Vendor Lead Generation with Separate Existing-Customer Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lead generation systems fail to provide leads for consumers who are already customers of vendors, missing an opportunity for vendors to retain or expand their business with existing customers, while also increasing costs associated with acquiring new customers.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilizes a database of existing customer information and a matching engine to identify and match consumers who are existing customers of vendors, allowing vendors to receive leads for these customers based on predefined criteria, while minimizing the disclosure of sensitive consumer information and maintaining privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If lead generation systems focus on identifying new potential customers, then the quantity of leads increases, but the opportunity to retain existing customers is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelead generation volumeVSAvoidcustomer retention opportunity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lead generation process into two distinct pathways: one for new customer acquisition and another for existing customer identification. The system divides the customer database into existing customers and potential new customers, allowing parallel processing of both lead generation functions without interference, thus resolving the contradiction between quantity and retention opportunity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If vendors acquire new customers through advertising and promotion, then new business is obtained, but costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenew customer acquisitionVSAvoidcustomer acquisition cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of existing customers who may be interested in additional products or services before any acquisition costs are incurred. By proactively matching existing customers with relevant vendors based on their purchase history and preferences, the system enables cost-effective cross-selling and up-selling opportunities without requiring expensive advertising campaigns

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where customer responses to lead generation are fed back into the system to refine future matching. This creates a continuous improvement loop that increases the efficiency of customer retention efforts over time, reducing the need for repeated high-cost acquisition attempts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If complete customer information is disclosed to lead generation systems, then matching accuracy improves, but consumer privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer matching accuracyVSAvoidconsumer privacy exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and utilizes only the specific data elements necessary for accurate matching (such as purchase history, product categories, and demographic information) while excluding sensitive personal information. This selective extraction approach maintains matching precision by focusing on relevant attributes while removing privacy-risk elements from the data sharing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that acts as a buffer between the customer database and the lead generation system. This intermediary anonymizes and aggregates customer data before transmission, enabling accurate matching through pattern recognition without exposing individual customer identities or sensitive information to external parties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12437320B2System and method of generating existing customer leads

Publication Date: 2025.10.07 LMB MORTGAGE SERVICES INC

AI summary

One embodiment of an existing customer lead generation system comprises a vendor customer information database, a vendor criteria database, a web server, a matching engine, and a transmission component. The vendor customer information database identifies vendor's existing customers. The vendor criteria database determines which leads each vendor wants to receive. Separate criteria may be specified for consumers that are existing customers and consumers that are not existing customers. The web server receives characteristics of a consumer and a product or service. The matching engine compares the consumer characteristics with the vendor customer information database to identify vendors for which the consumer is an existing customer. The matching engine applies existing customer criteria to match the consumer with existing vendors. The matching engine applies non-existing customer criteria to match the consumer with other vendors. The transmission component transmits a lead identifying the consumer to the matched vendors.