WO2016022436A1 - Facilitating intelligent and competitive consumer-favored online shopping experience at computing devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A mechanism is described for facilitating smart online shopping on computing devices. A method of embodiments, as described herein, includes facilitating receiving a first request from a consumer seeking savings on a product during online shopping, where the savings indicate additional savings over a first price for the product where the first price is offered by a vendor of the product. The method may further include seeking a coupon relating to the product from a plurality of coupons, where the coupon offers a first reduction in the vendor-offered price. The method may further include computing a commission to be associated with the product to offer a second reduction in the vendor-offered price, and offering the product at a second price that is lower than the first price, where the second price includes the first and second reductions and is offered by a service provider serving as a broker between the product and the consumer.

Description

FACILITATING INTELLIGENT AND COMPETITIVE CONSUMER-FAVORED ONLINE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AT COMPUTING DEVICES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application number 62/032,948, entitled FACILITATING A DYNAMIC REVERSE ONLINE

CONSUMER SHOPPING MODEL, filed on August 4, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to computers. More particularly, embodiments relate to facilitating intelligent and competitive consumer-favored online shopping experience at computing devices.

BACKGROUND

Conventional online shopping techniques focus on vendor preferences and requirements and thus a typical consumer is left with carrying the burden of making an effort and spending time and other resources to find an item of their liking and yet, the consumer, often

unknowingly, ends up paying more money for the item as they remain unaware of other deals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

Figure 1 illustrates a computing device employing a consumer-favored online shopping and reverse auction mechanism according to one embodiment.

Figure 2 illustrates a consumer-favored online shopping and reverse auction mechanism according to one embodiment.

Figure 3A illustrates a transaction sequence for additional savings with coupons and/or commission during online shopping according to one embodiment.

Figure 3B illustrates a transaction sequence for additional savings with reverse auction during online shopping according to one embodiment. Figure 4 illustrates screenshots offering access to a dynamic online shopping model according to one embodiment.

Figure 5 illustrates a method for facilitating additional savings with online shopping according to one embodiment

Figure 6 illustrates computer environment suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, embodiments, as described herein, may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in details in order not to obscure the understanding of this description.

Embodiments provide for a novel technique for incorporating a plugin, such as plugin 275 of Figure 2, in a browser (such as Chrome®, Safari®, etc.), such as user interface 273 of Figure 2, on the consumers device (such as a laptop computer, a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc.), where plugin 275 automatically places an "additional savings" button, such as "additional savings" 327 of Figures 3A-3B, such as prior to checking-out. Stated differently, once the user has indicated his/her interest in purchasing an item by getting to the product page (e.g., shopping bag/cart page, etc.), which is typically the last page prior to the check-out page, the user may be offered a traditional option to add the item to bag/cart, such as "add to bag" 325 of Figure 3A; however, with the use of the novel plugin 275 of Figure 2, right there on the product page (add to bag/cart page) of the vendor/retailer website, the user may be offered another option/button capable of being click-on, such as "additional savings" 327 of Figures 3A-3B, that is guaranteed to yield additional savings for the user.

In one embodiment, these additional savings may be achieved using coupons and/or commission as will be further described throughout this document. For example and in one embodiment, any number and type of coupons may be harvested and then iteratively applied to a relevant product until one or more coupons are selected to be assigned to the product to achieve additional discount. Moreover, in one embodiment, any amount of commission may be appropriated towards the product and offered to be credited to a user' s account. Stated differently, in one embodiment, the user may be offered additional savings through one or more coupons, while, in another embodiment, the additional savings may be offered through commission, while, in yet another embodiment, the additional savings may be offered through a combination of coupons and commission. Embodiments further provide a novel technique for reverse auction or reverse bidding where the user can save additional money on the same product. As with "additional savings" 327 of Figure 3A, the novel plug-in may be used to automatically introduce a "reverse auction" button, such as "reverse auction" 397 of Figure 3B, at, for example, the shopping bag/cart page which is typically the last page before the checkout page and reflects the user' s intent to purchase a product without having purchased it. For example, as illustrated with reference to Figure 3B, a button for "reverse auction" 397 is offered to allow for the user to place a good- faith deposit (e.g., 10% of the current price of the product) to show his/her intent to agree to the bidding process and invite various vendors to participate in the reverse bidding process where vendors place bids to further lower the price of the product, allowing the user to choose any one of those bids (such as the lowest bid) to purchase the product. In one embodiment, this reverse bidding process may run for a predetermined amount of time, such as a few hours, etc., during which the user may accept any one of the bids. However, if user decides against accepting any of the bids, then the deposit placed by the user may be lost and forwarded on to one or more of an original bidding vendor, a lowest bidding vendor, and/or the like.

It is contemplated that "additional savings" 327 and 377 of Figure 3A and 3B,

respectively, may be a proprietary button/option owned and provided by a third-party, such as WyzeBuy®, and may be interchangeably referred to as "add to WyzeBuy®", "save with WyzeBuy®", "add to save", "click to save", "smart savings", etc. Similarly, "revere auction" 397 of Figure 3B may be a proprietary button/option owned and provided by a third-party, such as WyzeBuy®, and may be interchangeably referred to as "Bid2Buy", "bid to buy", "reverse bidding", "bid with WyzeBuy®", "smart bidding with WyzeBuy®", "Wyze® bidding", etc.

Embodiments provide for reversing buying models where sellers compete for customers' business. In one embodiment, a personal flash sales site is provided for helping customers buy what they want, when they want it, at a price that is lower than what they would normally pay. Embodiments provide for integrating any number and type of vendors who can offer consumers the best possible price for their "wants" while overcoming the hassle of deal hunting and saving consumers their time and money.

Embodiments provide for a mechanism for facilitating dynamic online consumer reverse shopping model for price efficiency and product research and availability. Embodiments provide for numerous consumer benefits, such as (without limitation) getting specific coupons, commission grants, personalized discounts, following trends and consolidating wants, buying from trusted vendors, tracking sales and price drops. Similarly, embodiments provide for numerous vendor benefits, such as (without limitation) offering personalized sales, facilitating a real timeline and intent to buy, engaging in reverse auction-based bidding for competing with other vendors for sales, and employing a smart trend engine to identify and serve potential and/or existing customers.

For example and in one embodiment, consumer choice is facilitated by having consumers seek discounts on products or services they want or need to buy while overcoming vendors' chosen discounts on products/services at their own discretion without accounting for what the consumers might prefer. In terms of vendor dependency, it is contemplated that consumers are generally vendor agnostic in that if they can get the same product/service for a better price from another vendor, they would rather choose the vendor offering the product/service at a lower price. Further, with regard to the coupon/deal-hunting element of shopping, it is contemplated that various deal sites may offer discounts on products that consumers may not want or need. Embodiments provide for a technique where the consumers are automatically and dynamically given discounts and other benefits based on available coupons, which the consumers are not required to possess or provide, along with any available commission relating to each purchase.

