR 1 10 is compared to the current date. If the on sale dates of APR 110 are earlier than the current date, the APR record is deleted at step 720. The maintenance process is completed at step 730 once all APR 110 database records have been examined.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is illustrated a procedure for the maintenance of BRDs 120. At step 800, central controller 200 searches BRD database 280. At step 810, purchase date and time period field of each database record of BRD 120 are added to find expiration date of BRD 120. The expiration date is compared to the current date. If the expiration date of BRD 120 is earlier than the current date, the BRD record is deleted at step 820. The maintenance process is completed at step 830 once all BRD 120 database records have been examined.

Input interface 100 provides a means to collect and input APRs. A conventional personal computer or computer workstation with sufficient memory and processing capability may be used as input interface 100. Input interface 100 may also be configured as part of central controller 200.

FIG. 9 describes input interface 100. In the preferred embodiment input interface 100 is a conventional personal computer having an input device, such as a keyboard, mouse, or conventional voice recognition software package; a display device, such as a video monitor; a processing device such as a CPU; and a network interface such as an ethernet card to communicate with central controller 200. Alternatively, a scanner may be used to enter data in a digitized format. An electronic data interchange (EDI) system may also be used to collect sales data directly from retailers. EDI is the interchange of structured data according to agreed message standards between computer systems by electronic means. Referring now to FIG. 9, there is described input interface 100 which includes central processor (CPU) 905, RAM 910, ROM 920, video driver 925, video monitor 930, clock 935, communication port 940, input device 945, and data storage device 960. A Pentium microprocessor such as the Intel Pentium II 300 MHz may be used for CPU 905. Clock 935 is a standard chip-based clock. Data storage device 060 is a conventional magnetic based hard disk storage unit such as those manufactured by Western Digital.

Off-line Embodiment

In one embodiment of the present invention, buyers communicate in an off-line manner with central controller 200. Rather than sending electronic mail or using web- based servers, buyers use a telephone, fax machine, postal mail, or other off-line communication tool.

A buyer may use a telephone, for example, to generate BRD 120. The buyer calls central controller 200 and is connected with an agent. The buyer provides the data on purchased product such as retailer name, product description, purchase price, purchase date, retailer geographic location, and the like. The buyer also provides his contact data. The agent puts this data into digital form by typing it into a terminal to form BRD 120. BRD 120 is then transmitted to central controller 200.

In an alternative embodiment, the buyer calls central controller 200 and is connected with a conventional Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU) which allows the buyer to enter some or all of the fields of BRD 120 without the assistance of a live agent. The buyer initially selects from a menu of subjects using the touch-tone keys of his phone, and then the call is either directed to a live agent, or the buyer is prompted for further fields of BRD 120. Voice recognition technology may also be used for the buyer to enter BRD 120 data.

Buyers may also communicate with an agent at central controller 200 through faxes or postal mail. The agent receives the message and proceeds to digitize it and form BRD 120 as described above. Anonymous Transactions Embodiment

In one embodiment of the present invention, buyers communicate with central controller 200 in a manner that provides for the anonymity of buyers. Such anonymity is accomplished by eliminating all references to buyer contact data. In a web server implementation, central controller 200 has a page on the world wide web, allowing the buyer to provide information through the interface of a conventional Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator, manufactured by Netscape Inc. The buyer provides all data on purchased products like product description, purchase price, date of purchase, retailer name, retailer geographic location, and the like. Price protection processor 215 makes search through APR database 285 and any available PPD is presented to the buyer through the interface of a conventional Web browser interface. Although such an embodiment can provide anonymity, there are a number of potential weaknesses. First, the buyer has to log on at regular intervals and provide BRD data every time to find out if the purchased product is advertised for a lower price. To prevent this, a BRD tracking number is assigned the first time buyer logs on to register a particular product. The buyer then logs on to check for any available PPD using the pre-assigned BRD tracking number.

Although we have described only one possible method for maintaining anonymity, there are other equivalents. For example, if the embodiment included telephone messaging, the identity of buyer could be maintained using conventional voice modification techniques. In another embodiment, a cookie is used to track BRD 120 registered from a particular buyer interface.

