Participating in an incentive program using a portable memory device
First Claim
1. A method for using a portable memory device by a customer to participate in an incentive program provided by an entity to the customer, the method comprising:
- said customer temporarily providing said portable memory device to said entity;
checking whether an identification means corresponding to said entity exists in said portable memory device, wherein a unique customer identifier of said identification means uniquely identifies said customer to said entity;
if said identification means does not exist, said entity creating said identification means in said portable memory device and creating an account for said customer, corresponding to the incentive program, wherein said account is linked with said unique customer identifier; and
providing participation in said incentive program to said customer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for using a portable memory device, for example, a removable USB flash memory drive, by a customer to participate in an incentive program. A business entity temporarily receives the memory device from the customer, for example, at a point of sale, and looks for an identification means of the customer in the device and creates one if it doesn'"'"'t exists. The identification means comprises a unique customer identifier and an association means and various other data elements. The business entity uses the identifier in the device to establish link between the device and the incentive program. In one embodiment, the incentive program account is created by the entity without requesting any information from the customer, by creating a unique anonymous customer identifier in the device. The customer may use the device as one centralized unit to represent a plurality of incentive programs.
43 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for using a portable memory device by a customer to participate in an incentive program provided by an entity to the customer, the method comprising:
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said customer temporarily providing said portable memory device to said entity;
checking whether an identification means corresponding to said entity exists in said portable memory device, wherein a unique customer identifier of said identification means uniquely identifies said customer to said entity;
if said identification means does not exist, said entity creating said identification means in said portable memory device and creating an account for said customer, corresponding to the incentive program, wherein said account is linked with said unique customer identifier; and
providing participation in said incentive program to said customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for providing an incentive program by an entity to a customer using a portable memory device, the system comprising:
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a computer comprising a processor and means to receive portable memory device;
a removable portable memory device connected to said computer; and
said computer further comprising at least one computer readable medium comprising;
the incentive program data base;
a first computer program comprising a set of instructions when executed by said processor causes the computer to perform the steps of;
checking whether the incentive program identification means exists in said portable memory device, wherein a unique customer identifier of said incentive program identification means uniquely identifies said customer to said entity;
if said incentive program identification means does not exist, creating said incentive program identification means in said portable memory device and creating an incentive program account and linking said incentive program account with said unique customer identifier and storing in said incentive program data base;
if said incentive program identification means exists, reading said incentive program identification means and extracting data elements, wherein one of the data element is said unique customer identifier; and
providing participation in said incentive program to said customer. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification