Patent Application
20100036720
The subject specification relates to systems and methods for compensating a customer in online or offline domains through advertisement in exchange for the customer's intent in transacting with a service platform, wherein the intent can be conveyed online or offline.
In conventional customer-service provider interaction, a customer or agent selects a service or goods provider based on an expectation that the provider would deliver relevant and competent service which would satisfy the needs of the agent. In addition, cost-benefit analysis generally contributes to the selection process, with the agent seeking the most value among available alternative. Once a selection is made—either a service provider is engaged in a commercial transaction, or a product is bought from a merchant—the agent conveys intent in accessing the service or utilizing a product. In response to the provided intent, an adequate selection of service provider or product generally leads to service or product satisfaction. In such a commercial paradigm, service providers and merchants typically compete for agent's intent by offering quality service and products while campaigning for brand recognition, awareness and loyalty, as well as service or product differentiation.
To drive transactions with customers and to develop brand recognition and loyalty, as well as product differentiation, service providers typically resort to reward or rebate systems to compensate a customer in exchange for a “binding” transaction, wherein the binding nature of the customer-service interaction is reflected in the need for the customer to commit funds, e.g., through a purchase, prior to receiving compensation. It is to be appreciated that typical rebate systems are product-centric rather than agent-centric. As a consequence, conventional systems generally reward disparate customers, who may have substantially divergent backgrounds, interests, and reasons for purchasing a product, with substantially the same reward. Thus, conventional reward systems fail to exploit customer diversity, even within the narrow group of customers that engage in a binding transaction.
It is to be further appreciated that “non-binding” rebate system information have also been pursued by service providers and merchants in order to increase service and product visibility. Yet, conventional non-binding rebates are also product-centric and generally tend to be low in value in view that no binding transaction is involved. Therefore, discouraging customers to lock-in in the rebate system; e.g., rebates go unclaimed, rebate-free products are consumed, and so on.
In addition, conventional binding and non-binding reward systems lack rich, detailed intelligence on customer(s) or agent(s) as said systems are product-centric. Conventional rebate systems therefore are rigid or quasi-static; namely, fail to adapt, or adapt poorly, to customer needs, interests, and wants. Moreover, conventional systems typically operate exclusively in the online domain or exclusively the offline domain, where the domains are primarily determined by the spaces in which the rebates are materialized. Furthermore, conventional reward systems have only marginally exploited the fluid access of customers to portable electronic devices and their interoperability.
The following presents a simplified summary of the claimed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the claimed subject matter nor delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the claimed subject matter in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject innovation provides system(s) and method(s) to compensate of an agent in online and offline domains in exchange for the agent's intent in transacting with a service platform, wherein the intent can be conveyed online or offline. Compensation is generally funded through advertisement spend incurred by an advertisement engine which can be internal or external to the service platform. In addition, advertisement impressions facilitate compensation delivery. To compensate an agent, the service platform extracts intent through explicit or implicit expressions or information, which can be collected online or offline. Cameras and sensors deployed by the service platform gather the implicit or explicit information offline while online expression are determined more conventionally through web-based content (e.g., queries, email and instant messages, online gameplay, . . . ). Analysis of collected information determines the agent's intent to various degrees of confidence. Offline expressions can be delivered through wearable indicia.
Compensation based at least in part on agent's intent can be delivered online or offline to a device operated by the agent. Offline delivery is generally conveyed through wireless links. Through agent registration and registration of a set of agent's devices, service platform can deliver adaptive compensation customized to the agent, display advertisement(s) with format and content optimized for the agent's device(s).
To drive agent's commercial transactions, service platform can (i) exploit offline location services like global navigation satellite systems and online location information, such as cookie files, to deliver advertisement and associated compensation based in part on both agent's intent and location; and (ii) by probe agent's response to the delivered advertisement and compensation in order to adjust the format and content to attain a desired response.
The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the claimed subject matter. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the claimed subject matter may be employed and the claimed subject matter is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the claimed subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description of the claimed subject matter when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter.
Moreover, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
Further, the terms “component,” “system,” “module,” “interface,” “platform,” or the like are generally intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a controller and the controller can be a component. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers.
As employed herein, the terms “agent,” “user,” “customer,” “player,” “participant” and the like generally refer to a human entity (e.g., a single person or group of people) that utilizes a software application (e.g., plays, participates in, or employs a computer-implemented game; or utilizes a utility software application like presentation-preparation software, data-analysis software, online investment and related business transactions, navigation software; and so on) and possesses access to computer-related communication infrastructure, computer-related systems, electronic devices, portable or otherwise, or any combination thereof. The aforementioned terms can be, and often are, hereinafter employed interchangeably.
Furthermore, the term “service” can refer to executing a software, such as using a toolbar or web-based email engine or search engine; retrieving information (e.g., status of a pending patent application, a proposal submission, immigration process, or package delivery); purchasing goods; making a payment (e.g. mortgage, rent, student loan, credit card, car, phone, utilities, late fees); taking a class at an online school; making an appointment with an offline provider (e.g., dentist, medical doctor, lawyer, hairdresser, mechanic); or registering for an online or offline conference. It should be appreciated that this listing of services is provided as a non-limiting illustration, as other services know to one of ordinary skill are within the scope of the subject innovation.
The term “intelligence” has two meanings: (i) it refers to information that characterizes history or behavior of a person or an entity, and to records of commercial and non-commercial activities involving a product or service, or a combination thereof, of the person or entity; and (ii) it refers to the ability to reason or draw conclusions about, e.g., infer, the current or future state of a system or behavior of a user based on existing information about the system or user. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be employed to identify a specific context or action, or generate a probability distribution of specific states of a system or behavior of a user without human intervention. Artificial intelligence relies on applying advanced mathematical algorithms—e.g., decision trees, neural networks, regression analysis, cluster analysis, genetic algorithm, and reinforced learning—to a set of available data (information) on the system or user.
As described in detail below, the subject specification discloses system(s) and method(s) to compensate an agent in exchange for the agent's intent in transacting with a service platform. Compensation can be effected in online and offline domains, and intent can be conveyed online or offline. Compensation is funded through advertisement spending, and advertisement impressions facilitate compensation delivery. The service platform that compensated the agent extracts intent through explicit or implicit expressions which can be collected online or offline. Offline expressions can be delivered through wearable indicia. Compensation can be delivered wirelessly offline or online to a device operated by the agent. Agent and agent's device(s) registration afford service platform to deliver adaptive compensation customized to the agent, and advertisement(s) with format and content optimized for the agent's device. To drive agent's commercial transactions, offline location services and online location information facilitate delivery of advertisement and associated compensation based in part on agent's intent and location.
Service platform 120 is neither limited to a specific industry nor a specific service. Additionally, industry or service is neither limited services consumed online (e.g., through the Internet) nor offline (e.g., access to the service does not hinges on access to the Internet). A desirable characteristic of a service, or product obtained through service platform, is that the service is primarily accessed regularly (e.g., on a daily basis). Agent's intent 115 and the service provided, or goods delivered, by service platform 120 typically are interdependent. Online service platform.—In an aspect, service platform 120 can be an online search engine, wherein the search query embodies the agent's intent in receiving a list of search results. Moreover, customer intent 115 can be related to searching for a provider or particular goods or services, and a plurality of providers may compete for knowledge of such intent (e.g., by offering rewards/incentives) in order to be presented to the customer in a favorable forum/light that will facilitate a commercial transaction transpiring between the customer and the service or product provider. In another aspect, service platform 120 can be an online portal of a technical journal, where an agent looking to retrieve a specific article provides a citation to the article (e.g., intent 115) and the publisher responds by presenting or delivering the article to the user. In another aspect, service platform 120 can be an online software application service wherein an interface customized for an agent provides the functionalities of a specific software application (e.g., payroll and benefits applications; business development and program management applications, simulation applications; online gaming applications; and so on) for a service fee. In yet another embodiment, service platform 120 can be social networking website, wherein the service platform facilitates (i) customer expression through deployment and maintenance service(s) of a webpage, and (ii) interactions among disparate customers. It should be appreciated that various additional online services can be contemplated.
Offline service platform.—Substantially any merchant or service provider that operates offline can adopt the intent-compensation paradigm described herein; for instance, car and motorcycle dealers, department stores, coffee shops, liquor stores, bookstores, and so on.
Agent 110 can utilize various devices 1121-112N, which can either be wired or wireless (e.g., a cell phone, a laptop, tethered computer, vehicular navigation device, game console, or personal digital assistant) and with a display area that can be accessed interactively or otherwise, to convey intent 115. Based at least on disclosed information, the conveyed agent's intent 115 can be classified in at least two broad categories: (a) explicit expression of intent, and (b) implicit expression of intent. To convey intent and participate in the intent-compensation commercial scheme established in example system 100, an agent registers with system platform 120 through registration component 125, which gathers agent intelligence during the registration process. In addition, the agent also registers the set of devices 1121-112N. Registration of devices 1121-112N facilitates delivery of compensation and customized information related therewith such as advertisement, compensation opportunities, merchants affiliated with service platform 120 that participate in the intent-compensation commercial model, and so on. In addition to the benefits for the user in connection with participating in the intent-compensation price incentive model of service platform 120, registration with service platform 120 is also advantageous as agent intelligence can be collected at the time of registration, and utilized by service platform 120, for example, for targeted marketing campaigns.
Service platform 120 also includes an intent processing component 135 that obtains agent's intent 115 through a variety of instruments or mechanisms (e.g., portals, pop-up windows, queries, statements, utterances, inferences, extrinsic evidence, historical data, machine learning systems, webcams, charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras, microphones, feature harvesting systems, and so forth). Intent processing component 135 can evaluate the veracity of the agent intent 115 and generate confidence metrics associated therewith. Such confidence metrics can be factored in connection with allocation of compensation 125. It should be appreciated that, unlike conventional couponing and rebate schemes, intent processing component 135 determines or infers customer intent dynamically (for example via Internet or wireless communications—e.g., search engines and cellular telephones are examples of platforms suitable to deploy various embodiments described herein), and utilizes the determined intent to facilitate joining the agent with advertisers and, alternatively or additionally, suitable service providers (not shown) affiliated with service platform 120 in connection with maximizing utility to the user or the service provider. In addition, intent processing component 135 provides agent 110 with bargaining power through solicitation of intent information (the solicitation can occur through a wireless, wired, or hybrid communication link 118) which conventionally was often provided for free by an agent (e.g., agent 110). As a result, agents can increase buying power or wealth through leveraging off the value of their respective intent information. Furthermore, a filtering process can be achieved where unmotivated service providers or merchants, or respective advertiser, are not exposed to the agents thereby mitigating spam-like solicitations. An embodiment for intent processing component is discussed below.
