CN117940942A - Capturing and routing IoT device communications to provide offers and conduct transactions - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a method of utilizing internet of things (IoT) communications to provide offers or promotions to users and initiating transactions using user devices communicatively connected to the IoT devices, the method comprising: receiving, at an IoT hub device, from an IoT-capable device that a product needs or should be replaced or replenished; determining one or more offers or promotions related to the product or replacement or replenishment of the product; automatically selecting one of the offers or promotions or receiving a selection from the user of one of the offers or promotions; and initiating a transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product, using the selected offer or promotion.

Description

Capturing and routing IoT device communications to provide offers and conduct transactions

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for initiating or presenting transactions to a user using device communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to communicating with internet of things (IoT) enabled devices to determine potential associated transactions and presenting such transactions to user devices.

Background

Generally, the internet of things (IoT) describes a network of physical objects ("things") embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. The application set for IoT devices is typically divided into consumer, business, industrial, and infrastructure fields. In the consumer market, ioT technology is a terminology of products related to the concept of "smart home," including devices and appliances (e.g., lighting fixtures, thermostats, home security systems and cameras, and other household appliances) that support one or more common ecosystems and that can be controlled via devices associated with the ecosystem (e.g., smart phones and smart speakers).

For example, it is well known to utilize IoT devices as part of the larger concept of home automation, which may include lighting, heating and air conditioning, media and security systems, and camera systems. The smart home or automated home may be based on a platform or center that controls the smart devices and appliances. For example, using HomeKit of apples, manufacturers can control their home products and accessories through applications in iOS devices (e.g., iPhone and APPLE WATCH). This may be a dedicated app, or an iOS native application (e.g., siri). This can be demonstrated in the case of an associated smart Home necessity (Smart Home Essentials), which is a series of smart Home devices that are controlled by an apple's Home app (Home app) or Siri, without the need for Wi-Fi bridges. There are also dedicated smart Home centers provided as independent platforms to connect different smart Home products, and these include Amazon Echo, *** Home, apple HomePod, and samsung smart device centers (SMARTTHINGS HUB). In addition to commercial systems, there are many non-proprietary open source ecosystems, including Home Assistant (Home Assistant), openHAB, and Domoticz.

It is estimated that by 2020, ioT has brought connectivity for over 300 billion devices. For an organization, ioT devices may provide opportunities to monitor, track, or control other devices and items. As IoT devices become more common, some participants are utilizing direct communication capabilities to provide and sometimes limit purchase transactions or options. For example, the manufacturer of the printer may enable the printer to communicate directly with the manufacturer of the supply or service in hopes of doing the transaction alone, rather than allowing competitive offers or participation.

Furthermore, as more and more devices become IoT capable, the amount of communications that can be sent to a user at any given time can be burdensome, leading to overwhelming consumers and diminishing the interest in IoT and utilizing its functionality.

Further, ioT devices may communicate in a variety of ways, including near-field bluetooth low energy communications, direct cellular communications, and communications using a gateway or hub (typically through the internet or with a WiFi-enabled router).

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method of capturing IoT communications to present offers from one or more retailers for replacement, supplemental, or serviced goods or services, or to provide multiple offers. It is also desirable to provide users with a single dashboard or application that can aggregate IoT communications and/or associated actions into a single location to compile and present offers and promotions. It is also desirable to capture IoT communications in various formats and present users with the ability to conduct quick and/or automated transactions based on information received or collected from IoT devices.

Disclosure of Invention

According to some embodiments of the invention, aspects may include a method of providing offers or promotions to users using internet of things (IoT) communications and initiating transactions using user devices communicatively connected to IoT devices, the method comprising: receiving, at a user device, a communication from an IoT-capable device that a product needs or should be replaced or replenished; generating and presenting an alert or notification to the user that the product needs or should be replaced or replenished; determining and presenting one or more offers or promotions related to the product or replacement or replenishment of the product; receiving a user selection of one of a offer or a promotion; initiates a transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product, and issues and/or uses the selected offers or promotions.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, aspects may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing an executable program for providing offers or promotions to users and initiating transactions using user devices communicatively connected to IoT devices, wherein the program performs operations comprising: receiving, at a user device, a communication from an IoT-capable device that a product needs or should be replaced or replenished; generating and presenting an alert or notification to the user that the product needs or should be replaced or replenished; determining and presenting one or more offers or promotions related to the product or replacement or replenishment of the product; receiving a user selection of one of a offer or a promotion; and initiating a transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product, using the selected offer or promotion.

