Mobile commerce framework
A subscription-based system for providing commerce information for one or more mobile devices for one or more merchants. Some techniques employed feature a subscription-based method for presenting commercial resources to a mobile device. The method involves receiving mobile device user information relating to a geographic location to locate one or more merchants within a subscription-based shopping network, and receiving mobile device user information relating to a merchant type within the subscription-based shopping network. The method also involves receiving, from a database over a communication network, information for one or more merchants associated with the mobile device user information for the geographic location and the merchant type, and presenting the associated merchant information on the mobile device. The associated merchant information can include a merchant name and address, a merchant telephone number, a merchant advertisement, a merchant coupon, or a merchant product or service offering to subscribers of the shopping network.
1. A method of obtaining a location specific service from a service provider on a communication network, comprising:
running a computer application on a mobile device, the application communicating to receive information from a communication network which has multiple service providers, and the application receiving inputs to interact with the network,
the network storing information about multiple service providers, said information including locations for the respective multiple service providers, where information about multiple service providers changes over time, and is updated over time on the network;
the computer application storing information to identify a user of the mobile device and storing payment information for the user to be used on the network to pay to the service providers;
the computer application determining a location of the user using the mobile device and to obtain information about the locations of multiple different service providers on the network who are offering services,
using a tool on the computer application to estimate distance from the mobile device to the service providers based on the location of the user, and based on an area of the service providers relative to an area of the user, the tool operating in near real time;
the computer application showing service providers and showing the area of the user of the mobile device,
the computer application using one or more forms, where the forms include pre-populated data, and are sent over the communication network, to the mobile device, in near real time;
and
allowing the user to effect a purchase from one of the service providers using the application and using the payment information that is stored using the application.
2. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising updating a display of the mobile device by determining whether any of the offerings of any of the service providers has changed, and updating offerings for any of the offerings for any of the service providers that have changed.
3. The method as in claim 2 , further comprising receiving user preferences from the user using the mobile device; and where the showing available service providers providing services for the geographic area of the user of the mobile device includes only those service providers who meet the user preferences.
4. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the computer application includes information for the offerings of the service providers, including a type of service provided by each service provider, and pricing information for each service provider.
5. The method as in claim 4 , wherein the display of the mobile device shows available service providers offering services of the selected type that are available.
6. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the computer application uses a tool to encrypt and decrypt data sent from the computer application.
7. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the computer application uses a tool to accept a user's password.
8. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the computer application uses a tool to synchronize data regarding the service providers between the mobile device and the server.
9. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the display of the mobile device shows telephone information for the service provider.
10. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the providers of services provide travel services.
11. The method as in claim 2 , where the providers of services are food merchants.
12. The method as in claim 2 , where the providers of services are entertainment providers.
13. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the using the application comprises initially providing a welcome screen on the mobile device, prior to displaying information about the service providers.
14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the using the application comprises, after providing the welcome screen, prompting the user to select a type of services desired, and subsequent to selecting the type of services provided, showing available offerings for the area of the mobile device.
15. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the area of the mobile device is a geographic area.
16. The method as in claim 2 , where the determining whether any of the offerings of any of the service providers has changed, comprises determining whether any of the offerings for any of the service providers have expired.
17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the pre-populated data for the one or more forms includes name and addresses.
18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein the pre-populated data for the one or more forms includes phone numbers.
19. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the forms include prepopulated templates.