Retail coupon distribution apparatus and method

• US 20030115152A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Overture Services Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Flaherty, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1095 the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A mobile communication system utilizes a mobile two-way communication device such as a cellular telephone, pager, personal digital assistant (PDA), palm-held computing device, and the like, connected to a network. The mobile two-way communication device has a display screen, such as an liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, that is capable of displaying a barcode. The image of a barcode is displayed on the two-way communication device by creating an optical image that can modulate a laser in motion, such as the laser used in a retail barcode scanning device.

Claims

1. A communication application executable on a network comprising:

a client process executable on a processor in a two-way communication device, the two-way communication device including a display screen capable of displaying a barcode image suitable for scanning by a barcode scanner;

a server process executable on a processor communicatively coupled over the network to the client process; and

a coupon depository coupled to the server process capable of storing a plurality of coupons, the coupons including an encoding of a barcode image, the server process including an operation of sending a coupon to the client process, the client process including an operation for decoding the barcode image encoding and displaying the barcode image on the display screen for scanning by the barcode scanner.

2. A communication application according to claim 1 further comprising:

the client process including an operation for initiating a communication with the server process and requesting a coupon for a selected item; and

the server process including an operation for receiving the coupon request, determining whether a coupon is available for the requested coupon, and, if so, transmitting the requested coupon to the client process.

3. A communication application according to claim 1 further comprising:

the client process including an operation for initiating a communication with the server process and requesting coupons for a generic class of items; and

the server process including an operation for receiving the coupon request, determining coupons that are available for items in the generic class, and transmitting the requested coupons to the client process.

4. A communication application according to claim 1 further comprising:

the server process including an operation for profiling users to determine collections of items of interest to associated classes of users according to users profiles; and

the server process including an operation for sending a collection of items to a user in the associated class.

5. A communication application according to claim 1 further comprising:

the server process including an operation responsive to a global positioning signal locating a user position, the operation for determining whether the user position is in a vicinity near a retailer honoring a coupon in the coupon depository and if so sending the coupon to the user.

6. A communication application according to claim 1 wherein:

the barcode includes tracking information for tracking usage of the coupon.

7. A communication application according to claim 1 wherein:

the two-way communication device is selected from among a group consisting of cellular telephones, pagers, and palm-held computers.

8. An executable program code loadable from a storage media or downloadable from a communication source according to claim 1.

9. An article of manufacture encoding the executable program code according to claim 8.

10. A communication application executable on a network communicatively coupled to a server process, the communication application comprising:

a client process executable on a processor in a two-way communication device, the two-way communication device including a display screen capable of displaying a barcode image suitable for scanning by a barcode scanner, the client process including;

an interactive input process capable of receiving input signals from the two-way communication device;

a communication initiating process responsive to the input signals for sending application initiation signals to the server process via the network;

a communication receiving process responsive to communication signals from the server process for receiving coupon information from the server process, the coupon information including an encoded barcode image; and

a display process responsive to the receipt of coupon information for decoding the encoded barcode image and displaying the barcode image.

11. A communication application according to claim 10 further comprising:

a request process for requesting coupons for a generic class of items;

the communication receiving process for receiving coupon information of one or more coupons for items in the generic class.

12. A communication application according to claim 10 further comprising:

a request process for requesting coupons for a generic class of items;

the communication receiving process for receiving coupon information of one or more coupons for items in the generic class; and

an interactive access process for displaying the plurality of coupons, scrolling through the plurality of coupons, and selecting coupons under direction of user signals.

13. A communication application according to claim 10 wherein:

the two-way communication device is selected from among a group consisting of cellular telephones, pagers, and palm-held computers.

14. An executable program code loadable from a storage media or downloadable from a communication source according to claim 10.

15. An article of manufacture encoding the executable program code according to claim 14.

16. A communication application executable on a network comprising:

an electronic coupon clearinghouse coupled to the network and containing a plurality of electronic coupons, the electronic coupons including an encoded barcode image;

a coupon database coupled to the electronic coupon clearinghouse;

a server coupled to the network, the server capable of accessing the electronic coupon clearinghouse and receiving selected electronic coupons from the electronic coupon clearinghouse;

a two-way communication device capable of communicating on the network and receiving electronic coupons from the server via the network, the two-way communication device capable of decoding the encoded barcode images and displaying the barcode images on a screen display for scanning by a barcode scanner.

17. A communication application according to claim 16 further comprising:

a profile engine coupled to the network and accessible by the server that generates a profile of users and creates a collection of coupons according to the user profiles.

18. A communication application according to claim 16 wherein:

the two-way communication device initiates communication with the server and requests a coupon for a specific item; and

the server determines whether a coupon for the specified item is available in the coupon database and, if so, sends the specified item coupon to the two-way communication device.

19. A communication application according to claim 16 wherein:

the two-way communication device initiates communication with the server and requests coupons for a class of items; and

the server searches the coupon database for coupons included within the class of items and sends the item class coupons to the two-way communication device.

20. A communication application according to claim 16 further comprising:

a profile engine coupled to the network and accessible by the server that generates a profile of users and creates a collection of coupons according to the user profiles, wherein

the server periodically searches the coupon database for coupons included within the collection of coupons for a particular user profile and sends coupons in the collection to the two-way communication device.

21. A communication application according to claim 16 wherein:

the server is responsive to a global positioning signal locating a user position by determining whether the user position is in a vicinity near a retailer honoring a coupon in the coupon depository and if so sending the coupon to the user.

22. A communication application according to claim 16 wherein:

the two-way communication device is selected from among a group consisting of cellular telephones, pagers, and palm-held computers.