Aspects may include systems and methods, where a user device includes a smart phone or tablet, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Aspects may include systems and methods in which IoT capable devices are appliances, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Aspects may include systems and methods according to some embodiments of the present invention that may further include communicating with a remote processor and data store to determine any applicable offers or offers related to the product, in some embodiments, the user having previously identified or selected one or more merchants or retailers from which offers or offers are selected.

According to some embodiments of the invention, aspects may include systems and methods, which may further include: provide summary details about such offers, and provide links to additional information, terms, or conditions.

According to some embodiments of the invention, aspects may include systems and methods wherein a user has previously stored or associated financial information or accounts with a user device, and wherein initiating a transaction comprises: replacement or replenishment of the product is ordered or purchased using previously stored or associated financial information or accounts.

According to some embodiments of the invention, aspects may include systems and methods, further comprising: the user registers with the application and provides user identification and payment or financial account information, and in some embodiments, initiating the transaction includes: user identification, payment or financial account information is used to order or purchase a replacement or supplement to a product.

These and other aspects will become apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications may be affected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the invention.

Drawings

The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to designate like elements. The drawings depict certain illustrative embodiments and are useful in understanding the following detailed description. Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The depicted embodiments should be understood as exemplary and in no way limit the overall scope of the invention. Further, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The detailed description will be made with reference to the following drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary system seen in the prior art, illustrating communications between IoT devices and other parties.

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary system including devices or software that act as intermediaries between IoT devices and other parties, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary system, including a home cloud or hub (hub) system, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example system in which devices or software may act as intermediaries between IoT devices and other parties, according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary process of providing communications to a consumer based at least in part on the timing of use of goods or services according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary process of providing communications to a consumer based at least in part on resource monitoring of goods or services according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary process for providing offers and/or promotions based at least in part on a communication user device or service in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 8 illustrates an exemplary flow for presenting transactions to a user device according to some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary system for presenting transactions to a user device according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates exemplary systems and methods for presenting and/or conducting transactions according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary system and method for presenting and/or conducting transactions according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 12 depicts an exemplary system and method for conducting automated transactions according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Further, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The matters exemplified in the description are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the various exemplary embodiments disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the exemplary embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Descriptions of well-known capabilities and structures are omitted for purposes of clarity and conciseness. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular may be interpreted as the plural and, alternatively, any term in the plural may be interpreted as the singular.

As described above, the present invention generally relates to systems and methods for initiating transactions to users or presenting transactions to users using device communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to communicating with internet of things (IoT) enabled devices to determine potential associated transactions and presenting such transactions to user devices.

In general, ioT devices may be communication-capable devices. Such communications may be transmitted and/or received using any number of means, including, but not limited to, cellular communications, internet access via wired or wireless (e.g., wiFi) connection, near Field Communications (NFC) (e.g., bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)). The communication may utilize other methods, such as wireless micro-gateway, cellular communication, wi-fi communication, bluetooth communication, and/or ethernet communication. Cellular communication may be based on 4G LTE, 2G, and it is contemplated that such communication may be based on 5G networks and/or LTE CAT-MI (class M1, low power wide area cellular technology) and/or CAT-NB (narrowband) cells. It is contemplated that the communication may be through any other type of communication system known, including but not limited to Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) (e.g., loRa (remote), MIoTy (large scale IoT), peer-to-peer communication, gateway, micro-gateway, home cloud provider, satellite communication, zigbee, etc.

Countless devices may include communication capabilities and are considered IoT devices in some sense. For example, smart appliances (e.g., refrigerators, cooktops, ovens, stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, etc.), watches, security systems and/or locks, scales, cameras, small kitchen appliances (e.g., without limitation, coffee makers, kettles, yogurt makers, food processors, etc.), cameras, irrigation controllers, automobiles, bicycles, scooters, televisions, computer and computer accessories and components (e.g., without limitation, printers, scanners, displays, etc.), alarms, smoke detectors, health watches, health monitors, blood glucose monitors, utility monitors, etc.