In an aspect, compensation 125 can be provided through advertisement; e.g., ad spend 185 and ad content 195 generated by advertisement engine 180. System platform 120 includes an advertisement management component 145 that utilizes a known (through explicit intent expression) or established (e.g., extracted from an implicit expression) agent's intent 115 to generate advertisement impressions that carry a compensation in exchange of the customer intent. Compensation can be accessed through advertisement in multiple manners: (1) Advertisement exposure. In this scenario, the advertisement impression is conveyed to the user in the form of direct compensation, wherein the advertisement is a “conduit” for delivering the compensation. (2) Advertisement instantiation. A compensation is received by instantiating the advertisement impression; e.g., by following instructions in the advertisement such as for example, responding to an online or telephonic survey; visiting an online webpage or an offline showroom, watching a movie trailer or portion of a movie soundtrack, and so on. (3) Advertisement-driven action. Compensation is the result of a specific commercial transaction between the agent and the advertiser. It is to be appreciated that intent-driven advertisement is intrinsically targeted, thus the likelihood of an agent engaging in a transaction with the advertiser or service platform is substantially high. The likelihood of an agent take action can be biased via the level of provided compensation; namely, advertisement management component 145 can present advertisement that offer a compensation that is above a known or inferred engagement threshold associated with the agent that conveys the intent 115. In an aspect, this mode for accessing compensation can supplement (1) or (2).
To finance compensation (e.g., compensation 125) to a customer (e.g., agent 110) in exchange for the customer's intent (e.g., intent 115), service platform 120, through ad management component 145, can direct funding 155 arising from advertisement spend 185 to a compensation component 165. The amount of funding 155 directed towards compensation is typically determined according to a financial model that ensures a zero-sum scenario with respect to (a) ad spend directed towards compensation, (b) ad spend for advertising, and (c) credit awarded for advertising to advertisement engine 180 by service platform 120 over an advertisement cycle (e.g., a week, a month, a quarter, . . . ). It is to be noted that (c) can be viewed as funds that “prime the pump” for an advertisement engine 180, by providing subsidies for advertisement campaigns in emerging markets; focused on new products or services; or based on new advertising techniques, resources and media.
Once an advertisement model for compensation delivery is selected; based at least in part on the nature—explicit or implicit expression—of the intent 115 received by service platform 120, the available intelligence on the originating agent, etc.; and consistent action has been taken by a customer (e.g., agent 110), compensation component 165 delivers compensation 125. To that end, compensation component 165 performs multiple tasks, which comprise accounting, managing fraud mitigation, and retaining records associated with compensation. In an aspect, compensation component 165 can manage issued compensation like adopting changes to face-value of compensation 125; for instance, conferring a promotional value, typically above average or generally awarded value, to the compensation 125 if specific actions are taken by an agent like responding to an online product survey or visiting an offline store show-room within a specific period of time. In another aspect, compensation component 165 can determine specific compensation according to agent intelligence available to service platform 120, in order to mitigate customer attrition, or increase the quality of information associated with intent (e.g., increase the instances in which intent is conveyed via explicit rather than implicit expression). In yet another aspect, compensation component 165 can broker partnerships with disparate online or offline merchants that may be affiliated with service platform 120.
It is to be appreciated that through a set of registered mobile devices (e.g., devices 1121-112N), compensation component 165 can provide compensation either online or offline. Registration of devices that can receive compensation facilitates the optimization of a device's resources when conveying an advertisement that carries compensation. Furthermore, a set of devices that are utilized at the time an eligible action is undertaken by agent 110 can drive the compensation type. For example, agent 110 utilizes an online service to trade stocks (a possible embodiment of service platform 120) in a laptop computer (e.g., device 1121) while the agent 110 listens to music in a Zune® digital media player—that agent 110 is listening music in a Zune® device (e.g., device 112N) can be gleaned from information collected by webcam operating on the agent's laptop computer and conveyed to intent processing component 135—at a specific instance agent 110 buys stock from an entertainment company. The system platform, based on the transaction, available intelligence about the user, and the fact that the user is listening to a Zune® device, result in a digital song delivered to the user email inbox (and possibly a notification to the agent's cell phone) as a compensation for conveying intent to the stock trading system. The illustrative scenario described hereinbefore displays a central advantage of the intent-compensation price incentive scheme herein disclosed with respect to conventional system: Compensation can be synergistically customized based on context and behavior, rather than established solely on user intelligence or eligible action.
