Discount coupon usage

• US 20050043995A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Martin Khang Nguyen
• Original Assignee: Martin Khang Nguyen
• Inventors: Nguyen, Martin Khang
• Application Number:
  US10/953,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043995A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a receiver and a processing unit. The receiver receives merchandise information on a merchandise having a merchandise radio frequency identification (RFID) tag when a user is within a distance from the merchandise. The merchandise information is transmitted from a module in a wireless transmission. The module has a RFID reader to read the merchandise RFID tag and retrieves the merchandise information from a merchandise database based on the merchandise RFID tag. The processing unit is coupled to the receiver to inform the user of the merchandise information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive merchandise information on a merchandise having a merchandise radio frequency identification (RFID) tag when a user is within a distance from the merchandise, the merchandise information being transmitted from a module in a wireless transmission, the module having a RFID reader to read the merchandise RFID tag and retrieving the merchandise information from a merchandise database based on the merchandise RFID tag; and

a processing unit coupled to the receiver to inform the user of the merchandise information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the merchandise information includes at least one of a discount information, a rebate information, a product information, and a pricing information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmission is one of a radio frequency (RF) transmission, an optical transmission, and an ultrasound transmission.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing unit comprises:

a display interface to provide the merchandise information to a display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the processing unit to transmit user information to the module.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user information includes at least one of identification information, membership information, a user profile, a value amount, and a discount privilege level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a user RFID tag to contain user identification information, the user identification information being transmitted to a RFID reader when the user is within a reading range of the RFID reader.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the module retrieves user information using the user identification information from a user database.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the module transmits other merchandise information to the receiver according to the user information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface to receive user input regarding the merchandise.

11. A method comprising:

receiving merchandise information on a merchandise having a merchandise radio frequency identification (RFID) tag when a user is within a distance from the merchandise by a receiver, the merchandise information being transmitted from a module in a wireless transmission, the module having a RFID reader to read the merchandise RFID tag and retrieving the merchandise information from a merchandise database based on the merchandise RFID tag; and

informing the user of the merchandise information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the merchandise information includes at least one of a discount information, a rebate information, a product information, and a pricing information.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the wireless transmission is one of a radio frequency (RF) transmission, an optical transmission, and an ultrasound transmission.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein informing comprises:

providing the merchandise information to a display.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting user information to the module.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the user information includes at least one of identification information, membership information, a user profile, a value amount, and a discount privilege level.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting user identification information encoded in a RFID tag to a RFID reader when the user is within a reading range of the RFID reader.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising retrieving user information using the user identification information from a user database.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting other merchandise information to the receiver according to the user information.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

a user interface to receive user input regarding the merchandise.

21. A system comprising:

a module; and

a communication device carried by a user communicatively coupled to the module, the communication device comprising;

a receiver to receive merchandise information on a merchandise having a merchandise radio frequency identification (RFID) tag when a user is within a distance from the merchandise, the merchandise information being transmitted from the module in a wireless transmission, the module having a RFID reader to read the merchandise RFID tag and retrieving the merchandise information from a merchandise database based on the merchandise RFID tag, and

a processing unit coupled to the receiver to inform the user of the merchandise information.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the merchandise information includes at least one of a discount information, a rebate information, a product information, and a pricing information.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the wireless transmission is one of a radio frequency (RF) transmission, an optical transmission, and an ultrasound transmission.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the processing unit comprises:

a display interface to provide the merchandise information to a display.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the communication device further comprises:

a transmitter coupled to the processing unit to transmit user information to the module.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the user information includes at least one of identification information, membership information, a user profile, a value amount, and a discount privilege level.

27. The system of claim 21 the communication device further comprises:

a user RFID tag to contain user identification information, the user identification information being transmitted to a RFID reader when the user is within a reading range of the RFID reader.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the module retrieves user information using the user identification information from a user database.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the module transmits other merchandise information to the receiver according to the user information.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the communication device further comprises:

a user interface to receive user input regarding the merchandise.

31. A coupon comprising:

a merchandise identifier to identify a merchandise having a discount; and

a coupon identifier to identify the coupon, the coupon identifier being used to determine frequency of usage of the coupon when presented to redeem for the discount of the merchandise.

32. The coupon of claim 31 wherein at least one of the merchandise identifier and the coupon identifier is encoded by an encoding to be read by a reading device.

33. The coupon of claim 32 wherein the encoding is one of a bar code encoding and a RFID encoding.

34. The coupon of claim 32 wherein the reading device is one of a bar code reader and a RFID reader.

35. The coupon of claim 31 wherein the frequency of usage determines a discount value.

36. The coupon of claim 35 wherein the discount value is zero if the frequency of usage indicates that the coupon has been used at least once.

37. The coupon of claim 35 wherein the discount value is gradually decreasing according to the frequency of usage.

38. A method of using a coupon comprising:

identifying a merchandise having a discount by a merchandise identifier; and

identifying the coupon by a coupon identifier, the coupon identifier being used to determine frequency of usage of the coupon when presented to redeem for the discount of the merchandise.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the merchandise identifier and the coupon identifier is encoded by an encoding to be read by a reading device.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the encoding is one of a bar code encoding and a RFID encoding.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the reading device is one of a bar code reader and a RFID reader.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the frequency of usage determines a discount value.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the discount value is zero if the frequency of usage indicates that the coupon has been used at least once.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the discount value is gradually decreasing according to the frequency of usage.