Patents by Inventor David Thacker

David Thacker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210209642
    Abstract: A promotion offering system and method is disclosed. The promotion offering system and method selects consumers for a test promotion that has one or more attributes, and is configured to generate test data for multiple consumer groupings. The promotion offering system and method may use the test data in analyzing whether to send a promotion to a consumer. For example, the promotion offering system and method may use one algorithm to generate a list of ranked promotions, and may use the test data in order to adjust the list of ranked promotions (such as replacing a highest ranked promotion with another promotion).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: David THACKER, Amit AGGARWAL, Kevin CHANG
  • Publication number: 20210209650
    Abstract: In a promotion offering system, a consumer is more likely to purchase a promotion offering if the consumer finds the promotion to be interesting or fits a need of the consumer. In order to provide a more intelligent selection process for selecting promotions that are desirable to the consumer, a method and a promotion offering system for implementing the method are provided that takes into consideration a number of different factors associated with a consumer, including locations and deal types that are known or predicted to be of interest to the consumer, when determining one or more promotions to present to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Amit AGGARWAL, Suneel GUPTA, Jeffrey Alan HOLDEN, Dan NAWARA, David THACKER
  • Patent number: 11030647
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for managing the cadence (e.g., frequency or rate) that electronic promotion correspondence is sent to a consumer. A system may access a target cadence indicator associated with a consumer that indicates of a target rate for sending electronic promotion correspondence to the consumer. The system may also determine an actual cadence indicator for the consumer over a predetermined period of time and analyze a potential electronic promotion correspondence for sending to the consumer. The system determines whether to send the electronic correspondence to the consumer based on the target cadence indicator, the actual cadence indicator, and the analysis of the electronic promotion correspondence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, David Thacker, Sean O'Brien
  • Patent number: 10984455
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may include providing a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of content generators for providing content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include providing a first content generator of the plurality of content generators with a set of selection parameters, and receiving a first bid for one of the plurality of content slots from the first content generator. The first content generator may determine the bid based at least in part on the set of selection parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Ayars, Ruslan Gilfanov, Jeffrey A. Holden, John Mark Nickels, Pete Prokopowicz, Daniel M. Roarty, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 10929889
    Abstract: In a promotion offering system, a consumer is more likely to purchase a promotion offering if the consumer finds the promotion to be interesting or fits a need of the consumer. In order to provide a more intelligent selection process for selecting promotions that are desirable to the consumer, a method and a promotion offering system for implementing the method are provided that takes into consideration a number of different factors associated with a consumer, including locations and deal types that are known or predicted to be of interest to the consumer, when determining one or more promotions to present to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, Suneel Gupta, Jeffrey Alan Holden, Dan Nawara, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 10929881
    Abstract: A promotion offering system and method is disclosed. The promotion offering system and method selects consumers for a test promotion that has one or more attributes, and is configured to generate test data for multiple consumer groupings. The promotion offering system and method may use the test data in analyzing whether to send a promotion to a consumer. For example, the promotion offering system and method may use one algorithm to generate a list of ranked promotions, and may use the test data in order to adjust the list of ranked promotions (such as replacing a highest ranked promotion with another promotion).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Thacker, Amit Aggarwal, Kevin Chang
  • Publication number: 20200320561
    Abstract: Provided herein are a method and apparatus configured to determine one or more consumer deals to present to a consumer. The method and apparatus may include receiving contextual data; accessing one or more databases containing consumer deals; determining a context under which to present a consumer deal to a consumer, the determined context selected from a plurality of contexts; selecting a set of workflow rules under which to determine the consumer deal to present to the consumer; analyzing the plurality of consumer deals based at least in part on the selected set of workflow rules; determining a selected consumer deal to present to the consumer; generating an electronic correspondence comprising the selected consumer deal; and transmitting the electronic correspondence to the consumer device for presenting the selected consumer deal to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Sean O'Brien, Ramkumar RAJENDRAN, Mark DALY, Xiaolei LI, Kevin CHANG, Ruslan GILFANOV, Stanley WANG, Amit AGGARWAL, David THACKER, Michalis POTAMIAS
  • Publication number: 20200202385
    Abstract: A deal program life cycle system and method is disclosed. The deal program life cycle may oversee the issuance of deals from a deal program to consumers over the life cycle of the deal program. One or more aspects of the deal program may change during different periods of the life cycle of the deal program. For example, the deal program may include deal features, a number of units for deals, and relevance features for the deal program. The deal features, number of units of deals, and/or relevance features for the deal program may change during the different periods of the life cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: David Thacker, David Hoover, Anthony Caliendo, Ruslan Gilfanov, Amit Aggarwal
  • Publication number: 20200051119
    Abstract: In a promotion offering system, a promotion offering may be presented to a consumer on more than one occasion. The previous presentation of the promotion to the consumer may affect a subsequent presentation of the same promotion to the same consumer. The present invention provides an apparatus and method for analyzing the effect a previous presentation of a promotion may have on a consumer when the promotion is presented to the consumer at a subsequent time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Michalis Potamias, Amit Aggarwal, Xiaolei Li, David Thacker, Kevin Chang
