Offline-online incentive points system and method
First Claim
1. A method of generating an encrypted code in base L, comprising steps providing an n-bit raw number;
- applying a one-way hash function on the n-bit raw number with a first secret key to generate a first strung;
designating an m-bit portion of the first string as an m-bit validation number; and
combining the m-bit validation number and the n-bit raw number to generate a second string.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic points system that allows consumers to redeem online those points that were earned offline is described. In one implementation, the offline-online points system is applied to a soft drink bottle caps program. A soft drink company is sponsoring a promotions program where certain bottle caps are worth so many points. A consumer buys a soft drink bottle at a local store. The lucky consumer discovers that he is the beneficiary of a winning bottle cap, and in particular, a bottle cap that is worth N points. Instead of redeeming this winning bottle cap in the traditional way, the consumer logs onto the soft drink company'"'"'s website and registers his bottle cap code. Thereafter, after registration, the consumer can redeem these points for any merchandise that is available for purchase with these points at any participating company'"'"'s online store.
363 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of generating an encrypted code in base L, comprising steps providing an n-bit raw number;
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applying a one-way hash function on the n-bit raw number with a first secret key to generate a first strung;
designating an m-bit portion of the first string as an m-bit validation number; and
combining the m-bit validation number and the n-bit raw number to generate a second string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of verifying the valifdity of a code, comprising the steps of:
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generating a code with encrypted information;
fixing the code on an object to be distributed to a user;
obtaining the code from the object, by the user;
receiving the code on line from the user;
verifying the validity of the code by processing the encrypted information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for awarding incentive points to a user, comprising the steps of:
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generating a code with encrypted information;
providing the code to an entity for printing on an object;
receiving the code from a user on line, the code having been reterived from the object by the user;
verifying the validity of the code by processing the encrypted information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An offline-online points system, comprising:
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a main server configured for providing a user with an interface to submit a code, wherein the code is obtainable offline and is associated with N points, wherein each point, characterized as a purchase or attention incentive point, is redeemable and maintainable in an account for the user;
a code server configured for maintaining valid codes and verifying, against the valid codes, that the code submitted by the user is valid such that a balance in the account for the user is increased by a predetermined number of points if the code is valid;
means for generating the code; and
means for fixing the code onto a medium such that the code is obtainable from the medium offline. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for offline-online handling of incentive points, comprising:
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generating a code, wherein wherein the code is generated by providing a number portion, deriving a validation portion from the number portion, appending the validation portion to the number portion to form a string, encrypting the string, and deriving the code from the encrypted string by converting the encrypted string to base L string; and
fixing the code onto a medium such that the code is obtainable from the medium offline. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 38, 39, 40)
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34. A method for offline-online handling of incentive points, comprising:
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generating a code by;
providing a number portion, S1INT, from a first string, S1 arranging a first secret key, K1, next to the number portion, S1INT, from S1, to form a second string, S2, applying a hash function to S2 to produce a third string, S3, extracting a validation portion, S1VAL, from S3 and arranging S1VAL, next to S1INT in S1 (S1=S1VAL+S1INT), encrypting S1 using a second secret key, K2, to form a fourth string, S4, and deriving the code by converting S4 to a base L fixed-length code string; and
fixing the code onto a medium such that the code is obtainable from the medium offline. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification