US6236975B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for profiling customers for targeted marketing
Assignee: Ignite Sales Inc
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Filing: 1998-09-29
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Granted: 2001-05-22
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Expires: 2018-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A targeted marketing system and method are provided that provide a customer with customer questions, receive responses to the customer questions from the customer, and store data associated with the responses. The customer is provided with a feedback page that graphically illustrates data associated with the customer's standing in a selected peer group. The customer is provided with options operable to adjust the customer's actual demographic to a hypothetical demographic, and data associated with hypothetical demographic changes from the customer is received and processed. Hypothetical feedback information is then displayed that graphically illustrates the hypothetical standing of the customer within the selected peer group such that the customer can see the effect of the hypothetical demographic changes.
Inventors
- 👤 Barbara J. Boe
- 👤 Julia M. Hamrick
- 👤 Marjorie L. Aarant
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 15:54
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0201; G06Q30/0202; G06Q30/0203; G06Q30/0204; G06Q30/0207; G06Q30/0217; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0242; G06Q30/0245; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0269; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q30/0641
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of compiling customer data using an online interaction between a customer and a survey system, comprising: providing the customer with customer questions; receiving responses to the customer questions from the customer; storing data associated with the responses in the survey system; providing the customer with a feedback page, graphically illustrating data associated with the customer's standing in a selected peer group; providing the customer with options operable to adjust the customer's actual demographic to a hypothetical demographic; receiving and processing data associated with hypothetical demographic changes from the customer; and displaying hypothetical feedback information, graphically illustrating the hypothetical standing of the customer within the selected peer group such that the customer can see the effect of the hypothetical demographic changes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of compiling customer data using an online interaction between a customer and a survey system, comprising: providing the customer with customer questions; receiving responses to the customer questions from the customer; storing data associated with the responses in the survey system; providing the customer with a feedback page, graphically illustrating data associated with the customer's standing in a selected peer group; providing the customer with options operable to adjust the customer's actual demographic to a hypothetical demographic; receiving and processing data associated with hypothetical demographic changes from the customer; and displaying hypothetical feedback information, graphically illustrating the hypothetical standing of the customer within the selected peer group such that the customer can see the effect of the hypothetical demographic changes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer questions comprise a primary set of questions and a secondary set of questions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the primary set of questions relates to the customer's demographic and wherein the customer's demographic includes personal information about the customer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary set of questions forms a plurality of survey sections and wherein the secondary set of questions comprises both questions that relate to a business' products or services and questions that relate to the customer's psychographic traits.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer question provided is chosen based on the customer's response to the previous customer question and on a business identification number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback page is generated based on the customer's responses to the customer questions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the possible answers to the customer questions include graphics illustrative of and associated with at least some of the answers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting the customer with an online option associated with an opportunity to gain pertinent information related to and apply for or purchase products or services.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising sending a message to a business offering the products or services regarding the application or request for the products or services.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of compiling customer data using an online interaction between a customer and a survey system, comprising: providing the customer with customer questions; receiving responses to the customer questions from the customer; storing data associated with the responses in the survey system; providing the customer with a feedback page, graphically illustrating data associated with the customer's standing in a selected peer group; providing the customer with options operable to adjust the customer's actual demographic to a hypothetical demographic; receiving and processing data associated with hypothetical demographic, changes from the customer; displaying hypothetical feedback information, graphically illustrating the hypothetical standing of the customer within the selected peer group such that the customer can see the effect of the hypothetical demographic changes; receiving a business identification number and a customer identification number; matching the business identification number with data in at least one table; matching the customer identification number with data in at least one table; and generating data sets for display based on the data in the at least one table.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of compiling customer data using an online interaction between a customer and a survey system, comprising: providing the customer with customer questions; receiving responses to the customer questions from the customer; storing data associated with the responses in the survey system; providing the customer with a feedback page, graphically illustrating data associated with the customer's standing in a selected peer group; providing the customer with options operable to adjust the customer's actual demographic to a hypothetical demographic; receiving and processing data associated with hypothetical demographic, changes from the customer; displaying hypothetical feedback information, graphically illustrating the hypothetical standing of the customer within the selected peer group such that the customer can see the effect of the hypothetical demographic changes; receiving a business identification number and a customer identification number; matching the business identification number with data in at least one table; matching the customer identification number with data in at least one table; and generating data sets for display based on the data in the at least one table.