Embodiments further provide for a reverse buying model to give real power to consumers, such as having a personal flash sales site where a customer has better control over what to buy, when to buy it, and how much to pay for it. Further, embodiments provide for a novel and innovative technique for integrating any number and type of vendors so they can be part of the buying process, such as by participating in bidding process such that the vendors bid in an auction, such as a reverse auction, for obtaining consumers' business. For example, embodiments provide for (1) a want list technique having a varied set of wants for all things e- commerce, (2) a price check technique to allow for price drops and sales, and (3) a gamification technique because most consumers are product dependent and vendor agnostics.

Figure 1 illustrates a computing device 100 employing a consumer- favored online shopping and reverse auction mechanism 110 according to one embodiment. Computing device 100 serves as a host machine for hosting consumer-favored online shopping and reverse auction mechanism ("shopping mechanism") 110 that includes any number and type of components, as illustrated in Figure 2, to facilitate real-time and dynamic online shopping experience, including facilitating reverse auction between vendors, as will be further described throughout this document.

With regard to consumers, in one embodiment, shopping mechanism 110 may include a logic to allow for browsing of trends, creating wants, getting deals, and buying wisely.

Similarly, vendor logic may be employed to allow for creating accounts, offering special deals, offering personalized/competitive deals, and securing sales. For example, consumer wants may be associated with any number and type of deals, such as (without limitation) affiliated commission deals, seller-offered deals, and seller-offered competitive deals, etc.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, novel and innovative transaction and revenue sharing techniques may be employed, using shopping mechanism 110, to allow for sharing/splitting of commissions and such to be able to invite vendors to participate in various levels (e.g., basic, silver, gold, elite, super-elite, etc.) of revenue- sharing programs.

In one embodiment, shopping mechanism 100 further provides for employing an innovative and novel user interface to allow a customer to declare their intent to purchase a specific item from any number and type of retailers from anywhere on the Internet. In one embodiment, the intent may include a brand, model, shape, color, size, etc., relating to the specific item. Embodiments provide for looking for exactly the same item, such as having the same brand, shape, color, size, etc., and bring back multiple vendors that are selling that exact same item to the customer. For example, the customer may then choose the original vendor and its offered price and terms or go with a different and/or new vendor and its offered price and terms. By allowing the customer to purchase in this manner, embodiments fundamentally reverse the buying model that has conventionally prevailed both online and in traditional brick and mortar stores till date.

As will be further described with reference to Figure 2, shopping mechanism 110 further allows for engaging various networking/media/shopping outlets and websites (e.g., Facebook®, Twitter®, Pinterest®, Google® Analytics®, Macy's®, Nordstrom®, Amazon.com®, Saks Fifth Avenue®, Tiffany's®, etc.) to also participate in the program in numerous capacities and at different levels. For example, Facebook® may be engaged through images, photos, videos, events, etc., while Pinterest® may be engaged through pins & boards for promotions. Further, in one embodiment, such social networking websites may be used to track consumer behavior, such as the type of clothes the user prefers, vendors of choice for the user, whether the user prefers low price or comfort when comes to travel, such as air travel, prefers free-lance handymen or handymen companies, etc., such that tracked consumer behavior may then be used to further enhance the customer's shopping experience by offering better prices, products/services, etc.

Throughout this document, terms like "logic", "component", "module", "framework", "engine", "mechanism", "technique", and/or the like, may be referenced interchangeably and include, by way of example, software, hardware, and/or any combination of software and hardware, such as firmware. Further, any use of a particular brand, word, term, phrase, name, acronym, or the like, such as "consumer", "customer" or "shopping", "personal flash sales", "vendors", "sites" or "websites", "auction", "reverse auction", bidding", "Bid2Buy", "coupon discount", "cash back", "WyzeBuy", and/or the like, should not be read to limit embodiments to software or devices that carry that label in products or in literature external to this document. Further, it is to be noted that throughout this document, terms like "consumer", "customer", "client", and "shopper" may be referenced interchangeably and similarly, throughout this document, terms like "site" and "website" may be referenced interchangeably.

Computing device 100 may include large computing systems, such as server computers, desktop computers, etc., and may further include set-top boxes (e.g., Internet-based cable television set-top boxes, etc.), global positioning system (GPS)-based devices, etc. Computing device 100 may include mobile computing devices, such as cellular phones including smartphones (e.g., iPhone® by Apple®, BlackBerry® by Research in Motion®, etc.), personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers (e.g., iPad® by Apple®, Galaxy 3® by Samsung®, etc.), laptop computers (e.g., notebook, netbook, Ultrabook™ system, etc.), e-readers (e.g., Kindle® by Amazon®, Nook® by Barnes and Nobles®, etc.), smart televisions, television platforms, smart wearable devices (e.g., smart watch, bracelet, smartcard, jewelry, clothing items, etc.), media players, etc. For example, in one embodiment, computing device 100 may include a mobile computing device employing an integrated circuit ("IC"), such as system on a chip ("SoC" or "SOC"), integrating various hardware and/or software components of computing device 100 on a single chip, etc.

It is contemplated that a "user" may refer to an end-user or a group of end-users, such as individuals, shoppers, customers, consumers, an organization, etc., having access to shopping mechanism 110 via one or more personal devices 270 A-N of Figure 2. Throughout this document, the term "user" may be interchangeably referred to as "shopper", "online shopper", "purchaser", "buyer", "consumer", and "customer".

Shopping mechanism 110 may be offered as a software program or application (e.g., a downloaded or cloud-based application, such as a business application, a website, etc.) via a client computing device (e.g., smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computers, desktops, etc.) or directly at computing device 100 or one or more of the other computing devices accessible to the user, as will be further described with reference to Figure 2.

Computing device 100 includes an operating system (OS) 106 serving as an interface between any hardware or physical resources of the computer device 100 and a user. Computing device 100 further includes one or more processors 102, memory devices 104, network devices, drivers, or the like, as well as input/output (I O) sources 108, such as touchscreens, touch panels, touch pads, virtual or regular keyboards, virtual or regular mice, ports, connectors, etc. It is to be noted that terms like "node", "computing node", "server", "server device", "cloud computer", "cloud server", "cloud server computer", "machine", "host machine", "device", "computing device", "computer", "computing system", and the like, may be used interchangeably throughout this document. It is to be further noted that terms like "application", "software application", "website", "site", "program", "software program", "package", and "software package" may be used interchangeably throughout this document. Similarly, terms like "job", "input", "request" and "message" may be used interchangeably throughout this document.