As illustrated above, compensation 195 has monetary value. Monetary value can be effected (i) directly, e.g., monies are deposited in a compensation account (not shown in
Monetary value can also be effected (ii) indirectly, such as through reward points, service-specific points, platform-specific points, virtual monies or points, e.g., Microsoft® Points or substantially any other denomination, that can be used to claim a rewards either online or offline. In addition, agent 110 can be compensated with generic points (or substantially any other tokens associated with materializing a compensation) that facilitate claiming products or merchandise of different types and scope. Points, generic or otherwise, can be perishable or perennial, and can be transferred to a second agent (not shown). It should be appreciated that, in an aspect, generic points can be managed dynamically by service platform 130, adopting promotional value to drive a specific product or service campaign, or changing scope as a function of the point bearer (e.g., a compensated agent like agent 110). An alternative or additional form of indirect monetary compensation can be effected through digital merchandise like songs; ring-tones; movies; pictures; books; magazine articles, technical or otherwise; greetings cards; games, console-based and online, single-player or multiplayer; software application add-ons such as Microsoft® Visio® stencils or custom font sets; foreign-language dictionaries; maps, secret passages, and answers to riddles for second worlds relevant to role playing games, and so on.
Operation of compensation component 165 is discussed in greater detail below.
A second realization quadrant 220 corresponds to intent that is received online by a service platform, which can either be a web-based service or an offline service—in either situation intent is received online—and compensation received offline. Illustrations of realization quadrant 220 include online portals to arrange reservations of offline services such as online reservation of hotels, flights, and rental cars, with compensation comprising upgrade of accommodations, sit selection, or car selection; online purchases of tickets for offline events, online reservation of books in a catalog for offline pick-up. It should be appreciated that in the foregoing examples of realization quadrant 220, an indication or notification of compensation can be delivered online, however compensation is effected offline; an updated accommodation is taken, an upgraded seat is utilized during a flight, and so on.
A third realization quadrant 230 corresponds to intent conveyed offline and compensation delivered offline. In this realization an agent conveys intent through a set of actions offline rather than by exploiting an Internet connection. Typically, intent that is conveyed offline is of the implicit type, wherein information surrounding the actions of an agent is collected and intent is inferred through intent processing component 135. It is to be appreciated that intent processing component 135 can collect information relevant to extracting intent from an agent's actions. Various tiers of information can be utilized to determine an agent's intent (e.g., intent 115). For example, detecting an agent (e.g., agent 110) entering a merchant store, such as a coffee shop, provides with a low-level information that conveys intent; namely, the agent intends to engage in a transaction with the merchant responsible for the store. It should be appreciated that a determination that an agent has entered a store can be complemented with intelligence associate with the agent: If the agent each morning enters the coffee shop and leaves with a cup of coffee, it can be inferred that after an agent has entered the coffee shop in the morning, the associated intent is to order and buy a cup of coffee. It is to be noted that the latter is an elementary example of training that an intent processing component can undergo to learn to extract intent from implicit expressions of intent ascribed to an agent. When a merchant that manages the coffee shop is an offline service platform that utilizes an intent processing component (e.g., component 135) to determine an agent's intent to compensate the in exchange of his or her intent, then a the merchant can issue a discount (e.g., a compensation) once the agent enters the store or buys merchandise sold therein.
A fourth realization quadrant 240 corresponds to intent conveyed offline and compensation delivered online. In this realization intent is conveyed as discussed in connection with realization quadrant 230 and compensation is delivered online in substantially the same manner as discussed in connection quadrant 210.
To ensure privacy integrity of an agent's actions, a privacy component 266 regulates the information that can be collected to extract agent's intent. In an aspect, privacy component 266 maintains an agent's privacy according to privacy settings established by the agent. Privacy component 266 also manages how records of collected agent's actions are stored within an agent intelligence store 269. Functionality of privacy component is discussed in greater detail below.
Collected information associated with agent's actions that are compatible with privacy regulations, or policies, can be utilized by intelligent component 272 to infer agent's intent 115. Analysis and feature or pattern mining of information can be implemented by intelligent component to extract intent. In addition, intelligent component 272 can utilize supplemental data that can facilitate intent inference, and interpretation of agent's behavior according to the information gathered by information collection component 263. Supplemental data can reside in a data store 275, which can include data from experiment(s) and simulation(s) on behavior, demographic influences on behavior and associated intent (e.g., agents with disparate backgrounds may convey a same intent through disparate actions), etc. Moreover, supplemental data can include data generated by intelligent component 272 in prior instances of intent processing and extraction. Operation of intelligent component 272 is described in greater detail below.
In particular, the intelligent component 235 can employ one of numerous methodologies for learning from data and then drawing inferences from the models so constructed, e.g., Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) and related prototypical dependency models, more general probabilistic graphical models, such as Dempster-Shafer networks and Bayesian networks, e.g., created by structure search using a Bayesian model score or approximation, linear classifiers, such as support vector machines (SVMs), non-linear classifiers, such as methods referred to as “neural network” methodologies, fuzzy logic methodologies, and other approaches that perform data fusion, etc.) in accordance with implementing various automated aspects described herein.
Analysis component 304 can execute at least a portion of the algorithms cited above for inferring agent's intent 115. Data miner 308 can further support analysis of information through data segmentation, model development for agent's behavior simulation(s) and related model evaluation(s).