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a business with compiled customer profile information where the customer is identified as a particular existing customer of the business.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing percentage completion and date information to the customer based on the percentage of the customer questions that have been answered by the customer and the date of the most recent visit to the survey system by the customer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing goal planners to the customer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the goal planners include output graphics associated with the output of the goal planners and wherein the output graphics change in real time in response to changes in the input to the goal planners.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
70 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; and a survey system operable to supply the customer data processing system with customer questions, receive and store responses, provide a feedback page, provide what-if options, receive hypothetical demographic changes, and display hypothetical feedback information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
70 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; and a survey system operable to supply the customer data processing system with customer questions, receive and store responses, provide a feedback page, provide what-if options, receive hypothetical demographic changes, and display hypothetical feedback information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein the customer question provided is chosen based on the customer's response to the previous customer question and on a business identification number.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein the feedback page is generated based on the customer's responses to the customer questions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein the survey system is further operable to present the customer with an online option associated with an opportunity to gain pertinent information related to and apply for or purchase products or services.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 18 , wherein the survey system is further operable to send a message to a business offering the products or services regarding the application or request for the products or services.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
118 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; a survey system operable to supply the customer data processing system with customer questions, receive and store responses, provide a feedback page, provide what-if options, receive hypothetical demographic changes, display hypothetical feedback information, receive a business identification number and a customer identification number, match the business identification number with data in at least one table, match the customer identification number with data in at least one table, and generate data sets for display based on the data in the at least one table.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
118 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; a survey system operable to supply the customer data processing system with customer questions, receive and store responses, provide a feedback page, provide what-if options, receive hypothetical demographic changes, display hypothetical feedback information, receive a business identification number and a customer identification number, match the business identification number with data in at least one table, match the customer identification number with data in at least one table, and generate data sets for display based on the data in the at least one table.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein the survey system is further operable to provide percentage completion and date information to the customer based on the percentage of the customer questions that have been answered by the customer and the date of the most recent visit to the survey system by the customer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein the survey system is further operable to generate data sets for display based on data accessed in at least one table and wherein the data accessed by the survey system is associated with a specific business or customer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
78 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; and a survey system operable to supply the business data processing system with targeted marketing reports, the targeted marketing reports dynamically generated based on a set of decision rules, the set of decision rules dynamically generated based on data received from the customers.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
78 words
A customer survey system, comprising: a business interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a business; a customer interface operable to interact with a data processing system associated with a customer; and a survey system operable to supply the business data processing system with targeted marketing reports, the targeted marketing reports dynamically generated based on a set of decision rules, the set of decision rules dynamically generated based on data received from the customers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 23 , wherein the targeted marketing reports comprise a probability associated with at least one customer regarding the likelihood that the customer will purchase a specific product or service.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 24 , wherein the survey system is further operable to generate targeted advertisements for each customer based on the data in the targeted marketing reports.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 13 , further comprising: receiving goal input data from the customer, the goal input data related to a goal associated with the goal planners; and storing the goal input data for the customer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system of claim 15 , the survey system further operable to provide goal planners to the customer, to receive coal input data from the customer, the goal input data related to a goal associated with the goal planners, and to store the coal input data for the customer.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 15 , the survey system further operable to generate targeted advertisements for each customer based on data received from the customers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-21 | 2004-11-20 | 2005-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-21 | 2008-11-20 | 2009-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-21 | 2012-11-20 | 2013-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |