Assumed Demographics, Predicted Behavior, and Targeted Incentives

Abstract

A system and method for anticipating consumer behavior and determining transaction incentives for influencing consumer behavior comprises a computer system and associated date for determining cross time correlations between transaction behavior, for applying the fiction derived from the correlations to consumer records to predict future consumer behavior, and for deciding on transaction incentives to offer the consumers based upon their predicted behavior.

1 . A system for associating at least one assumed demographic data with a Consumer Identification (“CID”) associated with a transaction history for a consumer, comprising: 
 a database;    a computer system having read and write access to said database; and    wherein said database stores a plurality of consumer records including a first consumer record for a first consumer;    wherein said first consumer record stores:    (1) CID data (consumer identification data) indicating a first consumer CID for said first consumer;    in association with said first consumer CID, at least the following:    (2) transaction data in a first transaction class field indicating items transacted by said first consumer in a first transaction class during a first prior time period; and    (3) a first assumed non-transaction demographic data field for storing assumed non-transaction demographic data.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer system comprises means or code for assuming a value for said first assumed non-transaction demographic data field of said first consumer record based upon data in other fields of said first consumer record.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer system comprises means or code for deriving a value for a derived data field of said first consumer record based upon data in other fields of said first consumer record.  
     
     
         4 - 10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . A system for defining or selecting terms of at least one purchase incentive offer to associate with a Consumer Identification (“CID”) associated with a transaction history for a consumer, comprising: 
 a database;    a computer system having read and write access to said database; and    wherein said database stores a plurality of consumer records including a first consumer record for a first consumer;    wherein said first consumer record stores:    (1) CID data (consumer identification data) indicating a first consumer CID for said first consumer;    in association with said first consumer CID, at least the following:    (2) transaction data in a first transaction class field indicating items transacted by said first consumer in a first transaction class during a first prior time period;    (3) a first assumed non-transaction demographic data field for storing assumed non-transaction demographic data; and    means or code for defining or selecting terms of a purchase incentive offer to associate with said CID wherein said defining or selecting depends at least in part upon one of an assumed non-transaction demographic, dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a most probable assumed non-transaction demographic, a most probable dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a probability of an assumed non-transaction demographic, a probability of dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a ranking of an assumed non-transaction demographic, and a ranking of dis-assumed non-transaction demographic associated with that consumer.    
     
     
         12 - 35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . A method for associating at least one assumed demographic data with a Consumer Identification (“CID”) associated with a transaction history for a consumer, comprising: 
 providing a database;    providing a computer system having read and write access to said database; and    storing in said database a plurality of consumer records including a first consumer record for a first consumer;    storing in said first consumer record (1) CID data (consumer identification data) indicating a first consumer CID for said first consumer and, in association with said first consumer CID, storing at least the following:    (2) transaction data in a first transaction class field indicating items transacted by said first consumer in a first transaction class during a first prior time period; and    (3) a first assumed non-transaction demographic data field for storing assumed non-transaction demographic data.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising assuming a value for said first assumed non-transaction demographic data field of said first consumer record based upon data in other fields of said first consumer record.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising deriving a value for a derived data field of said first consumer record based upon data in other fields of said first consumer record.  
     
     
         39 - 45 . (canceled)  
     
     
         46 . A method for defining or selecting terms of at least one purchase incentive offer to associate with a Consumer Identification (“CID”) associated with a transaction history for a consumer, comprising: 
 providing a database;    providing a computer system having read and write access to said database; and    storing in said database a plurality of consumer records including a first consumer record for a first consumer;    storing in said first consumer record (1) CID data (consumer identification data) indicating a first consumer CID for said first consumer and, in association with said first consumer CID, storing at least the following:    (2) transaction data in a first transaction class field indicating items transacted by said first consumer in a first transaction class during a first prior time period;    (3) a first assumed non-transaction demographic data field for storing assumed non-transaction demographic data; and    defining or selecting terms of a purchase incentive offer to associate with said CID wherein said defining or selecting depends at least in part upon one of an assumed non-transaction demographic, dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a most probable assumed non-transaction demographic, a most probable dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a probability of an assumed non-transaction demographic, a probability of dis-assumed non-transaction demographic, a ranking of an assumed non-transaction demographic, and a ranking of dis-assumed non-transaction demographic associated with that consumer.    
     
     
         47 - 70 . (canceled)