In additional embodiments of the within invention the buyer may elect to receive APR data for different but similar products, including different models from the same manufacturer or generally equivalent products from other manufacturers, accessories and or products related to the buyer's BRD 120 product such as DVD disks if a buyer has purchased a DVD player. The buyer could also be directed to internet links to manufacturers or retailers for additional information or products. It is also contemplated that a buyer could by choice or automatically be provided with information on the source of qualifying advertising needed to obtain a price protection refund such as the name and date of a publication containing such advertising or links to on-line advertising which also qualifies for presentation to obtain the price protection refund. It is also contemplated the buyer could be provided with access to downloadable image files of qualifying competitive advertising to facilitate the buyer being able to obtain a price protection refund.

The present invention, when used with portable communication devices such as cell phones or internet capable PDA's, can be used by a buyer in the process of making a purchase at a retailer to obtain competitive pricing or price protection information at the time of making a purchase.

It is also contemplated that a prospective buyer can register purchase information for a prospective purchase by inputting data for a particular product and if that or a similar product is not presently available at a price satisfactory to the buyer, the buyer can specify a time period and receive a notification if an acceptable product becomes available at or below the acceptable price during the selected notification period. The notification time period could be days, weeks or months as selected by the buyer or offered by the system administrators. The buyer may also specify an acceptable geographic area in which he contemplates making such a purchase.

Although several embodiments of the present invention has been described above, it would be readily understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that many modifications are possible in the described embodiments without departing from the teachings of the present invention. All such modifications are intended to be encompassed by the claimed invention.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method for a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefits comprising; a) registration of purchase information; b) comparing said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; c) generating a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit for said retail buyer; d) transmitting a notification of said result to said retail buyer.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said comparison generates results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

3. A method as described in claim 2 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising said registered product and transmits said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

5. A method as described in claim 4 wherein said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said comparison generates results which include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

7 A method as described in claim 1 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and transmitting results to said retail buyer.

8 A method as described in claim 1 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and transmitting results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information to said retail buyer.

9 A method for a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefits comprising; a) registration of purchase information; b) a buyer initiated comparison of said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; c) generating a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit for said retail buyer; d) transmitting a notification of said result to said retail buyer

10. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said comparison generates results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

1 1 A method as described in claim 10 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer

12. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising said registered product and transmits said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

13. A method as described in claim 12 wherein said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

14. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said comparison generates results which include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

15. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and transmitting results to said retail buyer.

16. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and transmitting results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information to said retail buyer

17. A method for a retail buyer to obtain price protection information comprising; a) anonymous registration of purchase information; b) comparing said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; c) generating a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit for said retail buyer; d) allowing for access of said result by said anonymous retail buyer.

18 A method as described in claim 17 wherein said comparison generates results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and allows access to all of said results for similar products by said retail buyer

19 A method as described in claim 18 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and allows access to said link information with said results for similar products by said retail buyer

20 A method as described in claim 17 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising said registered product and allows access to said link information with said price protection result by said retail buyer

21 A method as described in claim 20 wherein said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund

22 A method as described in claim 17 wherein said comparison generates results which include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund

23 A method as described in claim 17 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating results which are accessible to said retail buyer

24 A method as described in claim 17 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information which are accessible to said retail buyer.

25. A method for a retail buyer to obtain price protection information comprising; a) anonymous registration of purchase information; b) generation of a unique tracking number for said retail buyer c) comparing said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; d) generating a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit for said retail buyer; e) storing said result for access by said anonymous retail buyer using said unique tracking number.

26. A method as described in claim 25 wherein said comparison generates results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and stores all of said results for similar products for access by said retail buyer.

27. A method as described in claim 26 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and stores said link information with said results for similar products for access by said retail buyer.

28. A method as described in claim 25 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising said registered product and stores said link information with said price protection result for access by said retail buyer.

29. A method as described in claim 28 wherein said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

30. A method as described in claim 25 wherein said comparison generates results which include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

31. A method as described in claim 25 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and storing results for access by said retail buyer.

32. A method as described in claim 25 wherein said registration of purchase information includes the specification of an intended purchase price and time period, making periodic comparisons of said registered purchse information during said specified time period with said advertised product records and generating and storing results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information for access by said retail buyer.

33. A method for a retail buyer to obtain price protection information comprising; a) registration of purchase information using a portable communication device; b) performing a real time comparison of said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; c) generating a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit for said retail buyer; d) transmitting in real time said result to said retail buyer's portable communication device.