As devices acquire various forms of communication, such communication capabilities may be used for multiple purposes, both from a consumer perspective and from a merchant perspective. From the consumer's perspective, necessary or desired transactions (e.g., auto-replenishment or alert to depleted supplies) may be simplified and presented to the user or user device. From the point of view of the merchant or retailer, the point of transaction may be remote from traditional physical transactions and conducted by the consumer at his or her home or at the convenience.

Consider, for example, a user that is typically busy and is typically short in time. Such users may inadvertently allow certain supplies to be reduced below a certain level due to lack of supervision. Consider, for example, the case of propane gas in a propane grill. Propane tanks are often difficult to read and may often be depleted without the user noticing. However, ioT devices such as "smart scales" may be used. The smart scale may communicate with a user device (e.g., without limitation, a smart phone) to inform the user of the status of the propane tank. If the canister falls below a certain level (e.g., determined by its weight), an alarm may be pushed to the user's device.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, for various consumables such as printer ink, power toothbrush heads, HVAC filters, etc., a merchant or retailer may ship the product to be delivered one week before the expected need. Various items may be monitored and may be scheduled for replacement or servicing. In some embodiments, the replacement or service may be based on actual use (e.g., propane tank example). In some embodiments, the replacement or service may be based on the approximate duration of use (e.g., replacement of a toothbrush head or a stove filter). For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning models (set on edge, cloud, etc.) can predict the level required before shipment based on the determined use, and when a product may need replacement, refilling, etc.

As Home cloud networks and various IoT centers integrate and/or devices (e.g., without limitation, samsung smart internet of things center (SMARTTHINGS HUB), alexa of amazon, *** Home, etc.) become more common, payment information, digital wallets, and other accounts may be stored by such devices to fund transactions conducted by users in response to such alerts or notifications. Note that such systems may also receive and store user preferences, such as particular brands, quantities, cost thresholds, shipping preferences, and the like. In embodiments that provide automatic subscriptions without user selection or approval, such stored user preferences may be utilized to provide user-acceptable transactions.

In addition, as new IoT devices are introduced and have additional capabilities, systems and methods according to some embodiments of the present invention may be utilized. For example, as intelligent refrigerators having sensing technology (e.g., being able to track grocery usage, expiration dates, etc.) become more common, the present invention can be easily integrated to enable automatic grocery inventory and/or replenishment transactions. The replacement/replenishment may be determined not only by actual usage data or time approximations, but also by a user-specific machine learning model. For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning models may be provided on edges, in a central facility or processor, or in the cloud to estimate and predict product levels/status prior to shipment.

According to some embodiments of the invention, offers and/or promotions from one or more retailers may be presented to a user. The specification may be made in a variety of ways (e.g., using an application ("app")). Such apps may present the user with various merchants that may refill or replace the propane tank. The user may select offers and/or promotions, after which the transaction may be conducted through the application, or the information of the application may be packaged and sent to the merchant for conducting the transaction. Such selections may be in real-time or may be stored user preferences so that the system can place orders and conduct transactions independently. Note that even with stored user preferences, the characteristics of the order may be modified by the system to participate in an advantageous promotion-quantity, size, brand may be modified. In the case of propane discussed above, the app may provide delivery-to-door replacement services to the consumer. For example, a native Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS in communication with IoT devices may be utilized in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Such applications may communicate with IoT devices to share data using BLE capabilities built-in to the smartphone, or may connect directly to a cloud hub (closed hub).

The SDK may communicate the data to a central processor that may provide cloud services, where the usage data may be processed, analyzed, and converted to replacement, replenishment, service order, or transaction. IoT data may be uploaded to a cloud platform, which in some embodiments may be serviced by a data ingest service.

Various merchants or retailers may be included in the app, and offers and/or promotions from such merchants or retailers may be presented to the user. In some embodiments, a single retailer or merchant may provide the replacement/replenishment service. It is contemplated that apps according to some embodiments of the present invention may communicate, reach, or otherwise bind to one or more merchant or retailer e-commerce sites or engines and may be configured to initiate a shipping order without further interaction with the merchant or retailer. This may be accomplished, for example, using direct integration or communication, or through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Financial settlement may be performed in a variety of ways, for example, per transaction, or for bulk transactions. The actual financial transfer may occur directly via an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer, wire transfer, check, etc. Note that the settlement can be divided into two (2) aspects-i) settlement between the user and the provider; and (ii) settlement between the merchant and the cloud processor.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a user profile may be utilized in order to achieve appropriate transactions (both automatic transactions and transaction advice). Such user profiles may include information provided by the user and may cover factors such as price limits for certain goods, preferred brands, retailers, and the like. User behavior may be provided (e.g., certain habits that may affect use-every weekend barbecue, holiday barbecue, etc.). Other accounts (e.g., purchase history from one or more merchants, home area network devices that can monitor smart home features, automobile accounts, etc.) are accessed. While it is contemplated that the user profile may be associated with an IoT hub, it may also be associated with a particular retailer.

Referring to fig. 1, a system as seen in the prior art will be discussed. The system 100 may include one or more IoT devices 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, and 130. Such devices may be any type of IoT device known in the art. Some devices (i.e., 105, 110, 115, 120, and 125) may communicate with a gateway or central device 140. Gateway or central device 140 may include a wireless router that may provide connectivity to devices over the internet (communicating with the devices via wired or wireless (e.g., wiFi) communications). The gateway or central device 140 may allow the devices 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, and/or 130 to communicate with one or more manufacturers or providers 145, 150, 155. Devices 125 and 130 may also communicate directly with manufacturers or providers 155, 160, such as through wired or cellular communications. Fig. 1 illustrates that various devices may communicate with other parties in various ways.

Referring to fig. 2, a system 200 according to some embodiments of the invention will now be discussed. Much like fig. 1, the system 200 in fig. 2 may include one or more devices 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230. At least some of these devices may communicate with gateway or central device 240. For example, devices 205, 210, 215, 220, and 225 may communicate with a center or gateway device 240. However, in this system, the center or gateway device does not allow, permit, or enable communication from the device directly to the manufacturer or provider 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, but routes communication through element 280, element 280 may include applications or software running on the center or gateway device, may include separate components connected to the center or gateway device 240, and/or may be applications or software running on a user device (e.g., without limitation, a smart phone, a tablet, a computer, etc.). Devices 225 and 230, which may be configured to communicate directly with the manufacturer or provider, may also have their communications captured and routed through element 280.

The element 280 may not provide communication directly to the destination that the IoT device initially looks for or directs. For example, an IoT printer may send information to the manufacturer that the printer needs toner. However, rather than allowing the communication to be sent directly to the manufacturer, element 280 may capture, receive, or otherwise redirect the communication to a retailer or merchant that provides such carbon powder, thereby providing an option for potentially competitive offers and/or promotions.

The element 280 may communicate to one or more manufacturers or providers 245, 260, 265, 270 some communications that may now include actual transaction information, and/or communicate only usage alerts or notifications related to the timing, status, or capabilities of the device. Note that because element 280 may have redirected such communications, manufacturers or providers 250 and 255 may not receive communications.

Referring to fig. 3, ioT devices 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330 are again shown. Some of the IoT devices (305, 310) may send communications to a hub or gateway 340. Some of the IoT devices (315, 320) may send communications to the family cloud or smart home device 380. Some of the IoT devices (325, 330) may send communications directly to the central processor or element 390. The hub or gateway 340 and the home cloud or smart home device 380 may also send their communications to the central processor element 390. The central processor or element 390 may then send the routing communications to one or more manufacturers or providers (e.g., retailers or merchants) 350, 360, 370. As with fig. 2, some manufacturers or providers 345, 355, 365 may not receive any communications because inbound communications from IoT devices may have been rerouted by the central processor or element 390.

Referring to fig. 4, ioT devices 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, and 430 may be present. Such devices may all communicate directly with the central processor or element 490, which central processor or element 490 may route communications to manufacturers or providers (e.g., merchants or retailers) 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470. Note that in this system, the center or gateway 440, and the home cloud or smart home device 480 may not be utilized; instead, all communications may be routed directly from the IoT device.

