Checkout-based distributed of digital promotions

• US 10,346,874 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Boal, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmucker, Michael W
• Application Number:
  US13/831,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141- 1473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

Coupon information is provided electronically in association with receipts for transactions at physical stores and/or online stores. A retailer causes performance of a transaction in which one or more items are purchased. An interface configured to accept input indicating a customer identifier, such as an email address, associated with the transaction is provided. When input has been received via the interface, it is determined whether the identifier is associated with a known customer identity. If the customer identifier is associated with a known identity, digital coupons associated with that identity are applied against the transaction. An electronic receipt is further provided for the transaction via, for instance, the provided email address or a web-based application in which a session is established in connection with the identity.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a transaction aggregator component comprising a first set of one or more computer devices;

wherein the transaction aggregator component provides a transaction application programming interface configured to receive, over a first set of one or more network interfaces, transaction data from a plurality of different retail data centers;

a user database storing records describing user entities;

a transaction database storing records describing the transaction data;

wherein the transaction data comprises transaction logs from stores that report to the plurality of different retail data centers, each transaction log of the transaction data recording details of a different transaction at a corresponding one of the stores;

wherein the transaction aggregator component is configured to associate and to store particular transaction logs with particular user entities in the user database, normalize disparate item identifiers in the transaction logs to canonical item identifiers, and update the transaction database based on the transaction data received from the plurality of different retail data centers,

the receiving, associating, storing, normalizing, and updating being performed in real time;

a receipt server comprising a second set of one or more computer devices configured to send receipt data to customer devices over a wide area network coupled to a second set of one or more network interfaces, based on transaction logs;

an offer server comprising a third set of one or more computer devices;

wherein the offer server exposes an offer recommendation application programming interface that is configured to receive requests to distribute one or more offers;

wherein the offer recommendation application programming interface is further configured to receive requests for the one or more offers over a third set of one or more network interfaces;

wherein the offer server is configured to match a particular request of the requests from a specific device to a particular user entity of the user entities, based on context information in and/or associated with the request,

the context information including a shopping list previously uploaded by the specific device;

wherein the offer server is configured to identify one or more offers responsive to the request based on at least one of;

purchase patterns that have been identified for the particular user entity based on transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailer data centers, that were associated with the particular user entity,

comparing items in which the particular user has recently expressed an interest to item correlations discovered in transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailer data centers, that were associated with the particular user entity, or

de-emphasizing items recently purchased in the transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailer data centers, that were associated with the particular user entity;

wherein the offer server is configured to provide information describing the identified one or more offers in response to the request,

receiving a selection of the one offer from the specific device;

redirecting the selection to a coupon distributor computer of the one offer.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the transaction aggregator component provides a mobile application to a mobile device which causes:

sending the request from the mobile device responsive to user input that accesses at least one of;

a receipt displayed at the mobile device, a shopping list displayed at the mobile device, or a coupon list displayed at the mobile device; and

sending information about the one or more identified offers responsive to the request.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising wherein the offer server exposes an offer recommendation application programming interface that is further configured to receive requests for the one or more offers from a web server.

4. A method comprising:

receiving over a network, at a transaction aggregation system comprising one or more server computers from a plurality of different retailer server computers associated with a plurality of different retailers, transaction data comprising transaction logs from the plurality of different retailers, each transaction log of the transaction data recording details of a different transaction at a corresponding one of the plurality of different retailers;

normalizing disparate item identifiers in the respective transaction logs from proprietary item identifiers to canonical item identifiers,

using digitally programmed logic of the transaction aggregation system, associating the transaction logs with user entities in a user database;

storing the transaction logs in a transaction data store in digital memory of the transaction aggregation system, the transaction data store thereby comprising transaction histories for a plurality of different user entities of the user entities across the plurality of different retailers,

the receiving, normalizing, associating, and storing being performed in real time;

receiving over a network, from an offer provider that is different than the plurality of different retailers, at the transaction aggregation system, a request to distribute one or more offers;

receiving over a network, at the transaction aggregation system, a request for the one or more offers from a specific device;

using digitally programmed logic of the transaction aggregation system, matching the request to a particular user entity of the user entities, based on context information in and/or associated with the request,

the context information including a shopping list previously uploaded by the specific device;

using digitally programmed logic of the transaction aggregation system, identifying the one or more offers responsive to the request based on at least one of;

purchase patterns that have been identified for the particular user entity based on transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity,

comparing items in which the particular user has recently expressed an interest to item correlations discovered in transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity, or

de-emphasizing items recently purchased in the transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity;

using digitally programmed logic of the transaction aggregation system, providing information describing the identified one or more offers in response to the request;

receiving a selection of the one offer from the specific device;

redirecting the selection to a coupon distributor computer of the one offer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the request from a mobile device responsive to user input that accesses at least one of;

a receipt displayed at the mobile device, a shopping list displayed at the mobile device, or a coupon list displayed at the mobile device; and

causing the mobile device to display information about the one or more identified offers responsive to the request.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving the request from a web server.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:

receiving over a network, at a transaction aggregation system comprising one or more server computers from a plurality of different retailer server computers associated with a plurality of different retailers, transaction data comprising transaction logs from the plurality of different retailers, each transaction log of the transaction data recording details of a different transaction at a corresponding one of the plurality of different retailers;

normalizing disparate item identifiers in the respective transaction logs from proprietary item identifiers to canonical item identifiers,

associating the transaction logs with user entities in a user database;

storing the transaction logs in a transaction data store in digital memory of the transaction aggregation system, the transaction data store thereby comprising transaction histories for a plurality of different user entities of the user entities across the plurality of different retailers,

the receiving, normalizing, associating, and storing being performed in real time;

receiving over a network, from an offer provider that is different than the plurality of different retailers, at the transaction aggregation system, a request to distribute one or more offers from a specific device;

receiving over a network, at the transaction aggregation system, a request for the one or more offers;

matching the request to a particular user entity of the user entities, based on context information in and/or associated with the request,

the context information including a shopping list previously uploaded by the specific device;

identifying the one or more offers responsive to the request based on at least one of;

purchase patterns that have been identified for the particular user entity based on transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity,

comparing items in which the particular user has recently expressed an interest to item correlations discovered in transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity, or

de-emphasizing items recently purchased in the transaction logs, received from the plurality of different retailers, that were associated with the particular user entity;

providing information describing the identified one or more offers in response to the request,

receiving a selection of the one offer from the specific device;

redirecting the selection to a coupon distributor computer of the one offer.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:

sending the request from a mobile device responsive to user input that accesses at least one of;

a receipt displayed at the mobile device, a shopping list displayed at the mobile device, or a coupon list displayed at the mobile device; and

causing the mobile device to display information about the one or more identified offers responsive to the request.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause receiving the request from a web server.