Optimization of advertisement format and delivery can rely on input provided by ad response analysis component, which can monitor response metrics for the agent when presented with a specific type of advertisement. For example, it can be determined that an agent is more likely to effect an advertisement-driven (e.g., respond to a survey, follow a link to a beta release of a website, buy a merchandise) action when the presented advertisement contains age-appropriate music or sound indicia rather than when the advertisement is solely based on imagery. As another example, it can be measured that an agent responds more favorably to advertisement instantiation when cinema, television, or music stars appear on the delivered advertisement endorsing a product or service. As yet another example, typically at check out, a cashier at a supermarket issues paper coupons for specific merchants based on the purchased goods, while for a segment of customers paper coupons are useful for a disparate segment, e.g., early adopters, a soft version of the coupon can increase likelihood of coupon redemption; accordingly, in an aspect of the subject innovation, an information collection component can gather information via a set of cameras and microphones deployed at the cashier and an analysis component can identify the customer with a specific customer segment, subsequently a coupon format optimized for the customer segment is delivered; e.g., an indication to print a coupon is conveyed to the cashier or a coupon is wirelessly conveyed to customer's smart phone. It should be appreciate that compensation, or related advertisement, adaptation provides at least two advantages with respect to conventional “one format fits all” couponing systems: (a) increases likelihood of a posteriori engagement as a result of customized delivered compensation, and (b) magnitude of the coupon can be adjusted contextually in an agent-centric manner, rather than determined based on purchase-centric metrics, e.g., number of specific purchased items.
It is to be appreciated that optimization component can autonomously generate new advertisement content leveraging off existing content in ad content store 435. Generation of new ad content can be driven by analysis provided by ad response analysis component. In an aspect, generation of digital ad content can exploit metadata adaptation of existing content or edition (e.g., addition of a soundtrack, icons, images, etc.) of such content.
Advertisement management component also includes an ad display component 445 that presents an agent with intent-compensation incentive advertisement. Advertisement conveyed through ad display component 445 can be rendered at stationary offline points or on substantially any device 1121-112N registered by agent 110. Displayed advertisements can present a compensation flag (e.g., 445K) or an exact-rebate-value (e.g., 445J) flag. It is to be appreciated that rebated value can be adapted to specific characteristic of the agent to which the advertisement is presented to. Advertisements can be conveyed in multiple formats (e.g., image-based (e.g., banners), text-based, sound-based, or a combination thereof) depending on the media resources available to the device (e.g., device 112N) in which the advertisement is rendered, or available to an advertisement “dock” (e.g., an outdoor electronic banner) for display of intent-compensation advertisements offline. In one embodiment, ad display component 445 can be employed to notify agent 110 of advertised compensation after agent 110 is no longer utilizing service platform 120. In such embodiment, ad display component 445 can communicate advertisements that were previously presented to agent 110 to substantially any of the devices 1121-112N. Such embodiment adds value for the service platform and the advertiser as it increases the lock-in of the user with the service platform 120 by increasing the likelihood of repeat engagements, in which new advertisements can be presented to agent 110.
As discussed above, compensation 125 typically has monetary value; thus, to ensure compensation is adequately awarded, accounted for, and recorded, compensation component 165 includes an accounting component 505, an antifraud component 515, and a records store 525. Accounting component 505 can account for payments, retain compensation records in record(s) store 525, and monitor a current level of compensation for the agent to ensure, for example, compensation fails to surpass a compensation limit. In an aspect, accounting component 505 can conduct the accounting of points (e.g., generic points, reward point, or platform specific points like Microsoft® Points) issued by compensation component 165 and associated with a specific compensation event. In addition, the compensation event can be recorded. Generally, compensation records can include type and amount of compensation delivered to an agent 110, and can augment available intelligence on agent 110. Retaining records of delivered compensation facilitates to resolve disputes that can arise from registered agents claiming an eligible uncompensated transaction with an advertiser. In a dispute, service platform 120 can either directly refund the agent setting forth the claim of unpaid compensation, or start an audit of the intent-based transaction to confirm its veracity.
Antifraud component 515 manages security features that mitigate fraudulent exploitation of compensation and preserve compensation records integrity. Antifraud component can exploit various resources such as agent intelligence stored, for example, in agent intelligence store 269, data stored in memory 455, intelligent component 272 and optimization component 415, and so forth. Moreover, antifraud component 515 can implement detection of biometric markers (e.g., voice signature, face-feature recognition like recognition of scars, moles, freckles, eye color and iris structure, and so on) in online and offline compensation that can facilitate biometric-based verification to ensure that an intended customer indeed received an intended compensation. Antifraud component 515 can provide substantially all functionality associated with probing biometric features (e.g., cameras for bio-feature recognition, fingerprint pads, iris scanners . . . ), encrypting/decrypting online compensation, etc; yet, utilization of resources available to other system components (e.g., intent processing component 135) can also be exploited.