As described above, it may be determined that some items need replacement, replenishment, or service based on actual usage, or estimated time of use. Referring to fig. 5, a method or process of determining a time for replacement, replenishment or service based on an estimated time of use will be discussed. At 510, the application or software may track the usage time. The application or software may reside in or on the IoT device itself, or in an application on the user device, or may reside remotely on a processor in the cloud, for example. At 520, it may be determined that the IoT device needs or suggests a replacement, supplement, or service for something associated with the IoT device. For example, a powered toothbrush may require a new brush head (e.g., based on the number of brush head rotations); engine oil in an automobile may need to be replaced (e.g., based on total mileage, or hours of engine use); the propane in the tank should be refilled (e.g., based on the weight of the tank, and/or the pressure within the tank).

At 540, a communication or alert may be sent to the user asking if the user wants to subscribe to or schedule a replacement, supplement, or service. If the user answers "no," the method may query the user at 540 as to whether the user wants a later reminder. If the user does not want a reminder, the process may end at 540. If the user wants to alert, the processor may alert the user again at 530 at a later time.

If the user states at 530 that he or she wishes to place an order or schedule a replacement, supplement, or service, such an order may be placed at 560. The user may then be queried at 570 to confirm the replacement, replenishment or service. If so, the acknowledgment date may be used at 580 to restart the cycle and provide feedback to time tracking at 510. If the user does not confirm, other information (e.g., date of delivery, receipt of delivery, etc.) may be used to restart the cycle at 510.

Note that in some embodiments of the invention, user participation may not be required. In such embodiments, the need for replacement, replenishment, or service may be determined by the system, the system may determine whether there are any beneficial promotions, the system may order replacement, replenishment, or service based on stored user criteria or preferences, and the user may receive confirmation communication. In such embodiments, it is contemplated that for events that may require user participation, the system may even access the user's calendar or other scheduling software to determine the appropriate time for scheduling such activity.

Referring to fig. 6, a method or process for determining a replacement, replenishment or service based on actual usage will now be discussed. At 610, the device may record actual usage (e.g., record car mileage, or cycle of a washing machine), or may record or detect performance degradation or change, typically based on replacement, replenishment, or service needs. At 620, the IoT device may send an alert to a user device (e.g., a smartphone or computer). The alert may provide actual usage data to the device or may report a detected need for replacement, replenishment or service. Such communications may be sent through BTE, NFC, wiFi or the like, as described above.

At 630, an application or program on the user device may look up a user account associated with the IoT device and determine an appropriate replacement, supplement, or service. At 640, the application may optionally provide the user with options to order or schedule such replacement, replenishment, or service. Options may include a number of offers, providers, merchants, or parties that may offer or fulfill replacement, replenishment, or services. If the user selects order or schedule at 650, an order may be placed. If the user decides not to subscribe or schedule a replacement, supplement or service at 650, the user may be queried as to whether he or she would like to be alerted in the future at 670. If so, after a period of time, the user may be alerted again at 650. If not, the process may end.

It is again noted that it is contemplated that such a process may be performed without active participation of the user. In these cases, the user may have previously established certain criteria (e.g., price limits, preferred brands, shipping cost limits, and/or other options (e.g., colors, sizes, other acceptable brands, etc.)) from which the system may extract information representative of the user's transactions. In this way, transactions for items that require replacement, replenishment, or service can be automatically conducted with little participation, without disturbing the user, or flooding the user with a large number of requests or communications.

Note that according to some embodiments of the present invention, an application, element, or central processor may be configured to provide multiple offers or promotions to a user from one retailer, or to present competitive offers or promotions from more than one retailer. Referring to fig. 7, at 705, a consumer may be presented with options for replacement, replenishment, or service. At 710, options associated with only a single retailer or merchant may be presented. Such retailers or merchants may be pre-selected by the user or may be associated with IoT devices or applications. Promotions 715, 720, 725 and 730 may be presented to the user. Each of these promotions may be different. For example, where the replacement, replenishment, or service request is that more printer toner is needed, the promotion 715 may be "printer toner sold $ 19.95". The promotion 720 may be "purchase printer toner at merchant X, 10% saving in additional purchases". The promotion 725 may be "purchase printer toner at merchant X, saving 25 dollars for new computer purchase". The promotion 730 may be "purchase 3 printer carbon powders $ 50 at merchant X".