Figure 2 illustrates a consumer-favored online shopping and reverse auction mechanism 110 according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, shopping mechanism 110 may include any number and type of components, such as (without limitation): detection/reception logic 201; evaluation logic 203; coupon engine 205 including coupon harvesting logic ("harvesting logic") 221, coupon matching and valuation logic ("M/V logic") 223, coupon assignment logic

("assignment logic") 225; commission engine 207 including commission computation logic ("computation logic") 231 and commission association logic ("association logic") 233; reverse auction engine 209 including customer/vendor invitation logic ("invitation logic") 241, bidding management logic 243, and deposit computation logic 245; application/execution logic 211; and communication/compatibility logic 213.

As described with reference to Figure 1, in one embodiment, computing device 100 may be a server computer hosting shopping mechanism 110 in communication with one or more smaller computing devices ("personal devices"), such as personal devices 270A, 270B, 270N (e.g., desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile computer (such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc.), wearable smart devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), and/or the like) over communication medium/network 260, such as cloud network, the Internet, proximity network, such as Bluetooth, etc.). In one embodiment, like computing devices 270A-N, computing device 100 may be a smaller computer, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile computers, wearable smart devices, etc.

For example and in one embodiment, computing device 100 serving as a server computer may host shopping mechanism 110 in its entirety while communicating with one or more personal devices, such as computing devices 270A-N, over network 260. In another embodiment, one or more components of shopping mechanism 110 may be hosted by computing device 100, while one or more other components of shopping mechanism 110 may be hosted by each of computing devices 270A-N. Computing device 100 may include communication components or sources 108 including input components 251 and output components 253 which, as will be further described below, may also include any number and type of input/output (I/O) components, sensor arrays, detectors, displays, etc. For example, input components 251 may include (without limitation) two-dimensional (2D) cameras, three-dimensional (3D) cameras, sensors array, microphones, etc., while, output components 253 may include (without limitation) display screens, display/projection areas, projectors, speakers, etc. As with computing device 100, each of computing devices 270A-N may include similar communication components, such as (without limitation) sensors, detectors, actuators, microphones, speakers, 2D/3D cameras, touchscreens, and/or the like.

Further, like computing device 100, each of personal devices 270A-N may also include Input components 251 may further include (without limitation) sensor array (such as

context/context-aware sensors and environmental sensors, such as camera sensors, ambient light sensors, Red Green Blue (RGB) sensors, movement sensors, etc.), depth sensing cameras, two- dimensional (2D) cameras, three-dimensional (3D) cameras, image sources, audio/video/signal detectors, microphones, eye/gaze-tracking systems, head-tracking systems, environment sensors (such as to sense background colors, lights, etc.), biometric sensors (such as to detect fingerprints, etc.), calendar maintenance and reading device), etc.; global positioning system (GPS) sensors; resource requestor; and trusted execution environment (TEE) logic, etc.

Similarly, output components 253 at computing device 100, personal devices 270A-N may include (without limitation) audio/video/signal sources, display planes, display panels, display screens/devices, projectors, display/projection areas, speakers, one or more of light sources, display devices and/or screens, audio speakers, tactile components, conductance elements, bone conducting speakers, olfactory or smell visual and/or non/visual presentation devices, haptic or touch visual and/or non- visual presentation devices, animation display devices, biometric display devices, X-ray display devices, high-resolution displays, high-dynamic range displays, multi-view displays, and head-mounted displays (HMDs) for at least one of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), etc.

Computing devices 100 may be further in communication with one or more repositories or data sources or databases, such as database(s) 265, to obtain, communicate, store, and maintain any amount and type of data (e.g., product details, price details, coupons, coupon harvest, commission details, bidding data, consumer data, vendor data, media or media items, metadata, templates, real-time data, historical contents, user and/or device identification tags and other information, resources, policies, criteria, rules, regulations, upgrades, etc.). In some embodiments, network 260 may include any number and type of communication medium or channels, such as cloud network, the Internet, intranet, Internet of Things ("IoT"), proximity network, such as Bluetooth, etc. It is contemplated that embodiments are not limited to any particular number or type of computing devices, consumers, vendors, websites, databases, networks, etc.

In one embodiment, computing device 100 and one or more personal devices 270 A-N may be in communication with one or more vendors through, for example, third-party computing devices 280A, 280B, 280N, one or more vendor-based websites, etc., over network 260. For example, a user having access to personal device 270A may access, view, and shop for one or more products offered by vendor by visiting a website of the vendor and accessing vendor products offered through one or more computing devices 280A-N, over network 260 (such as the Internet), via user interface 273 as provided by software application (e.g., web browser, vendor application, etc.). Similarly, personal devices 270B, 270N may also host software applications, such as software application 271, providing their corresponding user interfaces, such as user interface 273.

In one embodiment, a plugin, such as plugin 275, may reside in or be provided through user interface 273 (e.g., browser, such as Chrome®, Safari®, etc.) at computing device 270A of Figure 2, where the logic associated with plugin 275 automatically triggers and intelligently places the "additional savings" button, such as "additional savings" 327 of Figures 3A-3B, sufficiently below or near or within an acceptable proximity of a default action button, such as "add to cart" or "add to shopping bag" or simply "add to bag", such as add to bag 325 of Figure 3A, such that the user having access to computing device 270A of Figure 2 can view and exercise the "additional savings" option. Further, in one embodiment and as will be further described in this document, the "additional savings" button triggers the logic of deal hunting, such as finding and validating best coupons, sharing commission, etc., through server computer (such as a service provider (WyzeBuy®) server computer, etc.), such as computing device 100 of Figure 2.

In one embodiment, third-party ("3P") computing devices 280A-N may include vendor computers for any number and type of online vendors, such as online retailers (such as Target®, Wal-Mart®, Nordstrom®, Macy's®, Tiffany's®, etc.), comparison shopping engines (such as PriceGrabber®, Nextag®, TheFind^SM, etc.), and other online general vendors (such as

Amazon.com®, etc.). Similarly, 3P computing devices 280A-N may also include any number and type of other relevant deal/promotion websites (such as Groupon®, Ticket Monster™, Stubhub®, etc.) for obtaining coupons, deals, additional product or vendor information, etc. It is contemplated that the aforementioned online vendors may not be limited to offering products, such as tangible products or things, but also other items/products, such as food (e.g., restaurants, food deliveries, etc.), services (e.g., plumbing, medical assistance, psychiatry, handyman services, etc.), and/or the like. However, for the sake of brevity, clarity, and ease of

understanding, the term "product" is used throughout this document, but it is contemplated that embodiments are not limited to merely tangible products.

