System for notifying the online client of a mobile vendor

Abstract

Systems and techniques for notifying a potential customer of a vendor that is in geographic proximity to the potential customer. The vendor is associated with a vendor and may include available good and/or services. The potential customer may be notified of several vendors associated with different vendors. Each vendor may be assigned at least one primary service and at least one secondary service.

1 . A method of offering a potential customer available goods or services provided by a vendor, the method comprising:
 establishing, at a host system configured to provide presence-based personal messaging services, personal messaging communication sessions with multiple client systems associated with multiple potential customers;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of a location of a vendor, wherein the vendor has available goods or services to offer to the multiple potential customers;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that have established personal messaging communication sessions;   comparing, at the host system, the accessed location information indicative of the location of the vendor with the accessed location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that have established personal messaging communication sessions;   based on comparison results, identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor;   sending, using the host system, an offer message over the established personal messaging communication session corresponding to the selected potential customer, the offer message being configured to allow the selected potential customer to accept an offer, presented in the offer message, of an available good or service made available by the vendor;   receiving an acceptance message, from the selected potential customer, over the established personal messaging communication session corresponding to the selected potential customer, the acceptance message being sent in response to the offer message and indicating acceptance by the selected potential customer of the offer of the available good or service presented in the offer message; and   in response to receiving the acceptance message, enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 sending, using the host system, an offer message includes sending an interactive offer message configured to allow the selected potential customer to select an accept response to the offer presented in the offer message; and   receiving an acceptance message includes receiving an acceptance message indicating selection of the accept response by the selected potential customer through interaction with the interactive offer message, the accept response indicating that the selected potential customer wishes to purchase the available good or service presented in the interactive offer message.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes completing an electronic transactions between the selected potential customer and the vendor, for purchase of the available good or service included in the offer by:
 accessing a database of customer information,   retrieving, from the database, stored electronic payment information for the selected potential customer, and   enabling processing of the electronic transaction based on the retrieved electronic payment information.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor includes selecting a potential customer that is relatively proximate to the vendor based on an estimated time of traveling between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor, the estimated time of traveling between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor accounting for present traffic conditions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein establishing, at a host system configured to provide presence-based personal messaging services, personal messaging communication sessions includes establishing a connection to at least one of an instant messaging server, an electronic mail server, a web server, and a chat server. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sending, using the host system, an offer message includes sending at least one of a textual, graphic, audio, video, and multimedia communication. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sending, using the host system, an offer message includes sending at least one of an instant message, an electronic mail message, a web page, and a message to a wireless phone that compensates for the limited display capabilities of the wireless phone. 
     
     
         8 . A method of offering a potential customer available goods or services provided by a vendor, the method comprising:
 registering, at a host system configured to provide messaging services, multiple client systems associated with multiple potential customers;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of a location of a vendor, wherein the vendor has available goods or services to offer to the multiple potential customers;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that have registered with the host system;   comparing, at the host system, the accessed location information indicative of the location of the vendor with the accessed location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that have registered with the host system;   based on comparison results, identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor;   sending, using the host system, an offer message to the selected potential customer, the offer message being configured to allow the selected potential customer to accept an offer, presented in the offer message, of an available good or service made available by the vendor;   receiving an acceptance message from the selected potential customer, the acceptance message being sent in response to the offer message and indicating acceptance by the selected potential customer of the offer of the available good or service presented in the offer message; and   in response to receiving the acceptance message, enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein:
 sending, using the host system, an offer message includes sending an interactive offer message configured to allow the selected potential customer to select an accept response to the offer presented in the offer message; and   receiving an acceptance message includes receiving an acceptance message indicating selection of the accept response by the selected potential customer through interaction with the interactive offer message, the accept response indicating that the selected potential customer wishes to purchase the available good or service presented in the interactive offer message.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes completing an electronic transaction, between the selected potential customer and the vendor, for purchase of the available good or service included in the offer by:
 accessing a database of customer information,   retrieving, from the database, stored electronic payment information for the selected potential customer, and   enabling processing of the electronic transaction based on the retrieved electronic payment information.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein registering, at a host system configured to provide messaging services, multiple client systems includes establishing, at the host system, a connection with the multiple client systems. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein registering, at a host system configured to provide messaging services, multiple client systems includes receiving, from a client system, a message informing the host system of the client system's online presence. 
     
     
         13 . A method of offering a potential customer available goods or services provided by a vendor, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a host system, communications from multiple client systems associated with multiple potential customers, the communications indicating an ability to currently receive messages using a particular communication method;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of a location of a vendor, wherein the vendor has available goods or services to offer to the multiple potential customers;   accessing, at the host system, location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that are able to currently receive messages using the particular communication method;   comparing, at the host system, the accessed location information indicative of the location of the vendor with the accessed location information indicative of locations of the multiple potential customers that are able to currently receive messages using the particular communication method;   based on comparison results, identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor;   sending, using the host system, an offer message to the selected potential customer via the particular communication method, the offer message being configured to allow the selected potential customer to accept an offer, presented in the offer message, of an available good or service made available by the vendor;   receiving an acceptance message from the selected potential customer via the particular communication method, the acceptance message being sent in response to the offer message and indicating acceptance by the selected potential customer of the offer of the available good or service presented in the offer message; and   in response to receiving the acceptance message, enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 sending, using the host system, an offer message includes sending an interactive offer message configured to allow the selected potential customer to select an accept response to the offer presented in the offer message; and   receiving an acceptance message includes receiving an acceptance message indicating selection of the accept response by the selected potential customer through interaction with the interactive offer message, the accept response indicating that the selected potential customer wishes to purchase the available good or service presented in the interactive offer message.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes completing an electronic transaction, between the selected potential customer and the vendor, for purchase of the available good or service included in the offer by receiving payment information from the selected potential customer and enabling processing of the electronic transaction based on the received payment information. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes completing an electronic transaction, between the selected potential customer and the vendor, for purchase of the available good or service included in the offer by:
 accessing a database of customer information,   retrieving, from the database, stored electronic payment information for the selected potential customer, and   enabling processing of the electronic transaction based on the retrieved electronic payment information.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes sending driving directions for traveling between the vendor and the selected potential customer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor includes identifying a potential customer that is relatively proximate to the vendor based on a distance between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor includes identifying a potential customer that is relatively proximate to the vendor based on an estimated time of traveling between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein identifying a potential customer that is relatively proximate to the vendor based on an estimated time of traveling between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor includes accounting for present traffic conditions in the estimated time of traveling between the location of the potential customer and the location of the vendor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  wherein identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor includes identifying a potential customer that is within a certain range of the vendor. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising varying the certain range based on at least one of the available good or service included in the offer, a time of day, the weather, and preferences of the multiple potential customers. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13  wherein identifying a selected one of the multiple potential customers based on relative proximity of the selected potential customer to the vendor includes selecting the potential customer that is most proximate to the vendor. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes, in response to receiving the acceptance message, verifying that the vendor is still able to provide the available good or service included in the offer. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 13  wherein enabling fulfillment, by the vendor, of the offer accepted by the selected potential customer in the acceptance message includes:
 in response to receiving the acceptance message, accessing, at the host system, updated location information associated with the selected potential customer; and   based on the updated location information, confirming that an updated location of the selected potential customer is still proximate to a location of the vendor.