At 735, the application may receive a user selection of a desired promotion or offer. The transaction may then be conducted remotely (e.g., by entering into the retailer's system), or information necessary to effect the transaction may be sent to the merchant so that the merchant may perform the transaction.

At 740, offers or promotions from more than one merchant may be provided to the user. For example, promotion 745 may be "printer toner from merchant X, selling $19.95". The promotion 750 may be "printer toner from merchant Y, sold $ 22.50, for free overnight delivery". The promotion 755 may be "buy a table at merchant Z, printer carbon saving 30%". The promotion 760 may be "purchase printer toner at merchant X, purchase new HDTV saved by 15%".

At 765, the application may receive a user selection of a desired promotion or offer. The transaction may then be conducted remotely (e.g., by entering into the retailer's system) at 770, or information necessary to effect the transaction may be sent to the merchant so that the merchant may perform the transaction. It can thus be seen that various offers or promotions from various retailers, manufacturers or providers can be submitted to users in order to select the best option for the respective user.

Referring to fig. 8, a flow of an exemplary process according to some embodiments of the invention will now be discussed. Fig. 8 shows a flow similar to that of propane tank refilling, as described above. At 810, a user has a grill equipped with an IoT tank scale. At 820, the IoT pot scale determines that the pot is about to be depleted and sends a communication to the user device. At 830, the application on the device may receive the communication, and at 840, the application may notify or alert the user about the status of the canister. At 850, the application may present a replacement service, offer, or promotion to the user. At 860, the application may receive a selection of a desired replacement or replenishment action from the user. At 870, the application may initiate the transaction, or communicate the transaction through a retailer or merchant selected by the user to perform the replacement or replenishment transaction.

Referring to fig. 8, it is noted that the process may be modified to provide an automated system that does not require user authorization and reduces communications to and/or from user devices. Similarly, the system and/or method may be modified to provide various levels of activity. For example, a system according to some embodiments of the invention may provide: (i) In the absence of an automatic action or transaction, sending a message to the user device; (ii) Sending a message to the user that may require advertising of the user action (e.g., selecting a promotion) or notification of the promotion; (iii) Sending a message to the user device to change the item (e.g., if the main item is out of stock); and/or (iv) send advice information to the user-date and time of service call, replacement items with similar characteristics, different retailers, shipping options, etc. It should also be noted that some embodiments of the invention may allow applications to merge various IoT communications into a single application for user display, viewing, and action. Referring to fig. 9, such a system 900 is shown. IoT propane tank scale 910, ioT car oil monitor 920, ioT electric toothbrush 930, and IoT washing machine 940 may all be in communication with application or software 950. The application or software 950 may operate on a user device or smart phone, or may be uploaded or stored on a center or gateway, a home cloud device, or other centralized device. The application 950 may then present the single dashboard 960 to the user, informing the user of the status of the IoT devices, as well as offers or promotions associated with replacement, replenishment, or service requirements.

For example, at 961, dashboard 960 may inform the user that their propane is low and offer a propane preset. At 962, the user can be notified that they should pay attention to changing oil, and can present two (2) promotions 962A (20% savings at QuickLube) and promotions 962B (free change of tire to change oil at the car dealer).

At 963, the user may be informed that his or her toothbrush may need a new toothbrush head in three (3) weeks, but if the user is interested, there is now a very favorable offer (50% discount for retailer A).

At 964, the user may be notified that the dishwashing liquid may be used up in the next two (2) weeks, and may be presented with a number of offers from different retailers. Offer 964A may be brand a at retailer X, offer 964B may be brand B at retailer Y, and offer 964C may be brand C at retailer Z.

In this manner, the user may view items that are currently or about to need replacement, replenishment, or service, and receive one or more competitive offers presented to the user. Accordingly, the point of transaction may now be driven by the user's direct needs, or pending needs in combination with a particular offer or promotion.

Referring to fig. 10, systems and methods according to some embodiments of the invention will now be discussed. In general, ioT washing machine 1010 may determine at 1011 that laundry detergent beads (DETERGENT POD) are in use in a wash cycle and may send a communication to make Shang Yun 1020 informing of this. Manufacturing Shang Yun 1020 may update the inventory at 1021, and may send the inventory update to home cloud device 1030. The home cloud device 1030 may receive the inventory update at 1031 and may determine that the inventory is low. At 1032, an alert that the inventory of laundry beads is low may be sent to one or more user devices 1040, which one or more user devices 1040 may include, but are not limited to, a home device (e.g., amazon Echo) 1041, an email or messaging device (e.g., computer 1042), or an update application operating on, for example, a user phone or tablet 1043.