In addition, antifraud component 515 can ensure intent is actually conveyed by a legitimate agent, e.g., agent 110, instead of an automated script that emulates an agent. Mitigation of automated generation of counterfeit intent can be particularly relevant in realizations in which intent is conveyed online (e.g., quadrants 210 and 220). In view of the intent-based antifraud component 515 can implement variations of Turing tests to discern whether a counterfeit agent is conveying intent 115; for instance, based on information collected by intent processing component 135, antifraud component can present a suspicious agent with advertisement unrelated to the submitted conveyed to referral component 135, antifraud component 515 can pose questions associated related with collected information professional and whose expected answers are inferred with a high degree of confidence and an automated source of intent is highly likely to fail answering correctly. In another aspect, antifraud component 515 can determine whether incoming intent (e.g., intent 115), or associated information, from a specific agent (e.g., agent 110) obeys a specific pattern; for example, intent is conveyed periodically, seasonally (e.g., at specific times of a day, a week, a month), and so forth.
Antifraud component 515 can mitigate fraudulent compensation by systematically reducing the face-value of delivered compensation for reiterative intent that is determined to be likely fraudulent. A characteristic relaxation time for compensation value can be determined according the degree of confidence on the illegitimate nature of the received intent.
In instances in which compensation relies on an advertisement-driven action that allows an agent 110 to effect the action during a specific period of time, antifraud component 515 can generate a uniquely linked (e.g., via an N-bit (N a positive integer) key) token pair to identify agent 110 and the action and an associated advertiser that requests the action. The token pair facilitates recognizing the agent once the ad-driven action is effected and delivering the ensuing compensation (e.g., compensation 125). It should be appreciated that compensation component can convey agent's identification via communication link 118. A record of the notification, and the associated token pair, can be retained in record(s) store 525 or in agent intelligence memory 269.
A base station, or node B 620, maintained by service platform 120 or by an affiliated provider of wireless service, can receive the customer's intent 115 (e.g., explicit expression of intent), or associated information (e.g., implicit expression of intent), and covey compensation 125 via wireless link 625. Communication among node B 620 and device 615 can be effected according to various wireless communication protocols (e.g., LTE, UMB, WiFi, WiMAX, and the like). Base station 620 can communicate with service platform 120 via communication link 618 which typically is a wired link, even though portions of link 618 can be wireless. As an example, a wired (e.g., coaxial, twisted-pair, optical fiber) link 618 can be a backhaul communication link 488, which facilitates communication between service platform 120 with node B 620 via an IP-based, packet switched protocol.
It is to be appreciated that the afforded offline mobility of intent-compensation price incentive system 600 allows customer 610 to claim a reward or compensation 125 in offline venues, which can be affiliated with service platform 120, or can accept “points” currency (e.g., Microsoft® Points) or reward points issued by the service platform 120. As discussed next, the dynamic and adaptive aspects of the intent-compensation price incentive model described herein, when combined with the mobility afforded through wireless communication (e.g., via wireless link 625) affords service platform 120 the commercial framework to drive, or bias, the consumption habits of customer 610 dynamically through advertisement backed compensation 125.
In another aspect of compensation offline, agent's explicit expressions of intent can be conveyed through wearable indicia (e.g., clothing, body branding, vehicle branding, . . . ). Such scenario belongs to the (offline; offline) realization-quadrant 230. In a wearable intent-compensation incentive model, an agent (e.g., agent 110) conveys intent explicitly by displaying (a) signs that label a user as a registered customer of service platform 120, (b) images of products the agent (e.g., agent 110) can be interested in buying, (c) specific advertisement on behalf of a merchant, and the like. Cameras, microphones, and various other sensors, which can be a part of an intent processing component 135 and can be distributed in real space (e.g., within cell 605) can capture indicia worn by the agent (e.g., agent 110) and content uttered (e.g., aural expression(s)) by the agent as well, an analysis component (e.g., component 304) can extract biometric features (e.g., voice characteristics, face structure, body type, . . . ) associated with the agent and identify him or her, upon successful identification the agent can receive a reward compensation (e.g., a direct payment, a sum of reward points, a specific coupon, . . . ) directly conveyed to a device (e.g., device 615) operated by the agent. As discussed above, based on the degree of confidence with which the agent's intent is determined from the wearable indicia, a service platform determined the magnitude of compensation. As an example, an agent that wears a garment with the legend “Want cheap, great tasting food” can be delivered coupons to his or her cellular phone, within an advertisement exposure model for compensation, for restaurants that offer affordable food known for its quality once the garment is detected and the agent is identified.
It is to be appreciated that multiple scenarios are possible in order to collect intent expressions through wearable indicia: (a) A camera is installed in an agent's vehicle and images are conveyed to intent processing component 135. In such scenario, the agent is clearly identified as the source of the images incoming from the specific camera or sensor. Indicia such as “Need a locksmith” can be clearly displayed on garment or hat. Intent is clearly identified, and compensation can be of the highest quality in view of the high level of confidence with which intent is determined. (b) Wearable indicia are captured within a merchant store. Determination of intent is trustworthy as the agent is in a specific merchant store, e.g., a coffee shop, possibly wearing garments with indicia like “Latte Lover,” or “Got Hot Chocolate?” Upon identification agent can receive a direct discount at the checkout time. (c) Agent walks in city streets and cameras deployed by service platform 120 capture wearable indicia like “Need a breakfast dive.” In this scenario, confidence on a determined intent is lower since the agent needs to be identified through analysis of images and sounds, which can be noisy. It is to be appreciated that garments or inks utilized to convey indicia can have specific optical properties, like light emission at a specific wavelength (e.g., fabric of garment is embedded with semiconductor quantum dots that fluoresce at a specific wavelength) that can be detected through CCD cameras deployed by service platform 120. If the wavelength is outside the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, more explicit, richer expressions can be set forth by an agent.
