Mobile Item Price Notification System with Real-Time Inventory Querying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current advertising methods lack efficient mechanisms for delivering targeted item price notifications to mobile devices based on real-time inventory data, location, and customer preferences, limiting businesses' ability to promote sales effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for delivering item price notifications to mobile devices that query an inventory database for price reductions, generate notifications, and transmit them via wireless protocols, using a processor, inventory database, and memory to manage inventory and customer data, and update prices based on thresholds such as quantity or expiration dates, while considering customer purchase history and location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If businesses use traditional advertising methods (broadcast television, internet advertising), then advertising coverage is achieved, but targeted delivery to specific customers based on real-time inventory and location is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments advertising delivery by dividing the customer base into individual mobile device recipients and tailoring notifications to each customer's location, inventory needs, and purchase history. This allows precise targeting rather than broad general advertising, resolving the contradiction between coverage and targeted delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring inventory levels, expiration dates, and customer preferences in advance, then proactively sending price notifications before customers make purchasing decisions. This anticipatory approach enables targeted delivery based on real-time data without waiting for customer requests.
2Ease of operation
If businesses send price notifications to mobile devices, then customer engagement is improved, but system complexity increases due to inventory database querying and wireless communication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a multi-functional processor that handles inventory database querying, price threshold evaluation, notification generation, and wireless message transmission through a unified architecture. This consolidates multiple functions into a single system, managing complexity while enabling comprehensive customer engagement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically queries inventory databases, evaluates price thresholds, generates notifications, and transmits messages without requiring manual intervention. This self-service automation improves ease of operation for customers receiving notifications while the system manages its own complexity through automated processes.
3Measurement precision
If the system queries inventory database for every price notification, then real-time accuracy is achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary querying of the inventory database to identify items meeting price reduction thresholds before generating notifications. By pre-identifying qualifying items and storing this information, the system reduces processing time during actual notification events while maintaining real-time accuracy through periodic database updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where inventory database queries return results that trigger notification generation only when price thresholds are met. This feedback loop ensures real-time accuracy by continuously monitoring inventory data while reducing unnecessary processing by acting only on relevant price changes.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary system for delivering an item price notification to a mobile device can include a processor, an inventory database including a plurality of inventory items, and a memory that is in communication with the processor. The memory can be configured to store instructions that, when executed, perform the steps of an exemplary method. An exemplary method can include querying the inventory database to determine if an inventory item meets a price reduction threshold, generating the item price notification including a sale price for the inventory item, if the inventory item meets the price reduction threshold, and transmitting the item price notification to the mobile device. The query can be invoked by the mobile device being proximate the inventory item, such as the mobile device being located at a merchant premises.