At 1061, the user may decide to reorder the laundry beads and the application 1050 may determine offers or promotions from one or more retailers. Such offers or promotions may be sent to the user device 1040 at 10622. User selections of offers or promotions may be sent to the application 1050 and received by the application 1050. The application 1050 may then conduct the transaction at 1053, or may provide information to the merchant or provider to conduct the transaction directly at 1054.

Again, it should be noted that the systems and methods set forth herein may operate with less communication with the user device. There may be IoT devices that may be consumption and/or environment based for which automatic orders may be desired without user involvement. For example, the transaction may be conducted automatically. According to some embodiments, ioT devices may communicate directly with a cloud processor. IoT devices may communicate via cellular communications or may utilize home wifi to access the internet for communications. In some embodiments, ioT devices may communicate with user devices (e.g., via bluetooth communications, or other near-field or wireless communications).

For example, if the air quality in the home changes, new or higher quality air filters may be ordered automatically. The change in water pressure may enable ordering of new water filters. Continuous water may indicate a leak and plumbers may be immediately scheduled. If the pet food dispenser dispenses past the reorder point, new pet food may be ordered automatically. Such examples may trigger a transaction without the user having to bring his or her device nearby.

Referring to FIG. 11, systems and methods according to some embodiments of the invention, particularly embodiments that may not require user involvement, will now be discussed. In general, ioT washing machine 1110 may determine that laundry detergent beads are in use in the laundry cycle at 1111 and may send a communication to manufacture Shang Yun informing of this. Manufacturing Shang Yun 1120 may update the inventory at 1121 and may send the inventory update to home cloud device 1130. The home cloud device 1130 may receive the inventory update at 1131 and may determine that the inventory is low.

At 1161, a re-subscription request may be issued. The re-order request may originate from an application 1150 or a home cloud 1130. Prior to issuing the re-order request, the application may determine offers or promotions from one or more retailers, select the offers or promotions that best fit the criteria or preferences pre-stored by the user, and conduct the transaction at 1152. Optionally, user device 1140 may be notified of the transaction. In some embodiments, the user device 1140 may receive a message that a transaction has been conducted and that the user has a period of time to cancel or modify the transaction.

Referring to fig. 12, replacement, replenishment, or service transactions based at least on information received from IoT devices will now be discussed. IoT-supporting or IoT-capable propane scale 1210 may connect to wifi network 1221 or cellular network 1222 to send information or status (here weight) to IoT hub 1230. Note that in some cases, the propane scale 1210 may be connected to the user's device via bluetooth. Then, in this case, the user's device may send a status (here, e.g., weight) to IoT hub 1230.IoT hub 1230 may compare the received information to previous information and determine whether replacement, replenishment or service, or imminent. This may be accomplished by comparing the received information to a user-specified threshold. If replacement, replenishment or service (here replacement of propane tank) is required, payment can be made from the preloaded payment device and the order can be passed to the retailer for fulfillment. Note that payment from the user may be accepted by retailer 1240 or may be received by IoT hub 1230, followed by settlement between IoT hub 1230 and retailer 1240. Retailers 1240 can then ship and/or deliver items 1260 to the user.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the retailer selected for the transaction may be based on certain user criteria (cost, availability, delivery options, etc.), or may be sent to the original retailer for fulfillment. For example, if retailer a sells a gas grill to a user, a propane replenishment transaction may also be sent to retailer a.

An acknowledgement of the re-subscription may be sent to the user device 1250. Note that the acknowledgement may originate from IoT hub 1230 or retailer 1240.

Systems and methods according to some embodiments of the invention may be configured such that: because one or more IoT devices may communicate directly with a user's smartphone, a consumer may not be required to connect his or her device to the internet, providing a simple, direct interface. In addition, other types of delivery (e.g., on the day, pick-up, or private delivery) may be supported by using some of the systems or methods of the present invention within a retailer's application, website, or program.