For example, a user having access to personal device 270A may visit a vendor website to shop for one or more products, such as shoes, as will be further illustrated with reference to

Figures 3A-B. In one embodiment, the user may hit or click on the "additional savings" button, such as "additional savings" 327 of Figures 3A-3B, and then the user may click to put the product/item in the shopping cart, such as by hitting or clicking-on "add to bag" 325 of Figure 3A, such that the user may add the product/item to the shopping cart once the user knows of what additional savings can be achieved as a result of coupons and/or commission. In one embodiment, after putting the selected product, such as a pair of shoes, in the online shopping cart/bag and prior to checking out, the vendor website's checkout page may list another option in the form of a savings button (such as "add to WyzeBuy", "add for additional savings", "add to savings cart", "save more", "additional savings", "choose additional savings", etc.) may be provided which the user may voluntarily choose to expect and receive additional savings on the product, which can reduce the cost of the product lower than the price advertised by the vendor. For example and in one embodiment, even if the listed product is already on sale or discounted, another opportunity is provided to the user for additional savings by simply clicking on a button (such as "add for additional savings"). In one embodiment, by clicking on this savings button, the user is expected to save additional money, such as through coupons, commissions, or a combination thereof. It is contemplated that if the user does not choose to click on the savings button, they can check out in a regular manner by simply paying the listed priced for the product.

In one embodiment, if the user chooses to click on the "additional savings" button, this act may be interpreted, in real-time, as a user request for more savings, which is then received, in real-time, at detection/reception logic 201. Once the user request is detected, evaluation logic 203 is triggered to determine, in real-time, any number and type of factors, such as (without limitation) vendor details, product details, offered price (e.g., retail, discounted, etc.), available coupons, available commission, user history (such as user history with this vendor, similar products, etc.), user elite rating (e.g., platinum, gold, silver, etc.), other products in the online cart, and/or the like. Upon evaluating the request in light of the factors, as facilitated by evaluation logic 203, the user request for savings along with other relevant information is forwarded on to coupon engine 205. At coupon engine 205, in one embodiment, coupon harnessing logic 221 is used to continuously harness, in runtime, any number and type of coupons relating to any number and type of products from any number and type of sources, such as from (without limitation): 1) online retailers, comparison shopping engines, general vendors, deal/promotion websites through, for example, one or more 3P computing devices 280A-N; 2) users through one or more personal devices 270A-N; and 3) electronic or paper coupons scanned from one or more sources, such as newspapers, posters, online advertisements, etc.; and/or the like. In one embodiment, these harnessed coupons may be stored and managed at database(s) 265. It is to be noted that throughout this document, "coupon" may be interchangeably referenced as "voucher".

In one embodiment, upon receiving or detecting the user's request for additional savings (such as when the "additional savings" button is clicked by the user on, for example, the vendor website), coupon matching and valuation logic 223 begins to match the product selected by the user with the harnessed coupons to see determine whether one or more coupons can be matched with the selected product. For example, upon receiving information regarding the selected product, M/V logic 223 may access database(s) 265 to seek out one or more coupons that can be applied to the selected product save the user additional money on the selected product. It is contemplated that there may be hundreds or even thousands of coupon matches and thus, in one embodiment, M/V logic 223 may perform valuation of each coupon to further determine which of the many matched coupons can save the user the most amount of money and/or comes with or without any strings (such as "buy one, get one free", etc.).

In another embodiment, each coupon may be presented to the user and the selection may be left up to the user such that the user may select any one (or in some cases, more) coupon to be applied to the selected product for additional discount. Once the final coupon is selected (such as by M/V logic 223 and/or by the user), the coupon is then assigned to the product by coupon assignment logic 225 and the savings as forth in the coupon are applied to the product, which further lowers the purchase price of the product. It is further contemplated that in some embodiments, no matching coupon may be found, in which case, the user may be offered a higher commission amount as will be further described with reference to commission engine 207.

In one embodiment, in addition to coupon engine 205, commission engine 207 may also be triggered to determine whether any portion of a commission may be offered to the consumer. For example, a service provider (e.g. WyzeBuy) managing, organizing, and running shopping mechanism 110 may choose to share some or all of its commission with those consumers who choose additional savings by clicking on the "additional savings" button. It is contemplated that the service provider may be an organization or company/business, serving as a broker or deal- maker, etc., may receive a certain amount of commission (e.g., 10% on the retail or selling price of a product, etc.) from the third-party vendors/organizations for promoting and selling their products to their consumers.

For example, a service provide may set commission computation logic 231 to choose to share a portion (e.g., 1%) of their commission (10%) of the product with each consumer who buys the product, such as the service provider may receive $40.00 in commission from a vendor on a pair of shows that may cost $400.00 in retail and thus, the service provider may choose to share $4.00 of the $40.00 of their commission with each consumer. It is contemplated that the service provider is not required to share a certain percentage or amount of commission and that it may vary for each product, vendor, and/or circumstances.

For example and in one embodiment, if M/V logic 223 fails to find any coupon for the selected product for the consumer or, upon valuation of coupons, if M/V logic 223 concludes that the matched or selected coupons do not provide for an acceptable amount of savings to the consumer, computation logic 231 may compute a higher percentage or amount of commission (e.g., $8.00 or 2%) with the consumer to compensate for the absence or unacceptability of coupons. In contrast, if selected coupon is sufficiently large (e.g., 20% or $80.00 in savings), computation logic 231 may not offer any commission or simply offer a smaller or symbolic amount/percentage of commission to the consumer.

In one embodiment, the actual percentage or amount of commission and similarly, what makes a coupon acceptable, etc., may be predetermined by (one or more members of) the service provider (e.g., owners, proprietors, partners, system administrators, programmers, developers, finance department, accounting department, etc.) using a fixed amount or percentage or automatic computation by an algorithm that is part of M/V logic 223 and/or computation logic 231. Similarly, in one embodiment, the distribution of the commission to the consumer may also be predetermined by the service provider, such as by crediting the consumer's account to be used towards future purchases or discounts, issuing an online gift card to the consumer to be used towards future purchases or discounts, and/or the like.

In one embodiment, the computed commission may then be associated to the selected product by commission association logic 233. Stated differently, upon selecting to click on the "additional savings" button, the consumers may save additional money on the same product from the same vendor by receiving additional savings in terms of the assigned coupon (which discounts the vendor-offered price of the product) or the commission (which provides additional money to the consumer), or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, a reverse auction option may be provided to the consumer via another button, such as "Bid2Buy", "bids for lower price", "bidding for additional savings", "reverse auction", or simply "action", etc., which may be shown at the time of check out as facilitated by consumer/vendor invitation logic 241 of reverse auction engine 209. In one embodiment, the consumer may choose this reverse auction option by clicking on the "reverse auction" button after knowing the amount they would save from coupons and/or commission and decide that they wish to save more money or simply wish to check out whether they can save more money through the process of reverse action. In another embodiment, the consumer may choose to skip the coupon/commission option and directly choose the reverse auction option.

Upon accepting the reverse auction option by clicking on the "reverse auction" button, invitation logic 241 may then invite potential vendors to bid for the lowest price on selling the selected product to the consumer. For example, upon inviting the vendors through one or more 3P computing devices 280A-N over one or more networks 260, any number and type of vendors may choose to participate in this reverse auction to bid for the consumer' s business (as opposed to the consumer bidding for the vendors' business).

In one embodiment, once both the consumer and one or more vendors have agree to participate in the reverse auction option, deposit computation logic 245 may be triggered to obtain a certain amount (such as $100) or a percentage (such as 10%) relating to the purchase price of the product as a deposit to judge the seriousness of the consumer with regard to the reverse auction. For example, it is contemplated that it may take time and resources for the vendors to participate in the reverse auction process and therefore, it may be regarded as necessary to judge the consumer's commitment to the reverse auction process prior to commencing the process and so as not to waste any of the time and resources of the vendors. In some embodiments, this deposit of monies may be held by the service provider and, for example, if the consumer does not accept one of the bids (such as one of the lowest bids) obtained through the reverse auction process, the deposit may be forwarded on to the vendor winning the reverse auction (such as the vendor placing the lowest bid) so they may be able to compensate for some of their time and resources invested in the reverse auction process.

It is contemplated that the acceptable amount or percentage that can serve as the deposit may be predetermined, such as by the service provider, and implemented through deposit computation logic 245. For example, the consumer may be communicated a message on the screen, such as via user interface 273, that the consumer will be charged a deposit amount which may be charged to the user using a credit card, an electronic check, a payment company, such as PayPal®, Apple® Pay™, etc.

Upon having the consumer and the one or more vendors accept the reverse auction invitation along with the deposit being charged to the consumer, a bidding process is initiated by bidding management logic 243. In one embodiment, in this bidding process, each vendor may place one or more bids for the consumer's business, such as by offering a lower price for the product that the consumer intended to purchase. In one embodiment, the bidding process of this reverse auction may continue for a predetermined period, such as predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours, 2 days, etc.), predetermined number of bids (e.g., up to total 10 bids, etc.), consumer accepting a bid, and/or the like as facilitated by bidding management logic 243.

It is contemplated that the consumer is expected to accept a bid during the bidding process or upon expiration of the predetermined bidding period. If the consumer accepts the bid, the winning bid is accepted and finalized by bidding management logic 243 and process is forwarded on to application/execution logic 211. Upon receiving the accepted bid, in one embodiment, application/execution logic 211 then executes the transaction by offering the user to pay the winning bid using one or more payment mediums, such as credit card, electronic check, PayPal®, Apple® Pay™, etc. Once the consumer has made the payment, the transaction is completed and the product is sent to the consumer. Further, the consumer may be informed of the completion of the transaction by providing a message (e.g., email, text message, etc.) via a user interface, such as user interface 273 of software application 271 at personal device 270 A.

If, however, the consumer refuses to accept a bid, such as the lowest bid, the deposit may then be kept and forwarded on to the lowest-bidding vendor to compensate the vendor for the time, effort, and resources. At this point, the consumer may choose to end the transaction or buy the product with the aforementioned coupon/commission option or simply purchase the product for the price offered by the original vendor.

Communication/compatibility logic 213 may be used to facilitate dynamic

communication and compatibility between computing devices 100, personal devices 270A-N, 3P computing devices 280A-N, database(s) 265, network(s) 260, etc., and any number and type of other computing devices (such as wearable computing devices, mobile computing devices, desktop computers, server computing devices, etc.), processing devices (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), etc.), capturing/sensing components (e.g., non- visual data sensors/detectors, such as audio sensors, olfactory sensors, haptic sensors, signal sensors, vibration sensors, chemicals detectors, radio wave detectors, force sensors,

weather/temperature sensors, body/biometric sensors, scanners, etc., and visual data sensors/detectors, such as cameras, etc.), user/context- awareness components and/or

identification/verification sensors/devices (such as biometric sensors/detectors, scanners, etc.), memory or storage devices, data sources, and/or database(s) (such as data storage devices, hard drives, solid-state drives, hard disks, memory cards or devices, memory circuits, etc.), network(s) (e.g., Cloud network, the Internet, Internet of Things, intranet, cellular network, proximity networks, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), Bluetooth Smart, Wi-Fi proximity, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Body Area Network (BAN), etc.), wireless or wired communications and relevant protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi®, WiMAX, Ethernet, etc.), connectivity and location management techniques, software

applications/websites, (e.g., social and/or business networking websites, business applications, games and other entertainment applications, etc.), programming languages, etc., while ensuring compatibility with changing technologies, parameters, protocols, standards, etc.

Throughout this document, terms like "logic", "component", "module", "framework", "engine", "tool", and the like, may be referenced interchangeably and include, by way of example, software, hardware, and/or any combination of software and hardware, such as firmware. Further, any use of a particular brand, word, term, phrase, name, and/or acronym, such as "WyzeBuy", 'wantwise", "online shopping", "reverse auction", "bidding", "coupon", "commission", "personal device", "3P computing device", "product", "discount", "comparison shopping engine", "online retailer", "mobile computer", "wearable device", etc., should not be read to limit embodiments to software or devices that carry that label in products or in literature external to this document.

It is contemplated that any number and type of components may be added to and/or removed from shopping mechanism 110 to facilitate various embodiments including adding, removing, and/or enhancing certain features. For brevity, clarity, and ease of understanding of shopping mechanism 110, many of the standard and/or known components, such as those of a computing device, are not shown or discussed here. It is contemplated that embodiments, as described herein, are not limited to any particular technology, topology, system, architecture, and/or standard and are dynamic enough to adopt and adapt to any future changes.

Figure 3A illustrates a transaction sequence 300, 320 for additional savings with coupons and/or commission during online shopping according to one embodiment. Transaction sequence 300, 320 may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, etc.), software (such as instructions run on a processing device), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, transaction sequence 300, 320 may be performed by various components of shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2. The processes of transaction sequence 300, 320 are illustrated in linear sequences for brevity and clarity in presentation; however, it is contemplated that any number of them can be performed in parallel, asynchronously, or in different orders. For brevity, many of the details discussed with reference to the previous figures may not be discussed or repeated hereafter.

Transaction sequence 300, 320 begins with phase 300 with online shopping starting at

301. Upon starting the online shopping for one or more products, a consumer may have several options in terms of which vendor to choose for buying the one or more products. For example, the consumer may wish to purchase a pair of shoes can have any number of vendor options, such as comparison shopping engines at 303, general vendors at 305, online retailers at 307, and/or the like. Upon selecting a vendor and finding the product, phase 300 moves forward with the consumer being provided with an option to add the product to the online shopping cart/bag at the vendor's website at 309. In one embodiment, prior to moving the product to the cart and checking out, the consumer may see another money-saving option, such as add to service provider, and choose additional savings with the service provider (e.g., WyzeBuy), etc., at 311. In other words, the consumer may have an option of buying the product now, at 313, at the price offered by the vendor or choose an alternative option of seeking guaranteed additional savings with the service provider by clicking on additional savings button at 315.