  • Publication number: 20200043032
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may provide a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content, the content comprising at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include determining selection parameters, and scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Jeff Ayars, Ruslan Gilfanov, Jeff Holden, John M. Nickels, Pete Prokopowicz, Dan Roarty, David Thacker
  • Publication number: 20200027119
    Abstract: A promotion program analytical system and method is disclosed. The promotion program analytical system and method selects a promotion program to offer to a consumer. Selection of the promotion program to present to the consumer includes determining a probability that the consumer will accept the promotion program. The probability of acceptance may be determined based on past performance data of similar promotion programs, and also past performance data on the promotion program itself when it is available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin Chang, David Thacker, Paul Gauthier, Amit Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 10535076
    Abstract: A deal program life cycle system and method is disclosed. The deal program life cycle may oversee the issuance of deals from a deal program to consumers over the life cycle of the deal program. One or more aspects of the deal program may change during different periods of the life cycle of the deal program. For example, the deal program may include deal features, a number of units for deals, and relevance features for the deal program. The deal features, number of units of deals, and/or relevance features for the deal program may change during the different periods of the life cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: David Thacker, David Hoover, Anthony Caliendo, Ruslan Gilfanov, Amit Aggarwal
  • Publication number: 20190355013
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for managing the cadence (e.g., frequency or rate) that electronic promotion correspondence is sent to a consumer. A system may access a target cadence indicator associated with a consumer that indicates of a target rate for sending electronic promotion correspondence to the consumer. The system may also determine an actual cadence indicator for the consumer over a predetermined period of time and analyze a potential electronic promotion correspondence for sending to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, David Thacker, Sean O'Brien
  • Patent number: 10430824
    Abstract: In a promotion offering system, a promotion offering may be presented to a consumer on more than one occasion. The previous presentation of the promotion to the consumer may affect a subsequent presentation of the same promotion to the same consumer. The present invention provides an apparatus and method for analyzing the effect a previous presentation of a promotion may have on a consumer when the promotion is presented to the consumer at a subsequent time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Michalis Potamias, Amit Aggarwal, Xiaolei Li, David Thacker, Kevin Chang
  • Patent number: 10423977
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may provide a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content, the content comprising at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include determining selection parameters, and scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Jeff Ayars, Ruslan Gilfanov, Jeff Holden, John M. Nickels, Pete Prokopowicz, Dan Roarty, David Thacker
  • Publication number: 20190287131
    Abstract: Electronic correspondence that includes one or more promotions may be generated for presenting to a consumer. In order to determine whether to present the electronic correspondence to the consumer, the promotions included in the electronic correspondences may be analyzed in terms of a probability the consumer will accept the promotions, a relevance level between the promotions and attributes of the consumer, a relevance level between the promotions and the consumer, a relevance level between the promotions and a set of goals or rules, among other similar terms. After the analysis, a determination may be made whether to send the electronic correspondence to the consumer. Similarly, the analysis may compare multiple electronic correspondences, and determine, based on the comparison, which of the multiple electronic correspondences to send to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 10387902
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may provide a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content, the content comprising at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include determining selection parameters, and scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Jeff Ayars, Ruslan Gilfanov, Jeff Holden, John M. Nickels, Pete Prokopowicz, Dan Roarty, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 10373210
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may provide a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content, the content comprising at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include determining selection parameters, and scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Jeff Ayars, Ruslan Gilfanov, Jeff Holden, John M. Nickels, Pete Prokopowicz, Dan Roarty, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 10346870
    Abstract: A promotion program analytical system and method is disclosed. The promotion program analytical system and method selects a promotion program to offer to a consumer. Selection of the promotion program to present to the consumer includes determining a probability that the consumer will accept the promotion program. The probability of acceptance may be determined based on past performance data of similar promotion programs, and also past performance data on the promotion program itself when it is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Chang, David Thacker, Paul Gauthier, Amit Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 10325284
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for managing the cadence (e.g., frequency or rate) that electronic promotion correspondence is sent to a consumer. A system may access a target cadence indicator associated with a consumer that indicates of a target rate for sending electronic promotion correspondence to the consumer. The system may also determine an actual cadence indicator for the consumer over a predetermined period of time and analyze a potential electronic promotion correspondence for sending to the consumer. The system determines whether to send the electronic correspondence to the consumer based on the target cadence indicator, the actual cadence indicator, and the analysis of the electronic promotion correspondence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, David Thacker, Sean O'Brien