Systems and methods for generating and using trade areas
AssigneeTd Canada Trust
InventorAnthony J. Spagnolo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for determining and using market areas associated with one or more branches of a business. Market areas are determined using a combination of deterministic and probabilistic techniques. Distances are calculated between customers and associated branches and a convex hull formed containing the closest 60%. A block and a tightened block is formed of dissemination areas contained within the convex hull. Where blocks are shared between branches, dissemination areas are weighted according to the portion of customers associated with each branch.
Claims31
A system for characterizing a service area of a service provider providing a service to customers through a plurality of branches comprising:
- at least one database for storing:
- branch data comprising locations of one or more branches of the service provider;
- customer data comprising locations of each customer for each branch of the service provider;
- and
- demographic data for one or more areas;
- a network for communicating the branch data, the customer data and the demographics data;
- and
- at least one processor for:
- receiving the communicated data, calculating the distances between the customers and the branches using the branch data and the customer data, determining a geographic block containing the closest portion of customers of each branch,
- receiving demographics data and determining a set of areas with associated demographic data that overlap with the geographic block containing the closest portion of customers of each branch to form a first set of areas;
- calculating an area weight from a relative number of customers for each branch for each area with associated demographic data that falls within the first set of areas for each branch;
- and
- correlating demographic properties from the demographic data of the set of areas in the first set of areas for the branch using the area weight.
A method for characterizing a service area of a service provider providing service to customers through a plurality of branches, the method comprising:
- for each branch of the service provider each situated at a different geographic location,
- determining the location of the branch;
- determining the location of each customer for the branch;
- from the locations, calculating the distance between each customer and the branch;
- determining a geographic block containing the closest portion of the customers of each branch;
- obtaining a set of areas with associated demographic data that overlap with the geographic block containing the closest portion of the customers of each branch, to form a first set of areas;
- for each area with associated demographic data that falls within the first set of areas for more than one branch:
- determining an area weight calculated from the relative number of customers for each of the more than one branch;
- correlating demographic properties with a branch from the demographic data of the first set of areas in the set of areas for the branch using the area weight;
- and
- outputting the correlated demographic properties.
A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for characterizing a service area of a service provider providing service to customers through a plurality of branches, the method comprising:
- for each branch of the service provider each situated at a different geographic location,
- determining the location of the branch;
- determining the location of each customer for the branch;
- from the locations, calculating the distance between each customer and the branch;
- determining a geographic block containing the closest portion of the customers of each branch;
- obtaining a set of areas with associated demographic data that overlap with the geographic block containing the closest portion of the customers of each branch, to form a first set of areas;
- for each area with associated demographic data that falls within the first set of areas for more than one branch:
- determining an area weight calculated from the relative number of customers for each of the more than one branch;
- correlating demographic properties with a branch from the demographic data of the first set of areas in the set of areas for the branch using the area weight;
- and
- outputting the correlated demographic properties.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.