Upon selecting additional savings at 315, in one embodiment, transaction sequence 300, 320 moves from phase 300 to phase 320, such as from the vendor's website 311 to the service provider's website/engine 331 powered and supported by shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2. For example and as illustrated, vendor website 311 may illustrate a set of information, such as a picture of product 321, price or price range 323, option/button to buy by moving product 321 to bag, shopping cart, etc., 325, and, in one embodiment, additional savings option/button 327 to go service provider (e.g., WyzeBuy®) for guaranteed additional savings.

If the consumer chooses additional savings by clicking on additional savings 327, in one embodiment, a new service provider window 331 may pop up as triggered by plugin 275 installed in the browser, such as user interface 273 of Figure 2, and it is in this new window 331 that the consumer is offered the additional savings of coupons and/or shared commission. As described previously, plugin 275 may be installed by the consumer on a client computing device, such as computing device 270A of Figure 2, where plugin 275 may reside within or be hosted by the browser, such as user interface 273 of Figure 2, where the logic associated with plugin 275 automatically triggers and intelligently places the "additional savings" button, such as additional savings 327, sufficiently below or near or within an acceptable proximity of a default action button, such as "add to cart" or "add to shopping bag" or simply "add to bag", such as add to bag 325, such that the user having access to computing device 270A of Figure 2 can view and exercise the "additional savings" option. Further, in one embodiment, clicking on additional savings 327 triggers the logic of deal hunting through shopping mechanism 110, such as finding and validating best coupons, sharing commission, etc., through server computer, such as computing device 100 of Figure 2. At service provider window 331, the consumer may be offered the same product 321 for much a much lower price, such as vendor price 333 which, in this case, being $402.99 can be reduced to service provider price 335 of merely $189.69 by applying one or more of coupon discount 337 (e.g., 50%), commission or total cash back 339 (e.g., 4%), adding up to total discount 341 (e.g., 54%). In some embodiments, the consumer may be offered coupon code 343 to apply to product 321 to receive coupon discount 337 and similarly, a number of other options 345 may be listed to further enhance the transaction, etc.

Figure 3B illustrates a transaction sequence 350, 370 for additional savings with reverse auction during online shopping according to one embodiment. Transaction sequence 350, 370 may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, etc.), software (such as instructions run on a processing device), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, transaction sequence 350, 370 may be performed by various components of shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2. The processes of transaction sequence 350, 370 are illustrated in linear sequences for brevity and clarity in presentation; however, it is contemplated that any number of them can be performed in parallel,

asynchronously, or in different orders. For brevity, many of the details discussed with reference to the previous figures may not be discussed or repeated hereafter.

Transaction sequence 350, 370 begins with phase 350 with online shopping starting at 351. Upon starting the online shopping for one or more products, a consumer may have several options in terms of which vendor to choose for buying the one or more products. For example, the consumer may wish to purchase a pair of shoes can have any number of vendor options, such as comparison shopping engines at 353, general vendors at 355, online retailers at 357, and/or the like. Upon selecting a vendor and finding the product, phase 350 moves forward with the consumer being provided with an option to add the product to the online shopping cart/bag at the vendor's website at 359. In one embodiment, prior to moving the product to the cart and checking out, the consumer may see another moving-saving option, such as add to service provider, choose additional savings with the service provider (e.g., WyzeBuy), etc., at 361. In other words, the consumer may have an option of buying the product now, at 363, at the price offered by the vendor or choose an alternative option of seeking guaranteed additional savings with the service provider by clicking on additional savings button, leaving to reverse auction at 365.

Upon clicking on additional savings button 377, in one embodiment, transaction sequence 350, 370 moves from phase 350 to phase 370, such as from the vendor's website 361 to the service provider's website/engine 381 powered and supported by shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2. For example and as illustrated, vendor website 361 may illustrate a set of information, such as a picture of product 371, price or price range 373, option/button to buy by moving product 371 to bag, shopping cart, etc., 375, and, in one embodiment, additional savings option/button 377 to go service provider (e.g., WyzeBuy) for guaranteed additional savings.

If the consumer chooses additional savings by clicking on additional savings 377, in one embodiment and as previously described with reference to Figure 3A, a new service provider window 381 may pop up as triggered by plugin 275 installed in the browser, such as user interface 273 of Figure 2, and it is in this new window 331 that the consumer is offered the additional savings of coupons and/or shared commission. At service provider window 381, the consumer may be offered the same product 371 for much a much lower price, such as vendor price 383 which, in this case, being $402.99 can be reduced to service provider price 385 of merely $189.69 by applying one or more of coupon discount 387 (e.g., 50%), commission or total cash back 389 (e.g., 4%), adding up to total discount 391 (e.g., 54%). In some

embodiments, the consumer may be offered coupon code 393 to apply to product 371 to receive coupon discount 387 and similarly, a number of other options 395 may be listed to further enhance the transaction, etc.

However, in another embodiment, the consumer may choose to go to reverse auction by clicking on reverse auction (e.g., Bid2Buy) button 397 to seek additional savings by having multiple vendors to compete for the consumer's business by placing bids to offer an even lower price for product 371. As discussed with reference to Figure 2, a certain percentage, such as

10%, of the price of product 371 may be charged to the consumer and held as a deposit while the vendors are invited to compete for the consumer's business for a predetermined period of time. Either during or upon completion of the bidding process, the consumer may choose to go with a bid, such as the lowest bid, to purchase product 371 or refuse all bids and, in return, lose the deposit and go back to the coupon/commission-based price 385 or go back even further to vendor website 361 and purchase product 371 for vendor-offered price 383.

Figure 4 illustrates screenshots 401, 403, 405 offering access to a dynamic online shopping model as facilitated by shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2 according to one embodiment. As an initial matter, for brevity, clarity, and ease of understanding, many of the components and processes discussed above with reference to Figures 1-3B may not be repeated or discussed hereafter. It is contemplated and to be noted that embodiments are not limited to any particular use case scenario, architectural setup, transaction sequence, etc., and that any number and type of components may be employed, placed, and used in any manner or form to perform the relevant tasks.

As described with reference to Figure 2, consumers may access and obtain various benefits of shopping mechanism 110 via a user interface, such as user interface 273 (such as a web browser, a mobile application interface, such as a vendor-specific application interface, a service provider-specific application interface, etc.), provided by a software application, such as software application 271 (such as a website, a mobile application, such as vendor- specific application, a service provider- specific application, etc.), at a personal client computing device, such as personal device 270A, of Figure 2. In one embodiment and for example, screenshots 401, 403, 405 illustrate personal device 270 A (e.g., smartphones) as having downloaded software application 271 providing user interface 273 offering a consumer, having access to personal device 270A, various pages to perform online shopping and take advantage of various money-saving options provided by shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2.

In one embodiment and as previously described, a plugin, such as plugin 275 of Figure 2, may be installed by the consumer on computing device 270A where the plugin is hosted by or resides within the browser, such as user interface 273, where the logic associated with the plugin automatically triggers and intelligently places the "additional savings" button, such as additional savings 327 of Figure 3A, sufficiently below or near or within an acceptable proximity of a default action button, such as "add to cart" or "add to shopping bag" or simply "add to bag", such as add to bag 325 of Figure 3A, such that the user having access to computing device 270A can see and exercise the "additional savings" option.

