# US 8,788,368 B2 · Methods, systems, and products for electronic purchases

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- Number: US 8,788,368 B2
- Document ID: US8788368B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/923,415
- Filed: 2013-06-21
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2005-12-16
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Barrett M. Kreiner; Ronald Perrella
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788368B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services}
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)}
- G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders}
- G06Q 50/188: {Electronic negotiation}
- 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

An electronic shopping cart may reference multiple items from different merchants. Any merchant may inspect the electronic shopping cart and make counteroffers to a purchaser. If the purchaser approves one of the counteroffers, then an item in the electronic shopping cart is replaced with a substitute item offered by a different merchant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving an electronic shopping cart at a server associated with a merchant;
inspecting the electronic shopping cart for an item selected for purchase from a different merchant;
determining a substitute item offered by the merchant;
recommending replacement of the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item offered by the merchant;
sending a notification from the merchant to the different merchant, the notification describing the replacement of the item from the electronic shopping cart; and
receiving a counteroffer from the different merchant, the counteroffer comprising an updated price for the item in the electronic shopping cart.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a recommendation to a customer to remove the item from the electronic shopping cart and to add a substitute item offered by the merchant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a substitute bundle of items offered by the merchant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising querying for pricing of the substitute item.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising replacing the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item offered by the merchant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising querying for inventory of the substitute item.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising finding the item selected for purchase from a different merchant.

### Claim 8

A system, comprising:
a processor; and
memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an electronic shopping cart at a server associated with a merchant;
inspecting the electronic shopping cart for an item selected for purchase from a different merchant;
determining a substitute item offered by the merchant;
recommending replacement of the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item offered by the merchant;
sending a notification from the merchant to the different merchant, the notification describing the replacement of the item in the electronic shopping cart; and
receiving a counteroffer from the different merchant, the counteroffer comprising an updated price for the item in the electronic shopping cart.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a recommendation to a customer to remove the item from the electronic shopping cart and to add the substitute item offered by the merchant.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining a substitute bundle of items offered by the merchant.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying for pricing of the substitute item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise replacing the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item offered by the merchant.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying for inventory of the substitute item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an approval for the merchant to remove the item from the electronic shopping cart.

### Claim 15

A memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an electronic shopping cart associated with a merchant;
inspecting the electronic shopping cart for an item selected for purchase from a different merchant;
determining a substitute item offered by the merchant;
recommending replacement of the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item offered by the merchant;
sending a notification from the merchant to the different merchant, the notification describing the replacement of the item in the electronic shopping cart; and
receiving a counteroffer from the different merchant, the counteroffer comprising an updated price for the item in the electronic shopping cart.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending a recommendation to a customer to remove the item from the electronic shopping cart and to add the substitute item offered by the merchant.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining a substitute bundle of items offered by the merchant.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The memory of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise querying for inventory of the substitute item.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise querying for pricing of the substitute item.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise removing the item from the electronic shopping cart.