Merchant Self-Service Interface for Automated Deal Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for providing discounts to consumers are inefficient, requiring lengthy registration and verification processes for merchants, which are not scalable as the number of merchants increases, and involve manual verification by staff members, limiting the ability to generate and manage deal offers effectively.

Innovation Solution

A merchant self-service interface that allows programmatic registration and verification, using merchant self-service indicators to suggest and generate deal offers, enabling automated approval and editing of promotions, and providing analytics for determining successful deal strategies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual verification and registration processes are used for merchants, then deal offers can be verified for validity, but the process becomes lengthy and not scalable as the number of merchants increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification of merchant authorization and deal validityVSAvoidlength of registration and verification process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables merchants to perform self-registration and self-verification through automated processes. The merchant registration module allows merchants to register themselves, and the deal offer validation module automatically verifies deal validity without requiring manual intervention from deal company representatives, thus reducing processing time while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical verification processes with automated computer-based systems. The merchant registration module and deal offer validation module use automated algorithms and data processing to verify merchant authorization and deal validity, substituting human staff members with computational processes that are both reliable and scalable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If more staff members are hired to handle increased merchant volume, then merchant needs can be met in reasonable time frames, but the system becomes less scalable and more costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of merchants served per time frameVSAvoidnumber of staff members required

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated registration and validation systems enable the platform to serve more merchants without proportionally increasing staff. Merchants complete their own registration and deal validation occurs automatically, allowing the system to scale productivity without adding human resources

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The automated modules serve multiple functions simultaneously - the merchant registration module handles verification, data collection, and account creation in one integrated process. The deal offer validation module performs multiple checks (merchant authorization, deal validity, consumer eligibility) automatically, replacing multiple staff functions with a single multi-functional automated system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If automated programmatic registration and deal generation are implemented, then scalability and efficiency improve, but manual verification capabilities may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of merchant registration and deal generationVSAvoidaccuracy of merchant verification and deal validation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback loops where the automated validation modules continuously learn from and adjust based on verification outcomes. The deal offer validation module uses feedback from merchant data and consumer responses to refine its validation criteria, ensuring that automated processes maintain high reliability while improving efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual verification mechanics with sophisticated automated validation algorithms that use data processing and logical reasoning to ensure accuracy. These computational processes maintain reliability by systematically checking all required criteria without human error, while dramatically improving processing speed and scalability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12198162B2Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for providing a self-service interface

Publication Date: 2025.01.14 BYTEDANCE INC

AI summary

Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for programmatically generating and/or revising deal offers for a merchant based on one or more merchant self-service indicators. In providing such functionality, the system can be configured to, for example, facilitate registration and verification of merchant identities, monitor and analyze various deal offers for merchants with similar merchant self-service indicators, that enable the system to determine the relative successfulness of a deal offer for a merchant and/or category of merchant. In some embodiments, the system may be further configured to revise the deal offer programmatically and/or upon receiving the merchant's approval of the programmatically generated proposed edits to the deal offer.