Figure 5 illustrates a method 500 for facilitating additional savings with online shopping according to one embodiment. Method 500 may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, etc.), software (such as instructions run on a processing device), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, method 500 may be performed by various components of shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 2. The processes of transaction sequence 350, 370 are illustrated in linear sequences for brevity and clarity in presentation; however, it is contemplated that any number of them can be performed in parallel, asynchronously, or in different orders. For brevity, many of the details discussed with reference to the previous figures may not be discussed or repeated hereafter. Method 500 begins at block 501 with a consumer accessing a software application (such as a website, a mobile application, such as vendor-specific application, a service provider- specific application, etc.), via a user interface (e.g., web browser, such as Chrome®, Explorer®, etc., with service provider smart shopping plugin 275 of Figure 2), application interface, etc.), to perform online shopping. In one embodiment and as described above, a plugin, such as plugin 275 of Figure 2, may be installed and by a consumer, where the plugin may reside with the user interface, such as a web browser, to offer the additional savings button on the webpage and when the additional savings button is hit, the plugin triggers shopping mechanism 110 to provide any number and type of saving options for the consumer, such as coupon, shared commission, and even reverse bidding through reverse auction as described with reference to Figure 2. In one embodiment, the consumer may access a vendor- specific application downloaded on the consumer's mobile device, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc., with the intent of shopping online. At block 503, the consumer selects a product (such as a tangible product, a service, etc.) from the website with the intent to purchase the product.

At block 505, in one embodiment, for example, prior to placing the selected product in an online shopping cart, the webpage/application page may provide a first option to buy now by proceeding to check out and a second option for guaranteed additional saving of money. If the consumer selects the "buy now" option, the product is sold for the vendor-offered price at block 507 and subsequently, and the transaction is wrapped up and ends at block 509.

In one embodiment, if the consumer selects the "additional savings" option, such as by clicking on a button, the process then takes the consumer to a service provider page offering additional savings using coupon(s) and/or commission at block 511. Upon offering a new price that is based on coupon(s) and/or commission, the consumer is provided an option to accept the offer or seek additional savings by choosing to go for a reverse auction at block 513. If the consumer choose to accept this new service provider-offered priced, based on coupon(s) and/or commission), the product is sold to the consumer for this new service provider-offered price at block 515 and subsequently, the transaction ends at block 517.

If the consumer selects the reverse auction, in one embodiment, a deposit amount is charged to the consumer at block 519, as further discussed with reference to Figure 2. At block 521, any number and type of vendors are invited to join the reverse auction by bidding on the product, such as reverse bidding to lower the price of the product, to capture the consumer' s business. At block 523, upon receiving a number of bids, the consumer may choose one of the bids (such as the lowest bid) or reject all bids. If the consumer rejects the bids and the reverse auction ends without the consumer choosing to benefit from it, the deposit obtained from the consumer is forwarded on to the lowest-bidding vendor to compensate for the vendor' s time, effort, resources, etc., spent in participating in the reverse auction at block 525. Further, upon rejecting the bids, the consumer may then choose to return to process 515 to buy the product for the service provider-offered price or return to process 507 to buy the product for the vendor- offered price or simply choose to end the transaction without a purchase. If, however, the consumer accepts a bid (such as the lowest bid) from one of the vendors, the product may then be sold to the consumer for the price equivalent to the accepted bid at block 527 and

subsequently, the transaction ends at block 529.

Figure 6 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine 600 in the exemplary form of a computer system, in accordance with one embodiment, within which a set of instructions, for causing machine 600 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed. Machine 600 may be the same as or similar to computing device 100 employing reverse shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 1, personal devices 270A-N, and 3P computing devices 280A-N according to one embodiment. In alternative embodiments, machine 100 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines either directly, such as via media slot or over a network, such as a cloud-based network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer- to-peer (or distributed) network environment or as a server or series of servers within an on- demand service environment, including an on-demand environment providing multi-tenant database storage services. Certain embodiments of the machine may be in the form of a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch or bridge, computing system, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The exemplary computer system 600 includes one or more processors 602, a main memory 604 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc., static memory 642, such as flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), volatile but high- data rate RAM, etc.), and a secondary memory 618 (e.g., a persistent storage device including hard disk drives and persistent multi-tenant data base implementations), which communicate with each other via a bus 630. Main memory 604 includes instructions 624 (such as software 622 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 624 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions of reverse shopping mechanism 110 of computing device 100 of Figure 1 and other figures described herein) which operate in conjunction with processing logic 626 and processor 602 to perform the methodologies discussed herein.

Processor 602 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the processor 602 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, processor implementing other instruction sets, or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processor 602 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. Processor 602 is configured to execute the processing logic 626 for performing the operations and functionality of reverse shopping mechanism 110 of computing device 100 of Figure 1 and other figures discussed herein.

The computer system 600 may further include a network interface device 608, such as a network interface card (NIC). The computer system 600 also may include a user interface 610 (such as a video display unit, a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (e.g., a mouse), a signal generation device 640 (e.g., an integrated speaker), and other devices 616 like cameras, microphones, integrated speakers, etc. The computer system 600 may further include peripheral device 636 (e.g., wireless or wired communication devices, memory devices, storage devices, audio processing devices, video processing devices, display devices, etc.). The computer system 600 may further include a hardware-based application programming interface logging framework 634 capable of executing incoming requests for services and emitting execution data responsive to the fulfillment of such incoming requests.

Network interface device 608 may also include, for example, a wired network interface to communicate with remote devices via network cable 623, which may be, for example, an Ethernet cable, a coaxial cable, a fiber optic cable, a serial cable, a parallel cable, etc. Network interface device 608 may provide access to a LAN, for example, by conforming to IEEE 802.11b and/or IEEE 802. llg standards, and/or the wireless network interface may provide access to a personal area network, for example, by conforming to Bluetooth standards. Other wireless network interfaces and/or protocols, including previous and subsequent versions of the standards, may also be supported. In addition to, or instead of, communication via the wireless LAN standards, network interface device 608 may provide wireless communication using, for example, Time Division, Multiple Access (TDMA) protocols, Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocols, Code Division, Multiple Access (CDMA) protocols, and/or any other type of wireless communications protocols.

The secondary memory 618 may include a machine -readable storage medium (or more specifically a machine- accessible storage medium) 631 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 622) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions of reverse shopping mechanism 110 of Figure 1 and other figures described herein. The software 622 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 604, such as instructions 624, and/or within the processor 602 during execution thereof by the computer system 600, the main memory 604 and the processor 602 also constituting machine -readable storage media. The software 622 may further be transmitted or received over network 620 via the network interface card 608. The machine -readable storage medium 631 may include transitory or non-transitory machine-readable storage media.

