Variable-Start Discount Offers Using Encoded Timestamps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional online systems fail to engage users with merchant content effectively, leading to low attention and purchase conversion rates, as existing merchant content lacks compelling incentives for users to interact with third-party merchants.

Innovation Solution

Implementing discount offers that become valid at the time of display, using variable-start discount offers with encoded timestamps, allowing users to redeem discounts by making purchases within a specified duration, thereby creating a stronger incentive for users to engage with merchant content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional merchant content (graphics or text) is displayed on an online system, then the merchant gets a platform to promote itself, but users lack compelling reasons to engage with the content and simply scroll past it

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemerchant promotion capabilityVSAvoiduser engagement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms static merchant content into dynamic discount offers by changing the temporal parameter - creating time-limited offers that become valid at specific moments. This transforms the content from a static promotional graphic into a dynamic incentive with urgency, encouraging user engagement through the parameter of time sensitivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring discount offers with future start times and validity durations. The offers are prepared in advance with encoded timestamps, so when users encounter them, the engagement mechanism (time-limited discount) is already in place, creating immediate compelling reasons to act.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If discount offers with fixed start times are used, then merchants can plan promotions, but users cannot take advantage of offers at the moment they are most interested

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepromotion planningVSAvoidoffer validity timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamics to the discount offer system by allowing the start time to be variable rather than fixed. The offer becomes valid at different times for different users based on when they encounter the offer, creating a dynamic timing mechanism that adapts to user behavior while maintaining the promotional structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary configuration of the discount offer parameters (duration, minimum purchase amount, encoded timestamp structure) in advance, but leaves the actual start time flexible. This allows merchants to plan the offer structure while the system automatically adjusts the timing based on when users interact with the content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If discount offers remain valid for long periods, then users have more time to make purchases, but the urgency and incentive to act immediately is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser purchase flexibilityVSAvoidpurchase conversion rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the duration parameter of discount offers to create an ideal balance. By setting specific validity durations (not too long, not too short), the system changes the temporal parameter to generate urgency while maintaining enough flexibility for users to complete purchases. This parameter optimization directly addresses the contradiction between flexibility and conversion rate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Adaptability or versatility

If the system tracks and encodes timestamps for each user impression, then variable-start discount offers can be implemented, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevariable-start offer capabilityVSAvoidtimestamp encoding system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a simplified copy or representation of the timestamp information by encoding it into compact formats (such as encoded strings or tokens). Instead of storing and processing full timestamp data structures, the system uses condensed encoded representations that maintain the necessary temporal information while reducing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10366417B2Discount offer with time period defined by user impression

Publication Date: 2019.07.30 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

An online system receives a discount offer from a merchant and displays the offers to users. Some of the discount offers provide for a discount that becomes valid when the discount offer is displayed to the user and remains valid for an offer duration. To implement these discount offers, a timestamp representing the time at which the discount offer is displayed is recorded and encoded. The encoded timestamp is provided to the merchant system when the user makes a purchase. The merchant extracts the recorded timestamp from the encoded timestamp and compares the recorded timestamp to the time of the purchase. If the time elapsed between the timestamp and the purchase is less than the offer duration, then the merchant system applies the discount to the purchase.