Electronic coupon method and system
First Claim
1. A method of processing e-coupon information about a product in an e-coupon system including a consumer terminal and at least one e-coupon issue center, the consumer terminal and at least one e-coupon issue center being cable of communicating with each other via a communication network arrangement, the method comprising:
- supplying a first signal indicative of first e-coupon information read from an advertisement about the product to a memory of the consumer terminal;
discovering an e-coupon issue center by analyzing the first e-coupon information;
the e-coupon issue center discovered on the basis of the analysis, deriving a second signal indicative of second e-coupon information about the product in response to the first signal and coupling the second signal from the issue center to the consumer terminal via the network arrangement.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for issuing, receiving, authenticating and using an e-coupon uses a hand-held consumer terminal, such as a cellular phone. A user (consumer) finds an e-coupon issue center by reading an ID with an opto-electrical transducer associated with the consumer terminal. A keyboard can also enter the information. The cellular phone communicates with the issue center directly from the ID or through an ID resolution center (or manufacturer) to request issuance of the e-coupon ID. The issue center after checking the ID, issues and transmits the e-coupon ID to the consumer terminal. The consumer uses the e-coupon ID and his own ID at a retailer which accesses the issue center to determine the validity of the e-coupon. The user can receive and use an e-coupon while keeping personal information private by using an anonymous proxy server.
169 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of processing e-coupon information about a product in an e-coupon system including a consumer terminal and at least one e-coupon issue center, the consumer terminal and at least one e-coupon issue center being cable of communicating with each other via a communication network arrangement, the method comprising:
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supplying a first signal indicative of first e-coupon information read from an advertisement about the product to a memory of the consumer terminal;
discovering an e-coupon issue center by analyzing the first e-coupon information;
the e-coupon issue center discovered on the basis of the analysis, deriving a second signal indicative of second e-coupon information about the product in response to the first signal and coupling the second signal from the issue center to the consumer terminal via the network arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a method of authenticating e-coupon information in an e-coupon system having a consumer terminal, an e-coupon issue center and a retailer terminal, comprising at the retailer terminal (a) receiving from the consumer terminal signals indicative of a unique identification for an e-coupon associated with a product and a user identification, and (b) transmitting to the e-coupon issue center signals indicative of the received unique identification for the e-coupon and the user identification;
- at the e-coupon issue center (a) determining if the received unique identification for the e-coupon and the user identification correlate with each other, and (b) transmitting e-coupon verification information to the retailer terminal via the communication network arrangement in response to the determining step indicating that the unique identification for the e-coupon and the user identification correlate with each other.
- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a method of issuing an e-coupon in an e-coupon system, the system having a consumer terminal, an e-coupon issue center and an anonymous proxy server;
- said information terminal, said e-coupon issue center and said anonymous proxy server being capable of communicating with each other, wherein processing steps of said proxy server comprise;
receiving a product ID, a media ID and a user ID from said consumer terminal;
generating a pseudo user ID on the basis of said user ID;
supplying said user ID and said pseudo user ID to a user ID correspondence table;
requesting the e-coupon issue center to record e-coupon information including e-coupon ID, said product ID, said media ID and said pseudo user ID; and
sending said e-coupon ID received and said pseudo e-coupon ID to said portable information terminal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- said information terminal, said e-coupon issue center and said anonymous proxy server being capable of communicating with each other, wherein processing steps of said proxy server comprise;
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13. An e-coupon system for use with a communication network arrangement, the system comprising:
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a consumer terminal, an e-coupon issue center and a retailer terminal, each of the consumer terminal, e-coupon issue center and retailer terminal including (a) a memory, (b) an interface with the communication network arrangement, and (c) a processor for coupling signals between the memory and the interface of the respective terminal and the issue center;
the interfaces, processors and memories of the consumer terminal and the e-coupon issue center being arranged so that first e-coupon information for a particular product stored in the memory of the consumer terminal and identification of the consumer terminal coupled to the issue center from the consumer terminal cause the issue center to transmit second e-coupon information to the consumer terminal, the consumer terminal being arranged so that the second e-coupon information is stored in the consumer terminal memory;
the interfaces, processors and memories of the consumer terminal and the retailer terminal being arranged so that in response to the consumer terminal coupling the identification of the consumer terminal and the second e-coupon information to the retailer terminal, the retailer terminal provides the e-coupon issue center with the second e-coupon information and the identification of the consumer terminal;
the interface, processor and memory of the information center being arranged for (a) verifying the validity of the e-coupon in response to the consumer terminal providing the issue center terminal with consumer terminal identification that correlates with the second e-coupon information and (b) providing the verified validity to the retailer terminal.
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23. An e-coupon method using a consumer terminal, an e-coupon issue center and a retailer terminal, the consumer terminal storing signals indicative of first e-coupon information for a product, the method comprising:
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coupling signals indicative of (a) the first e-coupon information for the product and (b) the identification of the consumer terminal from the consumer terminal to the issue center via a communication network arrangement;
at the issue center, (a) determining from the signals coupled via the communication network arrangement the validity of the first e-coupon information for the product, (b) transmitting via the communication arrangement to the consumer terminal signals indicative of second e-coupon information in response to the issue center determining that the first e-coupon information is valid, and (c) storing signals indicative of the second e-coupon information as correlated with the identification of the consumer terminal;
at the consumer terminal, (a) storing a signal indicative of the second e-coupon information coupled to the consumer terminal via the communication arrangement by the issue center, and (b) coupling signals indicative of the second e-coupon information and the identification of the consumer terminal to a retailer via the communication network arrangement;
at the retailer, responding to the signals coupled to the retailer from the consumer terminal via the communication arrangement indicative of the second e-coupon information and the identification of the consumer terminal by sending via the network arrangement to the issue center signals indicative of the second e-coupon information and the identification of the consumer terminal;
at the issue center, (a) determining from the signals indicative of the second de-coupon information and the identification of the consumer terminal coupled to the issue center from the retailer via the communication network arrangement the validity of the second e-coupon information, (b) transmitting an authorization signal from the issue center to the retailer via the network arrangement in response to step (a) at the issue center determining that the second e-coupon information is valid.
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Specification