Reverse-Auction Purchase Platform for Wish Lists and Local Offers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers spend valuable time shopping for the best deals on items or services, while merchants often advertise without knowing consumer interests, leading to inefficiencies in the purchasing process.

Innovation Solution

A system that allows merchants to participate in a reverse auction program, where they receive user wish lists, make offers, and users' funds are deposited into an escrow account, enabling efficient deal facilitation through location-based offers and aggregation of wish lists for better pricing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If consumers shop at various merchants for the best deal, then they can find better prices, but they spend valuable time shopping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprice comparison qualityVSAvoidshopping time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional auction model by having consumers post wish lists with desired prices, and merchants bid to fulfill those wishes. This reverse auction approach eliminates the need for consumers to actively shop around, as merchants compete to provide the best deals on pre-specified items, thereby resolving the contradiction between price optimization and time consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

Consumers pre-specify their wish lists including desired items and price points before the auction process begins. This preliminary action allows merchants to target their bids efficiently without requiring consumers to engage in extensive shopping research, thus achieving both price optimization and time savings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If merchants advertise to consumers, then they can promote their products, but they do so without specifically knowing what the consumer is interested in purchasing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarketing effectivenessVSAvoidconsumer interest information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides merchants with direct feedback through consumer wish lists that explicitly state what items consumers want to purchase and at what prices. This feedback mechanism eliminates the information gap in traditional advertising, allowing merchants to tailor their marketing efforts precisely to consumer interests and needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary platform that connects consumers and merchants, facilitating the exchange of precise consumer interest information. This intermediary enables merchants to receive targeted wish list data without requiring direct consumer outreach, thereby improving marketing effectiveness while maintaining consumer privacy and reducing information loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12361453B2Systems and methods for facilitating purchases

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)

AI summary

Methods and systems for facilitating a program with participating merchants and consumers are described. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a wish list of a user. The wish list may include items or services sold by merchants participating in the program. The wish list may be published to the merchants participating in the program. A location of the user may be determined, and an offer from one of the participating merchants may be received, where the offer is based on the location of the user. A total cost of the offer may be calculated by analyzing the offer. The user may be notified of the offer and the total cost.