34. A method as described in claim 33 wherein said comparison generates results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

35. A method as described in claim 34 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information and transmits said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

36. A method as described in claim 33 wherein said comparison generates results which include links to sites advertising said registered product and transmits said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

37. A method as described in claim 36 wherein said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

38. A method as described in claim 33 wherein said comparison generates results which include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

39. An apparatus for facilitating a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefit, comprising: a storage device; and a processor connected to the storage device, the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and the processor operative with the program to receive registration of purchase information; compare said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; generate a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit to said retail buyer; and transmit a notification of said result to said retail buyer.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising said registered purchase; and transmit said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, in which said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, in which said results include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

45. The apparatus of claim 39, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; and make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records

The apparatus of claim 39, in which the processor is further operative with the program to register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended pπce and time period, make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records, generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information, and transmit all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer

An apparatus for facilitating a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pπcing to obtain pπce protection benefit, compnsmg a storage device, and a processor connected to the storage device, the storage device stoπng a program for controlling the processor, and the processor operative with the program to receive registration of purchase information, allow said retail buyer to initiate compaπson of said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored m a computer data base, generate a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit to said retail buyer, and transmit a notification of said result to said retail buyer

The apparatus of claim 47, in which the processor is further operative with the program to generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information, and transmit all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising said registered purchase; and transmit said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, in which said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

52. The apparatus of claim 47, in which said results include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

53. The apparatus of claim 47, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; and make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records.

54. The apparatus of claim 47, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records; generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

55. An apparatus for facilitating a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefit, comprising: a storage device; and a processor connected to the storage device, the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and the processor operative with the program to receive anonymous registration of purchase information; compare said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; generate a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit to said retail buyer; and allow access to said result by said anonymous retail buyer.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and allow access to all of said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer.

The apparatus of claim 56, m which the processor is further operative with the program to generate results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information, and allow access to said link information with said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer

The apparatus of claim 55, in which the processor is further operative with the program to generate results which include links to sites advertising said registered purchase, and allow access to said link information with said price protection result to said anonymous retail buyer

The apparatus of claim 58, in which said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said anonymous retail buyer to obtain a pπce protection refund

The apparatus of claim 55, m which said results include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said anonymous retail buyer to obtain a pπce protection refund

The apparatus of claim 55, in which the processor is further operative with the program to register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time peπod, and make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time peπod with said advertised product records

The apparatus of claim 55, in which the processor is further operative with the program to register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records; generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and allow access to all of said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer.

63. An apparatus for facilitating a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefit, comprising: a storage device; and a processor connected to the storage device, the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and the processor operative with the program to receive anonymous registration of purchase information; generation of a unique tracking number for said retail buyer; compare said registered purchase information with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; generate a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit to said retail buyer; and allow access to said result by said anonymous retail buyer using said unique tracking number.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and allow access to all of said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and allow access to said link information with said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer.

66. The apparatus of claim 63, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising said registered purchase; and allow access to said link information with said price protection result to said anonymous retail buyer.

67. The apparatus of claim 66, in which said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said anonymous retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

68. The apparatus of claim 63, in which said results include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said anonymous retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

69. The apparatus of claim 63, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; and make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records.

70. The apparatus of claim 63, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: register purchase information which includes the specification of an intended price and time period; make periodic comparisons of said registered purchase information during said specified time period with said advertised product records; generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and allow access to all of said results for similar products to said anonymous retail buyer.

71. An apparatus for facilitating a retail buyer to monitor merchandise pricing to obtain price protection benefit, comprising: a storage device; and a processor connected to the storage device, the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and the processor operative with the program to receive registration of purchase information using a portable communication device; compare said registered purchase information in real time with advertised product records stored in a computer data base; generate a result if said comparison provides a price protection benefit to said retail buyer; transmit a notification of said result in real time to said retail buyer's portable communication device.

72. The apparatus of claim 71 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results for products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit all of said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising products similar to that included in said registered purchase information; and transmit said link information with said results for similar products to said retail buyer.

74. The apparatus of claim 71 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to: generate results which include links to sites advertising said registered purchase; and transmit said link information with said price protection result to said retail buyer.

75. The apparatus of claim 74, in which said links provide downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.

76. The apparatus of claim 71 , in which said results include downloadable qualifying advertising copy for use by said retail buyer to obtain a price protection refund.