Products and processes for promoting multiple transactions at a retail establishment

• US 20050098625A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tedesco, Daniel E., Walker, Jay S., Otto, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/381
• 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 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the invention, products and processes are disclosed for receiving, via a point-of-sale terminal that is not a vending machine, an indication of a set of products which a customer desires to purchase. At least one product is offered to the customer via the point-of-sale terminal, and an acceptance of the offer is received. Thereafter a request to receive the product is received. A unit of the product is dispensed via the vending machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a point-of-sale terminal that is not a vending machine, an indication of a set of food products which a customer desires to purchase;

offering, via a point-of-sale terminal, at least one food product to the customer;

receiving, via the point-of-sale terminal, an acceptance of the offer;

receiving payment for the product;

generating data which defines at least one food product;

generating a voucher identifier;

associating the generated data with the voucher identifier;

printing on a paper substrate indicia that represents at least one of the generated data and the voucher identifier;

providing the paper substrate to the customer;

receiving the paper substrate via a vending machine that is not the point-of-sale terminal, but that is located proximate to the point-of-sale terminal;

in which the step of receiving the paper substrate is performed after the step of receiving the acceptance of the offer;

determining, from the paper substrate, the data which defines the at least one food product;

receiving from the customer a selection of a food product;

comparing the selected food product with the at least one food product defined by the data; and

dispensing, via the vending machine, the unit of the selected food product.

2. A method comprising:

receiving, via a point-of-sale terminal that is not a vending machine, an indication of a set of products which a customer desires to purchase;

offering, via the point-of-sale terminal, at least one product to the customer;

receiving an acceptance of the offer;

receiving, via a vending machine that is not the point-of-sale terminal, a request to receive the product,

in which the step of receiving the request to receive the product is performed after the step of receiving the acceptance of the offer; and

dispensing, via the vending machine, a unit of the product.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the offered product comprises a food product.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the offered product comprises a food product that has a relatively-high perishability.

5. The method of claim 2, in which receiving an acceptance of the offer comprises:

receiving, via the point-of-sale terminal, an acceptance of the offer.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the customer a selection of a product.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, via the point-of-sale terminal, a selection of the product.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, via the vending machine, a selection of the product.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, via the point-of-sale terminal, payment for the product.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, via the vending machine, payment for the product.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a redemption voucher.

17. The method of claim 11, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

providing a code.

22. The method of claim 11, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

providing a voucher which permits a product to be dispensed from the vending machine at a reduced price.

23. The method of claim 2, in which receiving, via the vending machine, a request to receive the product comprises:

receiving, via the vending machine, a redemption voucher.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining, from the voucher, data which defines at least one product for which the redemption voucher may be redeemed.

25. The method of claim 24, in which dispensing, via the vending machine, the unit of the product comprises:

dispensing, via the vending machine, the unit of the product upon determining the data which defines the product.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining, from the voucher, data which defines an amount of a discount.

27. The method of claim 2, in which the vending machine is located proximate to the point-of-sale terminal.

28. The method of claim 2 in which the vending machine is located in view of the point-of-sale terminal.

29. The method of claim 2, in which the vending machine is located in the same building as the point-of-sale terminal.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with the processor,

in which the storage device stores a program that, when executed by the processor, directs the processor to perform the method of claim 2.

12. The method of claim 111, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

providing a substrate upon which indicia are registered.

13. The method of claim 12, in which providing a substrate upon which indicia are registered comprises:

printing indicia upon a substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

directing a printing device to print indicia upon a substrate.

15. The method of claim 12, in which providing a substrate upon which indicia are registered comprises:

providing a substrate upon which a bar code is registered.

16. The method of claim 12, in which providing a substrate upon which indicia are registered comprises:

providing a substrate upon which machine-readable indicia are registered.

18. The method of claim A. 17, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

providing an alphanumeric code.

19. The method of claim 111, in which providing the redemption voucher comprises:

generating data which defines at least one product for which the redemption voucher may be redeemed; and

associating the generated data with the redemption voucher.

20. The method of claim 19, in which associating the generated data with the redemption voucher comprises:

printing on the redemption voucher indicia which indicates the generated data.

21. The method of claim 19, in which associating the generated data with the redemption voucher comprises:

storing an indication of the generated data in association with an indication of the redemption voucher.