# US 10,318,981 B2 · System and method for conducting self-modifying semi-opaque sales > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,318,981 B2 - Document ID: US10318981B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/481,333 - Filed: 2014-09-09 - Published: 2014-12-25 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2007-07-11 - Applicants: Joseph Bous - Inventors: Joseph Bous - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10318981B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0239: {Online discounts or incentives} - G06Q 30/0235: constrained by time limit or expiration date - G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services} - G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for semi-opaque sales with bundles of items. An example bundle can include hotel lodging and a bonus service, status, or item associated with that hotel. An system can identify a first bundle of a first base and bonus item, and a second bundle of a second base and bonus item. The system can present a semi-opaque offer comprising the first bundle, the second bundle, and a discount price, wherein the semi-opaque offer does not identify which of the first bundle and the second bundle will be sold at the discount price to the user upon acceptance of the semi-opaque offer, and wherein the discount price is a full price of the first base item. After receiving acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user, the system can disclose that the user has purchased the first bundle at the discount price. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, at a system, at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device; generating, by the system, a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price; determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change; transmitting, by the system, the semi-opaque offer to the user device for display on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying, by the system, the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a base item and at least one bonus item. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises removing a bonus item. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises modifying a detail of one of the base item or the at least one bonus item. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the detail of the base item comprises at least one of timing, an item class, or a level of service. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises increasing the discount price. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is static. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is dynamically determined. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the time period is determined based on at least one of item availability, a target profit margin, characteristics of a user, occupancy, or a pool of available discounts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-opaque offer is presented to a user in response to a purchase inquiry. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device; generating a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price; determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change; transmitting the semi-opaque offer to the user device for presentation on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the item comprises a base item and at least one bonus item. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises removing a bonus item. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises modifying a detail of one of the base item or the at least one bonus item. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the detail of the base item comprises at least one of timing, an item class, or a level of service. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer comprises increasing the discount price. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the time period is static. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the time period is dynamically determined. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the time period is determined based on at least one of item availability, a target profit margin, characteristics of a user, occupancy, or a pool of available discounts. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving at least one purchase inquiry parameter over the Internet via a graphical user interface of a computer-based application on a user device; generating a semi-opaque offer based on the at least one purchase inquiry parameter, the semi-opaque offer comprising an item and a discount price; determining a time period after which at least one term of the semi-opaque offer will change; transmitting the semi-opaque offer to the user device for presentation on the graphical user interface of the user device, the semi-opaque offer indicating the time period, wherein the semi-opaque is configured such that when the semi-opaque offer is displayed on the graphical user interface, the semi-opaque offer does not indicate how the semi-opaque offer will change after the time period; and upon an expiration of the time period without receiving an acceptance of the semi-opaque offer from the user device, iteratively modifying the semi-opaque offer by changing the at least one term of the semi-opaque offer to yield a modified semi-opaque offer, selecting a next change to the modified semi-opaque offer, setting a next time period after which the modified semi-opaque offer will change according to the next change when acceptance of the modified semi-opaque offer is not received; and transmitting the modified semi-opaque offer to the user device.