Moreover, collection of offline explicit and implicit expressions can facilitate a fully commercially adaptive store, wherein prices paid for merchandise by customers can depend on the various expressions of intent that the customers can convey. For example, a group of customers waking down the aisle of ethnic foods and comparing merchandise prices in a supermarket store can be detected to converse in Spanish, in addition at least one of the members of the group of customers can be determined to be a registered member of Hispanic origin of a service platform that maintains an intent-compensation customer price incentive; accordingly, said member of the group can receive an advertisement in her smart phone with a link to download a coupon for ingredients necessary for preparing meals with a Hispanic flavor. Similarly, in the same aisle, registered agents searching for ingredients to prepare an Indian meal can be delivered recipes for Indian meals directly to their PDAs. In a more general aspect of the illustrative supermarket store, each customer can receive customized compensation based on their expressed intent as detected through probes deployed throughout the store and conveyed to an intent processing component 120.
It is to be noted that the coupon-price adaptive store can be realized in the (online; online) realization quadrant 210, wherein compensation and associated advertisement can be delivered in accordance with aspects described herein and based on explicit or implicit (like web browsing habits) expression of intent conveyed to a service platform.
It is to be noted that compensation offered through such implicit expressions of intent can be adjusted to various values depending on the degree of confidence with which intent 715 is extracted from the implicit expressions. A degree of confidence for an inferred intent can be determined by an intelligent component in service platform 720. The adjustments can be performed by a compensation component residing within service platform 720. Furthermore, in order to determine an adequate tone and compensation for the advertisement presented to a customer in various locations, the response of the customer to the advertisement can be probed through an ad response analysis component, like component 425, residing within service platform 720. Accordingly, a compensation “sweet spot” can be inferred by service platform 720 with a compensation sufficiently high to entice the customer to engage in a commercial transaction with a merchant or service provider affiliated with the service platform. Inference can be based on various metrics such as distance from customer to merchant store offering compensation, time of day the advertisement associated with the compensation is delivered (e.g., rush hour, low-traffic hour, weekday daytime or nighttime, weekend daytime or nighttime, . . . ).
In view of the example systems, and associated aspects, presented and described above, methodologies for compensating either online or offline an agent in exchange for an agent's intent, conveyed either online or offline, that may be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter can be better appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of
At act 920, an agent's action is determined in response to the conveyed advertisement. The advertisement can indicate the agent that an action is required in order to receive a compensation (e.g., advertisement-driven-action-to-compensation model). Alternatively, compensation can be delivered through advertisement exposure or advertisement instantiation (e.g., the agent opens a link to the advertisement, opens a message carrying the advertisement, received a call for a “sales pitch” advertisement, . . . ).
At act 930, the action is checked in order to determine whether the agent has engaged according to the advertisement model (e.g., exposure, instantiation, action) for compensation. When the agent fails to act accordingly, a service platform that registered the agent is informed at act 940. In an aspect, receiving such information provides the service platform to adjust or optimize advertisement content or delivery in order to promote agent lock-in with the action proposed in the advertisement. At act 950, an agent that performs an eligible action is compensated through either a direct payment (e.g., deposit in a bank account, retirement account, college savings account, credit card account, brokerage account, college/school/childcare tuition account, and so on), or via a reward token like reward points or point currency, digital goods or content, coupons for offline or online stores, and the like.
At act 1220 a location of the agent is determined. Location can be offline (e.g., a real space location) or online (e.g., a web-portal, a web-based game, a chat room, a blog). Offline location can be determined through location services that pinpoint the position of a device operated by an agent; the location services can include global navigation satellite systems such as GPS, Galileo, or GLONASS. Indoor locations can be determined through wireless access points deployed inside buildings; the access points provide wireless service to the device and can be managed by a service platform determining extracting the agent's intent or via an affiliated service provider.
At act 1230, an advertisement is conveyed; the advertisement carries a compensation based at least in part on the extracted agent's intent and agent's location. For example, an agent is playing a MMOG online and is trying to traverse territories that are foreign to the player in order to reach a specific village to finish a mission. A service platform hosting the MMOG can display an advertisement for maps of the territories with a link to a webpage where the maps can be downloaded at a discounted rate. When the player instantiates the advertisement by visiting the link, then additional advertisement related to the MMOG can be displayed and the player engaged in additional transactions.
In order to provide additional context for various aspects of the subject specification,
Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive methods can be practiced with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personal computers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, and the like, each of which can be operatively coupled to one or more associated devices.
The illustrated aspects of the specification may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
A computer typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media can comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer.
Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
The system 1300 also includes one or more server(s) 1304. The server(s) 1304 can also be hardware and/or software (e.g., threads, processes, computing devices). The servers 1304 can house threads to perform transformations by employing the specification, for example. One possible communication between a client 1302 and a server 1304 can be in the form of a data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or more computer processes. The data packet may include a cookie and/or associated contextual information, for example. The system 1300 includes a communication framework 1306 (e.g., a global communication network such as the Internet) that can be employed to facilitate communications between the client(s) 1302 and the server(s) 1304.
Communications can be facilitated via a wired (including optical fiber) and/or wireless technology. The client(s) 1302 are operatively connected to one or more client data store(s) 1308 that can be employed to store information local to the client(s) 1302 (e.g., cookie(s) and/or associated contextual information). Similarly, the server(s) 1304 are operatively connected to one or more server data store(s) 1310 that can be employed to store information local to the servers 1304.
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The system bus 1408 can be any of several types of bus structure that may further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures. The system memory 1406 includes read-only memory (ROM) 1410 and random access memory (RAM) 1412. A basic input/output system (BIOS) is stored in a non-volatile memory 1410 such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, which BIOS contains the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer 1402, such as during start-up. The RAM 1412 can also include a high-speed RAM such as static RAM for caching data.
The computer 1402 further includes an internal hard disk drive (HDD) 1414 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), which internal hard disk drive 1414 may also be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown), a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 1416, (e.g., to read from or write to a removable diskette 1418) and an optical disk drive 1420, (e.g., reading a CD-ROM disk 1422 or, to read from or write to other high capacity optical media such as the DVD). The hard disk drive 1414, magnetic disk drive 1416 and optical disk drive 1420 can be connected to the system bus 1408 by a hard disk drive interface 1424, a magnetic disk drive interface 1426 and an optical drive interface 1428, respectively. The interface 1424 for external drive implementations includes at least one or both of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 interface technologies. Other external drive connection technologies are within contemplation of the subject specification.
The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, and so forth. For the computer 1402, the drives and media accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digital format. Although the description of computer-readable media above refers to a HDD, a removable magnetic diskette, and a removable optical media such as a CD or DVD, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of media which are readable by a computer, such as zip drives, magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, cartridges, and the like, may also be used in the example operating environment, and further, that any such media may contain computer-executable instructions for performing the methods of the specification.
A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and RAM 1412, including an operating system 1430, one or more application programs 1432, other program modules 1434 and program data 1436. All or portions of the operating system, applications, modules, and/or data can also be cached in the RAM 1412. It is appreciated that the specification can be implemented with various commercially available operating systems or combinations of operating systems.
A user can enter commands and information into the computer 1402 through one or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a keyboard 1438 and a pointing device, such as a mouse 1440. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, an IR remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, touch screen, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 1404 through an input device interface 1442 that is coupled to the system bus 1408, but can be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, etc.
A monitor 1444 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 408 via an interface, such as a video adapter 1446. In addition to the monitor 444, a computer typically includes other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers, printers, etc.
The computer 1402 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections via wired and/or wireless communications to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer(s) 1448. The remote computer(s) 1448 can be a workstation, a server computer, a router, a personal computer, portable computer, microprocessor-based entertainment appliance, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to the computer 1402, although, for purposes of brevity, only a memory/storage device 1450 is illustrated. The logical connections depicted include wired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 1452 and/or larger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 1454. Such LAN and WAN networking environments are commonplace in offices and companies, and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such as intranets, all of which may connect to a global communications network, e.g., the Internet.
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1402 is connected to the local network 1452 through a wired and/or wireless communication network interface or adapter 1456. The adapter 1456 may facilitate wired or wireless communication to the LAN 1452, which may also include a wireless access point disposed thereon for communicating with the wireless adapter 1456.
When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1402 can include a modem 1458, or is connected to a communications server on the WAN 1454, or has other means for establishing communications over the WAN 1454, such as by way of the Internet. The modem 1458, which can be internal or external and a wired or wireless device, is connected to the system bus 1408 via the serial port interface 1442. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 1402, or portions thereof, can be stored in the remote memory/storage device 1450. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are example and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers can be used.
The computer 1402 is operable to communicate with any wireless devices or entities operatively disposed in wireless communication, e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and/or portable computer, portable data assistant, communications satellite, any piece of equipment or location associated with a wirelessly detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, news stand, restroom), and telephone. This includes at least Wi-Fi and Bluetooth™ wireless technologies. Thus, the communication can be a predefined structure as with a conventional network or simply an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.
Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, allows connection to the Internet from a couch at home, a bed in a hotel room, or a conference room at work, without wires. Wi-Fi is a wireless technology similar to that used in a cell phone that enables such devices, e.g., computers, to send and receive data indoors and out; anywhere within the range of a base station. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called IEEE 802.11 (a, b, g, etc.) to provide secure, reliable, fast wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can be used to connect computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wired networks (which use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet). Wi-Fi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands, at an 11 Mbps (802.11a) or 54 Mbps (802.11b) data rate, for example, or with products that contain both bands (dual band), so the networks can provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired Ethernet networks used in many offices.
Various aspects or features described herein may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques. The term “article of manufacture” as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media. For example, computer readable media can include but are not limited to magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips . . . ), optical disks [e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) . . . ], smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, key drive . . . ).
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