Portions of various embodiments may be provided as a computer program product, which may include a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform a process according to the embodiments. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), and

magneto-optical disks, ROM, RAM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnet or optical cards, flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Modules 644 relating to and/or include components and other features described herein (for example in relation to reverse shopping mechanism 110 of computing device 100 as described with reference to Figure 1) can be implemented as discrete hardware components or integrated in the functionality of hardware components such as ASICS, FPGAs, DSPs or similar devices. In addition, modules 644 can be implemented as firmware or functional circuitry within hardware devices. Further, modules 644 can be implemented in any combination hardware devices and software components.

The techniques shown in the figures can be implemented using code and data stored and executed on one or more electronic devices (e.g., an end station, a network element). Such electronic devices store and communicate (internally and/or with other electronic devices over a network) code and data using computer -readable media, such as non-transitory computer - readable storage media (e.g., magnetic disks; optical disks; random access memory; read only memory; flash memory devices; phase-change memory) and transitory computer -readable transmission media (e.g., electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals - such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals). In addition, such electronic devices typically include a set of one or more processors coupled to one or more other components, such as one or more storage devices (non-transitory machine-readable storage media), user input/output devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen, and/or a display), and network connections. The coupling of the set of processors and other components is typically through one or more busses and bridges (also termed as bus controllers). Thus, the storage device of a given electronic device typically stores code and/or data for execution on the set of one or more processors of that electronic device. Of course, one or more parts of an embodiment may be implemented using different combinations of software, firmware, and/or hardware.

Any of the above embodiments may be used alone or together with one another in any combination. Embodiments encompassed within this specification may also include

embodiments that are only partially mentioned or alluded to or are not mentioned or alluded to at all in this brief summary or in the abstract. Although various embodiments may have been motivated by various deficiencies with the prior art, which may be discussed or alluded to in one or more places in the specification, the embodiments do not necessarily address any of these deficiencies. In other words, different embodiments may address different deficiencies that may be discussed in the specification. Some embodiments may only partially address some deficiencies or just one deficiency that may be discussed in the specification, and some embodiments may not address any of these deficiencies.

While one or more implementations have been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood that one or more implementations are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to faciliate smart online shopping, comprising:

detection/reception logic to receive a first request from a consumer seeking savings on a product during online shopping, wherein the savings indicate additional savings over a first price for the product, wherein the first price is offered by a vendor of the product;

coupon matching and valuation logic of coupon engine to seek a coupon relating to the product from a plurality of coupons, wherein the coupon offer a first reduction in the vendor- offered price;

commission computation logic of commission engine to compute a commission to be associated with the product to offer a second reduction in the vendor-offered price; and

application/execution logic to offer the product at a second price that is lower than the first price, wherein the second price includes the first and second reductions and is offered by a service provider serving as a broker between the product and the consumer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first request is placed at a computing device, wherein the first request is placed by clicking on an icon or a button indicating additional savings on the product for the consumer, wherein the detection/receoption loigc is further to detect one or more of commencement of the online shopping, selection of the product, and placing of the product in an online shopping cart.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupon engine further comprises coupon assignment logic to assining the coupon to the product, and wherein the coupon matching and valuation logic is further to accept or reject each of the plurlaity of coupons based on its valuation to the product.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the coupon engine further comprises coupon harvesting logic to harvest the plurality of coupons from one or more sources including at least one of vendors, coupon/deal websites, consumers, paper publications, and electronic

publications.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the commision engine further comprises commission association logic to associate the commission to the product to be offered to the consumer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection/reception logic is to further receive a second request from the consumer, via the computing device, seeking to enter a reverse auction for further savings on the product, wherein the second request is placed by clicking on an icon or a button dedicated to the reverse auction.

7. The appratus of claim 6, further comprising:

deposit computation logic of reverse auction engine to compute and charge a deposit amount to the consumer for seeking to enter the reverse auction;

consumer/vendor invitation logic of the reverse auction engine to invite a plurality of vendors to reverse bid on the product; and

bidding management logic of the reverse auction engine to manage bids placed by the plurality of vendors for a predetermined period of time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if a bid of the bids is accepted by the consumer, the application/execution logic is further to offer the product at a third price that is lower than the first and second prices, wherein the third price is based on the bid accepted by the consumer and placed by a vendor of the plurality of vendors, and

wherein if the bids are rejected by the consumer, the application/execution logic to assign the deposit to the vendor and facilitate one or more options including at least one of buy the product at the first price, buy the product at the second price, and terminate the online shopping without purchasing the product.

9. A method for faciliating smart online shopping, comprising:

receiving a first request from a consumer seeking savings on a product during online shopping, wherein the savings indicate additional savings over a first price for the product, wherein the first price is offered by a vendor of the product;

seeking a coupon relating to the product from a plurality of coupons, wherein the coupon offer a first reduction in the vendor-offered price;

comptuing a commission to be associated with the product to offer a second reduction in the vendor-offered price; and

offering the product at a second price that is lower than the first price, wherein the second price includes the first and second reductions and is offered by a service provider serving as a broker between the product and the consumer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first request is placed at a computing device, wherein the first request is placed by clicking on an icon or a button indicating additional savings on the product for the consumer, wherein the method further comprises detecting one or more of commencement of the online shopping, selection of the product, and placing of the product in an online shopping cart.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising assining the coupon to the product, wherein each of the plurlaity of coupons is accepted or rejected based on its valuation to the product.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising harvesting the plurality of coupons from one or more sources including at least one of vendors, coupon/deal websites, consumers, paper publications, and electronic publications.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising associating the commission to the product to be offered to the consumer.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a second request from the consumer, via the computing device, seeking to enter a reverse auction for further savings on the product, wherein the second request is placed by clicking on an icon or a button dedicated to the reverse auction.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

computing and charging a deposit amount to the consumer for seeking to enter the reverse auction;

inviting a plurality of vendors to reverse bid on the product; and

managing bids placed by the plurality of vendors for a predetermined period of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein if a bid of the bids is accepted by the consumer, the product is offered at a third price that is lower than the first and second prices, wherein the third price is based on the bid accepted by the consumer and placed by a vendor of the plurality of vendors, and

wherein if the bids are rejected by the consumer, the deposit is assigned to the vendor and one or more options are facilitated, hwerein the one or more options include at least one of buy the product at the first price, buy the product at the second price, and terminate the online shopping without purchasing the product.

17. At least one machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, when executed on a computing device, to implement or perform a method as claimed in any of claims 9-16.

18. A system comprising a mechanism to implement or perform a method as claimed in any of claims 9-16.

19. An apparatus comprising means for performing a method as claimed in any of claims 9-16.

20. A computing device arranged to implement or perform a method as claimed in any of claims 9-16.

21. A communications device arranged to implement or perform a method as claimed in any of claims 9-16.