Note that while the above description and discussion is directed to only a few possible IoT devices and their supplements, replacements, or service scenarios, the present invention contemplates and addresses many other devices and transactions. These may include, but are not limited to: dishwashing detergent based on the use of intelligent dishwashers; bulb replacement depending on the time of use of the bulb; coffee pad replacement based on brewed cups; an electric toothbrush head based on hours of use; heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filters based on hours of use; tipping devices (tilters), side brushes, and main brushes for robotic vacuum cleaners based on hours of use and/or performance; groceries based on intelligent refrigerator inventory; groceries of the refrigerator depending on computer vision; connection payments (e.g., car insurance, car service, water power fee, HVAC maintenance fee, etc.); pet food orders for use via automatic feeders; filling a pet water fountain used by an automatic feeder; a pet positioning service; garbage collection tracking, automatic picking and efficiency management; pest control monitor—pest and trigger mitigation, including capture and chemical treatments, may include re-ordering of capture pods (capture pods) and chemical pods (chemical pods); based on the carbonated beverage cartridge used; replacing the battery (for any electronic device); healthcare devices (e.g., blood glucose (e.g., based on usage to order new test strips), telemedicine using a smart stethoscope, body analyzer, vitamin analyzer, pressure management tracker); smart pool-automated chemical tuning and ordering based on test measurements and usage; safety, etc.

According to some embodiments, the IoT hub or application may also operate as an intermediary. For example, an IoT hub or application may receive communications that items need to be replaced, replenished, or serviced, or soon. The IoT hub or application may then send communications related thereto to the retailer, and the retailer may process order placement and fulfillment.

Similarly, machine learning may be used to create user-specific or family-specific models, and some implicit or predictive exchange may be provided. Such models may be based on past behavior and/or factors provided to the system in the user profile. For example, as summer holidays come in, the user may be provided with suggested transactions regarding beefsteaks or hamburgers to be grilled. Information for training the model may be collected from any number of public and private resources. The real estate record may indicate a size of a user's house; energy usage may indicate that a user owns a swimming pool; the social media comment may indicate that the user has one or more children. Such information may be used to present suggested transactions to the user that may be relevant and desirable to the user's life.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention herein shown and described are merely illustrative. Many variations, changes, substitutions and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, all subject matter described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings is to be regarded as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (13)

1. A method of utilizing internet of things, ioT, communication to provide offers or promotions to users and initiate transactions using user devices communicatively connected to IoT devices, the method comprising:

Receiving, at an IoT hub, a communication from an IoT-capable device that a product needs or should be replaced or replenished;

Determining one or more offers or promotions related to the product or the replacement or replenishment of the product;

selecting one of the offers or promotions;

Initiating a transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product;

A communication is sent to the user device informing of a transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

Generating and presenting an alert or notification to the user device that the product needs or should be replaced or replenished;

Determining and presenting to the user device one or more offers or promotions related to the product or replacement or replenishment of the product;

a selection of one of the offers or promotions is received from the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a smart phone or a tablet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IoT capable device is an appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more offers or promotions comprises:

Communicate with a remote processor and a data store to determine any applicable promotions or offers associated with the product.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user has previously identified or selected one or more merchants or retailers from which offers or promotions were selected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more offers or promotions comprises: provide summary details about such offers, and provide links to additional information, terms, or conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user has previously stored or associated financial information or an account with the user device, and wherein initiating the transaction comprises: replacement or replenishment of the product is ordered or purchased using previously stored or associated financial information or accounts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a program stored on a non-transitory computer medium such that an application runs on the user device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: the user registers with the application and provides user identification and payment or financial account information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein initiating the transaction comprises: replacement or replenishment of the product is ordered or purchased using the user identification, payment or financial account information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing an executable program for initiating a transaction from an IoT device, wherein the program performs operations comprising:

receiving, at an IoT hub or processor, a communication from an IoT capable device that a product needs or should be replaced or replenished;

determining and presenting one or more offers or promotions related to the product or replacement or replenishment of the product;

selecting one of the offers or promotions;

A transaction for replacement or replenishment of the product is initiated using the selected offer or promotion.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein selecting one of the offers or promotions is based at least in part on information in a pre-established user profile that includes user-provided criteria for pre-approving transactions.